Fabian Staudenmann will face Samuel Giger from north-eastern Switzerland in the opening round of the Bernese Cantonal Championships in Burgdorf on Sunday. Adrian Walther against Pirmin Reichmuth is the second top pairing.
This will be the third time in a week and a half that the two teams have competed in Burgdorf. The arena has already hosted the Oberaargauische (winner Fabian Staudenmann) and the Emmentalische Gauverbandfest (surprise winner the young Michael Moser).
Fabian Staudenmann and Samuel Giger are wrestling together for the sixth time, but for the first time this season, in which Staudenmann, together with Adrian Walther, dominated the wrestling scene in the Bern region. In the first five duels, Giger won three times, most recently a year ago in the first round of the Unspunnen-Schwinget. Staudenmann has never put Giger on his back.
Walther Adrian won the only duel to date against Pirmin Reichmuth two years ago on the Brünig in the first round with a flat throw.
Other top pairings include Thomas Sempach against Armon Orlik, Curdin Orlik against Lario Kramer and Matthias Aeschbacher against Tim Roth.