IAwrestle is proud to announce the return of Night of Conflict on Friday, October 10, 2025, in Iowa City. The preseason showcase will be held at the Courtyard Iowa City University Heights (901 Melrose Ave, Iowa City, IA 52246). Doors will open at 6:30 PM with wrestling set to begin at 7:00 PM.
Fans unable to attend in person can watch the action live on the IAwrestle Rokfin channel. At this time, tickets are being offered exclusively to participating wrestlers, coaches, and families, with public ticket sales scheduled to open closer to the event date. Please contact us at IAwrestlecontact@gmail.com for VIP tables.
This year’s edition marks a heartfelt homecoming, nearly 10 years to the day from the inaugural Night of Conflict on October 16, 2015, held at the iconic Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. The event immediately made a statement by bringing marquee matchups to one of the sport’s most iconic stages. From there, the event hit the road across the state—stopping in Sioux City, Des Moines, Cedar Falls and Waterloo—each year building on its reputation as the place to see state champions collide, national talent test themselves, and rising stars announce their arrival.
Through the years, Night of Conflict has featured dozens of eventual NCAA standouts and Division I recruits, cementing its status as a proving ground for wrestlers looking to compete on the biggest stages. Whether at Carver or a convention center packed shoulder to shoulder, the event has always been about the same thing: putting elite high school talent under the spotlight and giving fans a preview of the future of wrestling.
“This is more than just a wrestling event—it’s a chance to showcase the sport in Iowa and give these athletes a stage,” said IAwrestle founder Tony Hager. “Bringing Night of Conflict back to Iowa City for the 10-year anniversary makes this one even more special.”
While specific bouts are still being finalized, expect the signature blend of in-state rivalries, out-of-state showdowns, and emerging talents ready to make their mark.
More event information can be found at NightofConflict.com
Abe Heysinger (Dubuque Hempstead) vs Ace Schweitzer (Central City, Nebraska)
In Abe Heysinger and Ace Schweitzer wrestling fans will be getting a high powered matchup between two young and talented lightweight wrestlers from neighboring states. Both wrestlers wrapped up solid freshman seasons in 20224-25.
Heysinger made a solid jump in IAwrestle’s Class of 2028 rankings going from #19 to #9 after a third place finish in Class 3A this season. While he didn’t end up making the podium at Fargo, Heysinger did finish one win away in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, which would have earned him All-American status.
On the other side of the matchup we will see Schweitzer come in from Nebraska. As a freshman Schweitzer won a Class B state title, pinning his way to the 106-pound title. This summer he followed that success up while bumping up to the junior greco division finishing fourth place to secure AA status in Fargo.
Brayden Koester (Bettendorf) vs Eli Leonard (Mount Horeb/Barneveld, Wisconsin)
The second border battle brings together Bettendorf’s three-time Iowa high school medalist Brayden Koester against one of the top talents from the state of Wisconsin, Eli Leonard. Both wrestlers are ranked nationally in the class of 27′ and have national accolades to go along with their regular season success.
Koester has placed third in both his freshman and sophomore trips to the state tournament, and finds himself a solid #7 in IAwrestle’s Class of 2027 class ranking. On the national level, Koester was a dual All-American in 2024, winning a freestyle national title and taking fifth in Greco-Roman out in Fargo. MatScouts has him ranked #71 overall in the Class of 2027.
From Wisconsin we will see Leonard who is a Wisconsin state finalist and ranked as the #183 overall wrestler in the Class of 2026 according to MatScouts. Other accomplishments for Leonard include being a two-time Folkstyle Nationals All-American and he finished fourth out at Fargo this past July earning him All-American status.
Announced Matchups:
Kaiden Belinsky (Don Bosco) vs. Urijiah Courter (West Marshall)
Nico DeSalvo (Southeast Polk) vs Miklo Hernandez (Pipestone Area, MN)
Abe Heysinger (Dubuque Hempstead) vs Ace Schweitzer (Central City, Nebraska)
Brayden Koester (Bettendorf) vs Eli Leonard (Mount Horeb/Barneveld, Wisconsin)