Previewing all ten Final X matchups in men's freestyle. Nine are scheduled to be wrestled on June 14 in Newark, NJ in the Prudential Center. 61kg was delayed at returning silver medalist Vito Arujau's request and is scheduled to happen on July 14 in Fargo, ND. 

57kg: Spencer Lee vs Luke Lillledahl

Key Credentials

Spencer Lee

Hometown: Murrysville, Pennsylvania

College: Iowa (2018-2023)

College record: 98-6

Senior level record: 38-2

2024 Olympic silver medalist

3X NCAA champion (2018, 2019, 2021)

2X U20 World champion (2015 and 2016)

2014 U17 World champion

Luke Lilledahl

Hometown: St. Charles, Missouri

College: Penn State (2025-current)

College record: 26-3

Senior level record: 16-5

2025 NCAA 3rd place

2024 U20 World champion

2023 U20 World silver medalist

2022 U17 World champion

2021 U17 World silver medalist

How They Got To Final X

Wrestlers who win a World/Olympic medal and then return the next year at the same weight automatically qualify for Final X. Spencer Lee made his first World or Olympic Team in 2024 when he defeated Nico Megaludis, Zane Richards, and Thomas Gilman at the Olympic Trials. He then qualified for the Olympics by winning the Last Chance Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Team USA. At the Olympic Games in Paris, Lee won a silver medal, only being defeated by Japan’s Rei Higuchi in the final 4-2. 

Luke Lilledahl qualified via the US Open, where he made easy work of the field, defeating his four opponents by a combined score of 40-4. 

The Storyline

The Hawkeye vs the Nittany Lion. The established Olympic medalist vs the college kid. The taller lankier wrestler vs the shorter stocky wrestler. The huge favorite vs the massive underdog. On paper, this matchup seems like two opposites colliding, and Spencer Lee is one of the bigger favorites of Final X. However, in some ways, it is more similar than you might think, and there is reason to have hope if you are a Penn State/Luke Lilledahl fan.

While Lilledahl’s name doesn’t have quite the same prominence or stardom as Spencer Lee’s did after his freshman year of college, their careers aren’t that much different. Lee won a title as a true freshman, and Lilledahl finished third, but Lee had a 22-3 record while Lilledahl had 26-3 record this season. They’re both U17 and Junior World champions. After his freshman year, Lee qualified for the Olympic Trials by destroying the competition at Senior Nationals, and after his freshman year, Lilledahl qualified for Final X by destroying the competition at the US Open.

So, while in some ways this is a battle of opposites, the similarities make this an interesting matchup as well.

Breaking Down The Matchup

While I do think Lilledahl doesn’t get enough credit for how good he is because he didn’t win an NCAA title this year and isn’t as popular as Spencer Lee, Lee is still rightfully a big favorite in this match. Lee isn’t just the final boss at 57 kg, he’s one of the best pound-for-pound wrestlers in the world.

The two have met once previously - the 2023 Bill Farrell. Spencer Lee on by 11-0 tech fall. 

Watch Spencer Lee and Luke Lilledahl's previous meeting at the 2023 Bill Farrell below:

Lilledahl has made massive improvements since then. 2023 US Nationals - Lilledahl loses to DeShazer 3-2. 2024 Olympic Trials - Lilledahl beats DeShazer 3-2 and Liam Cronin 2-2. 2025 US Open - Lilledahl beats Cronin 10-0 after Cronin beat DeShazer. He’s got good forward pressure and likes to use low ankle attacks and rettacks/go behinds to pick his opponents apart. 

Spencer Lee’s playbook isn’t new, but almost no one can stop it. He wants to get to his high crotch, and if he gets on top, there’s a good chance he’s going to turn you with either a gut wrench, standard leg lace, or head-in-the-middle leg lace. 

Prediction

As mentioned above, I don’t think Lilledahl gets the respect he deserves, and he’s improved tenfold in the past year, but I don’t think he’s improved enough. Spencer Lee is a different beast. His strength, power, and wrestling IQ present unique problems and can be hard to replicate in training. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lilledahl is a little overwhelmed by Lee’s unique feel. 

While I’m sure Cael and co. will come up with a good game plan, Lilledahl normally likes to operate in the ties quite a bit and that plays right into Lee’s game. I think Spencer will be able to get an inside tie, hit a high crotch, and get a turn. My official prediction is Lee in two matches.

