David Taylor’s love of wrestling led him to become a coach. Being on the mat felt alive. But becoming a testament to a young man achieving his dreams under your mentorship hits differently. And David Taylor has been the voice and the face of the Cowboys wrestling since May 2024. He has found tremendous success on the sidelines. Obviously, it hasn’t exactly been a bed of roses.
In fact, the U20 Worlds Wrestling Championships in Bulgaria has been a whirlwind. Day 1 didn’t go the way he and Dee Lockett wanted. Day 2 on August 18 overcompensated for it. But here we are on Day 3, with shattered dreams and broken hearts. Despite all this, Dee Lockett continues to be in high spirits.
The match against Kanata Yamaguchi came with the promise of a bronze medal, which would have added to his galore of back-to-back medals. But it would have been the first international medal for coach Taylor. Unfortunately, the match ended 10-0 to the Japanese, ending Lockett’s campaign. But talking to the reporters afterwards, the 2024 U20 silver medalist was upbeat. “I think that I had a good tournament and I wrestled well,” the wrestler said in a clip shared by FloWrestling’s X handle on August 19.
David Taylor’s Class of 2025 recruit was candid about his takeaways. He mentioned some aspects he’s been working on, like “hand fighting and moving guys and getting to inside control.” He admitted that the campaign had been a learning experience. In fact, one of the positives was getting to spar with some of the best.
His first setback came against eventual champion Ismael Khaniev. Then, the repechage lineup featured U20 and U23 Asian bronze medalist Vatan Annaorazov and the 2025 U20 European Champion Manuel Wagin. But Dee Lockett remained formidable. He pushed back and got the wins against Annaorazov and Wagin. Especially the win against Wagin, where he was almost gone.
Dee Lockett has a mature perspective on his performance at the U20 World Championships pic.twitter.com/oEFUbd6akg
— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) August 18, 2025
With 7 seconds remaining and 4-5 down, Lockett produced a clutch takedown to upturn the match. And speaking about it, the Cowboys wrestler went, “That was a crazy match because that dude just beat the world champ two weeks ago, so it just showed me that I know I’m right there.” He further added, “That match shouldn’t even have been that close without me getting forward. So, that match was really good for me and for my self-esteem.”
To get his European Championship gold, Manuel Wagin had to beat Ismael Khaniev in the semis, so it was a special accomplishment for Lockett. He even shared how David Taylor mentioned his 74 Kg weight class had some of the best wrestlers competing for the medals, and Lockett came up a bit short. But he doesn’t want to be down on himself. “That’s when you start to go down rabbit holes and think things aren’t working and things aren’t going your way,” he reflected.
Other doubts may start creeping up, like maybe the training wasn’t the best. But David Taylor’s man was assured. “I know it was, and I know I was prepared. I just got to come out and execute a little bit better,” Lockett said. This clarity is exactly what will help him continue on the right path. And maybe there will be a triumphant return next year.
But as of now, the 2025 U20 Worlds is a campaign with a lot of teaching moments and unfulfilled aspirations.
A subpar Worlds campaign for coach David Taylor and the Cowboys
Dee Lockett came into the tournament with the promise of clinching the gold. Besides him, there was Rin Sakamoto, the 20-year-old who also had a difficult road in the 57 kg class. His first round bout with Sumit Malik ended in disappointment, especially considering the fact that the Japanese was leading 10-1 in the first period.
Nevertheless, the Cowboys wrestler was given a second chance in repechage on Tuesday, August 19. Like Lockett, Sakamoto got a chance to win bronze if he won his remaining matches. In the first match, the Cowboy cleared, beating Ethan Rivera of Puerto Rico, 6-1. One step closer. But unlike his US compatriot, Sakamoto couldn’t clear his 2nd bout.
Vasif Baghirov of Azerbaijan got a 10-2 win to make it a complete rout of the Cowboys wrestlers in the 2025 U20 Worlds. A lot of introspection for David Taylor. Like Dee Lockett said, it’s a learning experience.
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