Spencer Lee’s Offense is Primed for His First World Championships

Spencer Lee's journey to his first Senior World Championships has been anything but ordinary by 2025 standards, he won age level world titles at the U17 and U20 Championships and then didn’t wrestle internationally for six years. A three-time NCAA champion for the University of Iowa and an Olympic silver medalist, Lee has already carved out a legendary career. Yet, as he prepares to compete in Zagreb, Croatia, from September 13-21, it is with the distinction of making his first-ever US World Team. This milestone, surprising for an athlete of his caliber, sets the stage for a highly anticipated performance. An in-depth look at his offensive scoring from the past year reveals a wrestler who is not just winning, but dominating with a calculated and evolving offensive arsenal.

What We Looked At

Spencer Lee only competed twice this year, but I thought it was a strong enough body of work to analyze his offensive attacks, so from each match this year I noted the following criteria:

Event

Round

Opponent

Attack

Time On The Clock At The Start Of The Attack

Points Scored On Attack

Conversion Time (time he was awarded a takedown) 

Transitional Par Terre Offense Attempt?

Par Terre Technique

Par Terre Points Scored

What Constitutes Offense?

Lee's 2025 performances at the Zagreb Open and Final X provide a compelling snapshot of his current form. To understand the true nature of his offensive dominance, it's important to clarify what constitutes an "offensive attack" in this analysis. This breakdown focuses specifically on Lee's initiated attacks from the neutral position that result in controlled takedowns, providing opportunities for par terre offense. Notably, this analysis includes go-behind attacks executed off opponent shots, which are considered counter-offensive moves rather than purely defensive reactions.

One thing that makes Lee's approach particularly fascinating is what this analysis deliberately excludes. Step-out points, while clearly an offensive weapon for most wrestlers, are largely absent from Lee's scoring repertoire. He scored just one step-out all year, demonstrating his commitment to keeping action in the center of the mat. While most wrestlers immediately look for the edge when they secure a leg, Lee does the opposite. He actively works to finish his attacks in the center, prioritizing the opportunity to get on top and turn his opponent rather than settling for a quick one or two points at the boundary.

Similarly, uncontrolled exposure points, which Lee scored twice via underhook throw-bys, are not included in this offensive breakdown. These scores, while effective, don't provide the par terre opportunities that make Lee so dangerous. His preference for controlled takedowns over quick exposure points reveals a wrestler who thinks several moves ahead, always positioning himself for maximum scoring potential.

Finishing Mastery

At the heart of Spencer Lee’s success is his exceptional ability to score just about every time he gets his hands locked on a leg. In his recent outings, he successfully converted on 77.8% of his offensive attempts. This high success rate is not built on a single, predictable attack. Instead, Lee employs a range of techniques that keep his opponents guessing and on the defensive.

His go-to weapon of choice is a right-handed high crotch, which accounted for over half of his offensive attempts. While his success rate with this move was 60%, it serves as a constant threat that opens up other opportunities. Which is interesting to me because I’ve always thought of Spencer as a single leg guy. When opponents focus on defending the high crotch, Lee seamlessly transitions to other attacks. This was evident in his perfect 100% success rate with single legs and double legs. 

Spencer Is Evolving

A closer examination of Spencer Lee's offensive timing reveals something that just about everyone in the world has known for a long time: Spencer Lee is a first period wrestler.. An overwhelming 77.8% of his offensive attacks (7 out of 9) occurred during the first period. This front-loaded approach demonstrates Lee's commitment to wanting to finish matches. 

Interestingly, while Lee is definitely less likely to attack in the second period, his finish percentage tells the tale of growth from his college days. With only two attacks attempted in the second period, he achieved perfect execution, converting both opportunities for scores. And these weren’t garbage time takedowns with his opponent diving at his legs in a last-ditch effort to steal the match, they were offensive attacks with extremely fast conversion times. This shows a maturity of decision making and positional prowess. A far cry from his days in an Iowa singlet where he gave up losses later in the in the match to guys like Sebastian Rivera and Nick Piccininni. 

Punishing And Purposeful Par Terre 

Scoring the takedown is only half the story…. Literally. Spencer Lee truly separates himself from the pack in par terre. His performance in the par terre position has been nothing short of dominant. After securing a takedown, Lee immediately transitions to his top game, attempting to add to his own momentum.

Here’s what jumps off the statistical page to me though, It’s that he almost always finishes with enough room on the mat to get at least one turn. In 2025 most high level coaches are telling their athletes to find the edge when they get to a leg. It’s an extremely sound strategy in that you limit your opponent’s likelihood of scoring off any counter if he steps out. The problem with that tactic is that you don't get a chance on top. Not Spencer, he almost always leaves just enough room to one turn. 

His primary weapon on top is the gut wrench, more specifically, he has shown a clear preference for attacking the right side, doing so in two-thirds of his par terre attempts.The only outlier coming when he happened to trap his opponent’s left arm in transition.  This consistent, high-level execution of a fundamental technique makes him a nightmare for any opponent who finds themselves on the bottom. 

What is most impressive is the sheer number of points he generates from the top position. In the analyzed matches, he scored as many points from par terre as he did from his takedowns, a total of 14 points. This ability to consistently add to his score after a takedown has proven to be a driver of success. 

Primed for the World Stage

As Spencer Lee prepares for his first Senior World Championships, the data from his recent performances paints a clear picture: he is a wrestler at the peak of his powers. His offensive versatility, combined with his punishing par terre game, makes him a complete and formidable force at 57kg.