61kg: Vito Arujau vs Jax Forrest

As a returning medalist in Final X, Vito Arujau earned the right to postpone his wrestle-off with Jax Forrest to a later date due to injuries. Arujau elected to exercise that right, and the 61kg Final X series between him and Forrest has been rescheduled for July 14 in Fargo, North Dakota. 

More details on the situation can be found in this article. 

65kg: Joey McKenna vs Real Woods

Key Credentials

Joey McKenna

• Hometown: Towaco, New Jersey
• College: Stanford (2015-17), Ohio State (2018-19)
• College Record: 105–11
• Senior Level RTC: Pennsylvania RTC (2019-25), Cowboy RTC (current)
• Senior Level Record: 124-51
• 3X NCAA All-American 
• 2019 NCAA finalist
• 2017 U23 Wold bronze medalist
• 2014 U20 World bronze medalist

Real Woods

• Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico
• College: Stanford (2019-22), Iowa (2023-24)
• College Record: 81-14
• Senior Level RTC: Cliff Keen Wrestling Club (2024-current)
• Senior Level Record: 12-3
• 3X NCAA All-American
• 2023 NCAA finalist

How They Got To Final X

Joey McKenna was the first of the pair to qualify for Final X. He did so by winning the US Open in April. The Cowboy RTC athlete defeated Tom Crook, Aden Valencia, and Jesse Mendez en route to the title.

Watch Joey McKenna defeat Jesse Mendez in the US Open finals below.

After losing to Aden Valencia twice at the US Open, Real Woods rebounded by defeating him at the World Team Trials. He would then go on to defeat Jesse Mendez and Brock Hardy en route to the title that qualified him for Final X.

The Storyline

Is this the start of a successful senior-level career for Real Woods or can Joey McKenna finally get over the hump and help bolster the newly invigorated Cowboy RTC?

Winning the 2018 US Open, McKenna has been a threat to make the 65 kg Senior World Team since his college days, but has always fallen just short. He has senior level wins over Zain Retherford, Yianni Diakomihalis, Nick Lee, James Green, Jesse Mendez, Ridge Lovett, Beau Bartlett, Nahshon Garrett, Seth Gross, and many others, but just hasn’t been able to beat them all when it really counts. 

Kyle Snyder and Helen Maroulis are the only Final X competitors with more senior level matches than McKenna, so there would be an experience gap between almost anyone and McKenna. However, it’s extra pronounced in this matchup, considering Woods only has three senior level tournaments under his belt. Don’t let this fool you, however. I think Woods doesn’t just have a good chance of winning this series, but also bring home a World medal if he does. 

Breaking Down The Matchup

This is a tough match to play out in my head. I like the strength, speed, and physicality of Real Woods. I like the savyness and gamesmanship of Joey McKenna. Both wrestlers have multiple ways to score from the feet. Woods is going to paw and pull at McKenna's head. Can he do it enough to get him out of position and score? Woods presents one big problem that McKenna doesn't - his par terre offense. For someone with little freestyle experience, Woods' ability to score with a gut-wrench or leg lace is unbelievable. I credit this to his freak strength.

Keys To Victory For Woods

• Get turns from top
• Avoid stepouts
• Set the tone early

Keys To Victory For McKenna

• Avoid getting caught in front headlock/short offense
• Score when you get the chance
• Don't let Woods out to a big early lead

Prediction

This is one of the tougher Final X matchups to predict. Joey McKenna is a more accomplished senior-level freestyle wrestler, but there's something about Real Woods. I think Woods gets in done in three matches. The margins are super thin, so I'm going with the guy with the par terre x-factor. Real Woods represents Team USA in Croatia to kick off a successful freestyle career, and the Senior level team monkey stays on McKenna's back.

70kg: Yianni Diakomihalis vs PJ Duke

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.

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.

74kg: Mitchell Mesenbrink vs David Carr

Key Credentials

Mitchell Mesenbrink

• U20 World Champion (2023 at 74 kg)
• U20 Runner-Up (2022 at 70 kg)
• U23 World Bronze Medalist (2024 at 74 kg)
• NCAA Champion (2025 at 165)
• NCAA Runner-Up (2024 at 165)

David Carr

• U20 World Champion (2019 at 74 kg)
• U17 World Bronze Medalist (2016 at 69 kg)
• Two-Time NCAA Champion (2021 at 157 and 2024 at 165)

Match History:

• 2025 US Open Finals - Mitchell Mesenbrink TF David Carr, 16-6
• 2024 NCAA Finals - David Carr dec. Mitchell Mesenbrink, 9-8

Breaking Down The Matchup

The matchup between Mesenbrink and Carr is one of the most interesting at Final X and should be incredibly exciting. Based on their past two matches, we should expect a lot of offense from both wrestlers, with both Mesenbrink and Carr having a path to victory. 

