By J.D. Rader - With the World Championships just a few days away, let’s take a look at some of the potential matches that I am looking forward to the most.

This isn’t necessarily a list of the top potential matchups, but rather my own personal most anticipated matches for a variety of reasons. 

Men’s Freestyle

61 kg: Bonne (CUB) vs Idrisov (RUS)

The masses love “Bonne Bombs,” and I am no exception. Watching him hit that fireman’s on Rashidov last year, and then holding on to win, was incredible. Can he do the same this year? I’m not so sure. What I am sure of, however, is that 61 kg has opened up, and watching YBR wrestle a Russian was a whole lot of fun last year. I imagine it will be more of the same this year.

And not that Bonne needs it, or even wants it, but Idrisov doesn’t mind digging in underhooks, potentially setting up another awesome fireman’s bomb.

With YBR being the top-seed and Idrisov being unseeded, they could hit at any time.

65 kg: The Whole Dang Thing

Is this a bit of a cop-out? Sure, but this bracket is absolutely absurd. Just look at the credentials below.

Not only are the top guys at this weight credentialed — they're fun to watch. Otoguro and Punia put on arguably the match of the tournament last year when they put up a combined 25 points in the final.

74 kg: Jordan Burroughs (USA) vs Zaurbek Sidakov (RUS)

While 74 kg is similar to 65 kg in that it is loaded with talent, including the always entertaining Frank Chamizo, there is one match that stands above the rest: Jordan Burroughs vs Zaurbek Sidakov. 

Sidakov defeated Burroughs in the quarterfinals of last year’s World Championships on a last-second step out. Sidakov would go on to defeat Chamizo in the semifinals and then Avtandil Kentchadze of Georgia in the finals.

Now, Burroughs is the No. 2 seed and Sidakov is the No. 3 seed, meaning they’ll hit in the semifinals. However, that match will be for the World title in my opinion. Chamizo and Kentchadze are the No. 1 and 4 seeds, respectively.

97kg: Kyle Snyder (USA) vs Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS)

To hell with the Rose Bowl, this is “The Granddaddy of Them All.”

We all know what happened in matches one and two, and we’re all dying to know what happens in match three.

Women’s Freestyle

50kg: Yukie Irie (JPN) vs The Field

If you don’t already know the name Yukie Irie, learn it. Irie defeated two-time Senior World champion, two-time Junior World champion, and three-time Cadet World champion Yui Susaki 6-1 to make this year’s World team for Japan.

Irie is the only wrestler to ever defeat the 20-year-old phenom Susaki.

Although Irie has played second fiddle to Irie the past few years, she is clearly no slouch. The Japanese wrestler is a 2012 Junior World gold medalist and three-time Yarygin champion.

The last non-Japanese opponent to defeat Irie, Vinesh Vinesh of India, now competes at 53 kg. Her last international loss before that? 2014.

Japan has won gold at the lightest women’s weight class since 2012. Can Irie do the same in her Senior World Championship debut?

57 kg: Risako Kawai (JPN) vs Ningning Rong (CHN)

With an Olympic gold medal and two World gold medals to her name, Risako Kawai of Japan has already cemented her legacy. However, Ningning Rong of China is a very good young wrestler.

Although Kawai dropped down from 59 kg and defeated four-time Olympic gold medalist Kaori Icho to make the spot, Rong won the Asian Championships in a bracket where Icho was defeated 7-4. In the finals, Rong used a last-second four-point move to defeat the wrestler who took out Icho, Myong Suk Jong of the People’s Republic of Korea.

In the finals of last year’s World Championships, she won a close one over Bilyana Zhivkova Dudova of Bulgaria. Rong is a winner, but she’ll be up against a big challenge in Kawai. 

68 kg: Tamyra Mensah-Stock (USA) vs Koumba Larroque (FRA)

Koumba Selena Fanta Larroque of France was the wrestler who prevented Tamyra Mensah-Stock from winning a World title last year. Larroque was able to shut Mensah-Stock down and win 2-1 with all of the points coming from shot clock points.

However, Mensah-Stock is wrestling as well as she ever has, and similar to Burroughs on the men’s side, I can’t wait for this rematch. If Mensah-Stock wrestles her best in Nur-Sultan, there is no one who can beat her, including Larroque.

Greco-Roman

60 kg: Emelin Sergey (RUS) vs Victor Ciobanu (MDA)

Another rubber-match. Emelin Sergey of Russia tech falled Victor Ciobanu of Moldova in last year’s World finals. However, Ciobanu won on criteria 5-5 at this year’s European Championships.

Sergey is phenomenal at getting his opponents put down and then going to work with his world-class gut wrench. However, Ciobanu’s forward pressure style doesn’t get him put down often. Oddly enough, Sergey was put down in the match he won, and Ciobanu was put down in the match he won. 

Sergey showed off his neutral abilities in the first match, capitalizing off of Ciobanu’s forward pressure.

Ciobanu’s forward pressure worked well for him in the second match, as he was able to defend and step over Ciobanu’s throw attempt and then get a driving step out point to win.

67 kg: Frank Staebler (GER) vs Hansu Ryu (KOR) Artem Surkov (RUS)

Three-time World champion vs two-time World champion vs reigning World champion. Interested? That’s what is going down at 67 kg in Kazakhstan.

Frank Staebler of Germany is a three-time World champion dropping down from 72 kg where he won a year ago. Hansu Ryu of Korea is a two-time World champion who won in 2017 and 2013, and Artem Surkov of Russia is the reigning World champion at 67 kg.

Surkov and Ryu will go into Nur-Sultan as the one and two seeds, respectively. Staebler will be a random draw into the bracket, however.

Staebler and Surkov actually wrestled this summer at the Grand Prix of Germany in Staebler’s first time back down under 72 kg since the 2016 Olympics. Staebler used a go behind in the first period and a nice four-point body lock throw from par terre in the second to pick up the 7-1 win.

Especially with forced par terre being implemented, par terre will be huge in Nur-Sultan. Gut wrenches will definitely be a thing.

What matches are you most looking forward to?