Penn State Wrestling Legend Zain Retherford Continues His Comeback at Final X

The Nittany Lions' three-time NCAA champ will compete for a trip to the 2026 World Wrestling Championships.

Zain Retherford suffers knees on the mat during the 65 kg men's freestyle championship series during the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials at the Bryce Jordan Center. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

Zain Retherford is back. After nearly two years away from competitive wrestling, and nearly quitting the sport prior to that, the Penn State legend continues his comeback at Final X, where he can win a spot on the 2026 U.S. Senior World team.

Retherford will take on former Nebraska standout Ridge Lovett in the 70 kg men's freestyle weight class at Final X, scheduled for June 19 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The winner of their best-of-three series will represent the U.S. at the 2026 World Wrestling Championships, set for late October in Kazakhstan.

Retherford, a three-time NCAA champion at Penn State, is a veteran of the world stage, competing in two World Championships and the 2024 Olympics in Paris. He won gold in the 70 kg weight class at worlds in 2023 and silver in 2022. Retherford qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics but was forced to withdraw after his first match because of concussion symptoms.

Following the Olympics, Retherford did not wrestle in a major competitive event until May, when he resurfaced at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. Retherford claimed the Final X spot with two tight decisions: 3-2 over 2026 NCAA champion Landon Robideau of Oklahoma State and 2-1 over 2024 NCAA champion Caleb Hanson of Virginia Tech.

Lovett, Retherford's opponent at Final X, is a three-time NCAA All-American from Nebraska who won the 2025 NCAA title at 149 pounds. Lovett advanced to Final X by going 5-0, with four technical falls, to win the U.S. Open.

Retherford is familiar with making comebacks. After winning the 2023 world title, he seriously contemplated retiring. Retherford had grown weary of trying to make weight and had a job offer in New York.

But the prospect of an Olympics run proved too difficult to pass on, so Retherford begain a new training regimen to compete at 65 kg and readied himself for the 2024 U.S. Team Trials in State College.

Despite entering the event unseeded, Retherford reached the best-of-three series finals, where he faced former Penn State wrestler Nick Lee. Retherford won their series and followed that with four victories at the World Olympic Games qualifier just weeks before the Games in Paris.

"I’m just giving my all to this," Retherford said at the 2024 Trials. "I didn’t know if this would be my last time competing. I'm just grateful for every opportunity I have and I'm making the most of it."

Now 31, Retherford is dialing up for potentially his third trip to the World Championships. He also has one more shot at the Olympics, which comes to Los Angeles in 2028.

Retherford is one of four current or former Nittany Lions competing at Final X, which will determine the U.S. Senior World Team. Luke Lilledahl, the defending NCAA champion at 125 pounds, gets an intriguing rematch with Spencer Lee in the 57 kg freestyle final.

At 61 kg, Penn State freshman Marcus Blaze will renew his rivalry with Jax Forrest, the NCAA champion from Oklahoma State. And at 79 kg, two-time NCAA champ Levi Haines takes on Chance Marsteller seeking to qualify for his second World Championships. Haines won silver last year.

Zain Retherford (right) gets his hand raised after defeating Nick Lee at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team Trials at Bryce Jordan Center. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Sign up to our free Penn State Nittany Lions newsletter and follow us on social media.