Former University of Iowa standout Tony Ramos will be making his return to 57 kg later this month when USA Wrestling hosts their U.S. Open in Las Vegas. Already a two-time World Team member, Ramos had been competing up a weight at 61 kg for the past few events. Ramos announced the news of his return to the lighter weight on his personal blog.
“Leading up to the 2018 US Open there has been speculation on if Ramos would be making the move up to 61kg with the new weigh in procedures. We can put that to rest now. Ramos will be making his return to the 57kg weight class at the end of April to earn a spot at the World Team trials being held in Rochester, MN. Ramos will look to regain the reigns at a weight he lost 2 years ago in Vegas at part 1 of a 3 part series to qualify for the 2018 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.”
Since making the transition to freestyle Ramos has been among the top lightweight freestyle wrestlers in the U.S., finishing in the top two all four years. He burst onto the scene in 2014 by winning the World spot defeating Olympian Sam Hazewinkle in the finals. Ramos reclaimed his spot on the team in 2015 defeating Iowa native Joe Colon in the finals. In 2016 Ramos took second to his Hawkeye Wrestling Club teammate Daniel Dennis, and was second again in 2017 to another former Hawkeye, Thomas Gilman.
Following the 2017 year the global governing body of wrestling, United World Wrestling announced changes to their procedures, adding two new weights and same day weigh ins. With wrestlers no longer getting day before weigh ins, many wrestlers across the World have been forced to move up weights – which is what many believed to be the case for Ramos. Instead we will see the former NCAA champion throw his hat in the ring at a weight he has been extremely successful at.
In addition to his Team Trial success, Ramos has also traditionally been lights out at the Open, winning a in dramatic fashion with a come from behind win in 2015 over Andrew Hochstrasser and he was victorious again in 2017 over Nahshon Garrett. Ramos will need to secure at least a top seven finish at the Open to qualify for the World Team Trials later this summer.