Carr defeats 2024 Olympic silver medalist Takatani at FloWrestling Night in America event in Iowa

The 2025 FloWrestling Night in America midweek event featured an exciting lineup of 13 matches, featuring top athletes from the United States, Japan and Mexico, inside Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.

David Carr had the highlight win of the night when he defeated 2024 Olympic silver medalist Daichi Takatani of Japan, 10-7. Carr picked up an early 6-0 lead after tying up a leg lace. Takatani countered with a double leg takedown to cut the score to 6-2 as time expired in the first period.

Carr added four points early in the second, securing a takedown and a gut wrench. On his second gut wrench attempt, Takatani slipped through and ended up on top to make it a 10-4 match. Takatani turned Carr once to push it to 10-6, added a point on a step out, but was unable to make a comeback after Carr’s early surge. With the crowd in Coralville on their feet, Carr celebrated one of the biggest wins at the point in his freestyle career.

2024 Senior and U20 World Champion Masanosuke Ono of Japan defeated 2024 Olympic silver medalist Spencer Lee, 3-2, in the main event of the night. Ono secured a 3-0 lead in the first, with all points generated from step outs. A caution and one got Lee on the board, and another was added with seconds remaining in the match.

In the ninth match on the main card, 2023 World bronze medalist Zahid Valencia shut out two-time age-group World medalist Trent Hidlay, 5-0. Valencia took a 3-0 lead after the first period with a takedown and a step out. The pace picked up greatly in the second frame, and Valencia cemented his win with another late takedown.

In a battle at 62 kg, Seth Gross bested Austin DeSanto, 10-0. Gross led 2-0 after the first period, and scored an impressive eight points in the final minute to end the match at 5:53. The pair have met once previously at the 2023 U.S. Open, with DeSanto winning 5-4.

Nate Jackson, a Senior National Team member at 97 kg and 2024 Senior Pan American Championships gold medalist, defeated Kennedy Monday in the eighth match of the evening, 11-7.  Entering the break, the score was 7-5 in Jackson’s favor. In the second period, Jackson scored two points, followed by Monday, and then Jackson added two more, resulting in an exciting final score of 11-7.

At 97 kg, Jay Aiello, a 2021 U23 World bronze medalist, defeated 2024 Bill Farrell Memorial International gold medalist Marcus Coleman, 12-1. Aiello controlled the match from start to finish, leading 6-1 through the first, adding six more points in the second period through a series of takedowns.

Nathan Tomasello defeated Daniel DeShazer in the first match on the main card. Tomasello, a three-time Senior National Team member, four-time NCAA All-American and 2015 NCAA Champion, led 3-0 through one. His offense remained consistent in the second, and he secured the 7-0 victory.

Mexico’s Austin Gomez defeated Bryce Andonian, 11-0, in the high-flying seventh match on the main card. Nine of Gomez’s points were scored in the second period.

In the first women’s match on the main card, Xochitl Mota-Pettis, a past Senior National Team member and U23 World Team member, fell to 2024 U20 World bronze medalist Melanie Nahomi Jimenez Villalba of Mexico, 7-1.

Amanda Martinez, a past age-group World Team member, dropped her match to Zeltzin Hernandez Guerra of Mexico in the seventh match of the night. Hernandez Guerra is a 2024 U23 World silver medalist, and has performed well internationally since 2018.

The night began with three high school matches, between athletes from Big Game Wrestling Club and MWC Wrestling Academy. MWC’s Cruzer Dominguez defeated Ethan Humphrey, 11-0. In the second match, Jake Knight defeated Abdi Unle in a close 12-11 decision. Lincoln Jipp bested Riley Johnson, 14-0, in the final match on the undercard.

Replays of the event are available on FloWrestling.

FLOWRESTLING NIGHT IN AMERICA

At Xtream Arena, Coralville, Iowa, February 26, 2025

Main Card

59.5 kg – Masanosuke Ono dec. Spencer Lee, 3-2

76 kg – David Carr dec. Daichi Takatani, 10-7

88 kg – Zahid Valencia dec. Trent Hidlay, 5-0

72 kg – Austin Gomez tech. fall Bryce Andonian, 11-0

62 kg – Seth Gross tech. fall Austin DeSanto, 10-0

86 kg – Nate Jackson dec. Kennedy Monday, 11-7

57 kg – Zeltzin Hernandez dec. Amanda Martinez, 8-2

62 kg – Melanie Nahomi Jimenez dec. Xochitl Mota-Pettis, 7-1

97 kg – Jay Aiello tech. fall Marcus Coleman, 12-1

62 kg – Nathan Tomasello dec. Daniel DeShazer, 7-0

Undercard

175 lbs. – Lincoln Jipp tech. fall Riley Johnson, 14-0

125 lbs. –  Jake Knight def. Abdi Unle, 12-11

115 lbs. – Cruzer Dominguez tech. fall Ethan Humphrey, 11-0