Alex Dieringer and Jordan Oliver Finish Second at Matteo Pellicone

Three of the Cowboys’ top senior level stars wrestled at the Matteo Pellicone ranking series event in Rome on Saturday. Here’s how it all broke out.

Alex Dieringer had a better performance after finishing third at US Senior Nationals. He knocked off Ukraine’s Archaia 9-0 in his first match, then beat Dagestani World Medalist Rashid Kurbanov 8-4. In the semifinals he matched up with fellow American Pat Downey and edged Downey 3-2.

The finals continued Dieringer’s series with Zahid Valencia. Valencia got out to a 5-0 lead quickly, Dieringer fought back, but was unable to completely close the gap and fell 7-5.

Jordan Oliver finished with a silver, but right now still looks about as good as we’ve ever seen him. In the early rounds no one was even able to touch him. In his first match he picked apart Kazazhkstan’s Talgat for a 10-0 tech, then beat Turkey’s Kilicsallaya 4-0. In the semifinals he was just as dominant with a 7-0 win over Ukraine’s Arushanian.

Then came the big final with India’s three time World Medalist Bajrang Punia. Oliver was up 3-2 late and gave up an exposure with about a minute and a half left. Punia held the position below until roughly 30 seconds was left and Oliver rolled through. Oliver was unable to score and fell 4-3.

#Rome2020

65kg
?Retherford??-Shuptar??+9-10 Fall
?Kilichsal??-Arushanyan??12-8

?Bajrang??-Oliver??4-3 pic.twitter.com/a1Otq1HwTU

— Ivan_FSwrestling (@sikom_d) January 18, 2020

Oliver finished ahead of last year’s World Team member Zain Retherford who finished third.

Daton Fix opened up in the qualifying rounds wrestling China’s Zou and defeated him 7-1. In the quarters he matched up with Venezuela’s Mejias and dominated him 11-0 picking up a second period tech.

There Fix matched up with a familiar face in Thomas Gilman, who Fix beat last year to make the World team. Fix went up early after a shot clock point, but gave up two exposure points later in the match to go down 2-1 which ended up being the final score.

Thomas Gilman gets his revenge on Daton Fix in Rome.

— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) January 18, 2020

Fix struck early with a takedown in the Bronze match vs. Minghu Liu and gave up a push-out late in the first. He was taken down late to fall 3-2 and finish fifth.