Yianni Diakomihalis and PJ Duke will wrestle at Final X on June 14 in a best-of-three series to determine the world team member at 70 kg. Check out the article below for a full breakdown of the matchup, along with a prediction for how the matches will unfold. 

Key Credentials

Yianni Diakomihalis

• Senior World silver medalist (2022 at 65 kg)
• 4-time NCAA Champion (2018 & 2019 at 141, 2022 & 2023 at 149)
• 2-time U17 World Champion (2015 at 58 kg, 2016 at 63 kg)

PJ Duke

• U20 World bronze medalist (2024 at 70 kg)
• Committed to Penn State 
• #2 ranked recruit in class of 2025

Breaking Down The Matchup

Yianni Diakomihalis vs PJ Duke is one of the most fascinating matchups at Final X. It’s a showdown between experience and youth - Yianni is a world medalist and 4-time NCAA champion, while PJ Duke is still just a senior in high school. It’s also a clash of styles - Yianni is known more for his offense from space and scrambling ability, while Duke is a power wrestler using his positioning and control ties to generate offense. So, how does this match play out on June 14?

Diakomihalis is certainly the favorite entering this matchup based on his career accolades and how he performed at the US Open. Yianni was incredibly dominant at the Open with bonus point wins over 4 of his 5 opponents and an 8-2 win over James Green in the finals. As mentioned above, most of Yianni’s offense comes from his shots from space, executed by his incredible timing as opponents look to close the distance. He’s also developed outstanding par terre offense over the years and can generate points from top with a gut wrench and in his takedown transitions. However, Diakomihalis is probably best known for his ability to wrestle through unorthodox positions and his scrambling ability. Combine all of those attributes together, and it’s easy to see why Yianni is the favorite entering Final X.

Yianni’s matches at the US Open:

PJ Duke might only be a senior in high school, but he showed he’s ready to take on the best at the World Team Trials when he defeated Antrell Taylor, Ridge Lovett, and Bryce Andonian. PJ Duke shouldn’t be underestimated against Yianni, and Duke has a style that might match up perfectly against Diakomiahlis. Duke is incredibly powerful and uses his control ties to generate both upper and lower body attacks that he’s often able to convert to 4-pointers. Duke also scores a lot of his points in counterattacks and makes his opponents pay if they take an errant shot or get out of position. Though Duke is the underdog, he has all the skills to take out Yianni and make the senior world team at 70 kg.

PJ Duke's matches at the 2025 World Team Trials:

Who Wins At Final X?

In a “clash of styles” matchup like this one, I see the matches at Final X going one of two ways. First, one wrestler clearly has the advantage, and the matches aren’t close. If this happens, I predict that it will be Yianni Diakomihalis who comes out on top in controlling fashion. At this point, Yianni has a more “complete” skill set and has more ways to score than Duke.

On the other side of things, when styles clash, you often see low-scoring tactical matches that are only decided by one or two exchanges. If this is the case, Duke has a great chance of winning, especially because one of Yianni’s “weaknesses” is getting overextended on his shots. In those situations, I could see Duke making him pay with a counter or go-behind. This doesn't mean Yianni can't win a close match over Duke, but I think it's more likely for Duke to win close over Yianni than it is for Duke to win by more than 3 points. 

So, who am I picking to win on June 14? When it comes down to it, Yianni Diakomihalis is my pick to win this series and make the world team at 70 kg. As mentioned above, I think Yianni has more ways to score and can see his par terre offense being a big difference maker in this matchup. I also see Yianni’s ability to scramble and wrestle through unorthodox positions as a big advantage against Duke. I expect these matches to be highly competitive, but in the end, I’m picking Yianni to win the series in two straight matches.