“Wins and losses in wrestling are like a bouquet of flowers,” commented someone who has seen it all through the lens of his life stories. Coming from a humble background, Zain Retherford once preferred wrestling because it was easier for him than growing pumpkins in his ancestral firm. That love story continued, and in January this year, he had a chance again to change his preference. A 9-to-5 office job was there, waiting for Zain. He could have bid his bye to wrestling then, as after winning the 2023 World Wrestling Championship, it was a favorable time for him to end his career on high. But, he sticked to wrestling. His story repeated itself just after the Paris Olympics. 

As per the update, Zain Retherford had an option to move to the tri-state area to accept a financial job. But old habits die hard! The wrestler is all set to join his former training coach, Cael Sanderson, as one member of the mentor’s bunch at the Penn State Nittany Lions Wrestling Club. Apart from Cael, the team already has Cody Sanderson, Mark McKnight, Casey Cunningham, Jake Varner, and Nick Lee. Adding the three-time NCAA champion to the fold will increase the strength, fans hope. However, the wrestler himself has yet to make any comment on this. But his forgettable outing at the Paris Olympics could have caused this change.

The 29-year-old wrestler couldn’t do justice to his fame at the Paris Olympics. In round 1 of the 65-kg weight class, he lost to Rahman Amouzad with a score of 8-0. He had a chance to keep his hopes alive in the repechage round against Islam Dudaev. However, the officials of USA Wrestling published a bulletin declaring Retherford unfit to take the mantle because of a head injury. Ultimately, that ended his chances of winning at wrestling. Nonetheless, the former world champion kept fans curious about his return to the mat after the Olympics.

As Retherford had already qualified for the Olympics, he could enter the team trials for the next Olympics. Uncertainty surrounded his chances of competing despite the next Olympic Games being scheduled in the USA, his home country. Reflecting on the situation, Retherford said, “I could maybe see myself not competing until then and putting my hat in the ring for one more Olympic cycle in 2028. Time will tell. We’ll see.” With the announcement, the wrestling community knows what Zain Retherford must do now. In his new role, will he get support from his predecessor, David Taylor, as he used to get in the past? Notably, Magicman is already garnering interest in his new job as the wrestling coach at Oklahoma State University. 

David Taylor and Zain Retherford — at a critical juncture 

The Penn State NLWC witnessed David Taylor and Zain Retherford doing wonders on the mat in their best form. Last year, both freestyle wrestlers entered the UWW 2023 World Championships, holding the NLWC flag high. Ultimately, they won the top title in their events.

Zain Retherford claimed the gold in the 70-kg weight class after showing pure dominance against the formidable opponent, Amir Mohammad Yazdani. On the other hand, in the 86-kg weight class, David Taylor handed arch-rival Hassan Yazdani a defeat. The PSU duo closely followed each other, and they continued to bond after the contest.

It was evident at this year’s wrestling championships in Istanbul, where Zain Retherford was striving to secure his quota in the 65-kg weight class for the Paris Olympics. Subsequently, he climbed to the true-bronze Olympic playoff match after recording impressive results. However, before his penultimate battle, David Taylor posted a message for him on X. 

The motivating lines read, “Zain Train! Let’s go.” By then, he had already taken on the coaching role at Oklahoma State University, leaving Penn State far behind. But the bonding between them stayed with no scratch. Soon, both David Taylor and Zain Retherford will face each other from the other side of the wrestling mat. The fans will root for the result when they collide. 

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