Zach Roberson of the Iowa Stalkers, who lost to DeAnda in the finals, is expected to compete at 132 lbs.
But at all of the other men's freestyle weights classes, a seasoned champion will have to take down some of RPW Season Two's potential young stars to earn a place in this year's World Championships.
The deepest of these "RPW weight classes" will be at 145 and 163 lbs. in freestyle, as five of the eight Season One wrestlers are expected to compete –- and any one of those five could come away with the World Team spot in those respective weight classes.
At 145 lbs., Season One champion Doug Schwab of the Iowa Stalkers will be looking to earn his first World Team spot. However, veteran Chris Bono of the Chicago Groove will be looking for revenge from their heated Season One bout.
Also competing will be Eric Larkin of the Texas Shooters, who lost to Schwab in the Season One finals, Jared Lawrence of the Minnesota Freeze and Jared Frayer of the Oklahoma Slam. All three are wildcards and on any given day, could take out Schwab or Bono.
Olympian and Season One champion Joe Williams of the Chicago Groove and Donny Pritzlaff of the Pennsylvania Hammer will be the top two seeds at 163 lbs., but also expected to compete are Joe Heskett of the Iowa Stalkers, Tyrone Lewis of the Oklahoma Slam and Ramico Blackmon of the New York Outrage.
At 121 lbs., Olympic silver medalist and Season One champion Sammie Henson of the Pennsylvania Hammer is the favorite going into this event, but he could see challenges from the California Claw's Matt Azevedo and possibly even the Texas Shooters' Eric Akin, who has a tendency to show up at these events when he is least expected.
2005 U.S. World Team members Mo Lawal of the Oklahoma Slam (184 lbs.), Daniel Cormier of the Oklahoma Slam (211) and Tolly Thompson of the Iowa Stalkers (264) are also heavy favorites within their weight classes.
Thompson, however, was the only one of those three not to capture a Season One title. Pat Cummins of the Pennsylvania Hammer did. But Thompson came back last year to win a bronze medal at the World Championships. Tommy Rowlands of the New York Outrage will also compete at 264 lbs.
Lawal will see Season One challengers Lee Fullhart of the Iowa Stalkers and Andy Hrovat of the Chicago Groove. Lawal and Fullhart have become rivals on the mat over the past couple of years, beginning with their Season One bout when Lawal danced his way to a semifinal victory.
Cormier has dominated his weight class in the U.S. since 2003, though he could see challenges this year from Damion Hahn of the Minnesota Freeze and Nick Preston of the Pennsylvania Hammer, who are both improving at a steady rate.
Greco-Roman wrestlers Lindsey Durlacher of the Chicago Groove (121 lbs.), Joe Warren of the Oklahoma Slam (132), Mike Ellsworth of the Pennsylvania Hammer (145), T.C. Dantzler of the Minnesota Freeze (163) and Olympian Brad Vering of the New York Outrage (184) will also compete and have strong chances at earning World Team spots.
Last year, Durlacher, Warren, Dantzler and Vering all competed in the World Championships. Vering, as many may remember, also took Lawal to the wire in what many consider to be the greatest RPW match ever.
With all of this talent already competing, it is hard to think of this weekend having room for any Season Two talent. But some of these matches may be preliminary auditions for some of the top young wrestlers in the nation.
Wrestlers such as Henry Cejudo, Nate Gallick, Greg Jones and Steve Mocco could all make some noise this weekend, and if they do, you can bet that the eight RPW franchises will start their bidding wars for such talent.
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