#WrestleBelgrade

2023 World Championships 61kg, 70kg, 86kg, 125kg semis set

Saturday, September 16, 2023 - 08:12 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

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BELGRADE, Serbia (September 16) -- The biggest wrestling event is here! The 2023 World Championships begins today in Belgrade. 90 Olympic quotas are on offer in 18 Olympic weight classes with 5 wrestlers, 4 medalists and one playoff winner, earning the quota.

The first day will see wrestlers from 61kg, 70kg, 86kg and 125kg with the last two being Olympic weight classes.

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15:27: Living legend Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) seems content to score his points in dribs and drabs. Against Olympic bronze medalist Myles AMINE (SMR), Yazdani had four stepouts, along with a slick double-leg takedown, in a 7-2 victory to make the 86kg semifinals. He also gave up a takedown for the second time on the day, which may or may not be of concern. The way his right shoulder is heavily taped could be more of a factor. We will see how he holds up against Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB), who used some nasty counter-wrestling in a 15-5 win over Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN).

15:23: David TAYLOR (USA) gives up his first points of the tournament against Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) but still manages a technical superiority 12-2 win over Sharipov to move into the semifinals at 86kg. He will face returning bronze medalist Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) who rolls Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) 10-0

15:13: Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) has set up a semifinal against Mason PARRIS (USA). Petriashvili works a 3-1 win over Robert BARAN (POL) while Parris survives a big move against Zhiwei DENG (CHN) to win 8-4

15:15: We have the first dream match-up of the tournament as Taha AKGUL (TUR) and Amir ZARE (IRI) will go at again in the semifinals at 125kg. Defending champion Akgul scored an activity point and two stepouts in a 3-0 win over Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR). Zare gave up a 4-point takedown to fall behind Daniel LIGETI (HUN) in their quarterfinal, but stormed back against the exhausted Hungarian for an 11-4 win. Last year, Akgul beat Zare 4-2 in the semifinals.

14:57: Asian champion Tairybek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) gives up a takedown early in the second period to fall behind against European bronze medalist Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR), but comes back with a takedown and a stepout for a 4-2 win and a spot in the 61kg semifinals.

14:56: Jahongirmirza TUROBOV (UZB) challenges for fleeing by Shota PHARTENADZE (GEO) in the last 10 seconds but no fleeing and he loses the challenge the match 5-3.

14:50: 2021 world champion Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (AIN) with a big four over V. BLIASETSKYI (UKR) and then gets the pin at 61kg. He moves into the semifinals. Top performance from Magomedov

14:42: World U23 champion Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) more than met the challenge of two-time world senior medalist Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ), he pummeled him. Yazdani twice scored four points off a driving double-leg tackle before finishing off an 11-0 technical fall with a stepout to advance to the 70kg semifinals. Next up is Ramazan RAMAZANOV (BUL).

14:41: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) will think about the last 10 seconds of his quarterfinal against Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM). Leading 3-2, he went into defensive and Andreasyan tried a big throw. Aoyagi tries to use that momentum to throw over but Andreasyan falls on top of the Japanese and gets two points. Japan challenges the call but the challenge is lost. A 5-3 win for Andreasyan

14:39: Returning silver medalist Zain RETHERFORD (USA) is into the semifinals with a 9-2 win over ABHIMANYOU (UWW). Retherford looks so much in control of his wrestling.

14:30: The quarterfinals' actions begin with 70kg on all four mats. Watch out Mat B with Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) wrestling Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI).

14:25: Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB) is looking like a force to be reckoned with at 86kg. After knocking off top-seed Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL), he rolled into the quarterfinals with an 11-0 rout of Osman GOCEN (TUR). 

14:13: Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) puts the pressure on Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL) but has to settle for four stepouts in their 86kg clash. But when the three-time champion finally gets the Mongolian onto the mat, it's lights out with a quick 11-0 technical fall and a place in the quarterfinals.

