By David Gerhart
USA Wrestling

A rematch of last year’s Final X series is on tap at 86 kg in a clash of titans with reigning World champion and two-time World medalist Zahid Valencia, who was the California and National winner of our Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award in 2015, taking on two-time Olympic bronze medalist and four-time World champion Kyle Dake at 2026 Final X, presented by Kerberos Capital Management, on June 19, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Valencia automatically qualified for Final X with his gold-medal performance at the 2025 World Championship. Valencia ripped through the field at 86 kg, shutting out each of his six opponents, with four coming by technical fall.

2025 was the year of Valencia as he won gold in each of his four international events he competed in. Before winning gold last year, he claimed bronze at the 2023 World Championships at 92 kg in Belgrade, Serbia.

Dake locked in the rematch at Final X after winning the 86 kg title at the U.S. Open Championships in April. Dake went 5-0 and started with a pin and a technical fall. Across his five matches, he allowed just three points, all coming in his final two bouts. In the championship match, Dake outlasted 2026 Zagreb Open Ranking Series gold medalist Parker Keckeisen in an 8-2 contest.

In his career, Dake has earned Olympic bronze medals in 2020 in Tokyo, Japan, and 2024 in Paris, France. He has also medaled in each of his five Senior World Championship appearances, finishing with four golds (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022) and a silver (2023).

Valencia holds a 3-2 edge in the all-time series against Dake. All three of Valencia’s victories came last year. He first won an 8-4 decision in the championship match at the U.S. Open to claim his spot at Final X. Then, Dake and Valencia squared off in the best-of-three series at Final X, where Valencia swept the series, 5-3 and 4-1.

The first two battles between the two came at 2018 Final X. Dake swept the two matches, 4-0 and 4-3, in State College, Pennsylvania.

What’s at Stake?

Final X will determine the 2026 U.S. World Team in two international disciplines—men’s freestyle and women’s freestyle. In total, 20 weight classes will be contested, 10 in each discipline. The top two U.S. athletes in each weight class will wrestle a best-of-three series at Final X to determine the U.S. representative at the 2026 Senior World Championships.

Beat the Streets New York Annual Benefit

Final X will serve as the 2026 Beat the Streets New York Annual Benefit, the 16th BTSNY Annual Benefit to date. These unique electrifying events help BTSNY raise more than $1 million each year to support local youth wrestling programs, which empower young people in New York City. The BTSNY Annual Benefit after-party will follow the conclusion of Final X.

This will be the second Final X and Beat the Streets event appearance for both Lilledahl and Lee, following their head-to-head matchup at Final X last June. Lee won that series two matches to none.

Get Tickets

BTSNY Annual Benefit tickets and sponsorship packages, which include access to premier seating at Final X, plus the exclusive after-party, are currently available at btsny.org. For more information on ticket packages, email BTSNY Executive Director Bob Seidel at bseidel@btsny.org. Donations and BTSNY Annual Benefit tickets and sponsorship packages directly help BTSNY make a lifelong impact on New York City youth in need.

Event-only tickets for Final X without access to the BTSNY after-party celebration are available on Ticketmaster.

Follow Final X

FloWrestling will serve as the host broadcast partner for Final X. Fans can watch the event live or on-demand at FloWrestling.org. Online results for Final X will be available on USA Bracketing.

For more information about Final X, please visit TheMat.com.

Event Schedule

12:30 p.m. ET – U.S. National Team true-third matches

2 p.m. ET – Session one (Round one)

5 p.m. ET – Session two (Rounds two and three, if necessary)

Match order for each session will be provided at a later date

2026 Final X, presented by Kerberos Capital Management

June 19 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey

Men’s Freestyle Best-of-Three Series

57 kg – Luke Lilledahl (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Spencer Lee (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)

61 kg – Marcus Blaze (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Jax Forrest (Johnstown, Pa./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

65 kg – Real Woods (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Bo Bassett (Windber, Pa./Titan Mercury WC)

70 kg – Ridge Lovett (Post Falls, Idaho/Nebraska WTC/Training Mercury WC) vs. Zain Retherford (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

74 kg – James Green (Lincoln, Neb./Nebraska WTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. David Carr (Ames, Iowa/Cyclone RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

79 kg – Levi Haines (Bellefonte, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Chance Marsteller (Reading, Pa./New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

86 kg – Zahid Valencia (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Kyle Dake (Port Matilda, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

92 kg – Trent Hidlay (Raleigh, N.C./Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Michael Macchiavello (Northampton, Pa./Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

97 kg – Kyle Snyder (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Stephen Buchanan (Coralville, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)

125 kg – Wyatt Hendrickson (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Air Force WCAP) vs. Mason Parris (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Women’s Freestyle Best-of-Three Series

50 kg – Katie Gomez (Van Nuys, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) vs. Morgan Turner (Chicago, Ill./All I See Is Gold Academy/Titan Mercury WC)

53 kg – Cristelle Rodriguez (Crete, Neb./Tiger WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Elena Ivaldi (Rocklin, Calif.)

55 kg – Everest Leydecker (Phoenix, Ariz./Thorobred WC/New York AC) vs. Areana Villaescusa (Fountain, Colo./Army WCAP)

57 kg – Helen Maroulis (Scottsdale, Ariz./Titan Mercury WC) vs. Amanda Martinez (Riverside, Ill./Cardinal WC/Titan Mercury WC)

59 kg – Abigail Nette (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP) vs. Alexis Janiak (Plainfield, Ill./Titan Mercury WC)

62 kg – Adaugo Nwachukwu (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP) vs. Macey Kilty (North Liberty, Iowa/Iowa Women’s WC/Titan Mercury WC)

65 kg – Kayla Miracle (Phoenix, Ariz./Titan Mercury WC) vs. Jennifer Page (Bellefonte, Pa./Titan Mercury WC)

68 kg – Kennedy Blades (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Isabella Mir (Naperville, Ill./Cardinal WC)

72 kg – Alexandria Glaude (Menlo Park, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) vs. Amit Elor (Walnut Creek, Calif./New York City RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

76 kg – Kylie Welker (Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa Women's WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Dymond Guilford (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC)

*Alexandria Glaude has withdrawn from Final X due to injury. Amit Elor must complete the Final X process by making weight and receiving a forfeit on the mat in Newark.