David Taylor is a man of his word, and he recently proved it. After devoting more than a decade to the Olympics and winning a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he was ready to compete for the U.S. again at the 2024 Olympics. But things suddenly changed at the U.S. Olympic trials when he lost two straight matches against Aaron Brooks, another product of Penn State University, eliminating him from contention again. And decided to retire from wrestling, but he didn’t bow out of wrestling completely; Taylor accepted a new phase in his life!

Prior to the trials, Taylor had suggested that he may consider transitioning to mixed martial arts (MMA) once he’s done with wrestling. Instead, he joined Oklahoma State University as head coach. In doing so, he replaced John Smith, who retired after 33 meritorious years of service. It was a big transition for Taylor in May from athlete to coach, and now he is in an attempt to put Oklahoma State again on the map of college wrestling.

Fast forward to September; just four months later, exactly, Taylor shocked everyone by declaring his comeback to competitive wrestling. He, who won the Tokyo Olympics at 86 kg, had only participated at 92 kg in the U.S. trials for World Championships. Audiences were already fuming, waiting to know what made him so passionate to come back on the field. In a recent interview with Olympics.com, Taylor said that he wants to conclude his wrestling career on his own terms and felt this is his best opportunity to do it.

David Taylor explained, “I think that being very successful your whole life, not performing very well at Trials is not the way I want to end my career.” He added, “Knowing that this is it for me and knowing that this is the last time I will wrestle, I want to compete on a level that I’m happy with. Win or lose, I want to compete at that level so that I know I’m not holding on to something, and no what-ifs. I just want to be present in the moment and enjoy feeling excited.”

Taylor is not coming back to play just to extend his record but to enjoy the game before taking up coaching as a full-time profession. But how was his recent competition in October before he decided to put an end to his athletic career?

David Taylor secures a spot in the World Wrestling Championships event

David Taylor dominated his competition at the U.S. World Wrestling Championships team trials. Well, with it, Taylor secured his spot in the upcoming non-Olympic weight event in Albania. This victory has set the stage for a much-anticipated match against Abdulrashid Sadulaev, a clash fans have been waiting for. Since 2018, both wrestlers have been considered the best in the world, with Taylor winning three world titles and an Olympic gold at 86 kg, while Sadulaev has claimed five world championships and two Olympic titles across different weight classes.

Even though Taylor tried to challenge Sadulaev on social media back in 2020, that match never happened. It will therefore appear that with both athletes now reduced to 92 kg, the stage could at long last be set for this bout. Apart from wrestling, Taylor has produced the M2 Training Center, where the fighter also assisted in preparing collegiate talent while continuing wrestling at the global level.

With a stellar collegiate record of 134-3 at Penn State, he became one of the program’s all-time greats. Now, as he transitions into coaching Taylor after finals in the U.S. World Wrestling Championships, he will be focused on restoring Oklahoma State’s reputation in college wrestling while continuing to build his own legacy in the sport.