For the second year in a row Kyle Snyder and Abdulrashid Sadulaev will meet in the finals of the World Championships. Russia may have the men's freestyle team race sewn up, but this one still means a lot, as the standard bearer for Russia and Team USA are wrestling with a gold medal on the line. 

We all remember what happened last year. Will Captain American make it two in a row, or will the Dagestani Destroyer get his revenge? Let's find out together!

But first, we have an undercard composed of two 65 kg bronze medal matches, a 65 kg gold medal match, and two 97 kg bronze medal matches. Once the appetizers are over we will carry on with the main course. 

Additionally, you're going to want to stick around after Snyder Sadulaev II because Jacarra Winchester will be in the immediately following match wrestling for a bronze medal at women's 55 kg. 

Franklin Maren just won bronze by emphatically hip tossing Kviatkovskiy of Ukraine (the guy who tried to eat Frank Molinaro at the Rio Olympics), for four to clinch the technical fall. Maren is pumped, as are the exactly three Cuban fans in the arena, for Cuba's third medal of the tournament. Not bad for a team of five. 

Now Bat-Erdene of Mongolia, the guy who beat James Green, has Iakobishvili of Georigia for the other 70 kg bronze medal. Iakobishvili won gold in Paris at 65 kg. Iakobishvili tech-mauls Bat-Erdene for the win. Another medal for Georiga, who have already secured third place behind Russia and the United States.

Gazimagomedov of Russia taking on 33-year old and fellow Dagestani native Adam Batirov of Bahrain. Batirov races out to a 6-0 lead but then very publically dies in the middle of the mat. Batirov's lifeless carcass is carried off the mat after Gazimagomedov scores seven unanswered points, including a go-ahead takedown with 2 seconds left. Russia has another gold medal and Bahrain will have to settle for silver. 

The first 97 kg bronze medal match is Pavlo Oliinyk of Hungary by way of Ukraine and Conyedo of Italy by way of Cuba. Pavlo will have the hometown crowd cheering for him, and indeed they are making a good amount of noise for Oliinyk in the Papp Laszlo Arena. Pavlo came close, but gave up a step out with under a minute to go and Conyedo held on for the 2-2 criteria win. Italy wins a medal that didn't come from Frank Chamizo, which was predicted by precisely no one. 

One more match to go before the main event. Odikadze of Georgia and Ibragimov of Uzbekistan. This is Odikadze's fifth bronze medal match in a row. He lost every single one of them so far, in 2014 Tashkent, 2015 Vegas, 2016 Rio, and 2017 Paris. Odikadze was trailing late in the match but took advantage of an out of position Ibragimov won via pinfall. Odi has broken the curse. The Curse of Odi is over!

GOLD MEDAL MATCH: SNYDER VS SADULAEV

Snyder comes charging out to AC/DC. Sadulaev comes out to Joan Jett. Advantage Snyder. Although I don't think either of these guys had anything to do with the walkout songs. But still. 

Here we go. Quite a few Russian and Americans here in Budapest. Sadulaev hanging back, his stance is more of a squat position. Sadulaev shoots on a leg, Kyle tries to sit the corner. Sadualev grabs the far arm and rolls Kyle over for two. Sadulaev not letting Kyle off his back, he's going for the fall, in a modified peterson position. Snyder in trouble, ref calls a fall but it's white paddled. Sadulaev readjusted. Kyle still stuck. And that's it, fall confirmed, Sadulaev wins the rematch in dramatic fashion. 

The American fans are stunned. The Russians are ecstatic. Queen's We Will Rock You is blaring. Lots of emotion in the arena. 

Despite the shock to the system, Team USA's men's freestyle team had a tremendous tournament, with lots to be proud. Now, however, Jacarra Winchester goes for bronze. 

BRONZE MEDAL MATCH: Jacarra Winchester vs Lianna De Montero

Jacarra has a junior world champ in Cuba's Lianna De Montero (LDM). No scores after a couple minutes and Winchester gets a shot clock point. LDM answers by getting a step out point after nearly getting the full takedown on a go behind. Jacarra attacking in short time but with no results. We go to intermission with Jacarra down on criteria 1-1. 

LDM in on an attack right off the whistle and converts for two. She tries to leg lace but Jacarra defends. It's 3-1 with 2:30 left in the match. Jacarra tried to get an outside trip but LDM steps out of it and then gets a snap down go behind to extend her lead to 5-1. Cuba in defense mode. Jacarra pressures in and LDM backs out and receives a caution and 1 for fleeing. It's 5-2 when Jacarra finally connects on a double cutting it to 5-4. The ref is slow to bring them up despite them both being out of bounds and valuable seconds are wasted. 10 ticks left at the restart and LDM runs away for all of them. Jacarra falls in the bronze medal match 5-4 to De Montero as Cuba picks up another medal. 

Well that wasn't the ending we hoped for, as America go oh for two in medal matches today. We'll be back tomorrow for more women's freestyle prelims. We will see you then!