Bedlam Wrestling: The Matches You Should be Most Excited About

Bedlam wrestling is this Sunday afternoon in Norman at 1 p.m. Central time in what should be a very close matchup between the Cowboys and Sooners. I thought I’d make a list of the matches I’m most intrigued by heading into this one, and honestly, almost all of them have a certain have the potential to be good.

10. Travis Wittlake vs. Troy Mantanona (165)

Freshman Troy Mantanona has added a spark to the OU lineup at 165 since being inserted as the starter a few weeks ago. He’s 3-0 and presumably has solidified himself in the No. 1 spot at 165 for the Sooners. Though I think he’ll play a big role moving forward for OU, he’s probably a little outgunned in this one and Wittlake should win fairly comfortably.

9. Dakota Geer vs. Darrien Roberts (184)

Geer dropped one vs. UNI last week and I think will look to shake it off here vs. Roberts. The All-American Geer is currently ranked No. 7 in the country and Roberts is unranked.

8. Dusty Hone vs. Dom Demas (141)

This would be a marquee win for Hone if he were to pull the upset, but on paper Demas is a pretty heavy favorite.

7. Trevor Mastrogiovanni vs. Mason Naifeh (125)

Mastrogiovanni has been winning close. Naifeh picked up a Top 25 win a few weeks ago after coming into the starting lineup. I think Mastro is the favorite, but this one will be interesting.

6. Wyatt Sheets vs. Justin Thomas (149)

I think a 100% healthy Sheets would be favorite here, but he’s clearly not 100%. He’s got a huge brace on his knee and is undoubtedly hobbled a bit, which may tip this one in Thomas’ favor. Sheets holds a 2-1 series lead in this one.

5. Austin Harris vs. Josh Heindselman (HWT)

I like this match a lot. Harris had a really good 5-0 start to the year vs. some lesser competition then dropped his last two vs. two highly ranked wrestlers. Here he has a chance to knock off a young freshman who is currently ranked in the Top 25. Both have a lot to prove in this one. Should be fun to watch.

4. Reece Witcraft vs. Anthony Madrigal (133)

This is a rematch from last years’ Bedlam dual that Witcraft won 6-5. A lot of funk, a lot of scrambles and a pretty exciting match last year between these two. Could see another wild one here.

3. Boo Lewallen vs. Mitch Moore (149)

Mitch Moore transferred to OU from Virginia Tech and has been a big asset for the Sooners so far this year. Boo is undefeated on the season and Moore will be his toughest test thus far.

2. Dustin Plott vs. Anthony Mantanona (174)

Dustin Plott is the undefeated true freshman. Mantanona is the Bedlam killer that knocked off both Andrew Shomers and Joe Smith last season. This will be Plott’s toughest test to date and one I really look forward to watching.

1. AJ Ferrari vs. Jake Woodley (197)

I’m fired up for this one. Ferrari was the Junior National Champ a few months ago and Woodley was the U23 National Champ. Woodley has a few losses to really highly ranked wrestlers and Ferrari is undefeated, but his ranked wins are limited. Pretty much all Oklahoma State fans have been really excited about Ferrari. This match should show a lot about where he is in the national pecking order at 197.

The dual starts at 1 p.m. on Sunday at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. It will be televised on Fox Sports Oklahoma.