Perfect Day Gives U17 Men's Freestyle Team World Title

The US men’s freestyle team saved their best for last at the 2025 U17 World Championships. The team entered the day trailing Iran in the team standings for the event and needed a great performance and some head-to-head wins over Iran to win the title. That’s exactly what happened as the team was perfect on Sunday. Three-for-three in the gold medal matches and the lone wrestler in repechage won all three of his bouts. Two of the wins in the gold medal round came at the expense of Iran.

The final team tally had the United States ahead of Iran 154 to 150 points.

In the first gold medal match of the day, Keegan Bassett took on Iran’s Parsa Tahmasbi at 45 kg. Within the first minute of the bout, Bassett locked up a takedown after a reshot during a flurry from the front headlock position. After the takedown was awarded, Tahmasbi continued to wrestle through the position and was exposed for a second set of points. Leading 4-0, Bassett drove Tahmasbi to his back again and nearly pinned him for a 6-0 lead.

Those six first-period points accounted for all of the scoring in the entire contest. Bassett is now the second member of his family to win a U17 world championship, joining his older brother, Bo.

The second championship head-to-head with Iran came at 71 kg as Jayden James downed Arsham Mostafa, 9-2. James got on the scoreboard first with a shot clock violation on Mostafa and a step-out point. He ended the first period with a takedown and a 4-0 lead.

In the second period, James added to his lead with a snapdown and spin for a 6-0 advantage. Despite Mostafa getting on the board with a takedown, James added a point with a reversal late in the final period. In the closing seconds, Mostafa tried a desperation throw that James countered for another two points and a 9-2 win.

The gold medal matchup that didn’t involve an Iranian opponent saw Sammy Sanchez claim his second consecutive world title with a 5-2 win over Uzbekistan’s Ulugbek Rashidov. Like Sanchez, Rashidov was a U17 world champion in 2024.

The deciding sequence in the battle of the returning world champions came in the finals seven seconds with Sanchez holding a 3-0 lead. While the pair was on the mat, Rashidov was able to expose Sanchez once with a chest wrap; however, he went directly to his back after the hold and was unable to score again. Actually, Sanchez added a pair of points to win, 5-2.

With the win, Sanchez joins an exclusive club of American two-time U17 world champions in men’s freestyle. That list consists of Yianni Diakmohalis, Gable Steveson, Kurt McHenry, and Dom Munaretto.

Not to be overlooked was the job that Tanner Hodgins did in the 92kg repechage rounds. Hodgins blazed through the competition with two techs and an 8-2 victory. He only needed 1:41 to rack up 10 points on Elguja Lomidze (Georgia) in the bronze medal match.

The men’s freestyle team finished the tournament with world champions in four of the ten weight classes and medaled in seven weights. 

American results

45 kg

Gold medal match: Keegan Bassett over Parsa Tahmasbi (Iran)  6-0
 

51 kg

Gold medal match: Sammy Sanchez over Ulugbek Rashidov (Uzbekistan)  5-2
 

71 kg 

Gold medal match: Jayden James over Arsham Mostafa (Iran)  9-2
 

92 kg

Repechage #1: Tanner Hodgins over Saruul Erdenetsogt (Mongolia)  10-0

Repechage #2: Tanner Hodgins over Said Riza (Turkiye)  8-2

Bronze medal match: Tanner Hodgins over Elguja Lomidze (Georgia)  10-0
 

Final Medal round results

45 kg

Gold medal match: Keegan Bassett (USA) over Parsa Tahmasbi (Iran)  6-0

Bronze medal match: Ibragim Veliullov (Russia) over Bakdaulet Agabek (Kazakhstan)  9-2

Bronze medal match: Mirjalol Mukammilov (Uzbekistan) over Arnur Nursaidov (Kyrgyzstan)  4-4
 

51 kg

Gold medal match: Sammy Sanchez (USA) over Ulugbek Rashidov (Uzbekistan)  5-2

Bronze medal match: Danael Abdykassym (Kazakhstan) over Temuri Tutarashvili (Georgia)  9-4

Bronze medal match: Dzhamal Bakaev (Russia) over Haruku Shiina (Japan)  12-5
 

60 kg

Gold medal match: Sitender (India) over Rihito Hiura (Japan)  9-4

Bronze medal match: Hasan Hasanov (Azerbaijan) over Nathan Nash (Canada)  5-4

Bronze medal match: Bekassyl Assambek (Kazakhstan) over Arian Mehralizadeh (Iran)  9-0
 

71 kg

Gold medal match: Jayden James (USA) over Arsham Mostafa (Iran)  9-2

Bronze medal match: Yeghishe Mosesyan (Armenia) over Farrukhbek Jumanazarov (Uzbekistan)  7-6

Bronze medal match: Ayubjon Bozorzoda (Tajikistan) over Jason Keil (Germany)  6-0
 

92 kg

Gold medal match: David Dzebisov (Russia) over Amirali Alizadeh (Iran)  4-2

Bronze medal match: Tanner Hodgins (USA) over Elguja Lomidze (Georgia)  10-0

Bronze medal match: Said Pashayev (Azerbaijan) over Beibarys Yergali (Kazakhstan)  5-3