Former Mizzou wrestler J’den Cox defied the odds, after suffering a knee injury to earn a spot on the national team at the World Team Trials on Saturday in Lincoln, Neb. After falling to David Taylor in the first bout, Cox rebounded to defeat Taylor, 4-3 and 5-3, to make his first USA Wrestling World Team.

After capturing a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Cox was awarded a bye to the finals of the Trials.

In the first match, Cox trailed 2-1 after the first period and fell behind 6-1 in the second. The first match ended 9-3.

In the second bout, Cox fell behind again before scoring a takedown in the second period and held on for the 4-3 win.

In the third bout, Cox took a 3-0 lead heading into the second period, but Taylor executed a takedown that hyper-extended Cox’s knee. After staying down on the mat for a few minutes, Cox returned but Taylor scored another point to tie the score, 3-3. Cox responded with back-to-back push-out points to clinch the match and earn a U.S. World Team spot.