Hidlay, Macchiavello set to clash at 92 kg in men’s freestyle this Saturday in Fairfax, Va.

Photo: Trent Hidlay celebrating a victory at the 2025 UWW Senior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, where he would go on to win a gold medal. Photo by Justin Hoch.

By David Gerhart, USA Wrestling

North Carolina State alums, 2025 World champion Trent Hidlay and three-time U.S. Open champion Michael Macchiavello, are set to battle in a Final X best-of-three series on Saturday, June 13, at Freedom High School in Chantilly, Va.

Hidlay and Macchiavello are wrestling for the 2026 U.S. World Team spot at 92 kg a week before the 2026 Final X, presented by Kerberos Capital Management, card at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Hidlay’s World title last year locked him into 2026 Final X. At the 2025 World Championships, Hidlay mounted an impressive comeback in the championship bout. He tallied 11-unanswered points to erase a 10-2 deficit and beat UWW’s Amanula Gadzhimagomedov, 13-10.

2025 was Hidlay’s first appearance on the Senior World Team after collecting a pair of age-group World medals. During his collegiate career, Hidlay finished as a four-time NCAA All-American for N.C. State and made two national finals appearances for the Wolfpack.

Macchiavello punched his ticket to Final X with his U.S. Open title at the end of April. In the 92 kg bracket, Macchiavello had close battles throughout. He held off Dustin Plott late in the championship contest to secure the title with a 4-3 decision.

In his career, Macchiavello has claimed three U.S. Open crowns, with his first two coming in back-to-back years, 2022 and 2023. Internationally, Macchiavello has collected 10 medals for the U.S., including gold at the 2023 Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was a 2018 NCAA champion for N.C. State.

The lone meeting between Hidlay and Macchiavello came earlier this year when the two squared off at the 2026 Zagreb Open Ranking Series. In a tight battle, Hidlay won the 3-3 decision on criteria.

The winner of the Final X best-of-three series will represent Team USA at the 2026 Senior World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Hidlay and Macchiavello have each appeared in the best-of-three Final X series once before. Hidlay took part in 2025 Final X, where he swept Josh Barr, 6-1 and 3-2. Macchiavello’s first Final X appearance came against Zahid Valencia in 2023. Valencia won both matches, 8-0 and 9-2.

In 2022, Hidlay took part in a true third match at Final X, dropping a 6-4 contest to Mark Hall.

A live stream for the 92 kg series in Chantilly, Va., will be available through FloWrestling.org. Live results for each match will be available on USA Bracketing.

For more information about Final X, please visit TheMat.com.

12 p.m. ET – Session one (Round one)

3 p.m. ET – Session two (Rounds two and three, if necessary)

92 kg – Trent Hidlay (Raleigh, N.C./Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Michael Macchiavello (Northampton, Pa./Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC/Titan Mercury WC)