The season of Greco-Roman wrestling in the United States this year is really not a season at all. Although there will have been a handful of competitions preceding the US World Team Trials in April, the whole thing comes down to that one event. Because after the World Trials comes to a close, activity for the majority of American Senior athletes will likely grind to a halt, leaving only those who have made the World Team as the ones with a full slate of items on their agendas until the fall.
So when the headline says “in 2025”, it actually means, at most, two or three events. The Trials is one; next month’s Grand Prix of Zagreb “Ranking Series” tournament is another; and maybe there might be a few athletes who find something else to do between now and April.
But discussion, analysis, and projection are still part of the protocol when it comes to the World Trials and which of the ten categories might stand out the most. 60 kilos will still produce tension and highlights, and, yes, 87 will remain the most condensed collective of hard-hitting talent (even if several big names are on the shelf for April). Likewise, 67 and 77 are almost always going to invite intrigue based on the top competitors who tend to occupy these brackets. None of this is anticipated to change when World Team selection gets underway in Vegas some three months from now. Mostly because it very rarely ever does in a given season, anyway. 60, 67, 77, and 87 (especially 87) are always dependable in terms of entertainment value.
This year is a little different, however. While the weight classes listed above require examination in near perpetuity, 63 kilograms has a chance to present extremely compelling theater in its own right. It will not be a very large bracket — but that also does not matter because those who will call this weight category home are among the best and most established competitors in the country.
The Principles
63 kg
The current #1 in the weight class is none other than four-time US World Team member/two-time Olympian (once for Uzbekistan) Ildar Hafizov (Army/WCAP), who went up to 63 for the September Trials and defeated Max Black (NMU/NTS) in the best-of-three final. Black, who did manage to defeat Hafizov in the second bout of their series, is not a player in this weight division as he is returning to his usual class of 60 kg.
Hafizov, 36 (turns 37 on January 30), has yet to betray a missed step at this late stage of his career. He did not win a match at the Worlds in October; however, he faced two top-caliber opponents in the form of eventual champ Nihad Mammadli (AZE) and Abu Amaev (BUL). Just weeks hence, Hafizov forged an impressive march to the Military World final in Baku, Azerbaijan and ended up with silver. It was his second medal from a Military World tournament with his first having arrived in ’19 (bronze).
As mentioned, age is not much of a factor for Hafizov. While he certainly has to contend with various aches and pains, that is nothing new. He simply modifies his training according to how he is feeling and is trusted by Army to govern when, and how, he should ramp up intensity. If there is any disadvantage that he has at 63 kg, particular with regards to ’25, it is his “walking around” weight. When Hafizov was competing at 60 kilos, rarely did he hover above 63. Most of the time, he would leave daily practices in the 61-62 range. Even with supposing that he has gathered a little more size for this push at 63, he is not working with the same amount of mass as the others. This might be fine for less-arduous weight cuts, but it is also something worth observing for later on during tournament day (such as in a semifinal round, for instance) when his contemporaries have significantly rehydrated and absorbed a suitable number of calories.
Top 63 Contenders
Hafizov fixes to have several challenging opponents in a World Team Trials scenario — and two of them originate from his own wrestling room.
’12 Olympian/four-time World Team member/five-time National champ Ellis Coleman (Army/WCAP) is the name on whom most should be focusing. Coleman began his Senior career at 60 kg but bumped up to 66 following the London Games. The rest of his story is well-known. After the ’16 quad, Coleman made every available World roster at 67 and finished runner-up to Alex Sancho (Army/WCAP) at the ’20ne Olympic Trials. Initially, Coleman desired stepping away from the sport on the heels of his series defeat to Sancho; but he then reconsidered and intended to keep going until a (ridiculously-handled clown-show) doping sanction took him off the mat for two years. As most are indeed aware, Coleman came back last February, went 2-0 at Armed Forces, won the Olympic Trials in April, and departed from the World OG Qualifier (May) with a 1-1 record.
