It’s always fun writing a preview when you don’t actually know who the American rep will be, but we’ll find out on Labor Day! Make sure to tune in for the Zain/Yianni match(es) on Monday, September 2.

If Zain Retherford wins, it will be his second trip to the world championships at the senior level, having also competed in 2017 in Paris. For Yianni, it would be his first time wearing the USA on his chest as a senior-level wrestler.

World Previews: 57kg | 61kg | 65kg | 70kg | 74kg | 79kg | 86kg | 92kg

While it is always difficult to determine what the “best” weight is at any given tournament of note, this year’s 65kg field appears to have the most names and depth of any bracket at the upcoming world championships. Part of that is due to guys moving up from 61kg or down from 70kg as countries narrow their focus to qualifying for next year’s Olympic Games.

Three of the last year's four medalists return, but only two of them will be seeded. The draw will be huge, as we saw the following first-round matchups last year: Tobier vs Aliyev, Stieber vs Chakaev, and Khinchegashvili vs Maghsoudi of Iran. On to the full preview.

The American: Zain or Yianni

We'll update this section once the rep has been determined. Both are strong options for Team USA, but their peaking/periodization may be affected by the late wrestle-off.

Retherford is 11-3 on the senior level against foreign competition, plus his 2012 Cadet world title. He has wrestled two silver medalists in Adam Batirov and Gadzhimurad Rashidov. Batirov ended Zain's run at 2017 worlds and made the finals the next year up at 70kg. The three-time NCAA champ led Rashidov 3-0 at the break in January at the Yarygin.

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Much like his college career at Penn State, Zain is at his most effective when he transitions from takedown to turn. Domestically, he made adjustments to beat guys like Jordan Oliver, Yianni, and Anthony Ashnault who he had previously lost to. If he can finish a little more effectively he'll be in medal contention as he is able to shoot to either side. Similarly, it is extremely difficult to get to Zain's legs, but he still has room to improve stopping takedowns once they get by his baseline defense.

In folkstyle, Yianni is known for his defense, a counter-heavy scrambler who creates points off the other man's offense. While he still has that in freestyle, he is much more likely to take shots and attempt to score off leg attacks.

In 15 freestyle matches this spring and summer, Yianni is averaging 9.5 points per match, which is the kind of offensive output he'll need in order to compete at this weight. Included in that stretch were matches where he put up eight points against world silver Bajrang Punia, nine points against former Russian hammer Ismail Musukaev, and nine points against Euro Games bronze Gor Oganesyan of Ukraine.

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While Yianni scores a ton of points, his tendency to scramble leaves him open for non-controlled exposures and occasional miscues in par terre. Ultimately, the critiques of both are nitpicking based on their medal potential as they attempt to make jumps at the world level.

No matter who we send, they're going to have their work cut out for them in Kazakhstan. If either medals, they will sit in the finals of next April's Olympic Team Trials.

Top 4 Seeds

The world finalists will be opposite each other, so a rematch of the 2018 gold medal match is possible. This time around though, Otoguro will have to come out of the bottom side and Bajrang will be on the top side. Kilicsallayan was the one seed last year but fell in the first round to Vladimer Khinchegashvili (GEO). Yianni beat Asian runner-up Okassov in Poland at the Ziolkowski Memorial.

Breaking Down The Field

Reigning world champ Takuto Otoguro (JPN) was just 20 years old when he won last year. The defending gold medalist was a Cadet world champ in 2015, the same year Yianni won his first Cadet title. Otoguro piled up 67 points in five matches last year in Budapest, showing off his incredible foot speed in neutral, with many of his takedowns coming off getting his opponent’s hands on the mat.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a gas tank better than the one Bajrang Punia (IND) has, which always keeps him in matches. He was on a torrid pace this year, winning the Asian championship, the Dan Kolov ranking series event (beating Jordan Oliver in the finals), the Ali Aliev in Dagestan, and most recently taking the title in Tbilisi. Part of his game though is that he needs to shoot because his leg defense can get him in trouble.

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In the semis, Bajrang beat Alejandro Valdes Tobier (CUB), a 2016 Olympian who is the only 65kg wrestler to medal each of the past two years. He won the Pan Am Games, but Zain had to pull out so he lost an opportunity to get his hands on one of the world's best before heading to Nur-Sultan. The only points Tobier gave up in Budapest were to Bajrang, most notably shutting out Haji Aliyev (AZE) in round one.

It took him a couple of years, but Aliyev has finally transitioned up to 65kg. A three-time world champ at 61kg, he has won the last two European titles plus this year's Euro Games. His rival going back to their days as Juniors is Khinchegasvhili, an Olympic gold medalist who hasn't quite filled up to 65 yet the same way Aliyev has.

Even with all those guys, the favorite in my eyes may still be Gadzhimurad Rashidov (RUS). It is curious though that Russia gave Rashidov the spot after he won nationals. Last year's bronze Akhmed Chakaev, and all of their Euro Games reps, did not compete at Russian Nationals. Chakaev was bronze there, and beat Rashidov in the Yarygin semis back in January. So basically, a returning world medalist who owns the last win over Rashidov was somehow passed over in the selection in all the important year before the Olympics.

When the news came out in Paris back at the 2017 world championships the switch was being made to two, same day weigh-ins, Rashidov immediately jumped to the front of the pack for me at 65kg, and I identified him as my favorite to win the Tokyo Olympics. However, since winning Cadet worlds in 2011 and 2012, he has two Junior bronzes and two senior silvers. So he'll have to figure out how to cross that line and win that important match, because he has the offensive repertoire, the defensive craftiness, and an excellent gut wrench to do it, he just has to put it all together.

Also dropping down to try to qualify for the Olympics is Ikhtiyor Navruzov (UZB), who was silver in 2015, the last time he was responsible for qualifying Uzbekistan's 65kg spot. Someone who could upset the apple cart is Gor Oganesyan (UKR), who has made the finals of the Ziolkowski and Kristjan Palusalu, won bronze at the Euro Games and took first at the Ukrainian Memorial.

Iran is sending either 2016 Junior world champ Peyman Biabani or U23 Asian silver Amir Yazdani.

The Contenders

Takuto Otoguro, Japan

• 2018 World Champ
• 2015 Cadet World Champ
• 2013 Cadet World Bronze

Bajrang Punia, India

• 2019 Asian Champ
• 2018 World Silver
• 2018 Asian Games Champ
• 2017 U23 World Silver

Gadzhimurad Rashidov, Russia

• 2018 World Silver
• 2018 European Champ
• 2017 World Silver
• 2017 U23 European Champ
• 2016 European Champ

Alejandro Valdes Tobier, Cuba

• 2019 Pan Am Games Champ
• 2018 World Bronze
• 2017 World Bronze

Haji Aliyev, Azerbaijan

• 2019 Euro Games Champ
• 2017 World Champ
• 2016 Olympic Bronze
• 2015 World Champ
• 2014 World Champ

Vladimer Khinchegashvili, Georgia

• 2019 Euro Games Silver
• 2017 World Bronze
• 2017 European Champ
• 2016 Olympic Champ
• 2015 World Champ

Ikhtiyor Navruzov, Uzbekistan

• 2018 Asian Champ
• 2017 Asian Silver
• 2016 Olympic Bronze
• 2015 World Silver
• 2014 Asian Games Bronze