Men’s Freestyle Draw Set to Open 2025 Senior World Championships in Croatia

ZAGREB, Croatia – The men’s freestyle draw has been finalized, and complete brackets have been released, for the 2025 Senior World Championships being held over the next week in Croatia’s capital city.

2025 U.S. World Team Will Recognize Ben Askren On Senior World Championships Singlets

2008 U.S. men’s freestyle Olympian and combat sport legend Ben Askren has been staging an inspiring recovery after a near-death health challenge, which led to a double lung transplant. 

The U.S. Senior World Wrestling Team, which is competing in the 2025 Senior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, September 13-21, will recognize Askren’s courageous comeback by wearing his initials BMA on their official U.S. World Team RUDIS singlets while competing in the World Championships. His full name is Benjamin Michael Askren. 

Olympic Medalists Maroulis, Blades, World Champ Winchester Lead 2025 World Championships U.S. Women’s Freestyle Team

2016 Olympic champion, three-time Olympic medalist and three-time Senior World champion Helen Maroulis is the most experienced member of the 2025 U.S. Senior World Team in women’s freestyle at the 2025 Senior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia. 

2024 Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades dropped to 68 kg and will compete on her first Senior World Team. 2019 World champion, 2023 World silver medalist and 2020 Olympian Jacarra Winchester returns to the World Championships at 59 kg. Blades is seeded No. 4, while Winchester is unseeded. 

Olympians Coleman, Sancho, Bey, Jacobson Lead 2025 World Championships U.S. Greco-Roman Team

The Greco-Roman group for Team USA at the 2025 Senior World Championships has a nice mix of veteran leadership plus an influx of youth as it seeks to end its three-year medal drought.

The last American to medal in Greco-Roman was G’Angelo Hancock, who won a 97 kg bronze medal at the 2021 Worlds in Oslo, Norway. When considering who could be the breakthrough athlete this year, the conversation starts with one-of-four Olympians taking the raised mats at Arena Zagreb—2012 Olympian Ellis Coleman at 63 kg, 2020 Olympian Alejandro Sancho at 72 kg, 2024 Olympian Kamal Bey at 77 kg and 2024 Olympian Payton Jacobson at 86 kg.

Olympic, World Medalists Lead U.S. Men’s Freestyle Team at 2025 World Championships

Three past World or Olympic medalists are on the U.S. World Team in men’s freestyle at the 2025 Senior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, Spencer Lee at 57 kg, Kyle Snyder at 97 kg and Zahid Valencia at 86 kg. 

The rest of the men’s freestyle team will be competing in their first Senior Worlds: Jax Forrest at 57 kg, Real Woods at 65 kg, PJ Duke at 70 kg, David Carr at 74 kg, Levi Haines at 79 kg, Trent Hidlay at 92 kg and Wyatt Hendrickson at 125 kg. 

Bommarito Wins Gold, Irons Adds Silver at Beach World Series Casablanca

Two-time World champion Eliana Bommarito won a gold medal at Over 70 kg in the women’s division, and Jabari Irons won a silver medal in the men’s 90 kg division at the Beach World Series Casablanca. This is the third stop of the five-event UWW Beach World Series in 2025. 

Bommarito is one of the greatest Beach wrestlers in world history. She has now won seven career Beach World Series individual gold medals.

Oklahoma Chapter to Induct Seven in October

The Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame will honor seven outstanding individuals at its 2025 induction ceremonies in Edmond in October.

Coaches Jack Hornbuckle, Michael Lightner, Dan Pettigrew and John Smith, as well as longtime wrestling sports reporter Mac Bentley will receive the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award. Colonel Kelly Laughlin will be presented the Outstanding American Award and former highway patrolman Robert Nale, Jr. will receive the Medal of Courage.

Penn State Will Host Real American Freestyle 02 on November 8

Following the explosive success of its inaugural event, Real American Freestyle (RAF), the first unscripted pro-wrestling league for the best athletes in the world, today announced their second live event, RAF02, which will take place on November 8, 2025 at Penn State University’s Rec Hall. Tickets will be available to purchase via Ticketmaster, and the event will be streamed with exclusive partner FOX Nation.