David Taylor Completely Behind Zain Retherford’s Paris Olympics Dream Despite Incurring Penn State Hate

Zain Retherford is making a determined comeback in the 65 kg repechage, aiming for four wins on Sunday, 12th May to secure third place and the final Paris Olympic quota in his weight class. He’s progressed to the true-bronze Olympic playoff match with impressive victories, including a decisive win by fall over Alibeg Alibegov of Bahrain, a 5-2 triumph against Abdulmazhid Kudiev of Tajikistan, and a narrow 2-2 criteria win over Sujeet of India.

Amidst all this, it pretty much seems that David Taylor, who was previously part of Penn State wrestling, is behind Zain’s Olympic dream to Paris and he recently posted on social media regarding the same.

David’s post on X, “Zain Train! Let’s go,” suggests that they are still training together, despite David Taylor transitioning from the world’s best pound-for-pound male wrestler to retirement from competition. As David has now taken on the role of head coach at Oklahoma State University, ending his competitive career, he has faced criticism after leaving Penn State.

Even Penn State’s celebrated wrestler, Carter Starocci, a four-time national champion, took Taylor’s move personally. In a tweet, Starocci emphasized his loyalty over financial gains, asserting, “I was offered a big pay day too. I said go wipe your (expletive) with that money. When it comes to money, people switch like the weather. Not me. Loyalty is everything. Nothing is built without trust.” However, Taylor’s recent tweet didn’t go unnoticed by fans on Twitter.

One fan expressed disappointment, “Burn any bridges lately, Magic Man? You were a great winner, but a terrible loser.” implying that Taylor’s actions have resulted in burning bridges with his former team. Also, fan thinks Taylor’s surprising defeat at the US National Trials at the hands of 23-year-old rising star Aaron Brooks from Maryland may have influenced his transition to coaching. Despite setbacks, David has consistently encountered triumphs throughout his life.

An unexpected upset shattered David Taylor’s unbeatable streak!

Taylor is a four-time state champion. He has amassed an impressive overall record of 180-2, showing his dominance with 65 victories by fall and 91 by technical fall. Honored as Ohio Wrestler of the Year twice and ranked as the nation’s top wrestler by esteemed publications like Amateur Wrestling News and USA Wrestling Magazine, Taylor’s reputation precedes him.

Beyond the borders of his home state, Taylor’s prowess extends to the international stage, where he has excelled in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. From clinching junior national championships in USA Wrestling to securing an eighth-place finish in the Junior World Championships in Beijing, Taylor’s skill knows no bounds.

David Taylor had maintained an impeccable record since the 2021 World Championships final, where he suffered defeat at the hands of Iran’s Hassan Yazdani. Taylor’s only loss since the 2017 US World Team Trials was to two-time world champion and Rio 2016 bronze medalist J’Den Cox, with both defeats stemming from bouts against Yazdani.

Since 2017, Taylor has consistently dominated, clinching gold at the Olympics and three World Championships, along with a silver medal at the World Championships. At the 2023 World Championships, Taylor continued his streak by defeating Yazdani for the fourth time in his career, thereby securing the USA’s place at Paris 2024. However, Taylor’s Olympic aspirations were in jeopardy following a surprising upset by Aaron Brooks.