The case for Mesenbrink is a strong one based on his recent win over Carr in the US Open finals. In that match, Mesenbrink scored three takedowns off of his knee pull single, two of which were four-pointers. Beyond that, Mesenbrink was also successful in countering Carr’s offense. Mesenbrink scored a takedown off of a sucker drag attempt by Carr and also scored exposure points while Carr was attempting to finish a leg attack. It’s also worth highlighting that Mesenbrink started the match down 4-0 and outscored Carr 16-2 to close out the match with a tech. This points to Mesenbrink’s elite conditioning and his ability to make adjustments as the match unfolds. 

Mesenbrink's win over Carr at the 2025 US Open:

Despite Carr’s loss to Mesenbrink at the US Open, Carr is capable of defeating Mesenbrink at Final X. Both times they wrestled, Carr got out to a fast start to hold big, early leads. In their NCAA final, Carr held a 3-1 lead at the end of the first period and a 7-3 lead at the end of the second period. In the US Open final, Carr got out to a 4-0 lead after scoring a takedown to a leg lace less than a minute into the match. Carr’s ability to transition from a single leg to a leg lace is world-class, and he’s capable of ending any match with a leg lace.

For Carr to win at Final X, he’ll need to control the second half of the match better and wrestle a “cleaner” match than he did at the US Open. Between the third period of their NCAA finals match and the second period at the US Open, Mesenbrink has outscored Carr 17-3. Carr needs to find a way to slow down Mesenbrink’s offense. Beyond that, Carr made significant errors in trying to defend Mesenbrink’s offense at the US Open. Carr chose to defend with a chest wrap twice and gave up two four-pointers, rather than conceding and only allowing a takedown. While it might be over-simplified, if Carr wrestles a more disciplined match at Final X, I expect far more competitive matches than the one we saw at the US Open.

Carr's win over Mesenbrink in the 2024 NCAA Finals:

Who Wins At Final X?

Mesenbrink will enter Final X as the heavy favorite, but I’m predicting Carr to make significant adjustments that will result in close matches at Final X. Even still, Mesenbrink is my pick to win at Final X based on his ability to score in a variety of ways and how he’s proven to separate himself from Carr as the match unfolds. Regardless of how the series unfolds, we’re almost guaranteed to see non-stop offense from both wrestlers that has the potential to result in the most entertaining matches of the night on June 14.

79kg: Evan Wick vs Levi Haines

Key Credentials

Evan Wick

• 2025 US Open Champion 
• 2025 Pan-Am Champion 
• 3-time All-American (3rd in 2018 & 2022 at 165 pounds, 4th in 2019)
• 3rd Place at the 2020 Olympic Trials (at 74 kg)

Levi Haines

• 2025 World Team Trials Champion
• 4th place at the 2024 World Team Trials (at 79 kg)
• NCAA Champion (2024 at 157 pounds)
• 3-time All-American (2nd in 2022 at 157 pounds, 3rd in 2025 at 174 pounds)

Past match results

2024 World Team Trials - Levi Haines pinned Evan Wick, (5:42, 8-4)

Breaking Down The Matchup

Haines and Wick have only wrestled once in a match that ended in a pin by Levi Haines, but was much closer than the result suggests. In that match, Haines recorded a takedown and leg lace while Wick had two takedowns. Wick also held a 4-4 lead on criteria with only 30 seconds remaining in the match. At that point, Haines hit an outside step and used incredible power to finish with a feet to back that ultimately ended in a pin.

Coming into Final X, both wrestlers have a path to victory. Haines should be considered a slight favorite based on the head-to-head win over Wick. Haines showed in that match that he had success consistently getting to Wick’s legs. Haines will likely also have a strength advantage over Wick - that was displayed clearly in the way Haines was able to powerfully finish his leg attacks. At Final X, Haines should be able to get in on Wicks' legs with his outside step or his right-side single leg. Haines also has great counterattacks and has underrated par terre offense. Haines might be a relatively inexperienced freestyler, but that only means we should expect him to get better every time he takes the mat.

