Major Upset Highlights Story of US Open as Wyatt Hendrickson Faces Surprise Opponent for World Championships Spot

The 2025 US Open Men’s Freestyle Finals in Las Vegas just got wild, with a seismic upset in the 125 kg bracket stealing the spotlight. The twist: top seed Hayden Zillmer, a Gopher Wrestling Club standout, fell to 8th-seeded Demetrius Thomas of Rhode Island High School in a nail-biting 6-6 decision, determined by criteria. Thomas’s improbable run now pits him against NCAA Champion Wyatt Hendrickson in the finals, as confirmed by Justin Basch’s X post on April 26. Hendrickson, who advanced with a 10-4 decision over Trent Hillger, is eyeing a Final X spot on June 14 for the World Championships. But how did Thomas, a relative unknown, topple the top seed?

The finals, airing Saturday at 9 PM Eastern on FloWrestling, also feature marquee matchups like Kyle Dake vs. Zahid Valencia at 86 kg and Kyle Snyder vs. Jay Aiello at 97 kg. Yet, the heavyweight clash has fans buzzing, with Thomas’s gritty upset shaking up the bracket. Hendrickson’s dominance meets Thomas’s Cinderella story in a battle for freestyle supremacy. Can the underdog defy the odds again?