Wax Erases Five-Point Deficit, Techs Way to U17 World Title

Jul 29, 2026, 12:28 PM EDT

��David Gerhart, 91��

Rylen Wax celebrates after winning 45 kg U17 World title at the 2026 U17 World Championships at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan

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BAKU, Azerbaijan – Down by five in the second period, Rylen Wax erased the deficit and won gold at the 2026 U17 World Championships for the U.S. Greco-Roman squad on Wednesday night at the National Gymnastics Arena.

Facing Ali Javadli of Azerbaijan in front of his home crowd in the 45 kg World title match, Wax fell behind early after being hit for passivity and allowing two turns from the bottom position.

Battling Javadli and a ruckus crowd down by five in the second period, Wax earned a point via passivity and got his first opportunity from the top position. Wax only needed one chance on top as he turned Javadli six times to silence the crowd and teched his way to gold, 13-5.

Wax becomes the 23rd Greco-Roman Cadet/U17 World champion for the U.S., and he is the fourth gold medalist in the last five years for Team USA’s Greco-Roman program. Wax’s gold is also the 99th Cadet/U17 gold medal for the U.S. across all three Olympic disciplines.

Wax’s time at this year’s U17 World Championships is not done just yet, as he will represent the U.S. in men’s freestyle.

Cooper Mathews and William Etu both secured top 10 finishes for Team USA. Mathews finished ninth at 60 kg, and Etu placed eighth at 92 kg.

The U.S. finished sixth overall in the team standings with 79 points. Team USA finished with the same point total as fifth-place Ukraine, but Ukraine collected two silver medals versus one for the U.S. to break the tie after both teams had one champion.

Russia won the team title with 127 points, 20 points ahead of second-place and host Azerbaijan. Iran rounded out the top three with 96 points.

The U17 World Championships continue on Thursday with women’s freestyle group one (43-49-57-65-73 kg) battling in repechage matches and group two (40-46-53-61-69 kg) wrestlers through the quarterfinals during the 10:30 a.m. local time/2:30 a.m. session.

Live streams and archived matches are available on in the U.S. market. Brackets and results are hosted on .

For live results and updates from the U17 World Championships, follow along with 91��’s social channels and .

2026 U17 World Championships

At Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29

Reference Links

Greco-Roman Results

Team Standings

1. Russia, 127

2. Azerbaijan, 107

3. Iran, 96

4. Uzbekistan, 85

5. Ukraine, 79

6. United States, 79

7. Kazakhstan, 77

8. Armenia, 77

9. Hungary, 70

10. Bulgaria, 43

Weight Class Rankings (Group Two)

45 kg

Gold – Rylen Wax (United States)

Silver – Ali Javadli (Azerbaijan)

Bronze – Ognyan Burgazov (Bulgaria)

Bronze – Arsan Aliev (Russia)

5th – Afruzbek Ibragimov (Uzbekistan)

6th – Nurislam Pakhitzhan (Kazakhstan)

7th – Ryunosuke Tanaka (Japan)

8th – Nelson Villafane III (Puerto Rico)

9th – Kerem Derman (Türkiye)

10th – Vazgen Vardanyan (Armenia)

Gold – Rylen Wax (United States) tech. fall Ali Javadli (Azerbaijan), 13-5

Bronze – Ognyan Burgazov (Bulgaria) forfeit Armin Esmaeili (Iran)

Bronze – Arsan Aliev (Russia) tech. fall Afruzbek Ibragimov (Uzbekistan), 10-0

51 kg

Gold – Bunyod Hasanov (Uzbekistan)

Silver – Abdurrahman Huseynli (Azerbaijan)

Bronze – Artem Tkachenko (Russia)

Bronze – Gevorg Harutyunyan (Armenia)

5th – Vadim Tarelunga (Moldova)

5th – Saba Abashidze (Georgia)

7th – Boris Krumov (Bulgaria)

8th – Denys Kiryk (Ukraine)

9th – Ahmad Badraddini (Iran)

10th – Kuanyshbek Zhangazhol (Kazakhstan)

Gold – Bunyod Hasanov (Uzbekistan) tech. fall Abdurrahman Huseynli (Azerbaijan), 9-0

