WATCH: Two-time World Champion and Olympic medalist J'den Cox receives a standing ovation as he announces retirement from professional wrestling

J'den Cox, one of America's wrestling superstars, has decided to call time on his career at the age of 29. Cox has represented the US on the international stage for nearly a decade now and boasts two World Championships in the 92kg, and an Olympic bronze in the 86kg.

On Friday night, Cox competed at the US Olympic Team Trials at the Bryce Jordan Centre in the Pennsylvania State University. He started his campaign on a strong note, beating Christian Carroll in his opening round.

Next, he went on to battle against Kollin Moore in the challenge tournament semifinals. The 2016 Rio medalist got off on the right foot, leading 1-0 into the break, before extending the gap to 2-0. However, Moore staged an epic comeback when he got the takedown to take the lead on criteria.

The time ran out, and J'den Cox was out of running for the Olympics. After shaking hands with Moora, the American stayed on the mat, slowly kneeling to remove his shoes, the universal sign of retirement in the sport.

The decision seemed to come out of the blue, leaving audiences stunned. Fans in the crowd quickly got to their feet for a standing ovation, as Cox kissed his shoes before placing them on the center of the mat.

Watch a video of the bittersweet moment below:

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J'den Cox on his decision to retire

J'den Cox has had nothing short of an extraordinary career. The American began wrestling at the age of four and became a four-time Missouri State champion in his high school career.

For his collegiate career, Cox chose to stay close to home, playing for the Missouri Tigers. The 29-year-old was crowned the NCAA Division I national champion in his freshman year itself. He finished fifth in the championships in his sophomore year, before going on to claim back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017.

Speaking on his decision to retire, J'den Cox told NBC:

"I think if I'm losing to guys I was beating before, I'm doing a disservice to myself and them to stay a part of it. It's hard, I love this sport, but, you know, I've had a great career.”

Cox added that his focus on life was now more oriented towards his wife and kids, saying:

“I think now in my life, my wife, kids, I’m in a position now where I’m done trying to conquer the world and I’m going to try to make it better for them. That’s my goal from here on out.”

J'den Cox had a storied career on the international level, winning bronze at the 2016 Olympics and 2017 World Championships. He won two back-to-back World Championships in 2018 and 2019, before winning yet another bronze in 2021, and a silver in 2022.