Levi Haines' win over Evan Wick at the 2025 World Team Trials:

On the other side of things, Wick was only 30 seconds away from defeating Haines and looked great during his run to gold at the US Open. In the match against Haines last year, Wick successfully got in on Haines’ legs cleanly 3 different times and finished two takedowns. Wick also has high-level leg defense and is incredibly challenging to finish on because of his length. This was best seen in Wick’s US Open finals win over Hamiti, where Hamiti got in on Wick’s legs 4 different times but never finished an attack for a takedown. Wick has made significant improvements since his loss to Haines, and I expect the best version of Evan Wick to show up on June 14th.

Who Wins At Final X?

With as close as their match was last year, no one should be surprised if this series goes to a third match. Haines and Wick are two evenly matched competitors, and I expect every match of this series to be a close one that’s decided by one or two exchanges.

Matchups like this make it very hard to predict the outcome. Despite that, I’m picking Levi Haines to win the series over Evan Wick. I do think that Evan Wick will take one match, but I think Haines’ power and finishing ability will be the difference in this matchup. I also think Haines is underrated both in his scrambling ability and par terre offense. Because of that, I think Haines is just a slightly more complete wrestler than Wick, and Haines will capture the world team spot at 79 kg on June 14.

86kg: Zahid Valencia vs Kyle Dkae

Key Credentials

Kyle Dake

• 4-time World Champion (2021 & 2022 at 74 kg, 2018 & 2019 at 79 kg)
• World Silver (2023 at 74 kg)
• 2-time Olympic Bronze (2020 & 2024 at 74 kg)
• 4-time NCAA Champion (2010-2013 at 141lbs, 149lbs, 157lbs, and 165lbs)

Zahid Valencia

• 2023 World Bronze (92 kg)
• 2017 U20 World Silver (84 kg)
• 2-time NCAA Champion (2018 and 2019 at 174 lbs)

Dake vs Valencia Match History:

• 2025 US Open - Zahid Valencia dec. Kyle Dake, 8-4
• 2018 Final X Match 2 - Kyle Dake dec. Zahid Valencia, 4-3
• 2018 Final X Match 1 - Kyle Dake dec. Zahid Valencia, 4-0

Valencia's win over Dake at the 2025 US Open:

Breaking Down The Matchup

Valencia vs Dake is a showcase of high-powered offense (Valencia) vs world-class defense and counter-scoring (Dake). As you can see from the above matchups, Dake and Valencia have wrestled three times in their freestyle careers, with Dake leading the series 2-1. Though there were 7 years in between their matches, it’s still worth breaking down their past meetings to get a better idea of the keys to victory for each wrestler at Final X. 

Valencia is known for his fast starts and has held first-period leads over Kyle Dake in two of the three matches they’ve wrestled. Valencia has scored 7 points in the first period and only 4 points in the second period in his matches against Dake. In their US Open final in April, Valencia got out to his typical fast start, scoring a takedown and gut to build a 5-1 lead after the first period. While it’s a simple key to victory, Valencia will likely need to build a similar lead in his matches against Dake at Final X if he wants to make the world team. Valencia also imposed his will early in their US Open match, bringing a hard hand fight to Dake. I expect Valencia to impose a similar strategy at Final X and use his size advantage to his favor early in the match. 

Kyle Dake has scored 4 points in each of the three matches he’s wrestled against Valencia. On top of that, a few other trends stand out for Kyle Dake in this matchup. The first is that Dake has scored a majority of his points on counters and step-outs. In fact, Dake hasn’t scored a takedown against Zahid since their first match at 2018 Final X. Dake also scored a majority of his points in the second period in these matchups - 9 points in the second compared to 3 points in the first. Again, it’s simple, but Dake needs to avoid getting caught in a shoot-out match against Valencia. A secondary key to victory for Dake will be getting on top in the middle of the mat. Dake has a world-class gut-wrench, and if he can get on top, he'll have a great chance at scoring in par terre.

Take a look at the charts below for the scoring breakdowns between Valencia and Dake in their 3 matches:

How Valencia has scored against Dake:

How Dake has scored against Valencia:

Scoring breakdown by periods for Valencia:

Scoring breakdown by periods for Dake:

Who Wins At Final X?

