Marcus Blaze, Jax Forrest to clash at 61kg in men's freestyle at 2026 Final X, presented by Kerberos Capital Management

Age-group World champions renew their rivalry with a U.S. World Team spot on the line at Final X.

For the fifth time ever, and the first time since the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Marcus Blaze and Jax Forrest will meet on the mat, this time at 2026 Final X, presented by Kerberos Capital Management. Blaze and Forrest will battle for the men’s freestyle 61 kg spot on the 2026 U.S. Senior World Team. Final X is scheduled for Friday, June 19, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

The Final X showdown between Blaze and Forrest will mark their first meeting since Blaze's 8-1 decision for third place at the 2024 U.S. Open Olympic Trials. It is the only freestyle matchup in the rivalry, which stands at 2-2. Blaze also owns a high school folkstyle win, 9-4, over Forrest from the 2023 Clarion Open. Forrest previously defeated Blaze in folkstyle at Super 32, 10-1 in 2022 and 13-4 in 2020.

Forrest sealed his return trip to Final X with two victories and a first-place finish at the 2026 Senior World Team Trials Challenge. After claiming a 9-4 semifinal win against Aaron Seidel, Forrest earned a dominant 11-1 technical fall over Ben Davino, avenging an 8-4 loss to Davino at the U.S. Open in April. As a two-time age group medalist and returning Senior World Team member, Forrest brings high-level success to Final X. He secured 2025 gold medals at the U23 World Championships and the Senior Pan American Championships.

Blaze’s decorated career is highlighted by U17 and U20 World championships, the latter of which he earned in 2025 with technical falls in four of five matches. To secure his spot at Final X, Blaze tore through the 61 kg bracket at the 2026 U.S. Open, conceding just two points in four matches, and punched his ticket with a 4-1 win over Davino.

Both Forrest and Blaze were standout freshmen at 133 pounds in the NCAA Division I ranks this season. After going through the fall semester in high school, Forrest transitioned to Oklahoma State for the spring semester and posted a perfect 19-0 record on his way to winning an NCAA title. Blaze wrestled to fourth place at the NCAA tournament for Penn State. The two did not meet in college action, making this Final X series even more enticing for wrestling fans.

What’s at stake at Final X?

Final X will determine the 2026 U.S. Senior World Team in two-of-three 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 for the 2026 Senior World Championships.

2026 will be the second Final X appearance for both men. Forrest will defend his 61 kg Final X title after sweeping Vito Arujau, a 2023 Senior World champion, in their 2025 Final X Wrestle-Off in Fargo, N.D. Blaze took a decisive 8-2 victory against Brock Hardy in their true-third match last year at 65 kg.

Beat the Streets New York Annual Benefit

Final X will serve as the 2026 Beat the Streets New York Annual Benefit, its 16th to date. These unique electrifying events help BTSNY raise critical funds each year to support local youth wrestling programs, which empower young people in New York City. The BTSNY Annual Benefit after-party takes place at the conclusion of Final X.

Forrest has not competed at a prior Beat the Streets event. Blaze’s win over Hardy in the true-third match was his only Beat the Streets event appearance to date.

Get Final X 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.

Final X Event Schedule

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

2 p.m. (ET): Session I (Round 1)

5 p.m. (ET): Session II (Rounds 2 & 3, if necessary)

Match order will be announced at a later date.

How to Watch Final X

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

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

2026 Final X, presented by Kerberos Capital Management

June 19 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey

Men’s Freestyle

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/Titan 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 RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Michael Macchiavello (Northampton, Pa./Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

97 kg - Kyle Snyder (Bellefonte, 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/U.S. Air Force WCAP) vs. Mason Parris (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Women’s Freestyle

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)

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About Beat the Streets New York  

Beat the Streets Wrestling is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing the full human and athletic potential of New York City’s urban youth through the sport of wrestling. Beat the Streets has pioneered a movement that now includes 110 individual wrestling programs, a youth league and the first girls high school league. Through wrestling, Beat the Streets instills discipline, perseverance, self-reliance, humility, and a strong work ethic, creating lifelong impact for more than 4,000 student-athletes while strengthening NYC’s wrestling culture. To learn more and support the mission, visit btsny.org/donate and follow Beat the Streets on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.