Olympic wrestling champion David Taylor shined once again on the global stage in Belgrade. He entered the 2023 World Wrestling Championships to defend his world title in the 86 kg weight class. He faced off against a perennial rival from Iran, but ultimately confounded him with a new set of moves that took the opponent by surprise.

David Taylor was already leading against the Iranian Olympic Champion Hassan Yazdani. However, with just 2.6 seconds left on the clock, Taylor executed a flawless takedown, securing his victory. During the six-minute match, the 32-year-old American pro wrestler showed the rival why they call him “The Magic Man”.

Wrestling ace David Taylor lives up to his nickname

Hassan Yazdani tried his best to pin down David Taylor, but the American champion saw him coming from miles away. He had practiced some moves for this special showdown and unveiled them, leaving Yazdani puzzled and unable to counter. Dan Sweeney, a popular blogger on X, shared a small clip of the match.

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“David Taylor slipped out of Yazdani’s underhook twice using the same swim method. Circles his underhooked arm away to remove Yazdani’s control, then quickly gets elbow back in position by his right hip to prevent Yaz from getting behind. Really cool move,” he said. Yazdani could not keep hold of Taylor no matter how hard he tried, as the American broke free of his grip with this clever technique.

David Taylor now leads 3-1 against Yazdani in the 86 kg weight class. This is the second time that he has won a world title after defeating his Iranian rival. He said that the rivalry has egged him to push himself to greater heights in wrestling. However, now the 32-year-old wrestling champion has one more reason to give the sport his best.

David Taylor’s daughter inspires him to reach for wrestling glories

David gave an exclusive interview with Olympics.com, saying, “When you’re younger, you think you can do it all on your own: I’m good, I’m the best”. However, now that he is older, the wrestling ace has found a new source of inspiration in his family. He showed his gratitude to his team, his wife, and his daughters. He credited his 3-year-old daughter London for pushing him even harder. The little prodigy is walking in her dad’s footsteps and has won a medal already. She gave the medal to David Taylor and said, “Daddy, I want you to look at this every day and I want you to be a champion”.

Now, he has fulfilled his daughter’s aspirations and can gladly return home to his family. He wants his victories to inspire his daughters to develop some determination and grit for the coming years. He believes that the younger generation will need these qualities to bring about a positive change in society.

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