Featured Matchups Announced for 2019 Missouri Border Brawl/ AWL Event

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Updated: March 15, 2019

This year’s Missouri Border Brawl is poised to be full of highlight moments and memorable match ups. Along with many of Missouri’s finest high school wrestlers, the AWL has partnered with David Mirikitani’s Missouri Border Brawl event to support Randy Couture’s XCGIF.

The Missouri Border Brawl consists of twenty crowd pleasing bouts: sixteen youth and high school matches along with AWL’s three featured bouts and a unique exhibition in which Junior World Champions Aaron Brooks and Kamal Bey will wrestle three rounds in three different styles: folkstyle, freestyle & Greco-roman. The Missouri Border Brawl will take place at the historic Kansas City Union Station the Sunday, March 17th.

Tickets and more information can be found at: www.nitrotickets.com. This year’s event will also be livestreamed at: www.trackwrestling.com.

Below are several of the featured match ups:  

AWL presents Alan Waters vs Joe Colon. Waters has been a fan favorite since his days as an All American for the Mizzou Tigers. Since his time as a 61 kg contender, he has not once matched up against his opponent, Joe Colon. Colon comes off his most impressive season yet! In 2018 Joe Colon hit the freestyle season, winning the U.S. Open. He capped off his season with a world bronze medal. In a match up featuring two aggressive lightweights, fans can expect fireworks!

At 74 kg, two former teammates and NCAA finalists will go head to head. Lavion Mayes, who trains at the NYCRTC and TMWC’s Joey Lavallee, who trains at the Valley RTC will head back to their college roots and compete in Missouri for bragging rights in this highly anticipated matchup.

Another expected crowd pleaser is the aforementioned exhibition between young up and coming stars Aaron Brooks and Kamal Bey. Brooks has made a name for himself as a freestyle Olympic hopeful, while Bey is one of the nation’s most recognized names in Greco-Roman wrestling today. In a unique match up, three 2 period rounds will take place, with the winner of two rounds being crowd the victor. If any wrestler is teched or pinned in a given round, that round will conclude, and the next round will begin. This exhibition will feature three styles; folkstyle/ freestyle/greco-roman, with the order of style being determined by random draw.

Former US Open Champion and Missouri standout, Dom Bradley is also slotted to compete against a mystery opponent come Sunday night.

The high school matches are packed with studs, but the most highly decorated would be that of Cornell recruit, Joshua Saunders. Saunders is a 3x MO State Champion, Fargo National Champion and two-time World Team Member. He will face off against Braxton Barnes at 138 lbs. Barnes is a class 3 State Champion.

The 103 lbs bout features, Kearney HS Emalie Olsen is a Fargo All American, Super 32 Placer (women’s div. 3rd) & 2018 MO Women’s Freestyle State Champion. She takes on the champ, Faith Cole, your 2019 state champion from Lafayette HS.

At 106 lbs, Two matches will take. First, Owen Uhls is your Class 2 state champion from fabulous Fulton MO. Easton Hilton brings the Class 4 title to this match from legendary Liberty MO.

Also at 106, Freshman State Champ vs. Freshman State Champion. Representing the east side of the state, Evan Binder was the 2019 Missouri Class 1 State Champion. Binder had several notable wins during his freshman campaign and finished with an impressive 42-7 record. Across I-70, Eli Ashcroft completed his own successful freshman season as the 2019 Missouri Class 3 State Champion for Kearney High School.

The 120 lb match is another battle between Missouri phenoms. Jayden Carson, from Lafayette High School, brings a long list of accomplishments to this contest. Carson is a three-time Missouri State High School placer and comes off a 3rd place finish in 2019. He is no stranger to the national stage with All-American finishes at NHSCA Nationals and Southern Plains. Korbin Shepherd of Blue Springs High School owns an equally impressive list of accolades. Shepherd was the 2019 Class 4 Missouri State High School State Champion as well as the 2018 runner up. He represented his home state at the 2017 and 2018 Cadet Duals.

The 2019 Border Brawl 126 lb match is a showdown between two dominant Missouri sophomores. Teague Travis continues the tradition of Eierman Elite standouts turned Father Tolton hammers with his second Missouri State Title. He is the fourth Trailblazer to compete in the Missouri Border Brawl as he follows in the footsteps of Mizzou wrestlers Jaydin Eierman, Brock Mauller, and Jarret Jacques. Travis has proven his skills against the best wrestlers in the country by achieving All-American status with a 3rd place finish at Freestyle Nationals at Fargo.

Ethen Miller has proven time and time again he is one of the best wrestlers in the Show Me State. As part of the stacked Park Hill lineup, Miller placed 3rd at state as a freshman and completed his sophomore campaign as the Missouri Class 4 runner up. He also had an impressive 2nd place finish at the 2018 Battle for Missouri.

132 lbs features a battle between Fargo finalists! Oklahoma’s Reece Witcraft comes off a recent 6A state title, and has an impressive national resume that includes a 2017 Cadet Greco-Roman National Champion and 2018 Junior Freestyle National Runner-Up. The Show Me State is represented by Vincent Zerban, who finished this past season as a Class 4 State Champion for Christian Brothers College High School. Zerban has also proven his abilities in multiple styles, with two All-American finishes at Fargo in freestyle and was a 2018 Fargo Greco finalist.

At 145 lbs we have Dillon Nichols from Mexico high school versus Kyle Prewitt from CBC.

Dillon Nichols is a qualifier, 5th and 2x champion. He was also a 3 time All State Wrestler Member; 2017 Team Runner Up, and a member of the 2018 State Team Champions. Kyle Prewitt from CBC is a multiple time state qualifier and the 2019 champion. He is a member of the 2018 & 2019 class 4 team state champions.

You want powerhouse schools? You want 3x State Champions? Ask and you shall receive!!! 152 lbs Staley HS’ Aidan Johnson takes on Rockwood Summit’s Sam Frankowski.  Johnson is your Class 4 runner up losing only to Cornell recruit Joshua Saunders. Frankowski is a 3x State Champion Standout for Summit HS, the first in that school’s history.

The 160 pound match up features two of Missouri’s best. Class 1 takes on Class 4. Tyler Ross represents Class 1 as a three-time state finalist and two-time champion. The Lawson native has achieved All-American status at multiple national tournaments including Fargo and 2018 Folkstyle Nationals. Cory Peterson finished his high school career as a State Champion for Desmet High School, after finishing fourth as a freshman, second as a sophomore, and fifth as a junior. Peterson has also represented Missouri on the national stage with two All-American finishes at Virginia Beach.

At 170, Jacob Boumans from Nequa Valley IL is your Illinois Class 3 IHSA State Finalist Runner up, an IHSA Sectional Champion, IHSA 2x Regional Champion and the 2019 Cheesehead Runner up. He takes on the pride of Liberty Greyden Penner, a 2x state champion, 3x state finalist, Fargo Cadet Greco Roman National Champ and Fargo Cadet Freestyle 3rd place finisher. If you want to see head snaps, leg attacks and points this is the match for you!!!

Along with all the great bouts, World Champion and 3X NCAA Champion for the University of Missouri, J’den Cox is doing a seminar to support Randy Couture the Missouri Border Brawl and the Xtreme Couture GI Foundation. There are limited spots available, so those interested will want to go to ww.nitrotickets.com today!!

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