Mason Parris Versus the Field

Gable Steveson was a generational talent at heavyweight for the U.S., and he backed that up with a gold medal at the delayed 2020 Olympic Games. He has since moved on to the predetermined style of wrestling. However, the cupboard is far from bare on the domestic heavyweight ladder. After Steveson pulled out of the last World Championships, former NCAA champion Mason Parris stepped into the role, brought home a bronze medal and qualified heavyweight for the upcoming Games. 

This weekend, he will look to earn his first trip to the Olympics. Thanks to his bronze medal, he will be sitting in the best-of-three finals, but there is plenty of quality opposition gunning for the spot. Interestingly enough, Parris has already faced off against every single other wrestler in the bracket. The following looks at that history and how these opponents will challenge Parris at the Trials.

Hayden Zillmer

The former North Dakota State wrestler enters the challenge tournament as the top seed. He does not have an extensive history with Parris, but the two did face off in the semifinals of the 2021 World Team Trials. On that day, Parris picked up an 8-4 victory and advanced to the best-of-three series against Nick Gwiazdowski. Zillmer has been on an upward trajectory since that loss, as he made the 2022 World Team and recently won the Henri DeGlane tournament in January.

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