Watch: Reigning Olympic Champion David Taylor’s Unsportsmanlike Attitude After Losing to Injured Opponent

Predestination and talent are the two surging factors behind the rise of David Taylor. The Magic Man has been crowned the undisputed champion of the 86 kg weight class, owing to his gold medal-winning fury at the 2020 Tokyo Games. As David Taylor gears up for the imminent Paris Olympics 2024, his pursuit of victory on the training mat continues. However, amid the countdown, a mysterious incident from the past is tarnishing the wrestling superstar’s journey.

The wrestling paragon has been forced to reminisce about a less-than-ideal moment from the 2017 World Team Trials by a recent social media probe. David Taylor’s reprehensible behavior against fellow countrymen has raised questions about his sporting ethos. 

Wrestling champion David Taylor’s questionable behavior after the loss

In 2017, David Taylor had already trounced nine wrestling legends and executed a major flip on the 86kg leaderboard. His double-digit victory awaited in the 2017 World Team Trials against J’den Cox, who had accrued similar credentials with the Missouri Tigers. Cox won, but Taylor lost more than just the bout. Wrestling stars unveiled a blast from the past when David Taylor lost the respect of the wrestling community. The IG video was captioned, “The victory of Jayden Cox over David Taylor in the 2020 selection Cox won but was injured at the end of the fight and David Taylor didn’t shake Cox’s hand as he climbed up”. When the footage began, the two wrestling bucks were locked in each other’s grips when Cox suddenly fell to the ground. 

The PA screamed to announce Cox as the winner while he stayed motionless on the mat, panting in desperate pain. In the meantime, Taylor walked away from his opponent, mouthing something under his breath. He was visibly irked by something which prevented him from a show of courtesy to the victor. His disdain for his rival became known in later social media exchanges.

David Taylor expresses his disgust for J’den Cox’s wrestling tactics

When J’den Cox lost the bid for the 2017 world title in the semifinals against Boris Makoev, everyone was surprised except one. David Taylor made his distaste for J’den Cox’s wrestling style public via a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter). He wrote, “Cox had the golden goose served on the Golden platter to be WC w/ that draw. He is too talented to have no fight down 6-1. Makes me sick”.

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Cox did not hold back, and in his bronze medal victory address, he called out David Taylor on his insensitive comments. Other wrestling heroes, such as Kevin Jackson and Kyven Gadson, also came to his aid. The wrestling community awaits to see their animosity play out once more on the global stage.  

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