Looks like David Taylor’s ‘retirement’ didn’t last long—just four months of hanging up the singlet, and now he’s back with a vengeance. After that shocking loss to Aaron Brooks at the U.S. Olympic Trials, Taylor missed his shot at Paris 2024, which seemed like the perfect time to call it a day. He even made it official, announcing his retirement not long after. But apparently, the itch to compete again was too strong, and wrestling fans are buzzing because Taylor’s stepping back onto the mat, ready for round two!

David Taylor, who is now the head coach for Oklahoma State University made a recent announcement that came as an unexpected twist to the world of wrestling. He has registered to compete in the U.S. World Team Trials this weekend. The 33-year-old Nevada-born wrestler, who previously dominated at 86kg, will be competing in a new weight class, i.e., 92kg. Since November 2015, Taylor has competed in 86 kgs. Such a huge decision comes just months after his emotional farewell, where Taylor expressed his desire to shift his focus from competition to coaching the next generation of athletes.

David Taylor’s comeback against 2023 World bronze medalist Zahid Valencia could reignite one of wrestling’s fiercest rivalries. And this has left fans even more excited. The two have faced off multiple times, and each showdown has made headlines. In their last meet, Taylor swept Valencia for the 2022 World Championships spot at 86 kg. However, Taylor will have the chance to fight Valencia only if he manages to score well in the prelims and advance to the next Saturday.

Nevertheless, the count of wins of Taylor in the 86 kg does justify the anticipation of fans. Winning an Olympic gold, 3 golds in World Championships and Pan American Championships each, alongside other countless accolades in the NCAA division does prove the worth of the ‘Magic Man’. 

Moreover, besides this list of wins as an athlete, Taylor made sure to strike gold when he began his coaching career. The ‘Magic Man’ secured a six-year contract as the head coach of Oklahoma with a pay offer of $7.45 million for the package. A similar path to David Taylor was previously taken by his own former coach, Cael Sanderson. Sanderson briefly came out of retirement back in 2011. Athletic director Chad Weidberg, who is also the Vice President of Oklahoma State shared his take on Taylor’s decision. Weidberg said, “I think it’s a great thing any time that we can put the brand of the program out in the wrestling world. For our team here to see him competing and doing the things to get ready to compete, it only makes what’s happening in our room better.” 

With the NCAA season knocking on the door, several of the wrestling community are concerned regarding how David’s decision would affect the preparation of the young Oklahoma wrestling stars. Moreover, the Ohio State Wrestling would soon begin in less than two months, in November. And undoubtedly the Ohio State Wrestling is an important event for the NCAA season and the Oklahoma wrestlers would surely be looking forward to getting all the guidance from their star coach. Thus, Taylor’s decision has sparked a commotion in the social media world.

David Taylor’s shocking comeback sparks mixed reactions from fans ahead of Valencia vs Taylor wrestling showdown

After the wrestling community met with this sudden update of a comeback from David Taylor, the news has been receiving mixed reactions. While a few can’t wait to watch the Zahid vs Valencia showdown and have already picked their sides, several reacted negatively to the news.

Reflecting skepticism toward David Taylor’s comeback, one fan wrote, “Zahid will put him back on retirement! You heard it here first folks”. The fan suggests that Zahid Valencia, Taylor’s rival and a 2023 World bronze medalist, will defeat him at the event even though Valencia has been defeated by David.

Another X user too chose to shower his support on the 27-year-old Zahid Valencia. These reactions might be coming because they don’t want to put their bet on David Taylor, who announced retirement just a few weeks ago. Mentioning a potential win of Zahid Valencia over David Taylor in their upcoming match, they commented, “Zahid’s about to clap those cheeks!”

One fan resorted to criticizing David Taylor for returning to competition while holding a major coaching position at Oklahoma State University. They argue that one of the country’s top coaching roles demands full-time dedication, and by competing again, Taylor may not be fully committed to his coaching duties. The comment read, “I think it’s a bad look. You take one of the three biggest jobs in the country and you’re not doing it full time??? If he wanted to compete full time then do that. The job could have been Coleman’s.” Their words suggested that if Taylor had not taken the job up other candidates, like Coleman Scott, could have filled the coaching role more fully

Another commenter questioned whether David Taylor’s return to competition could detract from his coaching responsibilities. They added, “Question – doesn’t this take time away from helping Daton Fix – the “coach’s” signature RTC athlete – prepare and compete?.” 

With his comeback, Taylor has not only surprised the wrestling world but also raised questions about whether his competitive fire ever truly dimmed. Though he admitted to being at peace with his earlier retirement decision, this new chapter suggests that Taylor’s journey on the mat is far from over.