Nelson beats Steveson, Ramos and Fix to battle tomorrow in best-of-three finals at WTT Challenge tournament

ROCHESTER, Minn. - The second half of the best-of-three finals matches were set this evening at the 2018 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Rochester, Minn.

Daton Fix, Frank Molinaro, Nezar Kulchytskyy, Kyven Gadson, and Anthony Nelson will all wrestle in the Challenge Tournament finals at 12 p.m. CT. Fix, Molinaro, and Gadson will look for revenge against opponents who defeated them at the U.S. Open in April. The winners will then move on to the last stage of World Team Trials, Final X.

57 kg
Daton Fix 10-0 over Zach Sanders
Best-of Three-Final: Tony Ramos vs. Daton Fix
Sitting in Final X- Thomas Gilman

Daton Fix made quick work of Zach Sanders with a 10-0 first period technical fall. Fix got the job done with 3 takedowns and two gut wrenches tacked onto the last takedown to put the match away. Fix will have Tony Ramos in the best-of-three final to determine who will wrestle against returning world silver medalist Thomas Gilman in Final X.Ramos defeated Fix 2-2 on criteria in the U.S. Open Finals. When asked what he has to differently this time around Fix replied,

“I have to finish, I had his leg in the air and he was open and I didn't get any points out of him. If I get a point there it's a different match. The way I'm moving right now easier, a lot better than I was at the Open. I feel better overall, way better than I did at the Open.”

70 kg
Frank Molinaro 3-1 over Hayden Hidlay
Best-of Three-Final: Jason Chamberlain vs. Frank Molinaro
Sitting in Final X- James Green

 The veteran Molinaro bested the young buck Hidlay in a low scoring affair. After being put on the shot clock, Molinaro scored a one-point step out. He followed it up with a takedown to end the first period up 3-0. In the second period, Hidlay could not penetrate the fortress like defense of Molinaro. His one point came off of a fleeing the hold call with 20 seconds left. Tomorrow, Molinaro will face Jason Chamberlain in the best-of-three to earn a spot opposite of world silver medalist James Green in Final X. Chamberlain took out Molinaro in the semifinals of the U.S. Open 4-2.

74 kg
Nazar Kulchytskyy 5-3 over Tommy Gantt
Best 2 of 3 Final: Isaiah Martinez vs. Nazar Kulchytskyy
Sitting in Final X- Jordan Burroughs

Kulchytskyy came out on top of a back and forth battle with Tommy Gantt. Kulchytskyy struck first with a step out point to take a 1-0 lead. The score held until the break. Gantt answered in the second with a single leg takedown to gain a 2-1 lead. With a minute to go, Gantt earned a passivity point to go ahead 3-1. Kulchytskyy answered with a takedown of his own to gain the advantage 3-3 on criteria. The icing on the cake was another takedown off a Gantt shot with 10 seconds left to secure a 5-3 victory. Waiting in the best-of-three finals is U.S. Open Champion Isaiah Martinez. The winner will face World Champion Jordan Burroughs in Final X.

97 kg
Kyven Gadson 10-0 over Ty Walz
Best 2 of 3 Final: Austin Schafer vs. Kyven Gadson
Sitting in Final X- Kyle Snyder

Gadson looked dominant in his 10-0 technical fall over Walz. He was up 6-0 at the break on the strength of two takedowns and a turn. He finished Walz off with two takedowns in the second period to take the 10-0 victory. Tomorrow Gadson will face U.S. Open winner Austin Schafer. Schafer defeated Gadson in the Open semifinals 4-3 on a last second takedown. Waiting in Final X is returning World Champion Kyle Snyder.

125 kg
Anthony Nelson 4-4 over Gable Steveson
Best 2 of 3 Final: Adam Coon vs. Anthony Nelson
Sitting in Final X- Nick Gwiazdowski

Former Minnesota Gopher heavyweight Tony Neslon won on criteria over future gopher heavyweight Gable Steveson. While Steveson was able to get to Nelson’s legs, he had trouble finishing on the 27-year-old Nelson, who had a full decade on 17-year-old Steveson. Steveson scored first off a passivity point, but Nelson scored a big four-point takedown on the edge of the mat at the end of the first period. This was Nelson’s only score of the match. In the second period, Gable scored on a step out, and a takedown in the last 30 seconds, but it wasn’t enough to get the job done. Nelson and Steveson are regular training partners, and after the match Nelson had this to say,

“[Steveson and I] wrestle a lot together and he's very quick. He's a very talented young wrestler, he's gonna do a lot of amazing things. I was able to get that takedown for four and it made the difference, those are big points out there.”

Nelson will face U.S. Open Champion Adam Coon in the best-of-three final. The last time the pair wrestled was in college in 2014, where Coon won in overtime. The winner of this match will have returning world bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski in Final X.

Best-of-Three Matches
57 kg: Daton Fix (Titan Mercury) vs.Tony Ramos (Sunkist Kids)
61 kg: Nahshon Garrett (Sunkist Kids) vs. Nico Megaludis (Nittany Lion WC)
65 kg: Jaydin Eierman (Titan Mercury) vs. Logan Stieber (Titan Mercury) 
70 kg Frank Molinaro (Titan Mercury) vs. Jason Chamberlain (Titan Mercury)
74 kg: Nazar Kulchytskyy (Titan Mercury) vs. Isiah Martinez (Titan Mercury)
79 kg: Alex Dieringer (Titan Mercury) vs. Zahid Valencia (Sunkist Kids)
86 kg: Richard Perry (New York AC) vs. Nick Reenan (Titan Mercury)
92 kg: Hayden Zillmer (Minnesota Storm) vs. Deron Winn (Titan Mercury)
97 kg: Kyven Gadson (Sunkist Kids) vs. Austin Schafer (New York AC)
125 kg: Anthony Nelson (Minnesota Storm) vs. Adam Coon (New York AC/ Michigan WC)