Olympian Taylor, Snyder, Steveson Win, Marsteller Surpass Burroughs In Men’s Freestyle Final X

NEWARK, NJ – Three Olympic champions earned titles and six athletes made their first Senior World team in a thrilling men’s freestyle segment at the Final X on Saturday night at the Prudential Center.

The 2020 Olympic champions David Taylor at 86 kg and Gable Steveson at 125 kg and the 2016 Olympic champion Kyle Snyder at 97 kg will advance to the 2023 Senior World Championships.

Taylor, also a two-time world champion, defeated another Penn State legend, Aaron Brooks, in two straight games in the finals. Taylor shut out Brooks in the first match, then won a closer 5-4 match to get back into the World Championship.

Steveson defeated old college rival Mason Parris in two straight matches. Steveson won the first match 6-2 and shut out Parris in the second match for the two-match sweep. Although an Olympic champion, Steveson is competing in his first senior world championships.

Snyder, also a three-time world champion, did not wrestle today. His opponent, two-time world champion and Olympic medalist J’den Cox, weighed in but was injured and unable to compete. Snyder will represent the United States at the World Cup or Olympics for the ninth time in a row.

Chance Marsteller defeated 2012 Olympian and six-time world champion Jordan Burroughs in three thrilling bouts at 79kg. Burroughs had competed on every Senior World team since 2011. Burroughs won the first match 3-3 and got a point to Marsteller, who pulled his singlet late in the match and then got the crit. In the second match, Marsteller won a tough 5-4 victory. In the decisive third game, a key throw to the rim that was originally made to Burroughs earned Marsteller four points in the challenge evaluation. Marsteller won 8-3.

Four-time world champion Kyle Dake returns for his fifth World Championship with two matches ahead of Jason Nolf, on both sides. In the first match, Dake won 6-0, and in the second match, Dake won 3-0 by a margin, all of his points in the first period. It was the second year in a row that Dake beat out Nolf for the team spot.

2022 world silver medalist Zain Retherford earned his third Senior World Team berth with a two-match sweep of 70+ kg Tyler Berger. Retherford dominated the opening win 11-2. In the second match, after trailing 3-0, Retherford fought back for a 4-3 victory to end the series.

In addition to Steveson and Marsteller, there are six Final X winners competing in their first senior world championships, Zane Richards at 57kg, Vitali Arujau at 61kg, Nick Lee at 65kg and Zahid Valencia at 92kg.

Richards completed a two-match sweep over 2021 world champion and Olympic medalist Thomas Gilman. Richards scored a takedown with about 20 seconds left to secure a 4-3 victory in the first match. In the second game, Richards’ four-pointer with 37 seconds left gave him an 8-6 win.

Arujau won the battle of the Cornell wrestlers, stopping Nahshon Garrett in two straight matches. The first match was a tight 6-5 win for Arujau. In the second game, even though Arujau broke it open with a big four-point layup, Garrett took an 8-4 lead before Arujau made a big run for an entertaining 13-10 win.

Lee won a pair of very tight battles against 2022 world silver medalist ​​Yianni Diakomihalis. Lee jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the first game, but Diakomihalis made a late charge as Lee won 7-6. In the second match, Lee trailed 8-6, and the match ended in a tiebreaker. Lee’s corner was challenged and video replay awarded Lee two points for exposure, tying the match 8-8 and giving Lee the crit.

Valencia, who moved up from 86kg after losing at the 2023 US Open, made his first world team in the new weight class with a two-fight sweep over Michael Macchiavello in dominant fashion. Valencia won the first game 8-0 and came back with a 9-2 decision in the second game.

Final X
in Newark, NJ on June 10

Men’s freestyle results

57 kg – Zane Richards (Illinois RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Thomas Gilman (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury MM)
Match one: Richards dec Gilman, 4-3
Second match: Richards dec Gilman, 8-6
Richards wins series 2 matches to zero and gets to the world team

61 kg – Vitali Arujau (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Nahshon Garrett (Titan Mercury WC/Lehigh Valley WC)
Match one: Arujau dec. Garrett, 6-5
Second match: Arujau dec Garrett, 13-10
Arujau wins the series 2 matches to zero and gets to the world team

65 kg – Nick Lee (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Yianni Diakomihalis (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
Match one: Lee dec. Diakomihalis, 7-6
Game two: Lee December Diakomihalis, 8-8
Lee wins series 2 matches to zero and gets to the world team

70 kg – Zain Retherford (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Tyler Berger (Pennsylvania RTC/Sunkist Kids WC)
Match One: Retherford dec. Berger, 11-2
Match two: Retherford dec. Berger, 4-3
Retherford wins series 2 matches to zero and makes it to the world team

74 kg – Kyle Dake (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Jason Nolf (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Match one: Dake dec. Nolf, 6-0
Match two: Dake dec. Nolf, 3-0
Dake wins the series, 2 games to zero and makes the world team

79 kg – Jordan Burroughs (Pennsylvania RTC/Sunkist Kids WC) vs. Chance Marsteller (York City RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
Match one: Burroughs dec Marsteller, 3-3
Game Two: Marsteller dec. Burroughs, 5-4
Third match: Marsteller dec. Burroughs, 8-3
Marsteller wins the series, 2 games to 1, and makes it to the world team

86 kg – David Taylor (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury MM) vs. Aaron Brooks (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury MM)
Match One: Taylor dec. Brooks, 6-0
Game Two: Taylor dec. Brooks, 5-4
Taylor wins the series, 2 games to zero and makes the world team

92 kg -. Zahid Valencia (Sunkist Kids WC) vs. Michael Macchiavello (Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC)
First match: Valencia December Macchiavello, 8-0
Second match: Valencia December Macchiavello, 9-2
Valencia wins the series, 2 games to 0, and makes it to the world team

97 kg – Kyle Snyder (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. J’den Cox (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Match One: Snyder inj. dft. Cox, 00:00
Second match: Snyder inj. dft. Cox, 00:00
Snyder wins the series, 2 games to 0, and makes the world team

125 kg – Gable Steveson (Gopher WC-RTC) vs. Mason Parris (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Match one: Steveson dec Parris, 6-2
Game Two: Steveson dec Parris, 5-0
Steveson wins the series, 2 games to zero and makes the world team