The Dake vs Valencia series is largely considered the most anticipated matchup of Final X, and the winner will head to Worlds as a title contender. Regardless of who comes out on top, the matches have the potential to be all-time greats and should be incredibly competitive. 

I see these matches going one of two ways. First, Valencia’s offense proves to be too much for Dake, and he wins similarly to the US Open finals match. Valencia’s offense is world-class, and he has a variety of ways he can put up points against Dake. If Valencia stays aggressive and on his offense early, Dake won’t be able to keep up.

Despite the US Open result, Dake’s path to victory is clear, and he’s more than capable of shutting down Zahid’s offense and winning two close matches. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Dake comes out at Final X and executes a game plan to limit Valencia’s early scoring. If Dake can do that, he has clearly shown he has the advantage in the second period against Valencia. 

So the question remains, who wins at Final X? I’ve honestly gone back and forth on picking the winner for this match. However, I think a three-match series favors Kyle Dake in this matchup. If it were just one match, Valencia would be my pick, but I think Dake and the NLWC coaches will devise a game plan leading to Dake winning this series in three matches. 

92kg: Trent Hidlay vs Josh Barr

Trent Hidlay Stats

Hometown: Lewistown, PA

College: NC State

NCAA finishes: 2nd, 5th, 4th, 2nd

Career record: 101-12

ACC titles: 4

Year of graduation: 2022

Pan-Am career record: 4-0, 1 gold

Age level world medals: 1 silver (U23), 1 bronze (U20)

Other international medals: 1 gold (Farrell), 1 silver (Budapest), 1 bronze (Zagreb)

Favorite soft drink: Mountain Dew

Josh Barr Stats

Hometown: Davison, MI

College: Penn State

NCAA finishes: 2nd

Years of NCAA eligibility remaining: 3

Year of (high school) graduation: 2023

Age level medals: 1 silver (U20)

Fargo Junior titles: 2

Fishing partner: Levi Haines

This will be the first meeting of Hidlay and Barr on the wrestling mat. 

How They Got To Final X

Trent Hidlay ran the 92kg gauntlet at the US Open this past April to secure his spot in 2025's Final X. Hidlay began his Open run with two quick techs before a tougher 7-4 battle with Eric Schultz in the semifinals and then a 7-1 controlling win over Missouri true freshman Aeoden Sinclair in the finals. 

Watch Hidlay punch his ticket to Final X with a win over Sinclair:

Josh Barr did not enter the US Open, which is not terribly surprising given that it occurred barely a month after his first NCAA tournament for Penn State, which saw him finish as runner-up at 197 pounds. Instead, Barr recuperated from his maiden varsity season and entered the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. The 92kg field was minuscule, and Barr had a bye to the semifinals. He defeated Dustin Plott 10-4, and then in the finals he beat the US Open runner-up, Aeoden Sinclair 7-3. 

The Storyline

Who will take over the spot and attempt to continue Team USA's medal streak? The weight class has only existed at the senior level since 2018, when UWW added two more non-Olympic weights to the mix, 79 and 92. Four different members of Team USA have brought home hardware from every World Championship in which the division was contested. 

2018: J'den Cox - gold

2019: J'den Cox - gold

2021: J'den Cox - bronze

2022: J'den Cox - silver

2023: Zahid Valencia - bronze

2024: David Taylor - bronze

Now we get to find out who will take on the mantle and try to keep the streak alive, with the goal of earning gold for the first time since 2019. 

The Matchup

Adding to the intrigue of the 92kg storyline is the fact that these two hammers have never squared off before. Barr is younger than Hidlay, but not dramatically so, and both have recent age-level world medals, Barr at 2024's U20s, and Hidlay at 2022's U23s. 

The two bruisers also have contrasting wrestling styles. Barr has proven to be a high-volume shooter who will push the pace for the entire six minutes. Hidlay is known for his relentless underhooks that set up a lot of fee-to-back four-point potential moves. Both have a lot of horsepower under their hoods, so fans can expect these two to turn the mat into an abattoir by the time their series is complete. 

Who Wins?

Three-match series at Final X are rare, but I think we might see one here. In his first varsity season at Penn State, Josh Barr broke many of his opponents in the third period (or earlier), but took losses against older and more experienced wrestlers who were able to withstand his furious pace. 

