Jason Nolf vs Christopher Minto - Knocking on the Door

It’s rare to find two wrestlers with more to gain from a win than Jason Nolf and Christopher Minto will gain with a win at RAF09. Set financials aside, both men need this win badly for two entirely different reasons and they’re sure to leave it all on the mat.

With his collegiate career blossoming nicely, Minto found himself on the losing end of a tightly contested 2-1 National Championship loss to 1-seed Levi Haines of Penn State. Every man in the country minus one would trade places with Minto but the Nebraska Cornhusker has been ominously quiet in the early stages of the offseason waiting for the perfect opportunity to bust at the seams.

Even with notable wins over opponents like Cam Steed, Andrew Sparks and more, Minto is poised to bounce back but only against the best of the best. He’s found his Huckleberry.

Jason Nolf amassed one of the most prolific NCAA careers of all time at Penn State finishing as a three-time National Champion as well as a runner-up. Following his collegiate career he has captured World Cup, Pan Am and Grand Prix gold before having success in the world of submission grappling as well.

Nolf was called upon to take on Evan Wick for the inaugural RAF Middleweight title at RAF01 where he fell just short with a score of 10-8. Since the rare loss for Nolf, he has gone 3-0 at RAF with a combined score of 31-2.

After his most recent victory at RAF08 over Joey Blaze, Nolf called for a title shot and while he didn’t get a shot at the strap yet, a big night out against Minto might just get him there.

Both men are out to shake the earth to get back where they want to be. Something has got to give.

To conquer Nolf, Minto will need to control the tempo. Few in wrestling history are as good at pushing the pace and capitalizing on scrambles than Nolf. Take this away from him and he’s out one of his most potent weapons.

Minto will also need to have incredibly tight positional discipline. Nolf identifies and capitalizes on even the smallest mistakes which leads to opponents playing the waiting game or giving up points. Be aggressive but be buttoned up. While there’s no ride time that benefited him greatly in last year’s collegiate season, his top control will come in huge.

Few people can grab a hold of Jason Nolf and even fewer can keep a hold of him. Taking the match to freestyle where this could translate to leg laces and gut wrenches, Minto can really make use of his top control dominance.

For Nolf, it’s almost the exact opposite. Make everything a scramble. As one of the greatest scramblers of all time, it would be foolish not to utilize it to the fullest.

Capitalizing on desperation is another key to victory for Nolf. His reputation as a creative scrambler often has wrestlers on their heels before the match even begins. Can Nolf use this to go up early, it leads to forced shots and sloppy attacks from opponents. Go early, and lean on Minto’s urgency the rest of the match.

Both men are out to complete their “bounce back” against one another. Something has got to give and both men are must-see TV. Be on watch for Match of the Night when Minto and Nolf square off.

Catch RAF09 Saturday, May 30 ONLY on FOX Nation!