Burroughs vs. Valencia to headline FloWrestling’s seven-match card on Saturday

Saturday, FloWrestling is hosting another outstanding wrestling card, highlighted by Jordan Burroughs vs. Zahid Valencia as the night’s main event.

Including the main event, the card will feature seven exciting matchups. Below is a breakdown of the bouts in order.

Match 1: Kyven Gadson vs Kollin Moore, 97 kg

This night’s opener will be a rematch of the 2020 Senior Nationals finals as Kyven Gadson and Kollin Moore will go head-to-head. Their last matchup resulted in a 12-5 win for Moore.

Gadson is a multiple-time National Team member and has collected U.S. Open titles in 2017 and 2019. Additionally, he is a 2015 NCAA champion for Iowa State.

Moore is a 2017 Junior World silver medalist and 2018 U23 World silver medalist. Domestically, he is a 2020 Senior Nationals champion and a 2019 Senior Nationals runner-up.

Match 2: Kayla Miracle vs Ana Godinez, 62 kg

Two age-group World medalists will be featured in the first women’s match of the night.

2019 U23 World silver medalist Kayla Miracle will face off against 2019 Junior World bronze medalist Ana Godinez of Canada. Both athletes represented their respective countries at the 2019 Senior World Championships in Kazakhstan at 62 kg/136 lbs.

In addition to her U23 World silver, Miracle is also a 2016 Junior World bronze medalist. Most recently, Miracle qualified the USA for the Tokyo Olympics with a gold-medal performance at the Pan Am Olympic Qualifier in March.

Match 3: Sammy Sasso vs Tyler Berger, 160 lbs.

Ohio State standout Sammy Sasso will go against former Nebraska standout Tyler Berger in the third match of the night.

Sasso is entering his sophomore season with the Buckeyes. In his first varsity season, Sasso was a Big Ten finalist and earned a bid to the NCAA Championships before the tournament was canceled. Sasso also has some freestyle accolades as a 2019 UWW Junior Freestyle National champion.

Berger was a three-time All-American for Nebraska, advancing to the NCAA finals in 2019. Since graduating, he has turned his focus to freestyle. Previously, his freestyle experience includes a runner-up finish at 2017 U23 World Team Trials and a third-place finish at 2018 U23 World Team Trials.

Most recently, Berger won an exhibition match against Joey McKenna at Wrestling Underground in August.

Match 4: Alli Ragan vs Lauren Louive, 59 kg

In the second women’s match of the night, we’ll see a rematch of the 2019 Final X series.

Alli Ragan is a two-time World silver medalist and a six-time Senior World Team member. She is facing 2020 Senior Nationals champion and National Team member Lauren Louive.

Louive had a breakout performance at Senior Nationals last month, navigating a tough bracket for gold.

The last time the two met, Ragan defeated Louive in the Final X series, two matches to none.

Match 5: G'Angelo Hancock vs Alan Vera, 103 kg

We will see a real treat in the Greco-Roman exhibition with G’Angelo Hancock facing off against Alan Vera at 103 kg/226 lbs. Both athletes compete at different weight classes, so this gives fans a chance to see this electric matchup.

Hancock is a 2016 Junior World bronze medalist and has had a stronghold on the 97 kg weight class in the U.S., claiming three-straight spots on the U.S. World Team. Hancock competed in three international tournaments this year, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, and earned medals in all three showings, including a gold at the Pan American Championships and a silver at the Pan Am Olympic Qualifier, securing the U.S. for a bid to the Tokyo Olympics at 97 kg in Greco.

Vera, a former Cuban athlete, has been making his mark on the national scene lately. Last month, Vera competed at his first U.S. Senior Nationals, where he eased his way to the 87 kg title. Should Vera receive U.S. citizenship in time, he will be an immediate threat for next year’s Olympic Team.

Match 6: Anthony Echemendia vs Evan Henderson, 67 kg

Another Cuban expat is slated for the card as Anthony Echemendia is taking on Evan Henderson.

Just over two years ago, Echemendia left Cuba to start his journey to the United States in search of a better life with endless opportunities. Since coming to the U.S., Echemendia quickly learned folkstyle and was one of the most sought after college recruits. Last year, he announced his commitment to Ohio State.

Henderson, a two-time All-American for North Carolina, recently had an impressive run to the Senior Nationals finals and ultimately finished with silver. Since the beginning of 2019, Henderson has competed in seven international tournaments, collecting medals in five of those appearances.

Match 7: Jordan Burroughs vs Zahid Valencia, 185 lbs.

Burroughs vs. Valencia should put an exclamation point on the event as both are very exciting wrestlers.

Burroughs has already written his name in the wrestling history books as a 2012 Olympic champion and four-time World champion at 74 kg/163 lbs. In addition to his gold medals, Burroughs also owns three World bronze medals from the 2013, 2018 and 2019 World Championships.

The last time, we saw Burroughs, he won gold at the 2020 Pan American Championships in Ottawa, Canada, in March. This weekend, he will bump up a weight to meet Valencia, who is an 86 kg/189 lb. athlete.

Valencia, who recently wrapped up his collegiate career, is a two-time NCAA champion for Arizona State. Internationally, Valencia is a three-time Junior World Team member (2015, 16, 17), finishing in the top-10 in all of his appearances, including a silver medal in the 2017 Junior Worlds.

Valencia’s last domestic freestyle event was at the 2019 Senior Nationals in December, where he won the 86 kg title.

Fans can watch all the action live on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on Flowrestling.org.