Former Cowboy Dean Hamiti's Pin at PWL 9 Heard Around the World

Hamiti was coming off of an impressive collegiate career in which he went 27-1 as a senior for the Cowboys on his way to a National Championship victory over Missouri's Keegan O'Toole. But PWL 9 was a different beast—a global stage where Russia’s technical power overshadowed the United States early on in the dual.

The US dropped its first four matches before Hamiti took center stage. He found himself down early against Nasirkhaev’s suffocating pace, but Hamiti leaned on the scrambling instincts drilled daily in Stillwater. With the score tight and the crowd roaring, he turned a desperate exchange into a trap, pinning Nasirkhaev’s shoulders to the mat in a blur of athletic poetry.

“It was all instinct,” Hamiti said post-match. "I train for chaos."

For Hamiti, the pin was personal. After transferring from Wisconsin, where he earned two All-American honors, he chose OSU to chase championships and Olympic dreams. Under Taylor’s guidance, he’s become a hunter, his high-flying offense a nightmare for opponents. The PWL 9 victory was a major stepping stone for Hamiti.

The win for DJ was a major building block for his push towards Olympic dreams in 2028. His pin added another chapter to the Oklahoma State history books. As he walked off the mat, the orange and black faithful around Oklahoma knew one thing: DJ Hamiti Jr. isn't just wrestling for OSU history- he's writing it.