A month away from the Senior World Wrestling Championships in Zagreb, but the wrestling fans would say they have been thoroughly entertained. The Cadet World Championships in Athens gave us some proper edge-of-the-seat contests over the 6 days of the tournament. We have seen some big winners, some shocking upsets, and matchups that proved even kids like Keegan Bassett aren’t scared to shoulder their nation’s hopes. Rather, they are thriving under the added pressure.

One of the riveting storylines to come out of the World Cadet Championships was the team battle. It is Team USA that has eventually edged out Iran in the standings after a massive final day performance. After the end of August 1, Team USA was trailing Iran 124 to 140. Then, the Stars and Stripes team really proved the saying right – it’s not over until it’s over. And what an emphatic turnaround they produced!

Justin Basch shared one of the big updates from the final day on X. The race was still on. “In a HUGE match for the team race, Tanner Hodgins (92kg) wins his 3rd straight match on the day to pick up a Cadet/U17 WORLD BRONZE medal! If Iran loses in the Finals, the USA wins the team title.” The last bout, which could clinch Iran 5 more points—they were 150, the USA was 154—But Amirali Alizadeh couldn’t get the job done.

David Dzebisov grabbed the crucial win to claim a Gold for himself. But the bigger news was that Team USA had won gold at the Championships. They finished the campaign with 4 golds, 1 silver, and 2 bronze medals. In head-to-head matches, the US was the overwhelmingly superior, getting 5 wins out of the 6 matchups. While the USA came alive on the final day, Iran had a disastrous day, one they’ll have nightmares about for years to come. They didn’t win a single bout on Day 6.

It all started with Keegan Bassett’s Gold match against Parsa Tahmasbi in the 45 Kg weight class. Then, it was Sammy Sanchez who made it 2 Golds in 2 on the day. It was then Jayden James’ turn to score another gold against Iran. With a score of 9-2, the future Penn State collegiate conquered Arsham Vahabian in the 71 kg category.

Finishing off the day was Tanner Hodgins, and his bronze medal took the USA’s tally to 154. Ariah Mills added another Gold, winning the 45 Kg class via a technical fall. Arseni Kikinou won the silver in the 65 Kg after a tight 1-1 battle. He was the first competitor who started the medal windfall for the USA. Lastly, Grey Burnett wrapped up the medal tally by winning the Bronze match for the 55 Kg class.

It was a near-perfect day for Team USA, and it was as if Keegan Bassett represents the American way; the younger Bassett prodigy had a flawless finals to add to his amazing run in the tournament, just like his brother did once.

Keegan Bassett continues the family legacy in a unique feat

In the finals, a thoroughly overpowering display saw Bassett’s opponent fail to score a point against him. The 16-year-old raced to a 6-0 lead and held his Iranian counterpart down to win the World Cadets Title. Talking after the match, Bassett said, “Ever since I started wrestling, this was one of my goals to be a world champ. It feels unbelievable to find a way to do it.”

He had defeated the Asian U17 bronze winner along the way to claim the same gold that his brother had claimed four years ago. Before Keegan Bassett, it was Bo Bassett who was lighting up the wrestling circles with his talent. And guess what? Keegan Bassett had his brother’s achievement as an anchor all along. “I definitely had that in mind going into this,” he said. “I was there for him when he won in Budapest. I cried then, I cried now. It’s just means so much. We work so hard and it’s just truly such a surreal moment.”

Since then, Bo Bassett has added a U20 World bronze medal. He is also a three-time Strongman Champion and Super 32 Champion. Add to that 11 Pennsylvania State Championships. For Keegan Bassett, it will be about following the path of success left behind by his brother. And at each juncture, Keegan Bassett’s journey will have the guidance of someone who once conquered the path for himself.