All good points.

I especially agree with this comment about Traxler, but really, it applies to every wrestler: "Just because he made it to the blood round last year doesn't mean it's a sure thing he gets back to that match again."

So often, as fans of our team, we can be guilty of thinking that if a guy made it to X level one year, he'll be X + a few spots better the next year.

That's definitely not the case. There are new wrestlers moving in from redshirt years, superstars straight out of HS, and other guys bumping up or down a weight. And then you have situations like Mekhi's year-long injury problems last year. And as much as I want to dispute seeing Mekhi ranked 3d at 174 right now (on Flo) when I know how good he is, it's equally surprising to see Hayden Hidlay ranked 4th.

In short, each year is a new year with different competition and personal hurdles.