A Changing of the Guard at Final X?

Final X and the Olympic Trials typically feature a changing of the guard. 2025’s version of Final X was no exception. With a delayed wrestle-off pending, the men’s freestyle team will already feature six wrestlers who have never made a  Senior world or Olympic team before. Five for the women’s team. 

Two of the three series that went all three matches featured a younger wrestler usurping an older counterpart who was a world finalist. Most shocking was PJ Duke, the #1 recruit in the Class of 2025, who upset Yianni Diakomihalis in three matches at 70 kg. Match two involved an incredible five-point suplex by Duke. Match three ended in a fall for the wrestler who has to attend his final high school classes on Monday. Right before that, Adaugo Nwachukwo had outlasted Kayla Miracle in the 62 kg women’s freestyle series. The pair clashed in the 2023 edition of Final X with Miracle coming out on top. 

It was less of an upset than the previous two series, but Zahid Valencia swept four-time world champion Kyle Dake two matches to none at 86 kg. 2025 will be the first time since 2017 that we have a world team without Dake. He’s been a mainstay at 74 kg, making every world/Olympic team at the weight since 2020. 

Speaking of 74 kg, for the first time since 2010, Dake or Jordan Burroughs will not be the representative at that weight. David Carr pulled out two close wins over Mitchell Mesenbrink to claim that spot. It reversed a result from the US Open finals where Mesenbrink crushed Carr. 

The men’s freestyle team will also feature two wrestlers who were active in college at the 2025 NCAA Championships - Levi Haines (79 kg) and Wyatt Hendrickson (125 kg). The Hodge Trophy winner Hendrickson is out of collegiate eligibility, but Haines has another year. 

On the women’s side, three of the six 2024 Olympians did not wrestle on Saturday. Two (Sarah Hildebrandt and Dom Parrish) did not participate in the entire process, while Olympian gold medalist Amit Elor had to withdraw and forfeit due to health concerns. With the trio out of the picture in 2025, in steps first-time Senior World team members Audrey Jimenez, Felicity Taylor, and Alex Glaude. 

Just because we have some new faces doesn’t mean that it’s a negative. Because of our investment and success at the age-group level, most first-time Senior world team members have international experience and hardware. 

Five of the six first-time world team members for the men’s team have some sort of medal from the age group level. Only Real Woods does not. 

Four of the five first-time world team members from the women’s team have won an age group world medal. Only Felicity Taylor has not. 

Now just because a younger opponent won in the Valencia/Dake, Duke/Diakomihalis, and Nwachukwo/Miracle series doesn’t mean the losers of Saturday’s series’ are done at the Senior level. It just means we’ll have some new blood in Zagreb at the 2025 World Championships. Final X 2026 could have something different in mind.