As the next World Wrestling Championships start on October 28, Jordan Burroughs is prepared to represent the United States with pride. David Taylor, a fellow grappler and past Olympic champion, recently warmed up with the American grappler.

On October 25, Burroughs shared a few photos of the warm-up with David Taylor on Instagram along with a heartfelt message that read, “Hey cowboy, how about we lace em up for one last ride?”

Before Taylor formally becomes the new wrestling coach at Oklahoma State University, the forthcoming World Wrestling Championships will be his last competition as an amateur wrestler. Regarding his retirement and professional goals, Taylor stated:

“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.”

Burroughs, a four-time Wrestling World Championship gold medalist, began his career around the same time as Taylor. But the 33-year-old American grappler made his debut at the Tokyo Olympics. He defeated Iranian former Olympic champion Hassan Yazdani, who had advanced to the 86kg division, to win the gold medal in the men’s 86kg freestyle wrestling competition. Like Taylor did.

After losing against three-time NCAA champion Jason Nolf, Jordan Burroughs lost his bid to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and was unable to replicate his Olympic gold medal from the 2012 London Games. However, after so many years of observing things, Burroughs has got a point this time.

‘Outcast’ Jordan Burroughs has a point to prove at the 2024 World Championships

Jordan Burroughs responded in the most Jordan Burroughs manner to anyone who treated him disrespectfully. The London 2012 Olympic champion was jeered by several spectators as he exited the floor following his Day 1 departure at the Olympic Trials in April, despite being one of the most successful wrestlers in American history.

A lot of people thought the 36-year-old should retire. But his thoughts were different. Burroughs reminded everyone of his class last month when he won the U.S. World Team Trials with a masterclass.

“This has been a hard six months for me. I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue to wrestle,” a visibly emotional Burroughs told USA Wrestling after his win. He added, “Every day is trying to battle back from my experience at Penn State, from their fans, from their coaches, their wrestlers. Feeling like an outcast in a sport that I helped build. So this is very satisfying for me.”

However, fans are eagerly waiting for further updates from both athletes. Will they choose to ride off into the sunset or continue their dominance on the mat? Only time will tell.