Hidlay is a fearsome opponent who has shown he can weather such storms. I think Hidlay emerges as Team USA's 92kg rep, but I think Barr is able to win one of the three matches. However, Barr definitley has a solid chance of proving that prediction wrong. 

As always, the real winners of a matchup like this are none other than the fans themselves.

97kg: Kyle Snyder vs Hayden Zillmer

Kyle Snyder Stats

Hometown: Woodbine, MD

College: Ohio State

NCAA finishes: 2nd, 1st, 1st, 1st

Career record: 75-5

Big Ten titles: 3

Year of graduation: 2018

Previous world or Olympic teams: 8 world, 2 Olympic

World medals: 3 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze

Olympic medals: 1 gold (Rio), 1 silver (Tokyo)

Hayden Zillmer Stats

Hometown: Crosby, MN

College: North Dakota State

Weight class freshman year: 149lbs

Weight class senior year: 184lbs

NCAA finishes: did not qualify, round of 32, 6th, round of 16

College record: 94-29

Year of graduation: 2016

World teams: 1 (2022)

Weight class on world team: 275lbs

Ranking Series medals: 1 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze

Previous Meeting

There was only one previous Snyder-Zillmer meeting that I could find in the archives. Snyder teched Zillmer 11-0 at the 2019 Bill Farrell 97kg semifinals.

Watch Snyder over Zillmer at the 2019 Farrell:

How They Got To Final X

For the first time since 2015, Kyle Snyder could not rely on being a returning medalist to punch his ticket to Final X (or the finals of the World or Olympic Team Trials). And so for the first time since 2015 (when he was freshman at Ohio State) Kyle entered the US Open in April of 2025. 

Snyder dominated all four of his bouts at the Open, winning by tech-fall each time and going unscored upon in the process. It took Kyle less than eight total minutes of match time earn his Open title and earn a spot in Final X. 

Zillmer took a more circuitous path. He wrestled at the Open at heavyweight but dropped a close 6-6 match via criteria to Demetrius Thomas in the quarterfinals. He then beat Trent Hillger in the consolation semifinals before forfeiting in the third-place bout. 

Hayden, the Jack Pine Savage, then dropped to 97kg for the Team Trials Challenge Tournament in May. In a skimpy field, Zillmer had a bye to the semis, where he edged a win over Eric Schultz, 2-1. Another close win in the finals, 5-3 over Jay Aiello, and Zillmer had made it back to Final X. 

The Storyline

Kyle Snyder has been a staple on senior World and Olympic teams since he was a teenager. Today he's just 29 years old, and may lock down the 97kg starting job for years to come. 

Kyle's consistency against domestic competition has been nothing short of remarkable. His last loss in any style to a fellow American was to Adam Coon in a dual meet in February of 2018. His last loss to an American in freestyle was at the 2016 Olympic Team Trials to Jake Varner. 

Snyder's last freestyle loss to anyone (outside of the team trials loss) that took place in the Western Hemisphere occurred in 2014, when he was still in high school and was defeated by Russian legend Khadzimurat Gatsalov at the Beat the Streets event in May in New York City, 6-3. 

Zillmer's career has not been as impressive -- few in the history of American wrestling has been -- but there has been a lot of growth throughout his career, both technically and literally. 

Hayden first wrestled at Fargo in the 84-pound weight class, though he didn't stay there long. He grew into a collegiate middle weight at the start of his career at North Dakota State, but finished as an All-American 184-pounder. Zillmer would continue to grow physically larger once he hit the freestyle circuit, wrestling up at 97kg before bumping all the way up to heavyweight, eventually making a senior world team at 125kg, an astonishing 191 pounds heavier than what he weighed in his early days inside the Fargodome. 

The Matchup

Kyle Snyder is the quintessential upperweight who combines strength, speed, and timing. His ability to match the power and quickness of seasoned veterans at a teenage phenom marked him as a rising star early in his career. That stardom shone brighter and brighter as he racked up a trophy case full of international awards.

Facing that much experience and a dearth of comparable accolades, Zillmer will have the daunting task of finding an attack route that surprises Snyder, or at least presents him with problems he didn't think he'd encounter in the series. 

Prediction

Kyle Snyder has been so automatic over the last ten years that a 2-0 series win is the only prediction I can credibly provide. That is not to say that I am putting Zillmer's odds at zero percent, or that larger upsets haven't happened before. However, given that Snyder has only ever lost to wrestlers that provide a level of explosiveness that Zillmer has thus far not exhibited himself on the international stage, I have to expect that we see Kyle Snyder on his ninth consecutive World or Olympic Team. 

