2026 UWW Men's Freestyle World Championships Discussion

[peanut]

Let's have a single thread for discussion. This will help those of us without Flo to follow the action.

(UWW+ allows people to purchase streams of specific competitions. My understanding is that Flo bought the rights to UWW streams in the US but requires a yearlong subscription for any access at all. I do not appreciate that.)

[RAFWiki]

Live results from Basch: https://www.baschamania.com/worlds/

[BruceyB]

MAX NOWRY IS STILL WRESTLING?!

Dang. I remember him winning both titles at Fargo at 105 back in 2008. Wild.

[nhs67]

Adams and Bey out already is a bummer for me.

[de4856]

Well, unfortunately U.S. Greco has gotten off to a slow start, hopefully things turn around for us. 
I know this has little to do with what is occurring now, but I was just at the U23’s and I watched our Greco guys, and for the most part appeared to be game, the problem I saw was that as our guys progressed through their bracket they would get beat in a situation or two. So I guess this is my way of saying that if things don’t turn around, USA Wrestling has to take a hard look at our Greco program and make some changes. Yes I know that there’s a laundry list of issues but we have to checking some of these things off the list. 

[juniorvarsity]

7 hours ago, de4856 said:

Well, unfortunately U.S. Greco has gotten off to a slow start, hopefully things turn around for us. 
I know this has little to do with what is occurring now, but I was just at the U23’s and I watched our Greco guys, and for the most part appeared to be game, the problem I saw was that as our guys progressed through their bracket they would get beat in a situation or two. So I guess this is my way of saying that if things don’t turn around, USA Wrestling has to take a hard look at our Greco program and make some changes. Yes I know that there’s a laundry list of issues but we have to checking some of these things off the list. 

Iran just beat Russia at 72kg in the semis. Peak is eliminated. That means all who have wrestled today are eliminated. 

Nowry lost in repechage today. He was the only one pulled into repechage from the day before.

Xavier Johnson, Otto Black and Beka Melelashvili wrestle tomorrow.

[2001Hokie]

1 hour ago, juniorvarsity said:

Iran just beat Russia at 72kg in the semis. Peak is eliminated. That means all who have wrestled today are eliminated. 

Nowry lost in repechage today. He was the only one pulled into repechage from the day before.

Xavier Johnson, Otto Black and Beka Melelashvili wrestle tomorrow.

Hoping for good results!  Good luck to all 3

[jdw21]

Looking forward to Helen wrestling!!!  I hope she can add another World medal to her collection.

[de4856]

3 hours ago, juniorvarsity said:

Iran just beat Russia at 72kg in the semis. Peak is eliminated. That means all who have wrestled today are eliminated. 

Nowry lost in repechage today. He was the only one pulled into repechage from the day before.

Xavier Johnson, Otto Black and Beka Melelashvili wrestle tomorrow.

Yep, it’s not pretty. Hopefully things turn around 

[Reality Check]

On 10/25/2026 at 12:47 AM, de4856 said:

Well, unfortunately U.S. Greco has gotten off to a slow start, hopefully things turn around for us. 
I know this has little to do with what is occurring now, but I was just at the U23’s and I watched our Greco guys, and for the most part appeared to be game, the problem I saw was that as our guys progressed through their bracket they would get beat in a situation or two. So I guess this is my way of saying that if things don’t turn around, USA Wrestling has to take a hard look at our Greco program and make some changes. Yes I know that there’s a laundry list of issues but we have to checking some of these things off the list. 

If by “slow start” you mean “has sucked for the last 70 years” I’m in full agreement.

[Reality Check]

Two things I will predict. Marcus Blaze wins it all, Spencer Lee does not and likely DNP.

Blaze- I think people actually underestimate how good the “fab four” at 133 are. Did you ever have even the slightest doubt that Seidel and Davino would come back with gold? They are good enough to send Arajau packing to 65 kg and if he was there, I swear to god he’s 5th on the ladder. In freestyle, Blaze has show himself to be the best of this amazing group.

Data point. As a 17 year old he beat Fix (who was a world silver medalist), Graff and Nashon, then pushed Vito to the wire. You’ve got to assume he’s markedly better than then, and making the team at this weight validates that.

I know Uguev has been on a tear lately but he’s getting long in the tooth for a lightweight and remember, it wasn’t that long ago that Ono spanked him and Arajau beat him as well. I realize he blasted Jax last year but he’s a terrible style matchup and I bet one year later and a different match and it looks a lot different. Wrestlers can hit the wall pretty suddenly- DT for instance looked untouchable in 2023 and looked much more human at the 2024 trials.

Blaze is hungry and has something to prove following his disappointing NCAAs. He’s coming home with Gold. 

Spencer is the most talented in a very weak field, if there is such a thing at Worlds- but can’t get out of his own head. 

Other thoughts Don’t sleep on Dake. He’s the master of freestyle tactics and due for a breakdown performance at 86 kg. The weight is tougher than it’s been in years. 

