PREVIEW: Trio of past/present Hawkeyes set for Final X wrestle-offs on Friday

Tanner Lafever · Wednesday at 1:39 PM

Published my preview for Friday’s Final X action in Ohio - at which returning World bronze medalists Kennedy Blades, Kylie Welker and Real Woods will wrestle for a spot on Team USA’s 2026 squad:

Hawkeye trio set for delayed Final X wrestle-offs, Friday in Ohio

This Friday, more than three months after being granted medical delays for their respective Final X series, a trio of Hawkeyes will finally wrestle for

www.on3.com

Of note: there has been some chatter that Blades might get the women’s 68kg spot without contesting her series vs former Hawkeye Bella Mir - but that’s yet to be confirmed.

sdvike · Wednesday at 6:53 PM

Bella is very good but I don't see how she would ever beat Blades outside of injury default. So, Im guessing Blades is deciding if she wants to compete both u23s and senior level.

sdvike · Friday at 2:36 PM

Any confirmation on whether Blades vs Mir goes down or not?
Im taking:
Blades in 2 if not by forfeit.
Welker in 3
Bassett in 3

Tanner Lafever · Friday at 3:44 PM

Official from USA Wrestling:

Weird situation that I still haven’t heard the definitive reason behind - but Blades makes her second World Team without contesting a domestic match this year, and Mir apparently gets the U23 spot.

Nashville_Hawk · Friday at 5:17 PM

sdvike said:
Any confirmation on whether Blades vs Mir goes down or not?
Im taking:
Blades in 2 if not by forfeit.
Welker in 3
Bassett in 3

I want Woods to win but am taking Bassett in 2…

Tanner Lafever · Friday at 5:39 PM

Welker wins Bout 1, 4-1 - controlling all of the early action before Guilford finally started to engage in the latter stages.

Woods loses the opener, 8-4 - scoring the first and last two points of the bout, though Bassett controlled the majority of the match.

Tanner Lafever · Friday at 6:20 PM

sstark46 · Friday at 6:56 PM

Weird second match for Welker. Not a lot of action in that one. Hoping she gets to her offense more in match three

vhsalum · Friday at 7:02 PM

Bo Bassett on the senior world team…

Le sigh

Praguehawk · Friday at 7:28 PM

Bassett keeps confirming he is gonna be the man. Sux and I wanted Real to pull it out, but it wasn’t close. Really wish he was heading to Iowa.

sstark46 · Friday at 7:29 PM

sstark46 said:
Weird second match for Welker. Not a lot of action in that one. Hoping she gets to her offense more in match three

Well, that sucked

RockySmith · Friday at 7:32 PM

Praguehawk said:
Bassett keeps confirming he is gonna be the man.

He IS the man, now. He’s beaten enough people he should be the favorite against any USA wrestler now.

SpacemanSpifff · Friday at 7:34 PM

I can’t root for him. Will always be “what could’ve been…”

VakAttack · Friday at 8:04 PM

It definitely sucks. Bassett has gotten even better than I thought he would be, and very quickly.

blcoach80 · Friday at 8:19 PM

vhsalum said:
Bo Bassett on the senior world team…

Le sigh

I get why we lost him, but man that one hurts. Kid is a stud and wrestles just like Tom and Terry did. Was a perfect Iowa fit and I would be shocked if he doesn't win multiple titles in both folk and freestyle over the next couple years. Really going to sting if he helps VT catch the Hawks. We just can't seem to catch a break lately.

Anon1771119513 · Friday at 8:39 PM

blcoach80 said:
I get why we lost him, but man that one hurts. Kid is a stud and wrestles just like Tom and Terry did. Was a perfect Iowa fit and I would be shocked if he doesn't win multiple titles in both folk and freestyle over the next couple years. Really going to sting if he helps VT catch the Hawks. We just can't seem to catch a break lately.

.....when they catch the Hawks?

dtripp26 · Friday at 9:47 PM

blcoach80 said:
I get why we lost him, but man that one hurts. Kid is a stud and wrestles just like Tom and Terry did. Was a perfect Iowa fit and I would be shocked if he doesn't win multiple titles in both folk and freestyle over the next couple years. Really going to sting if he helps VT catch the Hawks. We just can't seem to catch a break lately.

Nashville_Hawk · 2026-09-26T10:36:32-0500

blcoach80 said:
I get why we lost him, but man that one hurts. Kid is a stud and wrestles just like Tom and Terry did. Was a perfect Iowa fit and I would be shocked if he doesn't win multiple titles in both folk and freestyle over the next couple years. Really going to sting if he helps VT catch the Hawks. We just can't seem to catch a break lately.

Between you and me I think VT already caught the Hawks. It’s going to be a tight race for 4th through 7th at NCAAs. Hoping we can stay healthy and our fellas can show up and do damage at NCAAs!

