Final X Preview: James Green vs. Jason Chamberlain, 70 kg men’s freestyle

Who: James Green vs. Jason Chamberlain
What: Final X
Where: Lincoln, Neb.
When: June 9
Why: Men’s freestyle World Team spot at 74 kg
Tickets: FinalX.tv

James Green
How he got to Final X:
Green is a returning World medalist at the weight, earning silver at the 2017 World Championships at 70 kg last August in Paris, France. As a returning World medalist, he received an automatic bid to Final X.

Background:
James Green is no stranger to the World stage, having represented the United States in three Senior World Championships (2015-2017) and twice on the University age-group level, once at 2013 University World Games and once at the 2014 University World Championships.

In four of his trips to the various World Championships, he produced top-10 finishes and three medals. In 2014, he earned his first world medal, making it to the finals of the University World Championships. Green was stopped just short of gold and brought back a silver medal.

Since 2015, Green has made every Senior World Team and is a favorite heading into Lincoln. He snagged medals in the 2015 and 2017 Worlds, claiming bronze and silver, respectively.

In 2016, Green failed to make the Olympic Team, wrestling down a weight class at 65 kg as 70 kg is not an Olympic weight. Green recovered, winning the 70 kg World Team spot for the 2016 World Championships for non-Olympic weights. At the 2016 Worlds in Budapest, Green lost his quarterfinals match on criteria and was not pulled into the repechage, resulting in a seventh-place finish.

But last year, Green bounced back from the disappointing season, winning the spot on the World Team and claiming international golds at the Outstanding Ukrainian Memorial, Pan American Championships and Grand Prix of Spain. At the World Championships in Paris, Green helped the United States to a World Team title with a silver-medal finish, losing to 2015 World champ and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Frank Chamizo of Italy. It was Green’s highest finish on the Senior World stage.

So far this year, Green has had a solid showing after undergoing surgery for an injury he sustained last year. His first competition back was the World Cup in Iowa City, where he went 3-1. He’s also claimed his second-consecutive Pan Am title.

Most recently, Green competed at the Beat the Streets Benefit in New York City, defeating two-time Pan Am champ Franklin Maren Castillo of Cuba.

Prior to his international success on the Senior level, Green wrestled for Nebraska, where he was a four-time All-American and a 2014 Big Ten champion.

Green’s World Championships experience:
2013 University World Games in Kazan, Russia – did not place
2014 University World Championships in Pecs, Hungary – SILVER
2015 Senior World Championships in Las Vegas, USA – BRONZE
2016 Senior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary - SEVENTH
2017 Senior World Championships in Paris, France – SILVER

Jason Chamberlain
How he got to Final X:
Chamberlain defeated 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro in the finals of the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Rochester, Minn., in May to advance to Final X.

Background:
While not as decorated as Green, Jason Chamberlain has posed a threat on the international scene for years, holding multiple international medals, including a 2015 Pan Am title and a 2014 gold from the Bill Farrell International.

Chamberlain has also been a part of the U.S. World Team three times, twice as a Junior-level athlete and once as a University-level competitor.

In 2009, he made his first Junior World Team and repped the Red, White and Blue in Turkey. Despite not medaling in his first World outing, Chamberlain came back hungry, making the 2010 Junior Team. At the 2010 Junior Worlds in Budapest, he suffered a second-round loss but stormed back to make the bronze-medal bout. He came up just short of a medal, losing 0-1, 1-0, 1-2 on the old three-period system for a fifth-place finish.

His last trip to the World Championships was in 2012, when he traveled to Kourtane, Finland, for the University World Championships. He did not place at the event.

Since then, Chamberlain has been a perennial national contender. Most recently, he picked up his best win on the Senior national level, winning the 2018 U.S. Open, where he had to go through a tough bracket, defeating 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro in the semifinals before taking out 2018 NCAA runner-up and eventual U23 World Team member Hayden Hidlay in the finals.

Thanks to the U.S. Open win, Chamberlain earned an automatic bid to the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament best-of-three finals series. There, he was confronted by Molinaro in the finals, who came through the challenge bracket. Chamberlain took the first match before Molinaro forced it to a third with a second-round win. In the third match, Chamberlain edged out a 2-1 win with the match decided on passivity.

During his college career, Chamberlain competed for Boise State and was a two-time All-American with a runner-up finish in 2013.

Chamberlain’s World Championships experience:
2009 Junior World Championships in Ankara, Turkey – did not place
2010 Junior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary – FIFTH
2012 University World Championships in Kourtane, Finland – did not place

Notes:

• Green and Chamberlain are 2-2 against each other in freestyle competition. Green won the 2013 University World Team Trials, defeating Chamberlain two matches to one in the best-of-three finals series. The two met just a month later in Stillwater, Okla., at the 2013 Senior World Team Trials on the consolation side of the bracket, where Chamberlain took the win.
• This weekend will mark the third World Team Trials event that Green and Chamberlain will compete against each other in.
• Before moving to Fresno, Calif., to join the Valley RTC, Chamberlain trained with Green at the Nebraska Regional Training Center.
• This is the second year in a row that Green has had the opportunity to make a World Team in front of a home crowd.
• Follow James Green on Twitter and Instagram @WhoIsJamesG
• Follow Jason Chamberlain on Twitter and Instagram @JasonChambo

70 kg/154 lbs. MEN

James Green, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC)

College: Nebraska     High School: Willingboro, N.J.          Born: Dec. 19, 1992                         

• 2017 World silver medalist
• 2015 World bronze medalist
• 2014 University World silver medalist
• 2016 World Cup champion
• 2017 U.S. Open champion
• Three-time Grand Prix of Spain champion (2015-17)
• Four-time NCAA All-American for Nebraska (2012-15)
• 2014 Big Ten champion

Jason Chamberlain, Fresno, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/Valley RTC)

College: Boise State   High School: Springfield, Utah         Born: July 2, 1990

• 2018 U.S. Open champion
• 2018 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament champion
• 2015 Pan American Championships champion

• 2014 Bill Farrell International champion
• Fifth in 2010 Junior World Championships
• Second in 2017 Dave Schultz Memorial International
• Sixth in 2015 and 2017 U.S. Open
• Seventh in 2016 U.S. Open
• Second in 2014 Grand Prix of Paris
• Third in 2014 Dave Schultz Memorial International
• Second in 2013 NCAA Championships for Boise State
• Third in 2011 NCAA Championships