Love the way Snyder is wrestling. Everyone acts like he won against Sad because of injury and while that is technically true, for the first time since and maybe including their 2017 match he looked like the better wrestler to my “eye test”.

Haines may be the most likely wrestler to come back with Gold. Or he might DNP and maybe last year was a total aberration. I know he’s damn near impossible to take down and guys like that tend to do well. Still a young man getting better.

Would love for James Green to be the feel good story of 2026 but I don’t see it.

Zane has so much tenacity and always surprises you. I’ll say Bronze.

Hendrickson is my other surprise pick for a medal. Not Gold, but Silver or Bronze. A senseless prediction I realize.

Basset can medal with the right draw. Do not let recency bias convince you otherwise he’s an animal. 

I know these are very optimistic predictions. This team is much better than people realize.

Edited Tuesday at 04:29 AM by Reality Check

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

8 hours ago, Reality Check said:

If by “slow start” you mean “has sucked for the last 70 years” I’m in full agreement.

World champs in 2007.  Several other top three places in the years leading into 2007.  It can be done, and has.

[Namecheck]

Have seen so many people who have Spencer favored to win (again) online. Granted, a few of the guys at 57kg have moved up (harutyunyan, zhou from china, Aman not competing). But still, in the last year he got tech’d by Harutyunyan, pinned at raf, headlocked for a loss by Luke, and nearly went the whole 6 mins against Teske and Knox. As noted by other poster it is definitely the weakest field so he may have a clear path to gold if things line up / peoples cuts go poorly. I also think this year will be his last legitimate shot to win gold in his career (assuming he doesn’t leave HWC for another club).  
 

He won’t beat the Chong if they meet in the finals. 

Edited Tuesday at 01:21 PM by Namecheck

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

51 minutes ago, Namecheck said:

Have seen so many people who have Spencer favored to win (again) online. Granted, a few of the guys at 57kg have moved up (harutyunyan, zhou from china, Aman not competing). But still, in the last year he got tech’d by Harutyunyan, pinned at raf, headlocked for a loss by Luke, and nearly went the whole 6 mins against Teske and Knox. As noted by other poster it is definitely the weakest field so he may have a clear path to gold if things line up / peoples cuts go poorly. I also think this year will be his last legitimate shot to win gold in his career (assuming he doesn’t leave HWC for another club).  
 

He won’t beat the Chong if they meet in the finals. 

I'm not sure how legally binding the contract is, but leaving HWC before 2028 does not seem to be an option.

[de4856]

11 hours ago, Reality Check said:

If by “slow start” you mean “has sucked for the last 70 years” I’m in full agreement.

Well that’s a little harsh, but yeah I think that we should be much better than we are. 

[Bulldozer Without Brakes]

16 hours ago, Reality Check said:

If by “slow start” you mean “has sucked for the last 70 years” I’m in full agreement.

The USA won the Greco Roman team title in 2007.

[Formally140]

11 hours ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

World champs in 2007.  Several other top three places in the years leading into 2007.  It can be done, and has.

Need to make it a separate season from freestyle. Even if it's only for 1-2 months. Forcing coaches to JUST focus on Greco would vastly help and teach our refs to get better too

[Truzzcat]

29 hours 12 minutes fellas I have accepted that I am completely ruining my sleep schedule for a week at least to potentially go to work extremely upset in the morning but I would not have it any other way.

[Hammerlock3]

1 hour ago, Formally140 said:

Need to make it a separate season from freestyle. Even if it's only for 1-2 months. Forcing coaches to JUST focus on Greco would vastly help and teach our refs to get better too

My method for propping up greco was gonna be just eliminating every other sport, but abolishing free will works too. 

[Formally140]

28 minutes ago, Hammerlock3 said:

My method for propping up greco was gonna be just eliminating every other sport, but abolishing free will works too. 

Eh, More so just a (unrealistic) incentive to improve our Greco that's not a gigantic change. 

[Tyler Perry]

I have 8/10 posted, 2 will be posted tomorrow, of weight by weight previews posted under Tkdwn media on Rokfin for each weight at worlds. Each talks about over 10 wrestlers on each weight. Can’t copy and paste here because it would spam and flood the there thread. Would love if you guys could read it and give me your thoughts. @notawrestler @Hoyt Matthews I forgot the other tags 

[The Kid]

9 hours ago, Formally140 said:

Need to make it a separate season from freestyle. Even if it's only for 1-2 months. Forcing coaches to JUST focus on Greco would vastly help and teach our refs to get better too

Focusing on greco for one or two months?  Wtf are talking about?

[The Kid]

 

Brackets...

 

https://uww.org/articles/world-championships-2026-freestyle-brackets

[Gene Mills Fan]

Bo, Snyder, Haines, all get the Russians in the quarters

Magomedov, Sadulaev, Kaniev

Hendrickson draws #2

Edited yesterday at 12:41 PM by Gene Mills Fan

[LemonPie]

Bunch of tough QF draws.  Doesn’t seem ideal.  Don’t the the field well enough to say for certain.