I struggle when I hear people call it "watered down," as if that somehow makes it less legitimate. The tournament is twice the size, which just means more people are competing. The structure hasn’t changed,it’s still the same tournament, just with more wrestlers.

Some who might not have made it out of a tough region in the past are now in the mix. I’m not hearing anyone say their league left top wrestlers home. Sure, there might be a few easier first-round matches that didn’t exist before, but after that, it’s the same battle to the top. Except.. maybe a little more difficult because of the extra "good" wrestlers that didn't used to get out of the region.