14:13: David TAYLOR (USA) with a 40-second win in the 1/8th finals. A cradle to gut-wrench for the technical superiority. Who will stop the Magicman?

14:10: Myles AMINE (SMR) with a hard-fought win over Zushen LIN (CHN) at 86kg. Just the workhorse he won, Amine looks solid here

14:02: Reigning champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) has his hands full with Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE), but forges a 2-0 victory to advance to the 125kg quarterfinals. Akgul received an activity point in the first period and had a stepout in the second, but was never in danger in a staid bout.

14:00: Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) will be thanking his stars as he survives a final second takedown attempt from Abdulla KURBANOV (AIN). Petriashvili wins 6-5 to make the quarterfinals at 125kg. He came back from 4-0 down to win this.    

13:50: Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) gets the gut-wrench and moves into the quarterfinals with a 10-0 win over Jonovan SMITH (PUR). Just before this match, the 2021 world champion Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (AIN) dominated Weiyu LI (CHN) to win at 61kg

13:28: Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) up against Intigam VALIZADA (AZE) on Mat A at 61kg. He runs to a 5-0 with a four-pointer and secures the pin over Valizada.

13:21: Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) fights out of a 0-4 hole and scores 10 points in the second period to advance at 70kg with a 12-6 win over Marc DIETSCHE (SUI). The bronze medalist from last year set up a mouth-watering clash with Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI), who defeated Magomed KHANIEV (AZE) 6-0 in a match that had a lot more action than the score indicates.

13:15: Amr HUSSEN (EGY) got the better of the U23 world champion Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO) using two four-pointers and win 14-4 at 70kg

13:03: How awesome is David TAYOR (USA)? The defending 86kg champion needs just 15 seconds to end his opening match against Sofiane PADIOU BELMIR (MAR). Taylor counters a tackle attempt by applying a cradle, rolling backwards and putting another overmatched opponent on their back for the fall.

13:01: Asian champion Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ), a bronze medalist here a year ago, has little trouble putting away Domantas PAULIUSCENKO (LTU) 9-0 at 86kg. In the round -of-16, he will face Arslan BAGAEV (AIN), a 12-2 winner over Ethan RAMOS (PUR) moments later on an adjacent mat.

12:47: Oceania champion and sometime beach wrestler Jayden LAWRENCE (AUS) will someday be able to tell his grandkids how he scored a takedown on the great Hassan YAZDANI (IRI). And how he lasted until the second period. But the inevitable result was a victory by fall after building an 8-2 lead for Yazdani as he aims for a fourth career world gold.

12:18: Former champion Amir ZARE (IRI), with the loud Irani contingent in the stands spurring him on, gets a takedown and a stepout in each period and easily handles Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (AIN) 7-2 at 125kg. 

12:22: In a battle of Asian giants, Zhiwei DENG (CHN) gets the decisive activity point with 40 seconds to knock out Lkhagvagerel MUKHTUR (MGL) 2-1 at 125kg. Deng was a world silver medalist in 2018, and Munkhtur finished second last year.

12:00: We apologize for the technical difficulties. The Arena and Streams are back up

Flo

11:20: Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (AIN), the 2021 world and European champion, gets his campaign at 61kg off to a flying start with a 10-0 trouncing of Nikolai OKHLOPKOV (ROU). 

10:40: Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI), one of the favorites in the non-Olympic 70kg, gets over his first hurdle with an 11-1 technical fall over Patryk OLEGCZYN (POL) in the qualification round.

10:30: We are kicking off with 70kg. Magomed KHANIEV (AZE) vs Sanzhar DOSZHANOV (KAZ) on Mat A, Patryk OLENCZYN (POL) vs Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) on Mat B, Marc DIETSCHE (SUI) vs Brian OLOO (KEN) on Mat C and Ramazan RAMAZANOV (BUL) vs. Perman HOMMADOV (TKM).

10:00: Welcome to the day one of the World Championships. Little cloudy outside we are ready for some wrestling action.

