I don’t have any “inside knowledge” about any of this stuff, but I’d say it’s safe to say that Nelson could make it, for during one of the first pressers earlier in the season last year, Tom Brands complimented Nelson on his willingness to do whatever benefited the team in terms of weight and Nelson made a comment in the presser, something along the lines of, “yep, 184, 174, 165, I’ll do any of them, wherever the team needs me.” And he seemed confident when he said it…like 165 wouldn’t be too much of a problem.
He was 160 his Senior year in HS… a lot of the national competition he wrestled in HS are at 165 now… Nelson can make that and despite what anyone says, he WOULD AA if he were there and he could even win it…all depends on that Tommy John Surgery… so much of his game is dependent on his snap game on his feet… hopefully he can still snap with the same ruthlessness after the surgery.
I don’t know if anyone has brought the idea of going to 157 to Kennedy or not, but I feel like if 165 was that much of a deal for him, he wouldn’t have been at 163 last weekend. He’s definitely got a similar height to most 157 lbers, but he’s got a ton of muscle volume. With him, I get the vibe that he is taking a leadership role on the team and he’d prolly go to 157 if he felt he could do it and still perform to his ability. If it’s too much though, hopefully he stays clear of it… gotta keep this guy happy. He really is a star in the making. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard Brennan talk in a higher regard about any wrestler he’s ever met than Pat Kennedy. Pat is a large reason for the strides that Brennan has made… and I’d like to HOPE that Brennan has helped Pat as well… the guy is “unbreakable.” And there is some talent and transitions that are being crafted just because of him (Kennedy) right now.