Mijain Lopez on winning a fifth Olympic gold and life after wrestling: “It’s time to start a new chapter”
The Greco-Roman legend from Cuba reflects on his historic Paris 2024 farewell, staying connected to the sport, and why he’s at peace with retirement.
Mijaín López knew the Olympic Games Paris 2024 would be his final competition. The Greco-Roman wrestling legend from Cuba went out in style, capturing his fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal in the French capital. It’s a feat no other wrestler has achieved.
After his triumph, López left his shoes on the mat – a silent gesture of passing the torch to the next generation in a sport he had dedicated his life to since he was just 10 years old. “It’s hard to say goodbye to sport, because you’re leaving your whole life behind,” López told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview during the International Athletes Forum in Lausanne. “I’ve been dedicated to wrestling since I was ten. My life was spent on the mat, with my coaches, away from my family… Retirement is tough for any athlete because it means starting a whole new life.”
That new life is already taking shape for the 41-year-old. If he thought he would rest on his laurels or enjoy some time off following Paris… well, he was wrong. “I thought I’d take some time to rest, but I haven’t really managed to. It’s been more like a continuation because I’ve been involved in a lot of activities, especially with young people,” explained López. “It’s given me the chance to give something back, the charisma I had in my sporting career. And honestly, I’m really happy doing what I’m doing.”
Now, he’s working as a sports ambassador, … more at … https://www.olympics.com/en/news/mijain-lopez-interview-fifth-olympic-gold-life-after-wrestling
Big Ten Wrestling Championships Headed to Penn State
The Nittany Lions will host the 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Penn State will entertain the best of Big Ten wrestling in 2026. The Big Ten Wrestling Championships return to Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center for the first time since 2022. The tournament is scheduled for March 7-8, 2026.
Penn State is pursuing its fourth straight team title, and 10th under head coach Cael Sanderson, at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships. The Nittany Lions crowned five individual winners at last season’s Big Ten tournament.
Interestingly, Sanderson has never won a Big Ten tournament title in his home building. Penn State last hosted the Big Ten Wrestling Championships in 2022 and ’21. The Nittany Lions finished second to Michigan in 2022 and second to Iowa in 2021. Before that, Penn State previously hosted the event in 2009, when it finished seventh.
RELATED: Penn State sets Big Ten opponents for 2025-26 wrestling season
The Nittany Lions will chase their fifth straight NCAA team title with another stacked roster. The Nittany Lions return two national champions (Mitchell Mesenbrink in 2025, Levi Haines in 2024) and five All-Americans who placed fifth or better at their weight classes last season. In addition, Penn State signed former NCAA runner-up Rocco Welsh from Ohio State and 2024 world freestyle champion Masanosuke Ono to its roster.
According to FloWrestling’s latest college rankings, five Nittany Lions rank among the top-20 nationally pound-for-pound, with Mesenbrink staking he No. 1 spot overall. Haines is third, followed by Tyler Kasak at No. 12, Shayne Van Ness at No. 14 and Josh Barr at No. 18.
Penn State also two of the top freshmen in college wrestling with Marcus Blaze and PJ Duke, who will be busy on the world stage before the season. Duke is scheduled to compete at three world championships, including Senior Worlds in Croatia in September. In addition, 70 percent of the U.S. men’s freestyle team competing at the U23 World Championships wrestle for Penn State.
RELATED: Penn State releases coach Cael Sanderson’s salary … more at … https://www.si.com/college/pennstate/football/why-former-syracuse-receiver-trebor-pena-sought-change-at-penn-state
Midweek championship dates added as NCHSAA revises calendar; basketball playoffs overhauled
No sport had more changes than basketball, which for the last two years has hosted a “final four” format in Winston-Salem with all boys and girls regional finals and championships taking place across six straight days. That now appears gone.
The jump from four to eight classes means the N.C. High School Athletic Association had to add some dates to its championship calendar.
A revised calendar released on Tuesday shows nearly every sport may add at least one date to its previous calendar. Exact championship dates are not set in stone until the NCHSAA announces each venue.
There were no changes to the championship dates for boys and girls golf, boys and girls lacrosse, individual wrestling and individual boys and girls tennis.
Most sports saw an added day, like a Thursday championship for those already hosted on Friday and Saturday, or Friday-Saturday championships for those that were formerly all on Saturday. … more at … https://www.highschoolot.com/story/midweek-championship-dates-added-as-nchsaa-revises-calendar-basketball-playoffs-overhauled/22108874/
Actor Steve Buscemi is in the national Wrestling Hall of Fame
Before Steve Buscemi became known for his memorable portrayals of complex characters in films like Reservoir Dogs and Fargo or his commanding performance as a corrupt politician in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, he was grappling on wrestling mats at Valley Stream Central High School in New York. The acclaimed actor’s connection to wrestling runs deeper than many fans might realize. In 2015, Buscemi received recognition as an Outstanding American by the Downstate New York Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, cementing his place among distinguished alumni who have leveraged their wrestling foundation to achieve excellence in other fields.