#WrestleBelgrade

Aitmukhan: From a volunteer at World Championships to Kazakhstan's first world champ

Tuesday, September 19, 2023 - 15:31 By Vinay Siwach

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BELGRADE, Serbia (September 19) -- Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) was hoping to become Kazakhstan's first-ever Freestyle world champion when he reached the 65kg final at the World Championships in 2019. He failed after losing to Gazdhimurad RASHIDOV.

In that final, Rashidov took a bleeding timeout. A volunteer, Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ), ran out to clean the blood dropped on the mat. Little did Niyazbekov or Kazakhstan know that the tall volunteer would go on to achieve what Niyazbekov failed to.

Born in Kyzyltu, a village with only 600 people in the northern region of Kazakhstan, Aitmukhan became the central Asian country's first-ever world champion in Freestyle on Monday as he defeated Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) in the 92kg final in Belgrade, Serbia.

In a thrilling final, Aitmukhan made a comeback after being down 2-0. He scored a stepout and caution with 30 seconds left. His criteria lead was threatened by Nurmagomedov in the final second when he almost scored a pushout. But Aitmukhan pushed the Azerbaijan wrestler out of bounds and won 6-2.

"The final match was very intense and tough," Aitmukhan said. "I noticed that he was getting tired. I used that moment and snatched the victory. We work hard, but all the success comes from God."

This victory was after five other wrestlers from Kazakhstan had tried to win the elusive Freestyle gold in the country's wrestling history to check out another box. With a Freestyle world champion, Kazakhstan is now without a world champion only in Women's Wrestling.

Aitmukhan's gold medal was also the first for Kazakhstan at the World Championships since Mkhitar MANUKYAN's (KAZ) won the last one in 1999 in Greco-Roman.

"This victory is the biggest in my life," Aitmukhan said. "I’ve been working for it for so many years. I would like to dedicate this win to my country and to my grandmother, she would have been 81 years old today [Monday]. But she passed away 3 years ago. This victory means a lot to me."

Back in 2019, Aitmukhan was the fourth-placer at the World School Combat Games and later won bronze at the U15 Asian Championships. He competed at the U23 Asian Championships as a 17-year-old and won gold at 92kg. Four months later, he was at the U23 World Championships but lost to Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) in the first round and to Feyzulla AKTURK (TUR) in the bronze medal bout. Akturk also defeated him in the bronze medal bout at the 2023 Ibrahim Moustafa Ranking Series.

But as fate would have it, he would return to Astana in April this year, for the Asian Championships and enter the final. The 19-year-old finished with a silver medal against another teenager Arash YOSHIDA (JPN). He stepped on the top of the podium at the U23 Asian Championships before adding bronze at the Budapest Ranking Series. In an agonizing close U20 World Championships final in Amman in August, he finished with a silver medal.

The run in Belgrade saw him beat European champion Akturk 11-0 in the quarterfinals and returning bronze medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) 8-1 in the semifinals.

For a wrestler who began only in 2014, the success meant that he was on the path to achieving something historic. Ironically, he had no liking for the sport as well.

"My dad made me wrestle by force nine years ago," he said. "I didn’t want to train at all, by the he made me do that. And then I liked it. And now, 9 years later I am a world champion, the first one in Kazakh history. I think it’s not a bad result for a 19-year-old."

The losses at the Asian and U20 World Championships fueled Aitmukhan's effort to win the gold in Belgrade.

"In the Asian championships final and in U20 Worlds, there was that moment when I had to push myself. But that wasn’t enough," he said. "This time I felt the same during the match. I realized that if I didn’t do it now, I might not ever get this chance again. So, I tried my hardest and I did it."

Now that one goal is achieved, Rizabek will move to the Olympic weight class of 97kg. 

"We’ve decided that it’s the last world championships in this weight class, next year I’ll move up to the Olympic weight 97kg," he said. "I’ll wrestle for an Olympic spot. I will try to become an Olympic champion."