If there was a wrestling video game, featuring all the best wrestlers in the world, who would be a 99 overall? For Team USA, that person might just be J’den Cox.

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When the best wrestler in the bracket is the best athlete with the strongest work ethic and also has the highest mat IQ, well, good luck. It doesn’t seem fair when J’den takes the mat. Even if he’s not always blowing people out, he’s one of the most difficult in the world to score on.

Across all 10 weights, America has the two heaviest favorites to win world titles walking into Kazakhstan: Kyle Dake at 79kg and J’den at 92kg. That is obviously a huge boon for the USA as they pursue a team title, and I feel even more comfortable about J’den’s odds with Sharif Sharifov (AZE) up at 97kg.

WATCH: J'den Cox The Only Way Is Up

Three of the four world medalists return in what was the first year for the weight. Japan replaced bronze medalist Atsushi Matsumoto with Takuma Otsu. The only continental champions are #1 Cox and #2 Alirez Karimi of Iran, who also happen to be the top two seeds, as well.

The American: J’den Cox

We’ve seen the former Missouri star four times this year: at the Pan Am championships, Beat the Streets, Final X, and Yasar Dogu. In those nine matches, the only points he gave up were in match one against Bo Nickal at Final X: Rutgers. The first was a shot clock point and the second was off a failed challenge attempt.

In his past 17 matches, he's given up just one takedown. It was extremely important for him to not give up any offensive points to Nickal at the RAC. The 24 year old has embraced a mindset of shutting his opponents down and taking away as many of their options against him as possible.

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As Cox progressed this summer, he focused on improvement and increasing his offensive output. At the Yasar Dogu, he teched his way through the tournament, outscoring opponents 42-0. In June and July, he showed off a slideby, a swing single, a post hi-c, and a general tightening of the re-attacks he's always done so well, improving his timing and positioning to always make his opponents pay for taking an ill advised shot.

At one of the several different Team USA training camps at the OPTC, Cox described what he termed "reverse scrambling" and how he breaks down matches. He also spoke of leading his opponents down a path to achieve his desired result, to target a certain technique he wants to hit, to put them in a position where he was strong.

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Top Four Seeds

One of the few weights where the first and second seed are also the clear cut best two in the weight. Cox is the reigning gold medalist and has the second most seeding points of anyone in men's freestyle. Magomed Kurbanov (RUS), who won the first Ranking Series events, will not be in Nur-Sultan, nor will their rep last year in Batyrbek Tsakulov. As mentioned, Matsumoto is out leaving last year's silver Yankouski as the three seed. Euro bronze Irakli Mtsituri (GEO) rounds out the seeds.

Breaking Down The Field

There was a short period where it seemed like #2 Alireza Karimi seemed like he would befall the same fate suffered by so many Iranian age level stars. He went from winning Junior worlds in 2014, to being the only one to score on Sadulaev in 2015 en route to a bronze medal. But injuries and Hassan Yazdani moving up to 86kg left him in limbo. But he finally got healthy last year, and was given a new weight class. He's since won Euro Games, won bronze in Budapest, won the Asian championships this year as well as the Sassari Ranking Series event.

The decision to move Sharifov up was a curious one. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist was ranked #3, but an apparent knee injury to Nurmagomed Gadzhyev forced their hand. Sharifov was previously 2-0 against J'den, and fellow Azeri Aslanbek Alborov has a win over Cox from last year's World Cup, but neither are wrestling in a few weeks. Instead they will be sending U23 world champ and #8 Shamil Zubairov, a native Dagestani who Cox teched at the Yasar Dogu in July.

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Like most of the world, 92kg in Russia was a bit chaotic both this year and last. Who eventually came out on top was #4 Alikhan Zhabrailov. He's not one the Russians are leaning on to win the team title, as evidenced in how he get teched by Baasantsogt Ulziisaikhan (MGL). He was third at the Alans and second at the Ali Aliev, but he put it all together for Russian Nationals.

Irakli Mtsituri (GEO) is wrestling in his fourth world championship in five years for Georgia, but his first at the senior level. He's ranked fifth after getting second at the Dan Kolov and in Tbilisi, as well as a bronze at Euros. Georgia finished third last year and will likely be in a similar position due to guys like this. Mtsituri is one of only two who wrestled at Euros who is wrestling here, the other being Dominic Klaus Peter of Austria.

I'm not sure if #16 Ivan Yankouski (BLR) can repeat his silver medal performance, especially being on the same side as Karimi. The field will be about the same size as last year, with a 21 man bracket in Budapest and 20 currently entered right now.

WATCH: J'den Cox Block Party

Rather than go with Istvan Vereb, Hungary decided on #17 Bendeguez Toth. He's wrestled four times this year, with a silver at Yasar Dogu, and bronzes at the Ziolkowski and Henri Deglane.

Suleyman Karadeniz (TUR) is making his world debut, having only previously represented Turkey at U23 Euros in 2016. Ranked 18th, he's been very active this year, competing six times, and getting better, finishing with bronzes at the Dogu and in Ukraine, as well as winning the Ziolkowski.

There are only three from the Asian championships who will be competing in Nur-Sultan: Karimi, Xiao Sun (CHN), and Changjae Sue (KOR). Mongolia is going with Nyambayar Baatar, who was bronze at Junior worlds in 2012, even though they had a guy tech Zhabrailov at the Yarygin. India is going with U23 Asian bronze Parveen.

The Contenders

#1 J'den Cox, United States

• 2019 Pan Am Champ
• 2018 World Champ
• 2017 World Bronze
• 2016 Olympic Bronze

#2 Alireza Karimi, Iran

• 2019 Asian Champ
• 2018 World Bronze
• 2018 Asian Games Champ
• 2017 World Military Champ
• 2015 World Bronze

#4 Alikhan Zhabrailov, Russia

• 2019 Ali Aliev Silver
• 2018 Alans Bronze
• 2018 Medved Silver
• 2018 Ali Aliev Bronze

#5 Irakli Mtsituri, Georgia

• 2019 European Bronze
• 2018 U23 Euro Silver
• 2017 U23 World Bronze
• 2016 U23 Euro Silver

#8 Shamil Zubairov, Azerbaijan

• 2019 Tbilisi Champ
• 2019 U23 Euro Bronze
• 2018 U23 World Champ
• 2018 U23 Euro Champ

#16 Ivan Yankouski, Belarus

• 2019 Medved Silver
• 2019 Ukraine Bronze
• 2018 World Silver
• 2018 World Military Bronze