All eyes will be on the CrossFit Open announcement shows for the next three Thursdays to find out what the Open workout will be and to see some of the top CrossFit Games athletes throw down immediately after. But there is another weekly match-up every Friday night of the Open that is going to be just as entertaining (or even more so).
Dubbed Taylor vs. the World, Taylor Self will take on a different CrossFit Games veteran (Dallin Pepper, Jayson Hopper and Colten Mertens) live on The Sevan Podcast each Friday night of the Open. The concept took shape last month when Self did two of the TYR Wodapalooza workouts on Sevan’s live show.
After the show, Sevan came up with the idea of having Taylor take on three athletes during the Open. “Jayson, Dallin and Colten have been great friends of the show over the years and after mic’ing them up during Wodapalooza, what better way to showcase these great dudes than to have them compete against Taylor,” said Sevan Matossian.
For Self, it is the first time back in the Open after he had knee surgery in July 2022. Prior to that, he was a two-time Semifinals athlete where he finished 7th at the 2021 Granite Games Semifinals and followed it up with a 4th place in the Last Chance Qualifier. Self would withdraw from the 2022 Syndicate Crown Semifinal due to his knee injury.
“I’m really looking forward to this as it’s a way for me to get back into a competitive environment after the time I was out to recover from my knee surgery,” shared Taylor Self. He added, “I want to have fun without any true pressure while being able to get the competitive juices flowing.”
To kick off Taylor vs the World, Dallin Pepper is heading up to CrossFit Charlotte to take on Self for a 24.1 match-up. Pepper is coming off his best CrossFit Games appearance last season where he took 5th overall.
The following week the party heads down to J.R. Howell’s gym, CrossFit Crash, in Spartanburg, South Carolina. On Friday, March 8, Self will square up against Jayson Hopper. It’s a home game for Hopper after he moved back to South Carolina following a year up in Vermont to train at the HWPO headquarters.
And to wrap up the Open, Taylor is back at CrossFit Charlotte for 24.3. This time to face off against Colten Mertens. For Mertens, he will be coming off his 24.2 match-up against Justin Medeiros in the Shred Shed for the official Open live announcement.
Three weeks, three tough opponents. But Self is looking forward to it. “I am looking forward to hitting weeks 1 and 3 as Dallin and Colten will push me out of my comfort zone,” said Self. “I train with Jayson regularly so 24.2 at CrossFit Crash will feel pretty normal.”
The Sevan Podcast will be live streaming the match-up each week beginning at 8:00pm EST (5:00pm PST) every Friday (March 1, 8 & 15).
