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Arujau, Forrest to decide men’s freestyle 61 kg spot on Team USA July 14 in Fargo, N.D.

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by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling

Vito Arujau (left) and Jax Forrest (right).

Vito Arujau (left) and Jax Forrest (right).

After a one-month delay, the best-of-three Final X series between 2023 World champion Vito Arujau and U.S. Open champion Jax Forrest will go down July 14 in Fargo, N.D., set amidst the grand scene of the Fargodome during the 2025 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals.


The much-anticipated men’s freestyle 61 kg series between two of the most electric wrestlers in America was delayed from the original June 14 Final X date to accommodate Arujau’s request for a medical delay—a right he earned by being a returning Senior World medalist.


Round one in the best-of-three series will start at 3:50 p.m. (CT) on Monday. Round two will follow at 5 p.m. (CT). The “if necessary” round three bout would take place 30 minutes after the second match ends.


Arujau and Forrest both display a unique brand of offense that often results in exciting exchanges on the mat and points scored in bunches. The two have not competed against one another on the Senior level. However, both did enter the 2024 Senior World Team Trials with Arujau winning the event and Forrest coming in third place.


61 kg has been Arujau’s weight domestically the past two years. He brought home a Senior World title in 2023 in Belgrade, Serbia, and backed it up with a bronze-medal outing last year in Tirana, Albania. Arujau is a two-time age-group World silver medalist and two-time Senior Pan American champion. He automatically qualified for Final X by earning a medal at the 2024 Senior World Championships.


Forrest won a silver medal at the 2022 U17 World Championships and has been on the cusp of making several age-group World Teams since. He turned heads on the Senior level last year by winning a stout bracket at the Last Chance Olympic Trials Qualifier and finishing in fourth place at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at 57 kg. Forrest will man the 61 kg spot for the U.S. at the upcoming U23 World Championships. The 18-year-old qualified for Final X by earning top prize at the U.S. Open in Las Vegas.


Although he is young in years, Forrest’s wins speak volumes. The up-and-comer has collected Senior level wins over U.S. World Team member Seth Gross, Final X champion Nahshon Garrett and Senior level standouts Nathan Tomasello, Liam Cronin and Daniel DeShazer. Gross, Garrett and Tomasello are all NCAA champions.

 

Arujau was a two-time NCAA champion, four-time NCAA All-American and two-time EIWA champion for Cornell University from 2019 to 2024. Forrest will enter his senior year at Bishop McCourt High School this fall and has committed to wrestle at the next level for Oklahoma State University.


The Final X series between Arujau and Forrest will be streamed live on FloWrestling. Live results will be available on the 2025 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals event page in USA Bracketing.


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



3:50 p.m. (CT) – Round one

5 p.m. (CT) – Round two

30 minutes after round two – Round three, if necessary


61 kg – Vito Arujau (Ithaca, N.Y./Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Jax Forrest (Johnstown, Pa./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

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