Months After Clinching 3rd Straight NCAA Title, Penn-state’s Wrestling Champion Secures Spot In U23 World Finals With Breathtaking Moves

On October 23, 2023, the U23 World Wrestling Championship got underway with a bang. Six years after its inception, the championship, hosted by United World Wrestling, is intended for competitors under the age of 23. The qualifying hopefuls are all set for an exciting event in Tirana, Albania. Amidst the excitement, a famous American wrestler has secured himself a spot in the finals.

Aaron Marquel Brooks is an American freestyle and folk-style wrestler who competes at 186 pounds collegiately and 86 kg internationally. He is the Cadet World Champion in freestyle and took home the silver medal from the Junior World Championship. Wrestling for Pennsylvania State University, Brooks has three NCAA crowns and three B1G Conference titles under his belt. With his performance at the U23, it looks like the wrestling prodigy has no intention of stopping.

Aaron Brooks wrestles past to the finals

The US is all set to go to the finals because of Aaron Brooks. Brooks defeated individual neutral athlete Arslan Bagaev in the semifinals. He not only secured the opening takedown of the bout but also scored a shot clock point. His breathtaking moves were shared by Flo Wrestling on its Twitter account.

Exemplifying perfection in all senses, Brooks was seen delivering the best fight. The video caption read, “Aaron Brooks’ ankle pick must be pretty hard to stop. He used 2 almost identical takedowns to make the U23 World finals” Even though it was fiercely competitive, Aaron Brooks prevailed 5–4 over Arslan Bagaev to move on to the gold medal round for 86 kg weight class. But who else will be wrestling in the finals from the US?

USA at the U23 World Championships

The American men’s freestyle team had a brilliant start at the U23 World Championships. They showed their mettle to the world. Three competitors will now compete in the World Finals, and two more will compete for bronze. The first finalist from the US is Keegan O’Toole, a 2021 Junior World Champion. O’Toole faced Sonny Santiago of Puerto Rico in the semifinals. O’Toole secured the spot in the world finals by pinning Santiago with the use of a cradle.

Read More: American Wrestling Sensation Seeks Redemption at U23 World Championship After Heartbreaking US Open Loss

A short time later, at 86 kg, Aaron Brooks became the second finalist for the United States. In the 125 kg weight class, Wyatt Hendrickson is the third finalist to represent the US. Hendrickson defeated Greece’s Azamat Khosonov 4–2 thanks to his aggressive play in the semifinals. All that can be hoped for with such excellent form is for the finalists to demonstrate their professional abilities and win. We send them our best wishes.

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