During his high school years at Valley Stream Central, Buscemi competed as a varsity starter on what was considered an exceptionally strong team. His coach was Harold Earl, himself a Hall of Fame inductee who received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Downstate New York Chapter in 1995. Under Earl‘s guidance, Buscemi developed the discipline and work ethic that would later serve him throughout his diverse career in entertainment. “Wrestling’s pride in those who have used the disciplines of the sport to launch notable careers in other walks of life, … more at … https://bjjdoc.com/2025/07/30/actor-steve-buscemi-is-in-the-national-wrestling-hall-of-fame/
FOX Nation to stream Real American Freestyle wrestling events
FOX Nation announced Monday that it will be the streaming partner for Real American Freestyle wrestling.
The first event, called RAF 01, is scheduled for August 30 at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland. FOX Nation also will stream a second event in the fall at a date to be determined.
“Real American Freestyle is creating something that’s never been done before, and we needed a partner that understood that and could build with us,” Hulk Hogan, Real American Freestyle commissioner, said of the direct-to-consumer, on-demand service. “FOX Nation is synergistic with our brand, they appreciate the importance of bringing this sport to the masses, and they believe in our goal.” … more at … https://apnews.com/article/wrestling-hulk-hogan-fox-f7013600bb73ae4698cbbf9cc8ca700e
USA Wrestling shatters records with 8,531 total entries in the 2025 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D.
FARGO, N.D. – The 2025 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals, hosted in the FargoDome in Fargo, N.D., is recognized as the largest wrestling tournament in the world.
In 2025, not only did the tournament see substantial growth in overall participation, but it also saw growth in all six national tournaments included in the week-long competition.
USA Wrestling saw another year of explosive growth, with a record 8,531 total participants, flying by the previous record of 8,062 set in the 2024 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals. It was an increase of 469 entries, an increase of 5.8 percent
2025 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals entries by tournament
- USMC 16U Women’s Freestyle Nationals: 1,029
- USMC 16U Men’s Freestyle Nationals: 1,786
- USMC 16U Greco-Roman Nationals: 1,274
- USMC Junior Women’s Freestyle Nationals: 1,216
- USMC Junior Men’s Freestyle Nationals: 1,887
- USMC Junior Greco-Roman Nationals: 1,339
Total: 8,531 total entries
Of the six tournaments which saw growth in 2025, the 16U Women’s Freestyle Nationals had the most increase in numbers and percentage, with an increase of 191 entries, for an increase of 22.8%.
Other tournaments with impressive increases were the 16U Men’s Freestyle Nationals with an increase of 88 athletes, … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2025/july/21/usa-wrestling-shatters-records-with-8-531-total-entries-in-the-2025-u-s-marine-corps-junior-nationals-in-fargo-n-d-
Pennsylvania wins overall team race at U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals, followed by California and Illinois
With the conclusion of the Junior Greco-Roman and 16U Greco-Roman competitions on Saturday night, the overall team championship at the 2025 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals has been determined. Each of the six national tournaments which are part of this extravaganza were completed (16U Girls, Junior Girls, 16U Boys Freestyle, Junior Boys Freestyle, 16U Greco-Roman, Junior Greco-Roman). In fact, Pennsylvania has won the team title in all four tournaments held, sitting with a combined 816 points. Pennsylvania emerged as a dominant team champion, scoring 980 points and winning the team title in four of the national events (16U Girls, Junior Girls, 16U Boys Freestyle, Junior Boys Freestyle). Pennsylvania also had competitive showing in the two Greco-Roman tournaments, placing in a tie for fourth in Junior Greco-Roman, and in a tie for second in 16U Greco-Roman. Pennsylvania placed a full 340 points ahead of the next state association team.
California finished in second with the overall team race with 640 points. Although California did not win any of the six tournaments, the team was a consistent contender in each of them, placing in the top six each time. California was second in Junior Boys Freestyle, third in Junior Girls, fourth in 16U Girls, fourth in 16U Boys Freestyle, Sixth in 16U Greco-Roman and sixth in Junior Greco-Roman.
Illinois made a big jump during the two Greco-Roman tournaments, climbing from fifth in the overall standings after the first four national events up to third in the final overall team standings. Illinois made the biggest jump by winning the Junior Greco-Roman national event with 190 points, a full 101 points ahead of the next team. Illinois had four Junior Greco-Roman champions, Vincent DeMarco (106), Kaleb Pratt (113), Wyatt Medlin (157) and Josh Hoffer (215) and 12 total All-Americans. Their tie for sixth in 16U Greco-Roman featured a champion, Robert Ruscitti (126) and nine All-Americans.
