The wrestling world was already reeling from one of the biggest upsets in recent memory. Zahid Valencia dethroned four-time world champion Kyle Dake at the 2025 U.S. Open Wrestling Championships. But while the mat was still cooling off in Las Vegas, Nevada, a different kind of drama erupted online. Christian Pyles, a well-known wrestling analyst, trying to make sense of Dake’s shocking 8-4 defeat, offered a defense that backfired spectacularly. What was meant to sound analytical, fans weren’t buying it.

Held at the iconic South Point Hotel & Casino, this year’s U.S. Open was packed with energy and high stakes. The tournament served as a crucial qualifier for Final X in June and brought the country’s top wrestling talent to the mat. But no one expected the match that shattered a seven-year streak. Kyle Dake, undefeated by American opponents since 2017, was outmaneuvered by the blazing two-time NCAA champion, Zahid Valencia.

The result shook the foundations of Team USA’s hierarchy, and Pyles’ commentary only stirred the pot further. A tweet on X by FloWrestling stirred the pot with a simple but loaded question. “How much of a factor did weight play in Valencia vs. Dake?” The responses came fast. But it was analyst Christian Pyles’ reaction during a video breakdown that drew the most attention and criticism.

Pyles posed his own rhetorical counterpoint. “I don’t think you can look at that match and be like, ‘This was all about size… because was Zahid bigger in the first period but not in the second?” He seemed to downplay the notion that size dictated the outcome, suggesting instead that the technical execution. Valencia’s control of the pace and Dake’s missteps were the real story.

But that didn’t sit well with everyone. Dake’s fans, still stunned by the 8–4 decision loss, clung to the size difference as a reason. If not, an excuse for the shocking upset. Pyles, however, doubled down on his viewpoint. “In the pie chart of things that mattered, being bigger, yeah, that’s something, but I just don’t think it’s significant. I think it’s negligible,” he explained.

His take positioned Zahid’s tactical advantage, not his physicality, as the key to victory. Still, with Dake having bulldozed earlier opponents and Valencia known more for finesse than brute strength, critics weren’t quick to let go of the narrative. While meant to be tongue-in-cheek, the video only fanned the flames further. As Valencia’s stock rises with a Final X ticket in hand, the Dake debate rages on, not just about how he lost but why.

Fans slam analysts’ take on Kyle Dake’s US Open loss

Christian Pyles’s attempt to explain away Kyle Dake’s loss to Zahid Valencia with a size-based rationale was intended to offer perspective. But instead, it opened the floodgates of fan backlash. His take that weight played a negligible role didn’t land well with wrestlers and fans alike. One user fired back directly, writing, “Well, I disagree, @CPyles8—for what it’s worth, coming from a wrestler, every 5 pounds is a significant game changer. Zahid’s upper torso looked significantly fuller than Dake’s, which made a huge difference in top-down control.”

From an athlete’s lens, this was about more than strategy. It was about the very real, physical differences that impact leverage and mat control, especially in close-contact bouts. Yet not everyone blamed the scale. Many pointed to Dake’s performance itself, arguing that no outside factor should overshadow the simple reality of the loss. One reply drove the point home: “Weight was not a factor; he just lost… if weight was such a factor, he wouldn’t have made the final; just accept the loss, lol.”

That sentiment echoed among those who believe the wrestling community needs to stop cushioning defeats. Especially for champions! Dake’s career has been defined by dominance. A four-time world champ, an Olympic bronze medalist, and a living example of grit, proven when he landed a miraculous comeback at the Paris Games. But that doesn’t mean he’s untouchable.

For many fans, the constant efforts to shield Dake from criticism are growing tiresome. As one comment bluntly put it, “HOLY COW, PYLES. TAKE THE L, MY GUY.” There’s a sense that the analyst’s refusal to acknowledge Zahid’s superiority on the day came off as biased, or worse, dismissive of a huge achievement. After all, Valencia didn’t just squeak by.

He tactically controlled the pace and forced mistakes from a veteran. His move to the Cowboy RTC and mentorship under David Taylor seem to be paying off, giving him both confidence and composure that translated directly onto the mat. And the patience of the fanbase is clearly wearing thin with any excuse-making.

One of the harshest replies summed it up: “Then Dake should’ve not wrestled at that weight if he wasn’t strong enough to compete at it.” Fair or not, the standard for a legend like Dake remains sky-high, and fans expect him to live up to it without qualifiers. And when they don’t? Let the result speak for itself.