NCAA legend David Taylor has fascinated fans with his moves, techniques, fierce commitment, and remarkable career milestones. Taylor, known as “The Magic Man,” had an outstanding wrestling journey that included many world championships, Olympic gold, Big Ten Championships, and more.

Taylor’s technical expertise and unrelenting drive secured him a spot in the wrestling legends, but recent decisions about his career have left fans wondering about his next move. Is Taylor still in the competition, or has he shifted his path?

Find out whether David Taylor is still wrestling

David Taylor, Olympic gold medalist, is making headlines due to his career shifts. After a surprising defeat in the 2024 Paris Olympics trials, Taylor shifted his focus and took a head coach role at Oklahoma State University. While training future wrestlers, Taylor ignited a passion for wrestling and decided to re-enter the competition on the mat.

As far as Taylor’s wrestling journey is concerned, it started with an outstanding high school record, followed by Penn State University. At Penn, he trained under Cael Sanderson, who solidified Taylor’s techniques and made him win his freestyle debut with the University US National title in 2010. He clinched two NCAA gold and two silver and showed his strength against elite wrestlers, including Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs. Taylor has a record of 180-2 and an NCAA record of 134-3 before becoming a four-time state champion.

Taylor’s determination to the sport made him earn four golds in Big Ten Championships consecutively from 2011 to 2014. That’s not all; David performed so well in the US Open Championship, where he claimed three golds and three silvers. He was one of the top wrestlers of his time; his performance in the World Championships and Pan American Championships was also outstanding, with four golds, one silver, and three golds, respectively.

Taylor also slayed in the Olympics; in 2020, he entered the US Olympic Team in the 86 kg weight category by defeating Bo Nickal twice and even didn’t allow Nickal to score any points. Later, in the real Olympic match in Tokyo, Taylor became an Olympic gold medalist by defeating Olympic and World Champion Hassan Yazdani of Iran. Though in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Taylor could not even pass the trials, he didn’t stop there.

However, after Taylor’s shocking elimination from the Olympic Team, he accepted the role of head coach at Oklahoma State University. He showed his capability even in this role and made his team perform with all the right techniques. He can even surpass his coach at Penn State, Cael Sanderson’s, initial achievements.

Now, after doing so much and making career shifts, Taylor is back in competitive wrestling. In an interview, Taylor said, “Stepping away and coaching gave me a different perspective on competing and helped me rediscover my love for the sport.” Taylor has now secured a place in a non-Olympic weight event in Albania. He also raised his concern about ending his wrestling career on the note of failure, which is not what he wanted. Now that the wrestling sensation is coming back to the mat, fans are excited to see him do wonders.

The wrestling sensation is all set for a major comeback

Olympic gold medalist David Taylor is back in competitive wrestling, only after five months of retirement. And now he is all geared up for a powerful comeback after gaining experience as a head coach. Taylor even gives credit to his coaching journey for this sudden comeback; he said, “When you step away from it, it gives you a different perspective coming into practice, and it just created an energy and excitement that I hadn’t felt—I hadn’t felt that in four years.”

The 33-year-old is back in wrestling competition, but not in his regular weight category but in the 92 kg category. David Taylor competed in this category only during the 2024 Olympic trial but could not make it to the US Olympic team.

Taylor’s comeback is also setting the stage for a long-anticipated showdown with the Russian champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev. This comes up due to many reasons; one such is Taylor’s confession to get a chance to compete with exciting opponents, and one can be a two-time Olympic gold medalist, Sadulaev. In 2020, Taylor also openly expressed his desire on social media to face Sadulaev on the mat. While talking to FloWrestling, Taylor once said, “Sadulaev… I know you’re watching. Let’s find a way to get you over here. Let’s wrestle.”

David Taylor is not coming back to show something indifferent or win a particular title. Rather, he desires not to end his career the way it ended. Taylor wants to conclude his career on his own terms and feels that the Albanian World Championships are the best opportunity. He wants to enjoy the game one last time before he takes the coaching career as a full-time professional.

Now, the legendary wrestler is all set for his comeback and has fully prepared himself for future bouts. It is also inspiring for future athletes to pursue their careers on their own terms and not let victory or defeat affect you. It remains to be seen how Taylor justifies this career shift and what will be his next move.