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Seth Gross, NCAA champion, made it to the finals of the 2025 US Open Wrestling Championships but was bested by high school standout Jax Forrest from Bishop McCort Catholic High School with a score of 19-8 in the 61kg Division. Initially, Gross was leading by 6-2, then got tied 6-6. Gross attempted a leg attack, but Jax locked Gross’s knees and took him down.
After losing the finals, Seth Gross made a heartbreaking confession on X. He tweeted,
“I hate freaking losing so bad. Burns a hole in my chest, and I refuse to ever get used to it.”
For the tweet, one commented,
“You just got tech’d by a junior in high school. All hail King Jax,”
To which Gross replied,
“You don’t say”
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The post got multiple reactions, and another person reposted it with the caption
Word Up! No Surrender
Gross, a 2018 NCAA Champion and 2017 NCAA finalist, had previously been knocked out at the semifinals in the 2023 US Open Championships. He lost 5-4 in a tight match against Austin DeSanto, the ex-Iowa standout, and finished in sixth place. However, in February this year, Gross had secured a 10-0 win over Austin DeSanto at Flowrestling Night in America.
Losing the US Open wrestling failed Gross from securing a spot at Final X, which will be held on June 14 and will feature Jax Forrest. The members of the US Senior world team in men's and women's freestyle for 2025 will be chosen at Final X. They will compete at the world championships in Zagreb, Croatia, later this year.
Seth Gross opens up about the culture of early retirement in wrestling
After facing off against Austin DeSanto in February 2025, Seth Gross tweeted later in April about the culture in wrestling that forces the athletes to retire after college. He stressed and encouraged healthy people should keep doing wrestling, and with one spot available per weight class and the idea that every other wrestler should quit is unreasonable.
He tweeted,
"Telling wrestlers to retire after college is one of the dumbest things we do in this sport. We’ve built this weird culture where if you’re not making world teams every year, it’s time to “move on.” Only ONE guy gets the spot. So, every other elite wrestler should just quit? That’s wild. Still healthy? Still hungry? Keep going. Wrestling isn’t just for champs. It’s for lifers."
Gross concluded the post by saying that wrestling doesn’t end at 22 but ends when you say it does.
