Penn State Wrestling Takes Center Stage at Final X

Lions legends David Taylor and Aaron Brooks will meet for a trip to the 2023 World Wrestling Championships.

Penn State wrestling will dominate the U.S. World Team qualifier known as Final X, with the most anticipated match pitting two Nittany Lions legends for the first time. David Taylor and Aaron Brooks will wrestle each other at Final X to represent the U.S. at the 2023 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. Taylor and Brooks, who have combined for six NCAA titles at Penn State, will meet in the 86kg freestyle division for a unique duel between former and current Lions.

Taylor and Brooks, both three-time NCAA champions, train at the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club but have not wrestled each other on the national stage. Their first meeting will highlight the freestyle Final X lineup, scheduled for June 10 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Taylor, a two-time world champ and Penn State's first Olympic champion, is favored in the best-of-three series but faces a formidable contender in Brooks, who has been unstoppable in 2023.

In April, just over a month after winning the NCAA title at 184 pounds, Brooks claimed the 86kg freestyle title at the U.S. Open to earn a Final X matchup with Taylor. Brooks delivered one of the top tournament performances in Las Vegas, going 5-0 with a huge rally in the final. Brooks trailed two-time NCAA champ Zahid Valencia 6-0 before scoring 10 unanswered points for the victory. Brooks has some experience on the international stage, having won an under-17 world title in 2017 and a silver medal at the under-20 worlds in 2018. Brooks is eligible to return to Penn State next season and pursue a fourth NCAA title,

Taylor, meanwhile, ranks among the biggest stars in USA Wrestling. In 2021, Taylor defeated Penn State legend Bo Nickal in the best-of-three Championship Series to earn the 86kg freestyle spot at the Tokyo Olympics. Taylor went on to become Penn State's first Olympic wrestling champion and last year won his second world title at 86kg. To win a third, Taylor must defeat a wrestler who might be Penn State's next international star.

Penn State wrestling and the NLWC will be everywhere at Final X. Nick Lee, a two-time NCAA champ at Penn State, seeks his first trip to worlds at 65kg, where he'll meet returning world silver medalist Yianni Diakomihalis. Zain Retherford, a three-time NCAA champ and two-time Hodge Trophy winner, takes on U.S. Open champ Tyler Berger. Retherford is the favorite, having placed second at worlds last year and winning gold at the Pan-American Championships. At 74kg, three-time NCAA champ Jason Nolf wrestles Kyle Dake in an all-NLWC bout. Nolf seeks revenge for his loss to Dake at Final X last year. And NLWC wrestler Thomas Gilman pursues his second world title at 57kg.

How to Watch the 2023 Final X

Final X will be held June 10 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., in conjunction with the annual Beat the Streets fundraiser. Tickets for Final X are available through Tickemaster. FloWrestling will stream the event live.

Final X will determine the wrestlers who will represent the U.S. at the 2023 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. 

More on Penn State

Penn State Football on SI.com

Penn State Basketball on SI.com

A future Penn State receiver is Pennsylvania's fastest sprinter

Penn State offers fans added ways to spend time, and money, at Beaver Stadium

Calls for expanded replay in men's lacrosse after Penn State's controversial NCAA semifinal loss to Duke

Penn State probably won't miss playing Michigan State at Spartan Stadium this season

The Lions will play Michigan State on Black Friday at Ford Field

Rappelling Penn State's Beaver Stadium, at age 103

Penn State gets commitment from 2024 quarterback, who's headed to the Elite 11 Finals

Penn State's newest basketball recruit is a point guard from Iceland

Penn State schedules 2023 White Out vs. Iowa

The Lions must be 'very intentional' this summer, James Franklin says

Former Penn State soccer star Ali Krieger elected to the university's Board of Trustees

Penn State plans $700 million renovation of Beaver Stadium

Where does Penn State rank in college football's recruiting arms race?

The fascinating legacy of Penn State's 2018 football recruiting class

Why Green Bay valued the 'moxie' of Penn State's Sean Clifford

Penn State's 2024 draft could be record-breaking

AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.