Blaze Wins Prestigious Freestyle Tournament in Poland
Blaze Wins Prestigious Freestyle Tournament in PolandBlaze Wins Prestigious Freestyle Tournament in Poland

Blaze Wins Prestigious Freestyle Tournament in Poland

The junior captured gold at 74 kg in the Ziolkowski Memorial Tournament.

by Brook Weber

WARSAW, Poland — Joey Blaze of Purdue Wrestling closed his summer world freestyle tour by winning the title at the 34th annual Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial Tournament.

Representing Team USA after climbing the national team ladder this summer, Blaze went 3-0 on Sunday competing at 74 kilograms.

The 2025 NCAA runner-up claimed a 4-2 decision over Ivan Kusyak (Ukraine), a pin (leading 12-6) against Otari Bagauri (Georgia), and a 6-2 win in the finals over Mykyta Morhun (Ukraine).

The Ziolkowski Memorial perennially attracts some of the best wrestlers around the globe and is largely considered one of the top freestyle tournaments in Europe.

The 20-year-old Blaze was one of three Americans to win a gold medal in their respective weight classes in Poland. He joined Brayton Lee, a 26-year-old Indiana alumnus, and fellow 2025 All-American Simon Ruiz, a sophomore at Cornell.

Blaze’s win concludes an eventful summer after becoming Purdue’s youngest national finalist since 1950 back in March. He took third place as the No. 7 seed at Senior World Team Trials, defeating four wrestlers with a combined nine All-America honors.

Now that he holds the fourth spot on the national team ladder, he has opened himself up to numerous opportunities on the world stage while donning a USA singlet. He represented his country in a United States vs. Russia dual last month, where he dropped a close but respectable decision to the No. 10-ranked wrestler in the world.

Blaze will now turn his attention to the 2025-26 season as a leader for a talented Boilermaker squad, carrying lots of momentum and a newfound swagger after proving he can hang with the top wrestlers on the planet at any age group.

Purdue Wrestling will open its 106th season with the team’s first trip to California in nine years, taking on Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo on Friday, Oct. 31, and Cal State Bakersfield on Sunday, Nov. 2.