Iowa held on to its fourth place in the final standings with a strong Greco-Roman effort, including winning the 16U Greco-Roman tournament and placing eighth in the Junior Greco-Roman. In the 16U Greco-Roman Nationals, Iowa finished with 138 points, including three individual champions Ty Martin (88), Diego Robertty (106) and Lucas Feuerbach (285) and nine All-Americans.
Ohio claimed fifth place in the overall standings, … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2025/july/21/pennsylvania-wins-overall-team-race-at-u-s-marine-corps-junior-nationals-followed-by-california-and-illinois
Transfer Portal Update (7/25/2025)
It’s been a while since we have given any portal updates and with some movement on the head coaching front, it seemed like the appropriate time for another.
With Scotti Sentes leaving Campbell, it re-opened the portal for Camel wrestlers looking to transfer. Two notable Campbell wrestlers are on the move and are headed north to the University of Virginia. NCAA qualifiers Wynton Denkins and Dom Baker have recently announced that they are moving on to Virginia. Both could end up starting immediately for the Cavaliers, Denkins at 149 lbs and Baker at 174 lbs (though Baker does have a redshirt available).
We also had to remove a prominent name from the transfer list as 2025 All-American Sammy Alvarez is not headed to Iowa. Looking at his career, it was difficult to interpret how he would have another year of eligibility.
Another name we’ve removed is Cody Chittum. Initially, Chittum indicated that he would transfer to Ohio State from Iowa State. Later this offseason, there were rumors that he would head back to his home state to wrestle for Chattanooga. The Mocs athletic department put out a release centered around their five transfers for this offseason and Chittum was not among that list. We’ll re-add him once there’s more concrete information regarding his landing spot.
We’ve also added a handful of transfers for Kent State. Coach Josh Moore had brought a handful of wrestlers from his last stop at Cleveland State University. … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/transfer-portal-update-7252025-r100403/
TJ Dudley named Campbell wrestling head coach
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell has elevated assistant coach and former three-time All-American TJ Dudley to head wrestling coach for the Fighting Camels, announced today by University President Dr. William Downs and Director of Athletics Hannah Bazemore.
“TJ Dudley embodies all the qualities that I was looking for as we set out to hire the next head coach of Campbell’s storied wrestling program,” affirmed President Downs. “He is a proven winner. He is a fierce competitor driven by the desire to exceed—not just match—previous heights of excellence. He knows and appreciates our mission at Campbell, where the job is to turn student-athletes into champions on and off the mat. Perhaps most importantly, TJ commands a room with his authenticity…no drama, just a will to succeed. There’s a ton of fight in this Camel…I’m eager to see his impact!”
“I am excited to welcome TJ Dudley as our next head wrestling coach,” said Bazemore. “Through this process, Coach Dudley separated himself through his dedication to our student-athletes and Campbell University. As one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of the region, Coach Dudley also knows this area as well as anyone, and will continue to recruit and develop championship caliber student-athletes at Campbell. He knows Campbell, is a connector, and is a great fit to lead our program.”
“I’m extremely excited and beyond grateful to step into this opportunity as head coach at Campbell University,” said Dudley. “This journey has taken a lot of hard work, faith, and perseverance, and I couldn’t have gotten here without my Lord and Savior, my family and friends, and support from incredible people I’ve met in my time here at Campbell. A special thank you to the President of Campbell University, … more at … https://gocamels.com/news/2025/7/26/wrestling-tj-dudley-named-wrestling-head-coach.aspx
InterMat’s All-Quarter Century Team: NC State
Earlier this week, our All-Quarter Century feature highlighted a Missouri program that really came into its own over the last 25 years. The same can be said for NC State. For the first decade-plus in the 2000’s NC State was a highly competitive team in an ACC that was not at the level that we’ve grown accustomed to. All of that changed in 2013 with the hiring of Pat Popolizio. Shortly after Popolizio’s hiring, NC State became a perennial conference championship favorite and, in many cases, a top ten team.
Since NC State doesn’t have the long, storied history like other teams we’ve featured thus far, their All-Quarter Century teams don’t have quite the depth like others. At the same time, they have seen some superstars and their first team generally matches up with most other programs.
One big decision here was how to handle the logjam at 133-149. Kevin Jack and Tariq Wilson had relatively similar accomplishments and it was difficult to pick between the two. Since Wilson had two years at 133 lbs, we put him there. The other option for Wilson was at 149 lbs and with NCAA champion Darrion Caldwell in the mix, he probably should get that spot.
Wrestlers considered for the three teams had to compete from 2001-25. For the wrestlers early in this timeframe, their entire collegiate body of work … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/acc/intermats-all-quarter-century-team-nc-state-r100401/
TDR blog
After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
Martin Fleming, Editor
Takedown Report
Takedown Report 