AWL I preview at 125 kg: Dom Bradley (Team Dake) vs. Zach Rey (Team Taylor)
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by Andy Hamilton, TrackWrestling
Zach Rey got the call this week for a late substitute opportunity at heavyweight for Friday night’s American Wrestling League debut event, setting up a couple familiar storylines.
For one, it’s another fill-in chance for the 29-year-old New Jersey native. Rey subbed for injured Tervel Dlagnev at the 2015 World Championships. He earned that alternate opportunity by defeating Dom Bradley 1-1 that summer in the Challenge Tournament finals at the World Team Trials.
That was another chapter in the history between Rey and Bradley — one that stretches back at least nine years and includes some high-stakes battles.
They’ll have another match Friday night with $5,000 on the line inside the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, site of AWL I: The Beginning.
Greco-Roman World silver medalist Adam Coon was supposed to tangle with Bradley, but the former Michigan star was forced to withdraw from the event after sustaining an undisclosed injury, according to AWL officials. That left team captain David Taylor in search of a heavyweight and set the stage for another showdown between Bradley and Rey.
In 2009, Rey defeated Bradley 1-0, 2-0 in the first match of the best-of-three final series at the Junior World Team Trials. Bradley came back to take the next two bouts, outscoring Rey by a combined 11-1 count. The Missouri native ultimately went on to win a Junior World title.
Rey gained the upper hand two years later in the NCAA semifinals when he downed Bradley 2-1. He went on to win an NCAA title that year.
Both heavyweights are trying to climb the American ladder again. Bradley placed third in April at the U.S. Open and fourth a month later at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament, where he dropped a 5-4 semifinal decision against Gable Steveson.
Rey won his first two matches at the U.S Open before bowing out of the tournament after a 3-2 quarterfinal loss against Tanner Hall.
Tickets for AWL I: The Beginning can be purchased at www.americanwrestling.org.
The event will be broadcast live by TrackWrestling
TEAM DAKE – 125 kg
Dom Bradley, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids)
Club: Sunkist Kids
College: Missouri
High School: Blue Springs (Mo.)
Born: March 10, 1989
• 2016 U.S. Open champion
• Two-time Pan American champion (2016-17)
• 2009 Junior World champion
• Two-time Dave Schultz Memorial International champion (2012, 2017)
• 2017 Pan American Championships champion
• Third at 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials
• Second in 2017 U.S. World Team Trials
• Second in 2014 U.S. Open
• Third at U.S. World Team Trials four times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2015)
• Third in U.S. Open three times (2015, 2017, 2018)
• Two-time NCAA All-American for Missouri (2011, 2013)
• Three-time Missouri state champion
TEAM TAYLOR – 125 kg
Zach Rey, Northampton, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC)
College: Lehigh
High School: Hopatcong (N.J.)
Born: March 27, 1989
• 2015 U.S. World Team member
• Second at 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials
• Two-time U.S. World Team Trials runner-up (2014, 2015)
• Second in 2015 and 2017 U.S. Open
• Third in 2016 Outstanding Ukrainian Memorial
• 2015 Pan American Games champion
• 2012 and 2013 Pan American Championships champion
• Third in 2013, 2014 and 2015 Medved International (Belarus)
• 2014 and 2015 Cerro Pelado International champion (Cuba)
• 2014 Brazil Cup champion
• 2011 NCAA champion and three-time All-American for Lehigh
• Two-time New Jersey state champion
For one, it’s another fill-in chance for the 29-year-old New Jersey native. Rey subbed for injured Tervel Dlagnev at the 2015 World Championships. He earned that alternate opportunity by defeating Dom Bradley 1-1 that summer in the Challenge Tournament finals at the World Team Trials.
That was another chapter in the history between Rey and Bradley — one that stretches back at least nine years and includes some high-stakes battles.
They’ll have another match Friday night with $5,000 on the line inside the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, site of AWL I: The Beginning.
Greco-Roman World silver medalist Adam Coon was supposed to tangle with Bradley, but the former Michigan star was forced to withdraw from the event after sustaining an undisclosed injury, according to AWL officials. That left team captain David Taylor in search of a heavyweight and set the stage for another showdown between Bradley and Rey.
In 2009, Rey defeated Bradley 1-0, 2-0 in the first match of the best-of-three final series at the Junior World Team Trials. Bradley came back to take the next two bouts, outscoring Rey by a combined 11-1 count. The Missouri native ultimately went on to win a Junior World title.
Rey gained the upper hand two years later in the NCAA semifinals when he downed Bradley 2-1. He went on to win an NCAA title that year.
Both heavyweights are trying to climb the American ladder again. Bradley placed third in April at the U.S. Open and fourth a month later at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament, where he dropped a 5-4 semifinal decision against Gable Steveson.
Rey won his first two matches at the U.S Open before bowing out of the tournament after a 3-2 quarterfinal loss against Tanner Hall.
Tickets for AWL I: The Beginning can be purchased at www.americanwrestling.org.
The event will be broadcast live by TrackWrestling
TEAM DAKE – 125 kg
Dom Bradley, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids)
Club: Sunkist Kids
College: Missouri
High School: Blue Springs (Mo.)
Born: March 10, 1989
• 2016 U.S. Open champion
• Two-time Pan American champion (2016-17)
• 2009 Junior World champion
• Two-time Dave Schultz Memorial International champion (2012, 2017)
• 2017 Pan American Championships champion
• Third at 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials
• Second in 2017 U.S. World Team Trials
• Second in 2014 U.S. Open
• Third at U.S. World Team Trials four times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2015)
• Third in U.S. Open three times (2015, 2017, 2018)
• Two-time NCAA All-American for Missouri (2011, 2013)
• Three-time Missouri state champion
TEAM TAYLOR – 125 kg
Zach Rey, Northampton, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC)
College: Lehigh
High School: Hopatcong (N.J.)
Born: March 27, 1989
• 2015 U.S. World Team member
• Second at 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials
• Two-time U.S. World Team Trials runner-up (2014, 2015)
• Second in 2015 and 2017 U.S. Open
• Third in 2016 Outstanding Ukrainian Memorial
• 2015 Pan American Games champion
• 2012 and 2013 Pan American Championships champion
• Third in 2013, 2014 and 2015 Medved International (Belarus)
• 2014 and 2015 Cerro Pelado International champion (Cuba)
• 2014 Brazil Cup champion
• 2011 NCAA champion and three-time All-American for Lehigh
• Two-time New Jersey state champion
