Yianni Diakomihalis sends fired-up message ahead of Final X in a bid for his first World Championships gold

American wrestler Yianni Diakomihalis shared a message on social media ahead of his Final X match against Penn State's PJ Duke. Diakomihalis qualified for Final X after he managed to claim the U.S. Open title at 70kg after defeating two-time world medalist James Green. He will face off against Duke for a spot on the 2025 U.S. Senior World Team at the World Championships.

Yianni Diakomihalis competed at a collegiate level for Cornell University, graduating after the 2022-23 NCAA season. He had a highly decorated career, winning four national championships and four EIWA championships. Before starting his collegiate career, Diakomihalis made his breakthrough at Hilton High School where he became four-time New York State Champion. Following the end of his collegiate career, he would go on to represent the United States at major international events.

Diakomihalis shared a message on Instagram ahead of his match against PJ Duke in Newark, New Jersey on June 14. He shared a video and captioned the post with:

"Bringing the energy to Newark, let’s roll #JBLSpeaker"

Diakomihalis' win against James Green was his first U.S. Open title since 2019. He also has a silver medal which he won at the 2022 World Championships.

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Yianni Diakomihalis makes his feelings known on recovering from surgery

Yianni Diakomihalis at the 2023 NCAA Division I Men's Wrestling Championship - Source: Getty

Yianni Diakomihalis revealed his thoughts on getting shoulder surgery 6 months ago. Diakomihalis made his comeback at the 2025 U.S. Open after going through a lengthy rehabilitation process.

Diakomihalis took to Instagram to share a message about recovering from the surgery, writing:

"It’s in our nature as wrestlers to always have our eyes forward and focus on the next thing, but it’s important to reflect as well. It’s been a long journey recovering from my shoulder surgery, and while its easy to get lost in the present and future, it’s necessary to visit the past and feel grateful for where I am now. The 6 months ago you worked tirelessly to reach this point, and 6 months from now you’ll be a newly evolved version of yourself again, don’t forget to recognize that growth"

This was the ninth surgery for Diakomihalis in the last seven years, highlighting the number of times he has suffered from a physical issue over the years. His performance at the 2025 U.S. Open was nothing short of impressive, as he looked to be up to speed after defeating Green with an 8-2 victory.