Wrestling fans worldwide are looking forward to the possible showdown between 2000 Olympic champion and 2001 World champion Rulon Gardner against 2002 World champion Dremiel Byers for the super heavyweight title. There is only one spot on the U.S. Olympic team available to these two stars. Gardner has beaten Byers the last few meetings, but the matches are very close and exciting. These two remain friends, in spite of their fierce rivalry. Both of these great athletes are also interesting and unpredictable people. Last year, at the U.S. Nationals, Gardner was upset in the semifinals, so there can not be anything taken for granted.    Gardner has recovered from his 2002 snowmobile accident where he lost a toe to frostbite and missed a full season on the mat. He took third at last year's U.S. Nationals, but came back to win the World Team Trials. At the World Championships, he was 10th, losing only to the eventual champion from Russia. Gardner is always in the news, but not always for the right reasons. Just over a week before this year's U.S. Nationals event, he was involved in an accident when his motorcycle struck a car and he was sent flipping through the air. He should be fine to wrestle, but it will be interesting to see if the accident affects his performance. In the general public, Gardner is becoming as well known for his mishaps as for his athletic achievements.    Byers has the ability to lift and throw opponents at any time. In his losses to Gardner this year, he has been close to getting the lift to work. If Byers has figured out how to finish that off, one or two moves would be all it takes to get a win over Gardner. It seems that Byers has been the first of the two men to get tired during their battles. Again, if Byers has trained in a different fashion and does not let Gardner's condition take over, he will have a better chance to win the bouts. Byers has secured a spot in the Olympic Trials with his Armed Forces gold medal for the U.S. Army, but he really wants to claim the U.S. Nationals title and force Gardner into the Challenge Tournament in Indianapolis.    Ranked No. 3 on the national team is Paul Devlin of the U.S. Army, who is a frequent training partner for both Byers and Gardner. Devlin has improved in recent seasons, and has close matches with both of them. He has already qualified for Indianapolis with a victory in one of the Regionals.    Veteran Corey Farkas had his biggest career win at the 2003 U.S. Nationals when he beat Gardner in the semifinals. Farkas has the experience and ability to challenge once again for a spot in the finals. He has never been a national champion or Team Trials winner, and would like to have his best performance during the Olympic year. Farkas has also locked up an Olympic Trials invitation by capturing a Regional title.    Nick Severson and Chris Pierce were also qualifiers at this weight class last year, and look to improve this season. Severson became a strong Greco-Roman athlete after finishing his college career at North Dakota State.    If he makes a comeback, veteran Billy Pierce would be an instant contender. He has not wrestled recently, but is still young enough that he could get into condition and ready for battle. Pierce was very competitive with Byers and Gardner in the past, and would shake things up if he gave it one more try.    Matt Lamb is experienced in Greco-Roman and could be a factor this year. He is a former Team USA member while in the U.S. Navy, then went to college but stayed in the Greco-Roman events. Ross Davie and Andy Bowlby have been entering the major Greco-Roman events, and have the ability to place as All-Americans. Others such as LeRoy Gardner, Tyrone Davis and Brent Boeshans could be in the field in Las Vegas, fighting for a placement in the top eight.    This weight class has two tremendous athletes at the top, both past World Champions. The time for talk is over. Rulon Gardner and Dremiel Byers need to try to achieve their destiny. However, wrestlers like Paul Devlin and Corey Farkas would love to mess up the plans for battle of the World Champions. Both Byers and Gardner need to be sharp to make their way into the finals. The rest of the field has not yet reached the level of the leaders here.     THEMAT.COM RANKINGS FOR APRIL 2004  120 KG/264.5 LBS. IN GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING  1. Rulon Gardner, Cascade, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  2. Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)  3. Paul Devlin, Cascade, Colo. (U.S. Army)  4. Corey Farkas, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force)  5. Nick Severson, Stewartville, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)  6. Chris Pierce, Lemont Furnace, Pa. (Quest)  7. Russ Davie, Cleveland, Ohio (Cleveland WC)  8. Billy Pierce, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)  9. Matt Lamb, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  10. Andy Bowlby, Corvallis, Ore. (Orange Crush)     ATHLETES ALREADY QUALIFIED FOR THE OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS  Armed Forces Champion  - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)  West Regional Trials Champion - Paul Devlin, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)  North Regional Trials Champion -Frank Workman, Spotsylvania, Va. (U.S. Marines)  Central Regional Trials Champion -Corey Farkas, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force)