"Lots to work on"- Spencer Lee makes his feelings known as wins 57 kg freestyle title at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series

Spencer Lee, the American professional wrestler, recently took to social media to celebrate his victory at the 2025 Zagreb Open in Croatia. He also shared a series of photos from the event displaying his medal.

At the 2025 Zagreb Open, the 26-year-old won all three of his matches in a 57-kilogram event. In the final, he defeated Azerbaijan's Islam Baxarganov with a 6-2 score. Lee took an early 3-0 lead by scoring a takedown in the first period.

Earlier in the tournament, he dominated his opponents. Lee opened with an 11-0 technical superiority over Georgia's Luka Gvinjila and advanced to the final with a 6-3 win over Roman Bravo-Young. This victory follows Lee's performance at the Henri Deglane Grand Prix of France in January 2025 with a score of 5-0.

Spencer Lee took to Instagram to share the news with his fans, accompanied by a caption:

"Back from the ranking tournament in Croatia! Lots to work on as always."

Spencer Lee's career highlights include a gold medal in the 50kg Cadets Men's category in 2014. In addition, at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, he earned a silver medal in the 57 kg men's category.

Spencer Lee reflects on the value of ranking tournaments and improvement

Spencer Lee at 2024 Paris Olympics/ Source: Instagram/ @spencerlee365

Spencer Lee recently reflected on his understanding of the ranking tournaments in his ongoing development as a wrestler. After returning to international competition in 2024, Lee expressed his appreciation for ranking tournaments, emphasizing that these events attract top-tier wrestlers from around the world. He also acknowledged that competing against such high-level opponents offers a valuable opportunity to test his skills.

Following his gold medal victory at the 2025 Zagreb Open, he recognized the value of ranking points, which are earned through strong performances in competitive games. His win at a recent event in February brought him to 43,000 ranking points, placing him on par with Japan's Rei Higuchi. Reflecting on his understanding of the points, Lee said (via United World Wrestling):

"I think that ranking tournaments are awesome because good guys come.The points are obviously a nice bonus to that just because you can get seeded in the bracket. I love competing. Obviously I need more of it. So maybe. This tournament was tough. So good for me."

In addition, Spencer Lee gave importance to his passion for competition and admitted that he thrives in such environments and feels the need for more of it.