If you missed the excitement of the 2024 Paris Olympics, don’t worry! We might have just the thing for you. After 8 long years, the 2024 World Wrestling Championship is finally back. Even though the Summer Games participants can’t contest at the event, over 300 wrestlers are battling it out for the world title. One of the many hopefuls is none other than David Taylor. He didn’t have a great start to the championships, but it isn’t over for him yet. 

However, let’s not forget about Vito Arujau. The 25-year-old looked forward to defending his title in the 61kg weight class but lost to Japan’s Masanosuke Ono in the semifinals. Yet, he returned to the mat for another chance at bagging a hardware for himself. The stakes are higher than ever, but neither lost sight of the prize. How did they fare on day 2 of this thrilling competition? 

After defeat in a dream match, David Taylor pulled out all the stops

The Magic Man had always wanted to lock heads with Abdulrashid Sadulaev. But while many looked forward to the battle of the Titans, he crashed and burned, moving back into the repechage bracket. To make his bronze medal dreams come true, David Taylor would need two wins in this round. He dominated the mat against Abubakr Abakarov, defeating him 3-1. Next, it was time to lock heads with Lars Schaefle, who had to take an 11-1 technical fall.

With this, David Taylor finally moved on to the bronze medal match against Iran’s Kamran Ghasempour. Continuing the momentum from the repechage round, the 3x World Champion was tied 2-2 by the first period. Even though Gasempour initially had the upper hand, the Magic Man meant business. In the second period, he immediately brings his score up to 4-2. However, with 3 seconds left on the board, he goes for another takedown, bringing his score up to 6-2.

In what felt surreal, the 33-year-old let his victory soak in before waving to the crowd. Before the Championships, he believed there was some unfinished business on the mat. But as he stepped off the mat, he left as a 5x World medalist, 3x World champion, and an Olympic champion. However, things didn’t work out as well for the Nittany Lion in his dream matchup against Abdulrashid Sadulaev. Leading up to the Championships, the 33-year-old mentioned how he wrestled many legends of the sport, but the Russian wrestler was the only one who battled it out on the mat.

After cutting his surprise retirement short, the 33-year-old qualified for the competition, and their stars seemed to have aligned. But this is where everything changed. David Taylor might have entered the competition as a favorite, but he couldn’t keep up with Sadulaev. In one of the most anticipated championship match-ups, the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist was handed a gut-wrenching loss in the 92kg weight class. In a battle between the Titans, the 5x world medalist emerged victorious, with the match ending in 7-0. He was even presented with a special token to celebrate his victorious exit from the sport by United World Wrestling. So, how did Vito Arujau do? 

Vito Arujau emerged victorious in a thrilling bronze medal matchup

After facing defeat against Masanosuke Ono in the semifinals, the 25-year-old locked horns with 2x World Champion Zavur Ugeuv in an equally thrilling battle for the bronze medal in the 61 kg weight class. With 2 silver medals in the U17 and U20 age divisions, the wrestler also emerged as the 61 kg world champion in Serbia last year.

It was evident that the American was touted as the favorite, and he wasn’t ready to bag down. The wrestler quickly racked up 2 points with a quick single leg, taking his opponent off the mat. With one minute to go in the first period, Arujau was drawn off the mat, ending with 2-1 on the board. But things got exciting in the second period.

Vito Arujau was caught in a chest lock but ducked and went for a takedown. However, during all the excitement, he hurt his left hand and had to be looked at by the medical team. Once the match was on, Ugeuv attempted a high-c, but the 25-year-old got out of it, pouncing for his opponent’s ankles instead. With a third takedown, the score is up to 6-1. But Uguev tries for another high-c, lifting him up and nabbing 2 more points.

With 35 seconds to go, it was 6-3. However, a double leg helped the American bring his score up to 8-3. With four takedowns and incredible counter abilities, he emerged victorious with shiny bronze hardware. Even though Vito Arujau and David Taylor faced defeat against their formidable foes earlier, their incredible performances on day 2 made for a tantalizing watch. What were your favorite moments from Day 2?