The Bouzakis vs Crookham Rubber-Match Is For #1 On The Junior Big Board
The Bouzakis vs Crookham Rubber-Match Is For #1 On The Junior Big Board
When Nic Bouzakis and Ryan Crookham meet, they'll decide the top spot at 132 and for the entire class of 2022.
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Nic Bouzakis and Ryan Crookham are the top two wrestlers in the country — not just at 132, but for the entire class of 2022. Their match is made more interesting by the fact that the two have met twice in the last two years, and each owns a win over the other.
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Saturday, October 3, 2020
Crookham and Bouzakis met most recently in the 2019 Iron Man finals. Neither wrestler could earn a takedown in that bout. After a scoreless first period, Crookham and Bouzakis traded reversals in the second. Crookham took a 3-2 lead in the second on a stalling point, but Bouzakis earned a dramatic reversal with nine seconds left in the match to win 4-3.
Their previous meeting came in freestyle at the 2018 UWW Cadet Nationals. Crookham racked up a 5-0 lead which compelled Bouzakis to attack vigorously in the last minute of the bout. Bouzak was deep on a number of shots but was only able to earn one takedown in the 5-2 loss. Crookham, then an eighth-grader, went on to place fourth in one of the nation's toughest tournaments.
If history repeats itself on October 3, we can expect an exciting, razor-thin contest between two of the best the class of 2022 has to offer.
In March, Crookham captured his second Pennsylvania state title in two attempts. The Notre Dame Green Pond Junior is #2 in the class of 2022 and recently decided to wrestle for Lehigh at the next level.
Bouzakis has yet to decide on a college but is the top-ranked recruit among the junior class after winning titles last season at National Preps, Iron Man, Super 32, and Fargo. While every match at Who's #1 should be big, this is probably the biggest.
Full Who's #1 Card
138: Jesse Mendez vs Jordan Williams
145: Kylie Welker vs Skylar Hattendorf
182: Lenny Pinto vs Rylan Rogers
126: Jordan Titus vs Dean Peterson
152: Victor Voinovich vs Jagger Condomitti
285: Kyonte Hamilton vs Chase Horne
220: Kyle Haas vs Nick Feldman
145: Cody Chittum vs Wyatt Henson
195: Seth Shumate vs Tate Picklo
112: Sage Mortimer vs Mia Palumbo
132: Nic Bouzakis vs Ryan Crookham
160: Paddy Gallagher vs Travis Mastrogiovanni
120: Richie Figueroa vs Drake Ayala
170: Alex Facundo vs Cael Valencia
138: Joel Vandervere vs Williams/Mendez