"I was so tired"- Jax Forrest gets real about facing breaktime burnout while wrestling NCAA champion Seth Gross in US Open final

Oklahoma State commit Jax Forrest opened up about facing breaktime burnout while wrestling NCAA champion Seth Gross in the U.S. Open final. Despite the exhaustion, the high school standout claimed the 61kg title over Gross and earned a berth in Final X.

Gross held an early lead in the match, 6–2. However, Forrest rallied back, executed a few takedowns, and led 12–6 at halftime. The latter admitted he was extremely tired during the break and wasn’t thinking about shots or strategy but was just trying to keep going.

“During the break, I walk over, and the first thing I'm saying is like, ‘Holy cow, I am so tired’. Like, I remember just being so tired. I was only thinking about being tired. My body was just going and wrestling.” (via Flowrestling)

He further explained how the exhaustion surprisingly helped him.

“Like, being tired and being like that helped me because I wasn't thinking about any shots or anything—I was just going. And I was like, ‘Man, I'm tired'. And my dad and Coach Jodi are like, ‘No, you're not. You're doing good'. I was like, ‘No, Coach. I'm tired, I need some water'."(via Flowrestling)

Jax Forrest further said he knew a 12–6 lead wouldn't be enough to secure the win and that he had to keep scoring. Despite struggling to get to positions because of fatigue, he dominated the second half and sealed the title with a 19–8 technical fall over Gross.

His championship run featured dominant performances, including wins over Nathaniel Johnson, Kyler Gollhofer, Nahshon Garrett, and Ben Davino.

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Jax Forrest made his feelings known after claiming the title

Jax Forrest's initial plan was to compete in the U20 61kg category, but he later decided to wrestle in the senior division. He went on to win the 61kg men’s freestyle U.S. Open title, besting the NCAA Champion. Following his victory, he shared a message on Instagram:

“I told myself Thursday night that God’s plan is right and I will give it my all and surrender the outcome. I’m fortunate enough to be the 2025 U.S. Open Senior Champ. Thank you for all of the support. Final X coming soon.”

While the rest of the Final X matchups took place on June 14 in Newark, the 61kg series between Senior World Champion Vito Arujau and Jax Forrest was rescheduled for July 14 in Fargo, North Dakota, following Arujau’s approved medical delay request.

As a high schooler, PJ Duke earned his place on the Senior World Team. Jax Forrest is also vying for a spot and is set to face Vito Arujau in the rescheduled Final X showdown.

Edited by Anisha Chatterjee