125kg: Wyatt Hendrickson vs Trent Hillger

Wyatt Hendrickson Stats

Hometown: Newton, KS

College: Air Force (2021-24), Oklahoma State (2025)

NCAA finishes: round of 12, round of 16, 3rd, 3rd, 1st

Presidential salutes on the NCAA finals mat: 1

Career record: 123-11

Year of graduation: 2025 

Pan-Am medals: 1 gold

Age level world teams: 2

Age level world medals: 1 gold (U23)

FloNationals placements: 1st (2019)

Trent Hillger Stats

Hometown: Holly, MI

College: Wisconsin

NCAA finishes: 8th, 6th, round of 24, 8th

Career record: 93-41

Year of graduation: 2023

Bill Farrell championships: 1 (2024)

Nickname: Thor

Hammer of choice: Mjolner 

Previous Meetings

These titans have clashed twice before. Hendrickson defeated Hiller by the score of 10-4 in the US Open semifinals last April. They also met at the 2021 NCAA Championships, where it was Hillger besting Hendrickson 6-3. 

How They Got To Final X

Wyatt Hendrickson blitzed the field at the 2025 US Open, winning all four matches with double-digit points in all four. His bout versus Hillger was the toughest of the tourney for the Air Force officer, who tech-falled his other three opponents, including Demetrius Thomas in the finals. 

Trent Hillger bounced back from his fifth-place finish at the Open -- where he also lost to Hayden Zillmer in the consolation semifinals -- and won the Team Trials. It was a small field and Hillger only had two bouts, partly due to Zillmer dropping down to 97kg for the Trials. Hillger won them both, 13-2 over Jordan Wood and 10-4 over the aforementioned Thomas. 

The Storyline

It's a new era of heavyweights for Team USA. Two-time world medalist Nick Gwiazdowski has not competed since the Olympic team trials. Neither has Paris Olympian and world bronze medalist Mason Parris. Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson returned to the mat for the 2024-25 NCAA season but has not wrestled freestyle since Final X in 2023. The 2022 Team USA 125kg rep, Hayden Zillmer, has, as mentioned, dropped to 97kg (where he made this year's Final X). 

But despite several doors being shut within the domestic heavyweight field, a window for Hendrickson and Hillger has been opened. Both competitors will be at the first Final X. That accomplishment puts them both on the National Team, with the winner making the world team. 

The closest Hendrickson has gotten to a World or Olympic team in the past was when he finished fourth at the 2023 Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. Hillger's best finish at a senior-level national event was fourth at 2020's Senior Nationals, which was a qualifying tournament for the Tokyo Olympic Team Trials. 

The Matchup

Few wrestlers in the country can claim to be on a hotter streak right now than Wyatt Hendrickson. The dynamic heavy shocked the wrestling world with his victory over Gable Steveson at the 2025 NCAAs. A well-deserved Hodge Trophy ensued. 

Watch Hendrickson's famous NCAA final: 

The Kansas native has been leveling up since he first arrived at Colorado Springs and started for the Air Force Falcons back in 2021. His time at Oklahoma State has helped him refine his aggressive style which often results in pinfalls over his opponents. Hendrickson has a particularly effective cradle for the 125kg weight class. 

Trent Hillger has similarly enjoyed the benefits of a change of scenery, moving from Wisconsin, where he completed an exemplary career for the Badgers, to Minnesota, where he has been training in one of the most accomplished heavyweight wrestling rooms in the country. Having the likes of Hayden Zillmer and Gable Steveson (among others) as practice partners certainly doesn't hurt. 

While Hillger may not be as flashy as Hendrickson, if he can weather the first-period storm that Wyatt is expected to bring, he may be able to find a way to reverse the result from their meeting at the Open. 

Prediction

Hendrickson is the undeniable favorite, by dint of their recent meeting and the impressive hit list he's been amassing over the last year or so. 

Hillger has proven he can still adapt and improve at this stage of his career, however, and an upset is not out of the question. 

Ultimately, I can't see this series going any other way but Hendrickson's. I think it will be a 2-0 series victory, but I'll say Hillger limits Great American Heavyweight to regular decisions. Either way, we'll find out who Team USA's new heavyweight rep will be when this is settled in the Prudential Center June 14!