Bronze – Artem Tkachenko (Russia) dec. Vadim Tarelunga (Moldova), 7-5

Bronze – Gevorg Harutyunyan (Armenia) dec. Saba Abashidze (Georgia), 5-0

60 kg

Gold – Amirreza Tahmasbpourmarzouni (Iran)

Silver – Makhdi Barotov (Tajikistan)

Bronze – Elmir Charkazov (Azerbaijan)

Bronze – Sadriddin Tulkinboev (Uzbekistan)

5th – Hinata Hanamori (Japan)

5th – Alexandru Lungu (Romania)

7th – Ulan Dzhanaliev (Kyrgyzstan)

8th – Mohamed Ahmed (Egypt)

9th – Cooper Mathews (United States)

10th – Raman Sharkou (Belarus)

Gold – Amirreza Tahmasbpourmarzouni (Iran) dec. Makhdi Barotov (Tajikistan), 8-6

Bronze – Elmir Charkazov (Azerbaijan) tech. fall Hinata Hanamori (Japan), 9-0

Bronze – Sadriddin Tulkinboev (Uzbekistan) tech. fall Alexandru Lungu (Romania), 10-2

71 kg

Gold – Janes Nazaryan (Armenia)

Silver – Aslan Dzuev (Russia)

Bronze – Ervin Czuczor (Hungary)

Bronze – Alinur Toleugali (Kazakhstan)

5th – Kristiyan Krastev (Bulgaria)

5th – Esmaeil Zaherdoust (Iran)

7th – Roman Ivanyk (Ukraine)

8th – Baiel Nuraliev (Kyrgyzstan)

9th – Kodirjon Fozilov (Uzbekistan)

10th – Muhammet Yuruk (Türkiye)

Gold – Janes Nazaryan (Armenia) dec. Aslan Dzuev (Russia), 4-3

Bronze – Ervin Czuczor (Hungary) dec. Kristiyan Krastev (Bulgaria), 5-1

Bronze – Alinur Toleugali (Kazakhstan) tech. fall Esmaeil Zaherdoust (Iran), 11-3

92 kg

Gold – Tomasz Mital (Poland)

Silver – Hlib Yevsieiev (Ukraine)

Bronze – Amirreza Mehritalarposhti (Iran)

Bronze – Yusuf Aksu (Türkiye)

5th – Mirjalol Shovkatov (Uzbekistan)

5th – Sandor Antaly (Hungary)

7th – Mark Kot (Belarus)

8th – William Etu (United States)

9th – Matti Eichmann (Switzerland)

10th – Ahmed Elgendi (Egypt)

Gold – Tomasz Mital (Poland) dec. Hlib Yevsieiev (Ukraine), 3-2

Bronze – Amirreza Mehritalarposhti (Iran) dec. Mirjalol Shovkatov (Uzbekistan), 4-3

Bronze – Yusuf Aksu (Türkiye) dec. Sandor Antaly (Hungary), 5-1

U.S. Greco-Roman Results

Group Two

45 kg – Rylen Wax (Chillicothe, Ohio/Beast Mode Wrestling), gold medal

WIN Vazgen Vardanyan (Armenia), 4-1

WIN Arsan Aliev (Russia), tech. fall, 11-2

WIN Afruzbek Ibragimov (Uzbekistan), 2-1

WIN Ali Javadli (Azerbaijan), tech. fall, 13-5

51 kg – Wyatt Dannegger (St. Charles, Mo./Team Missouri Select), 13th place

LOSS Vadim Tarelunga (Moldova), 9-4

60 kg – Cooper Mathews (Aurora, Colo./Black Fox Wrestling Academy), 9th place

WIN Artush Petrosyan (Armenia), tech. fall, 12-4

LOSS Hinata Hanamori (Japan), 9-4

71 kg – Aiden Arnett (New Lenox, Ill./Izzy Style Wrestling), 16th place

WIN Albert Deacu (Romania), 7-2

LOSS Baiel Nuraliev (Kyrgyzstan), tech. fall, 8-0

92 kg – William Etu (Fredericksburg, Va./Wild Buffalo WC), 8th place

WIN Polykarpos Servetas (Greece), fall, 0:27

LOSS Hlib Yevsieiev (Ukraine), fall, 1:41

LOSS Amirreza Mehritalarposhti (Iran), 4-3

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