David Taylor had an amazing journey on the mat and spent a decade chasing Olympic glory. It finally came to fruition when he clinched a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games. Ready to defend that title, the Nittany Lion returned to the U.S. Olympic trials. However, things didn’t work in his favor, and Aaron Brooks handed the Magic Man a disheartening defeat. But when he announced his retirement shortly after, the wrestling community was shattered. 

But the 33-year-old couldn’t stay away from the mat for too long and stepped into the head coach role at the Oklahoma State university. We’re sure fans heaved a sigh of relief. But just when the dust settled on his shocking news, he had something better in store. The Magic Man was ready to put on his singlet one more time. He made a triumphant return in the U.S. World Team Trials and effortlessly made it through to the World’s List. So, what’s all this rage about?

David Taylor’s dream match might just happen

The World Championships will be as exciting as ever, with the Magic Man putting his hat into the ring. But what if we tell you one of the greatest matches in wrestling history might just grace your screens? He has always dreamed of locking horns with Abdulrashid Sadulaev, and he even admitted this back in 2020. It just so happens that he qualified for the Worlds too! FloWrestling announced that the long-time rivals will finally face each other in the first round on October 30!

After being touted as the world’s best wrestlers, it only makes sense for the duo to put an end to the debate. In fact, David Taylor reiterated this after moving past the trials. “I’ve been in a lot of big matches in my life and wrestled all the legends in our sport. And he’s just the one guy I hadn’t go to. So I really want to make it happen,” he admitted. 

Why didn’t this come any sooner, you ask? The Magic Man can answer that for you. “There’s been that weight class separation and other things. It’s a pretty crazy series of events that have led to us both being in this weight category for this event, a very low statistical probability. But now we could get to wrestle.” It looks like their stars have finally aligned, and we’re set for one epic showdown in the 92 category. However, the fans don’t really know how to feel about this. 

The wrestling community is in shambles over the announcement

David Taylor isn’t entering this competition to clinch a title. While it would be good to walk away victorious, it means so much more to him. “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. That’s why I felt fulfillment at the world team trials,” he confessed. But fans are up in the arms about this pair-up. 

One fan exclaimed, “International brackets are always the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen.” While the brackets cannot be controlled, this fan surely isn’t a huge fan of it. Another fan agreed, “Can someone explain how they are wrestling each other. Aren’t they in two different weight divisions?” We understand the confusion, but while the duo were in two different brackets before, they recently made the shift to the 92 kg weight class. 

Abdulrashid Sadulaev has been contesting in 92 kg since 2018, the same year he won the World Championship. However, this will be David Taylor’s first time contesting in a weight class above 90. He contested in the 86 kg weight class during his chase for Olympic glory, but now that he’s made the switch, it will be a thrilling match-up made by the wrestling gods.

The official X account of OSU Cowboy Wrestling posted, “🍿🍿🍿#GoPokes” The 33-year-old had supposedly retired when he took on the head coach role. But it’s heartwarming to watch them support one of their own. Another fan chimed in, “This is gonna be nuts!!” With two of the wrestling greats, we’re bound to get an amazing match. 

However, when the Magic Man dreamed of securing his fourth world title, OSU stood behind him. The OSU athletic director, Chad Weiberg, clarified why they’re all for this decision: “I think it’s a great thing any time that we can put the brand of the program out in the wrestling world.” 

One fan confessed, “WOW!!! 2 of the best ever in Round 1!” It looks like the Olympian agrees with this fan too. The 33-year-old has claimed 3 world titles, while Sadulaev has been a 2x Olympic Champion and 5x World Champion. We’re not too sure who would emerge victorious in this dream matchup. But how do you feel about this upcoming match?