STILLWATER, Okla. — The Cliff Keen Wrestling Club’s J’den Cox won the best-of-three championship series at 92kg to claim the spot on the U.S. Senior Freestyle World Team at the first of USA Wrestling’s two Final X events on Friday night (June 3) at Oklahoma State’s Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Cox claimed the first and third matches to secure the series win against Nate Jackson, who advanced to Final X after winning the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament last month. Cox scored four unanswered points in the second period to win, 4-2, in round one, scoring on a single-leg takedown to earn criteria before icing it with a late counter go-behind.
Jackson used a 3-2 decision in the second round — with two stepouts apiece and a passivity point making the difference — to force a rubber match, which was controlled from start to finish by Cox. The veteran took the early lead with a single-leg takedown midway through the first period and added a stepout early in the second to win 3-0 and take the series.
The 2022 World Championships are scheduled for Sept. 10-18 in Belgrade, Serbia, and Cox will be in search of his third world title. He previously captured world gold at 92kg in 2018 and 2019 and took bronze at the weight last fall. He also owns two bronze at 86kg — at the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2017 World Championships.
