Twenty All-Americans will be wrestling, including five defending national champions. Two weight classes will have a rematch of the 2005 national title match. Host Oklahoma State will be represented by its four returning champions. Oklahoma will send three wrestlers to Stillwater to compete in the event as well.
Oklahoma's two-time All-American Sam Hazewinkel will meet Michigan State's Nick Simmons. This is a rematch of the consolation final that Hazewinkel won at the 2005 NCAA Championships. Hazewinkel defeated Simmons, 2-0, in last year's All-Star Classic.
In a rematch of last year's national title match at 141, two-time national champion Teyon Ware of Oklahoma will meet Big 12 rival and two-time Big 12 champion Nate Gallick of Iowa State.
OSU's defending national champion at 149, Zack Esposito, will square off with Michigan's Eric Tannenbaum. Esposito defeated Tannenbaum in the NCAA semifinals last season.
Johny Hendricks is the second Cowboy to take the mat. Hendricks, a two-time All-American and defending national champion at 165, will face Minnesota's Matt Nagel, who is coming off of a sixth-place finish last year.
It will be Bedlam at 197 when OSU's two-time national champion Jake Rosholt will meet OU's Joel Flaggert. Rosholt won his second national title last season, while Flaggert went on to earn his first All-America honor with a fourth-place finish. Rosholt won their only meeting last season with a major decision in a dual back in December.
Steve Mocco will be the last Oklahoma State wrestler to trot out onto the mat when he faces Minnesota's Cole Konrad in a rematch of last year's national title match. Mocco beat Konrad three times last season, all in overtime.
At 133, Minnesota's Mack Reiter will square off against Darrell Vasquez of Cal Poly. Reiter finished fourth last season, while Vazquez took the year off due to an illness. Vasquez finished sixth at the 2004 NCAA Championships.
Returning national runner-up Joe Johnston of Iowa will meet Illinois' two-time All-American Alex Tirapelle. Johnston defeated Tirapelle, two-time Big Ten champion, in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. Tirapelle is the only wrestler in the classic who did not place in the 2005 NCAA Tournament.
Jacob Klein of Nebraska will take the mat at 174 after wrestling at 165 last season. Klein will face Northwestern's Jake Herbert. Herbert is coming off of a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
Paul Bradley of Iowa will take the mat against Illinois' Pete Friedl. Bradley finished fifth at the 2005 NCAA Championships, while Friedl is bumping up a weight after he finished fourth at 174.
Central Oklahoma's Josh Leadingfox will take on Nebraska-Kearney's Tervel Diagnev in a traditional exhibition match. The honorary coaches for the event are OSU's own John Smith, Northwestern's Tim Czyewski, Dana College's Steve Costanzo and Labette Community College's Joe Renfro.
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