“As time has gone on we’ve become more calculated and he got the better of me,” this is what American wrestler David Taylor conceded when talking about his on-court rivalry with Iranian wrestler Hassan Yazdani. It was the year 2021 when Yazdani trounced Taylor at the World Wrestling Championships in Oslo, which “refocused” the American. However, two years later, at the 2023 World Wrestling Championships, the reigning Olympic champion retained his 86kg crown from his Iranian counterpart to stand atop the podium.

As Taylor stood victorious on the mats of Belgrade, his fandom left no stone unturned to watch the incredible showdown on recap. And, as the year comes to an end, the 2023 World Wrestling Championships’ 86kg freestyle series showdown between Taylor and Yazdani became one of the most-watched videos of the year.

Epic Wrestling Showdown: Taylor vs. Yazdani

In September 2023, David Taylor and Hassan Yazdani locked horns with each other to clinch the 2023 World Wrestling Championship title. Soon after entering the arena, both the wrestlers left no stone unturned to pose an uphill battle against each other.

David showcased his exceptional moves and pinned Yazdani in the last 2.6 seconds. Finally, Taylor repeated the rivalry, securing not only a gold medal in the world championship finals but also a remarkable score of 3-1.

To relive the epic moves of the showdown, Flowrestling posted a video of both wrestlers competing against each other. They penned, “Flowrestling is counting down our most watched videos of 2023! Coming in at #9, we have the history of the Taylor-Yazdani rivalry leading up to 2023 Worlds with 2.7 million views.“

At the world championships held in Belgrade, David Taylor and Yazdani tore through their brackets to stand against each other. Along with the gold medal, Taylor also earned a spot in the finals of the upcoming Olympic Trails. 

Way to the 2024 Paris Olympics trials

While Taylor is already qualified for the April Olympics Trails, Yazdani is looking for an opportunity to clinch the spot. Interestingly, the American wrestler will be competing directly in the finals of the wrestling Olympics Trails at Penn State, which will be held at Bryce Jordan Center. Yazdani is required to first go through the different rounds to take redemption from Taylor at the 2024 Paris Olympics Trials. 

Read more: Reflecting on Amit Elor’s Extraordinary Wrestling Accomplishments Throughout the Year as We Approach Its End

Now, spectators are looking forward to witnessing Yazdani and Taylor’s showdown at the finals of the 2024 Paris Olympics Trials. Currently, Taylor is on his way to St. Louis to join the commentary team for the collegiate wrestling tomorrow. The match would feature the Illinois wrestling team vs. Missouri duals.  

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