Blades on UWW's U23 Worlds entry list at 68kg
The creator of Who's #1 says Flo "fucked it up" and is publicly shopping a rebuild. On the same day, UWW's U23 Worlds entry list showed Kennedy Blades at 68kg, with Final X still to sort out.
Big news
Blades listed at 68kg on UWW U23 Worlds entry, pending Final X
Per UWW's entry list for U23 Worlds, Kennedy Blades joins four other Hawkeyes on Team USA: Everest Leydecker, Reese Larramendy, Kylie Welker and Jordan Williams. USA Wrestling had previously announced Blades as one of two options under consideration at 68kg. Bartachek's read is that USAW had to submit a name and the spot could still be decided at Final X. UWW lists the U23 World Championships for Las Vegas, October 12 to 18.
Per UWW’s entry list for U23 Worlds, Kennedy Blades will join four other Hawkeyes on Team USA - Everest Leydecker, Reese Larramendy, Kylie Welker and Jordan Williams.
It does say entries subject to change so guessing USAW had to submit a name and then it will potentially be decided at Final X
Why it matters: Blades at 68kg would headline a U23 team on home soil, and Iowa would have five athletes in the Las Vegas brackets.
- The 68kg decision at Final X
- U23 Worlds, Las Vegas, October 12 to 18
Takes and analysis
Tirapelle floats no overtime and a step out penalty for folkstyle
Adam Tirapelle's three, in order: liberalize control, kill overtime and make the first point scored the tiebreaker, and add an objective out of bounds penalty. Nomad said he likes point two. Spey argued the step out is not inherently a freestyle rule since FILA only adopted it in 2005, Sparks countered that he would keep folkstyle rules and call stalling harder, and Claunch said scrambles and ankle passes would be a mess for officials. Tirapelle also said the riding time difference is the only thing that creates urgency now.
Create urgency - no OT. First point scored is the tiebreaker.
It was adopted by FILA in 2005. That's after 100 years of NOT having a step out penalty.
I’d keep same rules in folkstyle and be more aggressive on calling stalling.
Why it matters: This is the follow-on to the 3-point takedown data fight, and it is the argument the rules committee will be handed if the scoring debate keeps running.
- Our take: the no-overtime idea drew the least pushback of the three in these threads
Drama
Who's #1 creator rips Flo: "let me see what I can do"
MatScoutWillie, who says he created Who's #1, called the state of the event disheartening and followed up by saying Flo "had it on my silver platter" and tagging @IzzyStyle and @ChadBronstein. He did not spell out what he plans to do. Flo and Justin Basch spent the same stretch promoting the show, adding #1 Kooper Deputy against Fargo champ #2 Luke Loren at 106, with Flo also posting a list of the seven wrestlers with the most Who's Number One wins. Basch separately defended asking whether a wrestler who took three losses last weekend belongs at an event built on No. 1 versus No. 2, adding that he does not think the wrestler should be disinvited.
Both the soul and the hype of Who's #1 has been lost. As the creator of it, it's disheartening.
Flo had it on my silver platter and fucked it up.
I asked whether a guy who took 3 losses this weekend should compete at an event set up with all #1's and #2's to determine the #1 guy in the weight class.
Why it matters: Who's #1 is the biggest high school card of the fall, and the people building it and the person who says he built it are now publicly at odds over what it means.
- Who's #1 goes 9/26 on Flo
- Our take: watch whether MatScoutWillie follows the tags of @IzzyStyle and @ChadBronstein with anything concrete
Quick hits
Woods vs Bassett set for Sept 25, 65kg World Team spot on the line
Flo is running Real Woods' last second takedown over Aden Valencia from the 2025 WTT as the lead-in. Woods and Bo Bassett meet September 25 on Flo for the 65kg World Team spot.
DeSanto defends RAF bantamweight title against Harutyunyan on Friday
HWC's Austin DeSanto, 3-0 at RAF, puts the bantamweight title up against Armenia's Arsen Harutyunyan Friday night in Miami at RAF 13. Per Basch, Harutyunyan is coming off a 6-5 win over Ohio State's Ben Davino and a 14-3 tech over Spencer Lee at Worlds last year.
Air Force promotes Chris Heilman to associate head coach
Air Force promoted Chris Heilman to Associate Head Coach and Director of Recruiting, and K.J. Pilcher noted he is a former Cornell wrestler. Jason Bryant carried it in Mat Talk Daily.
Girls high school wrestling hits record 88,771 participants
Per NFHS numbers posted by the NWCA, girls high school wrestling participation rose 19.9% in 2025-26, from 74,064 to 88,771 athletes. That is the pipeline feeding the new college women's programs.
Pyles: Aden Valencia has been training with Zuckerberg and Merab
Christian Pyles reported that Aden Valencia has been training with Mark Zuckerberg and Merab. Valencia is the same guy Real Woods beat at the buzzer at the 2025 WTT.