Get ready for a wild 157-pound matchup to help kick off the 2025-26 NCAA D1 wrestling season, as Stanford's electric Daniel Cardenas is scheduled to mix it up with West Virginia's funky Ty Watters at the NWCA All-Star Classic!
Nov 1, 6:00 PM CDT
Both Cardenas and Watters have at least one more year of eligibity, so we may have the good fortune of seeing this in the future. This will, however, be the first time we see these two in a collegiate bout, as Watters is moving up from 149 this season.
Season Breakdown
Daniel Cardenas
Preseason Rank: #4
2024-25: redshirt
2023-24: 4th at NCAAs at 157lbs
2022-23: Round of 12 at NCAAs at 157lbs
Ty Watters
Preseason Rank: #5
2024-25: Medical redshirt
2023-24: 4th at NCAAs at 149lbs
Match Breadown
When two indefatigable point-scorers meet on a wrestling mat for the first time, as Cardenas and Watters will in Piscataway New Jersey this Saturday, you can -- and pardon the cliche but -- expect the unexpected.
What will be of interest to most wrestling fans, however, is how both All-American wrestlers look after sitting out the season before. Ty Watters wrestled just six matches in November of 2024 (which included wins over Lachlan McNeil and Sammy Alvarez) before having to hit the shelf due to injuries.
Cardenas won four matches and a title at the Soldier Salute but otherwise was not on the mat during the 2025-26 season. So both competitors will be wrestling a collegiate bout for the first time since 2024.
Watters has a lanky, funky style and a large frame that allowed him to bump up from 149 to 157 in the offseason. Cardenas is more compact but is an aggressive goer with pitbull tenacity. This clash of modalities and the lack of folkstyle results from the last 11 months makes this one of the more compelling matchups on the All-Star Classic card.
2025 NWCA All-Star Classic Bout Order
Women's Matches
138 lbs - #1 Zaynah McBryde, Life vs #1 Katie Lange, Grand Valley
145 lbs - #1 Esther Kolawole, William Penn vs #2 Reese Larramendy, Iowa
160 lbs - #1 Latifah McBryde, Life vs #1 (145) Bella Mir, North Central
117 lbs - #2 Salyna Shotwell vs #1 Sage Mortimer, Grand Valley
D2 vs D3 Match
141lbs - #1 Mark Samuel, Roanoke vs #1 Khyvon Grace, West Liberty
NCAA D1 Men's Matches
149lbs - #5 Casey Swiderski, Oklahoma State vs #3 Lachlan McNeil, Michigan
174lbs - #3 Simon Ruiz, Cornell vs #8 Lenny Pinto, Rutgers
197lbs - #3 Joey Novak, Wyoming vs #4 Stephen Little, Little Rock
125lbs - #4 Eddie Ventresca, VA Tech vs #5 Sheldon Seymour, Lehigh
157lbs - #5 Ty Watters, West Virginia vs #4 Daniel Cardenas, Stanford
165lbs - #4 Hunter Garvin, Stanford vs #7 Max Brignola, Lehigh
184lbs - #4 Jaxon Smith, Maryland vs #7 Zack Ryder, Oklahoma State
285lbs - #3 Yonger Bastida , Iowa State vs #4 Taye Ghadiali , Michigan
133lbs - #1 Lucas Byrd, Illinois vs #7 Dylan Shawver, Rutgers
141lbs - #7 Anthony Echemendia , Iowa State vs #1 Jesse Mendez, Ohio State
