The three outstanding best-of-three series for 2026 Final X, presented by Kerberos Capital Management, will take place on Friday, Sept. 25, at Hilliard Davidson High School in the greater Columbus, Ohio, area.

First-round matches will start at 6 p.m. (ET), with round two starting at 7:30 p.m. (ET) at Hilliard Davidson Wildcat Gymnasium. If needed, third-round matches will commence 30 minutes after the conclusion of round two. 

The wrestle-offs include the men’s freestyle 65 kg series, the women’s freestyle 68 kg series, and the women's freestyle 76 kg series. The winner of each of the series will represent the U.S. at the 2026 Senior World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, this October.

At 65 kg in men’s freestyle, 2025 World bronze medalist Real Woods takes on two-time age-group World champion Bo Bassett, who just won the U20 World Championships. The 68 kg women’s freestyle series features 2024 Olympic silver medalist and 2025 World bronze medalist Kennedy Blades facing two-time age-group World Team member Isabella Mir. The women’s freestyle 76 kg series includes two-time World bronze medalist Kylie Welker battling 2022 World Team member Dymond Guilford.

Tickets for this event can be pre-purchased through the Hilliard Davidson ticketing page. Tickets can also be purchased on event day at the venue. Those unable to attend in person can watch the event live or on-demand through FloWrestling.

In June, Woods, Blades and Welker each requested and received medical delays for their matchups, which were originally scheduled for June 19 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

According to the approved 2026 Senior World Team Trials Qualification & Procedures, “only a 2025 Senior World Medalist, who earned an automatic berth into the Final X, may request a medical delay for competing in the Final X Wrestle-Off.” All team selection procedures are available on TheMat.com.

For more information about 2026 Final X, presented by Kerberos Capital Management, please visit TheMat.com.

2026 Final X, presented by Kerberos Capital Management At Hilliard, Ohio, September 25

Event Schedule

6 p.m. (ET) – Session one (Round one)

7:30 p.m. (ET) – Session two (Rounds two and three, if necessary)

Best-of-Three Series Match Order

Match one – 68 kg – Kennedy Blades (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Isabella Mir (Naperville, Ill./Cardinal WC)

Match two – 76 kg – Kylie Welker (Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa Women's WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Dymond Guilford (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Match three – 65 kg – Real Woods (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Bo Bassett (Windber, Pa./Southeast RTC/Titan Mercury WC)