2025 Senior World Wrestling Championships : Spencer Lee, Kyle Snyder and Zahid Valencia get seedings; David Carr unseeded

American wrestlers Spencer Lee, Kyle Snyder, and Zahid Valencia have received their seedings for the 2025 Senior World Wrestling Championships. The event is set to be held in Croatia from September 13 to 21.

Lee, competing in the 57kg category of the event, is ranked the No.1 seed in the bracket. This bracket also features the likes of Gulomjon Abdullaev and Roman Bravo Young, who will be posing serious challenges to Lee at the Worlds. Notably, Lee has been in good form this season and has won a gold medal at the Zagreb Open earlier in the year.

Three-time World champion, Snyder, will enter the Worlds in Croatia as the third seed in the 97kg bracket. He is just below the likes of Akhmed Tazhudinov and Givi Matcharshvili in the seeding. Matcharshvili is a 2023 World Championships bronze medalist.

Valencia has been seeded as fourth in the 86kg bracket of the event, behind Osman Gocen, Arseni Dzhioev, and Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau. He is coming off at the back of impressive title-clinching performances at the Pan American Championships and the US Nationals.

Besides Spencer Lee, Kyle Snyder, and Zahid Valencia, several wrestlers, such as David Carr and PJ Duke, will enter the tournament unseeded. Carr competes in the 74kg bracket while Duke competes in the 70kg bracket.

Spencer Lee opens up on being a favorite for the World Championships 2025

Spencer Lee (Image via: Getty)

Spencer Lee shed light on his feelings going into tournaments like the World Championships as a firm favorite. Speaking in an interview a few weeks ago, Lee shared that for him, going into a tournament as an underdog or a favorite means the same.

Additionally, Lee also shared some advice for wrestlers who take on added pressure due to expectations, stating that they should enjoy this pressure of expectations. He said (via FloWrestling, 11:25 onwards):

"I mean it's always fun either way. I mean, if you're the underdog you got something to prove, and if you're number one guy, you got something to prove that you are the number one guy. I think it's the same thing, and the pressure is whatever you want to put on yourself."

"I think that people who let pressure overtake them is negative for their career because you should just enjoy it. It's fun having people chase after you because you know you're doing something right."

During the interview, Spencer Lee also remarked that one should always develop their strengths and skills such that others don't pass up easily.