Final X is set to go down on June 19 in Newark, New Jersey, and will feature the country’s best wrestlers with world team spots on the line. One of the most anticipated matchups of the night will be a continuation of the rivalry between Marcus Blaze and Jax Forrest at 61 kg. Check out the article below to see a full breakdown, with a prediction, for this matchup at Final X.

Key Credentials

Jax Forrest

• 2026 133-Pound NCAA Champion
• 2025 U23 World Champion (61 kg)
• 2025 Senior Worlds 5th Place (61 kg)
• 2022 U17 World Silver (55 kg)

Marcus Blaze

• 2026 133-Pound NCAA 4th Place
• 2025 U20 World Champion (61 kg)
• 2024 U20 World Bronze (61 kg)
• 2023 U17 World Champion (55 kg)

Rivalry History

2024 Olympic Trials - Marcus Blaze over Jax Forrest, 8-1 (57 kg)

2023 Clarion Open - Marcus Blaze over Jax Forrest, 9-4 (125 lbs)

2022 Super 32 - Jax Forrest over Marcus Blaze, 10-1 (120 lbs)

2020 Super 32 - Jax Forrest over Marcus Blaze, 13-4 (105 lbs)

Breaking Down The Matchup - A Clash Of Styles

Jax Forrest is unpredictable, funky, creative, and is known for his point-scoring abilities. Marcus Blaze is positional and tactical, known for his ability to stifle his opponent’s offense and capitalize on errors. Obviously, Forrest had the better NCAA season, but Blaze won the US Open and is a phenomenal freestyle wrestler. This matchup is the perfect clash of styles and a fascinating one to break down.

As you can see from the above match history, Marcus Blaze has won the last two matches over Jax Forrest. In those matches, Blaze won exactly how you would expect - solid positioning and striking when Forrest came out of position or overwrestled. Blaze is highly disciplined in his stance, and only a handful of wrestlers over the past few years have been successful in getting through Blaze’s defense. Since 2024, Blaze is 17-4 on the senior/U23 level and has outscored his opponents 114-31 - an average match score of 5.4-1.5. The big question: Can Blaze slow things down and enforce his style of wrestling at Final X against Jax Forrest? 

Watch a follow-along with Marcus Blaze from the 2026 US Open:

Jax Forrest has made incredible improvements since the last time he wrestled Marcus Blaze. Since that match at the Olympic Trials, Forrest went on to make the senior world team by defeating world champ Vito Arujau in two straight matches. He then lost in a controversial bronze-medal match at senior worlds, won a U23 world title, and had one of the most impressive true freshman seasons in NCAA history. Forrest is 27-5 on the senior level and has outscored his opponents by a combined score of 273-92 - an average match score of 9.1-3.1. Has Forrest improved enough to overwhelm Blaze with his offense?

Prediction

The masterful defense and positioning of Blaze vs the creative, high-powered offense of Forrest - Who comes out on top at Final X? This matchup feels about as close to a toss-up as possible, and there’s a great chance we see it go three matches. I think this matchup all comes down to who can build an early lead and execute their game plan. Blaze will want to wrestle a controlled, low-scoring match and force Forrest out of position. This is how Davino defeated Forrest at the US Open, and that match highlighted some of the errors in Forrest’s game. In the Davino match, Forrest got down early and overwrestled, trying to come back. If Forrest has that same lapse, Blaze will make him pay.

On the other side of things, Forrest will need to find a way to get to Blaze’s legs and penetrate his head/hands defense. If Forrest can build a lead early, Blaze will be forced to open up and will likely give Forrest even more opportunities to score. Forrest still needs to be disciplined in his stance early, but I expect him to make a concerted effort to create as many wrestling flurries and score early in the matchup at Final X.

Predicting this matchup is almost impossible, and I’ve gone back and forth on who I think is going to come out on top on June 19. If this were just one match, I would pick Blaze to frustrate Forrest and win one close, low-scoring match. However, because this is a three-match series, I’m giving Jax Forrest the edge. It might take him a match, but I think Forrest’s offense will prove to be the difference, and he’ll ultimately figure out how to break through Blaze’s defense. Regardless of how the series unfolds, the Blaze-Forrest best-of-three should be an incredible showcase of talent at Final X.

Final X Prediction - Jax Forrest wins 2 matches to 1 over Marcus Blaze