Keegan O'Toole's Top Matches

Earlier this week, we learned that two-time NCAA champion and two-time age group world champion, Keegan O’Toole, has decided to hang up the wrestling shoes at least from a competitive standpoint. He’ll continue to coach at his alma mater, Missouri, while attending graduate school. After O’Toole’s seemingly sudden retirement, we decided to take a look back at his impressive career. With that in mind, we’ve gone and highlighted some of the biggest wins of O’Toole’s time on the wrestling mat, before, during, and after his time competing for the Tigers. Most matches have links, so you can re-watch and enjoy those moments again, as he was one of the more entertaining wrestlers of his era. Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (2026 - RAF 10: 10-6) This was one of two awesome comebacks from O’Toole during his three-match stint with RAF. It also came at the expense of a high-caliber opponent. Bekzod Abdurakhmanov was a world and Olympic bronze medalist and an Asian champion. This match highlighted O’Toole’s scrambling ability and his creativity in an action-packed six minutes. Levi Haines (2024 - Collegiate Duals: 4-1SV) This was one of the most anticipated matches of the 2024-25 regular season. Both O’Toole and Levi Haines were past national champions who had moved up to a new weight. O’Toole from 165 to 174 and Haines moved up from 157. This bout went to overtime and O’Toole won after a successful scramble. The match wasn’t without controversy as the Penn State corner challenged the sequence, since Haines was very close to a takedown and momentarily had both of O’Toole’s legs. David Carr (2023 - NCAA Finals: 8-2) This was O’Toole’s second national title. It was the third meeting of the season between him and David Carr. Carr earned the win in the Big 12 finals and in their dual meeting. O’Toole used first and third-period takedowns, plus some back points while Carr was in desperation mode to get the win. Carr was already a one-time national champion at this point. Shane Griffith (2022 - NCAA Finals: 6-5) O’Toole’s first NCAA title came at the expense of a returning NCAA champion, as well. A takedown and a reversal helped push O’Toole past Griffith. The Stanford wrestler had pulled out some late magic in the semifinals, but O’Toole would not let that happen with a one-point lead, late in this contest. Imam Ganishov (2023 - U23 World Finals: 6-1) Any time you beat a Russian in the world finals, it’s a big deal. That was the case for O’Toole at U23’s in 2003. Ganishov hasn’t gone on to become a superstar or anything, but that doesn’t diminish the win. O’Toole struck with points from an exposure and a takedown in the first period to take a solid lead. He added another takedown in the second period to claim his second world title. Turan Bayramov (2021 - Junior World Quarterfinals: Fall) This was O’Toole’s best win at the U20 World Championships. Turan Bayramov was fresh off an Olympic appearance only a few weeks earlier and was already a U23 world champion. He would go on to make two European finals, wrestle in two Olympic Games, and compete for a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships. While losing 5-1 in the second period, O’Toole was looking to finish a single leg, but instead found a cradle and pinned Bayramov. Colman Karl (2020 - Wisconsin State Finals: Fall 2:49) In his interview with WIWrestle, O’Toole mentioned the state tournament from his senior year of high school as being one of his favorite wrestling experiences - with all of the pomp and circumstance from the Wisconsin state tournament. He won his fourth state title with a second-period fall. It probably doesn’t resonate as much with anyone else reading this, but it is important to him. Andrew Alirez (2019 - Junior World Team Trials Semifinals: 11-6) To be honest, I forgot about this match until starting the research for this article. The two future NCAA champions met in the semifinals of the WTT’s. Alirez had made a name for himself the year before with his performance at this tournament. Alirez went up 4-1 at the break, but O’Toole rallied in the second period for the win. It’s a shame these two didn’t meet later, but O’Toole moved up in weight and Alirez stayed in the same range. James Whitaker (2018 - Super 32 Finals: Fall 2:55) After winning Fargo, O’Toole moved up to 145 lbs for the Super 32. In the finals, he tangled with James Whitaker of Michigan. Whitaker was a top 100 prospect a year ahead of O’Toole. The closing sequence is a good one as both wrestlers earned reversal’s in a head wheel position, but it was O’Toole who was able to secure the fall. Gabriel Tagg (2018 - Fargo Junior Freestyle Finals: 11-6) This Fargo run helped solidify O’Toole as one of the top guys in the Class of 2020. He won his Fargo title in the summer heading into his Junior year, which is always impressive. To win, O’Toole defeated an older opponent (Gabriel Tagg - Class of 2019) and put up a lot of points in the process. Tagg would go on to earn a Junior World bronze medal the following year.

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