The premier reason for why Coleman is giving 63 a shot is two-fold: 1) he was already eyeballing the weight class in ’21 prior to the USADA mess; 2) Coleman has had virtually zero trouble making 67 with a same-day weigh-in. He has stayed pretty light, and if 63 were an Olympic weight throughout the earlier phase of his career, it probably would have been his landing spot. Coleman does not see 63 as a drastic weight cut despite the four-kilo difference. If he is correct, and morning weigh-ins are not some major hindrance to his performance capability, then he is going to be a very big problem for Hafizov and everyone else.
Just as problematic is Xavier Johnson (Army/WCAP), who has spent the most time in this weight class of all involved and was a World Team member at 63 two years ago. Plus, his weight is practically malleable. Johnson first made a splash at 59 kg in ’16, made an Armed Forces appearance at 60 in ’18, settled on 63 for the next two seasons (one in which saw him advance to Final X), he then locked onto 67 for the ’20ne Olympic Trials, and went back down to 63 upon coming over to the Army from the All-Marine Team. Last year, Johnson once again climbed to 67 for the Olympic Team selection tournament, which represents his most recent competitive exploit.
Johnson brandished just as much power at 67 as he has at 63, for his lift from top par terre is equally-devastating in both weight classes. Moreover, one cannot point towards any of his previous showings in the lighter class as having been influenced by a draining weight cut. It is unlikely that Johnson has just breezed through the process each time he has had to make scratch 63 — but he is such a disciplined, professional competitor that even if he has experienced sporadic weight-cut issues, zero people from outside the WCAP inner circle would ever know about it. Johnson has obviously refueled correctly following 63 weigh-ins because he has been dominant over 99% of the field in that category. This is important to note. Johnson was certainly not small at 67 but he is monstrous for 63, which is why speculation pertaining to his weight management is appropriate. And all evidence suggests that he knows how to deal with this facet of his career quite effectively.
Two More Looming Threats
Coleman and Johnson due to their esteemed status as recent World and/or Olympic Team members receive the highest billing next to incumbent Hafizov. It is only fair. But they are not alone when it comes to who might also be in the mix come April in Vegas.
Otto Black (CTT/Hawkeye WC) — Black — younger brother of Max Black — has become a red-hot commodity over the past five months beginning with his run to U20 World silver. Given his commitment to the University of Iowa and participation in related collegiate folkstyle activities (he is currently “grey-shirting”), it was an especially nice surprise to see Black enter the two end-of-year Scandinavian tournaments, the Haparanda (SWE) and Haavisto (FIN) Cups. Both competitions were Senior level and Black silver’ed in Sweden at 63 kg and the next week he won Haavisto at 67 (Black was voted 5PM’s Impact Performer for ’24 on account of his performances this past fall). Smart, aggressive, dynamic on-the-feet (he level-changes often), and super-competitive, Black may be young but he is certainly dangerous. He has also continued to put an emphasis on Greco this winter from a training standpoint and is set to travel to Zagreb early next month for the “Ranking Series” tournament and camp.
Riley Lomenick (NYAC) — Has to be mentioned. Cannot be dismissed. Ask virtually anyone who is a resident athlete at the Olympic Training Center about Lomenick and they will all insist that he is a sleeper candidate in this bracket come April. His size and strength are part of this conversation. Lomenick — who wrestled for Wabash during college and before that was a Greco age-grouper in Illinois — is a big body for 63 (60 kg for the Olympic Year must have been difficult for him) and has, as one might suspect, solid hand-fighting skills. He also nearly upset Hafizov in the quarters at the September Trials, though some of that could be attributed to poor officiating. Nevertheless, this is a wrestler on the come-up. Lomenick has lacked various fundamental tactics early on in Senior competition but that was understandable. These days, the word is that he is hurriedly improving and giving other top lightweights all they can handle in the practice room. How that might translate to success in April is obviously unknown. One thing working against Lomenick, perhaps, is that it does not seem as though he will have an opportunity to compete before April. Like so many others, you would prefer to see Lomenick tested in some matches amid this winter training cycle, but it is what it is. Still — thus far there is enough out there on Lomenick to warrant keeping on eye on him heading into the spring.
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