The Hassan Yazdani juggernaut remains the main story of the 86kg freestyle event. Despite stiff competition from the likes of Aaron Brooks, Myles Amine, and Dauren Kurugliev, Yazdani remains a hot favorite for gold. Yazdani’s mere presence is proof of his resilience as his shoulder surgery almost forced him to miss the Paris Olympics. However, now that he’s here – he has become the man to beat.

The primary reason for this is simple – for the first time in a long while Yazdani is entering a competition without David Taylor. The latter as we all know is the one man to have consistently beaten the Iranian. The absence of Taylor has catapulted Yazdani to the favorite position but then, odds can change in the blink of an eye in this competition. Especially because despite the absence of Taylor, Yazdani still has an American standing in his way.

Learn about Hassan Yazdani’s arch-rivalry with David Taylor

Often dubbed as “The Greatest” Hassan Yazdani has always been an unstoppable force of nature on the wresting mat. However, that hasn’t stopped the legendary David Taylor from getting the best of him on several occasions. So naturally, it’s important to understand their epic rivalry which had a major development in the Tokyo Olympics. 

Hassan Yazdani was competing to become the first Iranian wrestler to win two gold medals. He had already won a gold in 74 kg in 2016. In fact, Yazdani led the final against the Taylor till the very last moments but then one takedown by the American turned that night into a major heartbreak. Though Yazdani avenged that loss somewhat two months later in the Oslo World Championship, that happiness didn’t last long.

That turned out to be the only win that the Iranian had over Taylor. As in the following two World Championships, Taylor handily beat Yazdani. Perhaps that’s why before the trials, Taylor looked like the favorite but then Aaron Brooks entered the scene. Suddenly the world had a new dream match on their hands.

Hassan Yazdani vs. Aaron Brooks: The most awaited fight in the Paris Olympics

Aaron Brooks did the unthinkable when he beat David Taylor during the Olympic trials. Brooks hadn’t even taken part in the World Championships, he was just a college wrestler. But that didn’t stop the young rookie from eliminating the Olympic gold medalist. As a result, the unseeded Brooks became America’s hope for another gold in the 86kg event. 

Taylor’s ouster had a huge impact on Hassan Yazdani’s odds. While the Iranian’s shoulder recovery had dampened some of his chances, the exit of his arch-rival revived his hopes. Once again Yazdani and his countrymen can see history right in front of their eyes. Could he finally win that elusive gold medal for Iran? Perhaps he could. But then Aaron Brooks stands in his way.

Despite being an unseeded wrestler, Brooks is the man who defeated the great David Taylor. In short, Brooks has done what even Yazdani failed to do five times. That immediately put him in the path of Yazdani and turned their potential bout into the most awaited fight in the Paris Olympics. So who will win in this battle of tenacity? Will Hassan Yazdani create history or will Brooks continue America’s domination? Let us know in the comments.