Hassan Yazdani, the terrific name in the global wrestling realm, walked away in a hero’s cape from the Rio Olympic 2016, bagging the 74 kg gold medals. The momentum kept on escalating, with the Iranian native clinching a gold medal in the World Championships in 2017 and 2019. Following the flood of success, the 25-year-old, however, came across an injury setback in Tokyo in 2021, but he bounced back stronger, heading to the city of love with boosted resilience in 2024, leaving the entire nation on pins and needles to see the medal haul begin for Iran.

That said, the ride won’t be a smooth one for Yazdani, despite him being the hot favorite in the league. A handful of arch-rivals are lurking behind to smash the Eranian King’s golden dream. The two most menacing are David Taylor and Aaron Brooks. Let’s revisit the timeline of the ominous rivalries ahead of the big night for Yazdani and every Iranian fan around the globe.

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

The Magic Man and The King’s rivalry spans over 7 years. During the 2017 Wrestling World Cup, Yazdani received a massive blow from David Taylor, who made his 86-kg transition a bit tougher. The Iranian gem couldn’t deliver his trademark performance due to the new rival’s swift fighting style and stormy leg moves. However, the duo again met inside the ring in a grand rematch at a World Championships event in the same year. This time, a bit more seasoned in the new weight category, Yazdani got the edge and put Taylor in his place. Yazdani made history by becoming the new world champion, but fans kept yearning to see the duo butt heads again.

The 2018 World Championships in Budapest fulfilled the collective wish, tipping both rivals against each other for the third time. Despite taking the match in his favor in the initial hours, Yazdani underwent a defeat with an 11-6 mark.

Taylor reestablished his undisputed dominance, but a grave knee injury made it easy for Yazdani to return the favor at Nur-Sultan in 2019. The title back and forth finally came to a halt with an injury spree, keeping them apart for a long time. Now Paris has zero chances to revive that fire, as Taylor couldn’t make it through the Olympics this year, falling short of the Nittany Lion, Aaron Brooks.

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

Aaron Brooks had his confidence on top by slaying the legendary David Taylor’s Olympic aspiration during trials. The 4x consecutive NCAA champ didn’t only become the wild card for his clean victory; rather, he has also come out as an ‘unseeded’ wrestler at the Paris Olympics. Now, the signs are proceeding toward the fated meeting of the two veterans (Aaron Brooks and Hassan Yazdani) in the Olympic ring, engraving a surreal moment of aggression, drive, and passion. The battle between the rising American superstar, who is gaining huge traction for his seamless adaptive ability, and ‘The Greatest’, who is already a force to be reckoned with in the Olympics and World Championships periphery, is surely going to be riveting. Although, it’s really difficult to anticipate the outcomes, as both of them have their own distinctive set of pros and cons.

Despite Hassan Yazdani being the favorite of the game, Brooks ain’t fearing the industry giant and seems quite confident in his shoes. The 24-year-old cited him as the best in the world days before the ball started rolling in Paris.

Now, we will have to see what and when the showdown kicks in and what it brings to the table. What’s your take on Hassan Yazdani’s seating rivals? Let us know in the comments.