Sabula · 2026-09-26T10:52:03-0500

4th through 7th... think about that statement. Sad how the Hawks have fallen.

Mattski · 2026-09-26T11:40:10-0500

blcoach80 said:
I get why we lost him, but man that one hurts. Kid is a stud and wrestles just like Tom and Terry did. Was a perfect Iowa fit and I would be shocked if he doesn't win multiple titles in both folk and freestyle over the next couple years. Really going to sting if he helps VT catch the Hawks. We just can't seem to catch a break lately.

Unfortunately this will be the defining moment in the end of the Brands era. All bc we couldn't figure out how to better manage a training situation with some difficult parents. He's going to be a multi time champion and even more so a program and team changer bc of his style. He's exactly what the program needed. Yeah I'm still pissed and it's going to sting even more when he's winning titles and elevating VT.

WhiteDog125 · 2026-09-26T11:52:00-0500

Sabula said:
4th through 7th... think about that statement. Sad how the Hawks have fallen.

Sad Sponge Bob GIF by SpongeBob SquarePants

Closing the gap! ……

TarpHawk1 · 2026-09-26T13:12:08-0500

blcoach80 said:
I get why we lost him, but man that one hurts. Kid is a stud and wrestles just like Tom and Terry did. Was a perfect Iowa fit and I would be shocked if he doesn't win multiple titles in both folk and freestyle over the next couple years. Really going to sting if he helps VT catch the Hawks. We just can't seem to catch a break lately.

We caught a huge break--his name was Bo Bassett.

UndercoverHawk · 2026-09-26T13:14:03-0500

Mattski said:
All bc we couldn't figure out how to better manage a training situation with some difficult parents.

This shows you have no idea what the hang ups were. But I’m sure you’d rob the bank all because the pretty girl told you to.

Cria1987 · 2026-09-26T13:20:29-0500

At what point isn’t it all the recruits fault we keep losing them?

Mattski · 2026-09-26T14:45:05-0500

UndercoverHawk said:
This shows you have no idea what the hang ups were. But I’m sure you’d rob the bank all because the pretty girl told you to.

What we do know is the hang ups weren't anywhere close to "robbing a bank" for them. It was the type of stuff you figure out how to navigate without yelling at the recruit's mother, especially when its the type of recruit that can help rescue your flailing program. But we didn't, he's at VT, and we get to wonder what might have been for the next 4+ years.

dtripp26 · 2026-09-26T15:19:07-0500

Mattski said:
What we do know is the hang ups weren't anywhere close to "robbing a bank" for them. It was the type of stuff you figure out how to navigate without yelling at the recruit's mother, especially when its the type of recruit that can help rescue your flailing program. But we didn't, he's at VT, and we get to wonder what might have been for the next 4+ years.

2029

UndercoverHawk · 2026-09-26T15:30:18-0500

Mattski said:
What we do know is the hang ups weren't anywhere close to "robbing a bank" for them. It was the type of stuff you figure out how to navigate without yelling at the recruit's mother, especially when it’s the type of recruit that can help rescue your flailing program. But we didn't, he's at VT, and we get to wonder what might have been for the next 4+ years.

One of the things was illegal…

Mattski · 2026-09-26T15:53:35-0500

UndercoverHawk said:
One of the things was illegal…

Illegal? You sure it was illegal? Or was it a POSSIBLE rules violation? And regardless there's ways of figuring things like this out without blowing up at the parents and wrecking the relationship.

Nashville_Hawk · 2026-09-26T16:23:14-0500

Sabula said:
4th through 7th... think about that statement. Sad how the Hawks have fallen.

Sucks! Really need 74, 84, and HWT to make the finals…and it would be great to see Ferrari win it all. I thing BK and AF have a real chance…and Gabe a decent chance of making the finals.

WS_Cop · 2026-09-26T16:47:34-0500

UndercoverHawk said:
One of the things was illegal…

Care to remind those of us who have been overly busy and unable to keep up as much as we'd like to? I heard a number of things but I don't remember a confirmation

sdvike · 2026-09-26T17:47:47-0500

Nashville_Hawk said:
Sucks! Really need 74, 84, and HWT to make the finals…and it would be great to see Ferrari win it all. I thing BK and AF have a real chance…and Gabe a decent chance of making the finals.

Would be nice. With Gabe, would need to be on other side of bracket from MM like with all the other 74s. I do think Gabe might be able to slow down MM a bit more than Cali but he isn't beating him.

InTheCircle · 2026-09-26T21:37:39-0500

sstark46 said:
Well, that sucked

Taken down 3 times in the 2nd period of the third match, didn’t see that one coming.

PREVIEW: Trio of past/present Hawkeyes set for Final X wrestle-offs on Friday

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