#WrestleRome

74kg Highlighted by Trio of Top-Five Wrestlers + 20 Total World Medals

By Eric Olanowski

It’s no secret that one of the deepest weight classes in the world is freestyle’s 74kg.

That storyline will follow itself into the Matteo Pellicone, as the weight will feature 13 wrestlers who own a combined six world titles, an Olympic gold and bronze, and 20 total world medals. More importantly, three of the four world-medal winners from the weight’s ’19 World Championships – with the exclusion of reigning two-time world champion, Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) – will be in action in the former Italian port city of Ostia (March 4-7).  

Top-ranked Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) will surely have a bullseye on his back and will be targeted by ’19 world bronze-medal winners, No. 3 Daniyar KAISANOV (KAZ) and No. 4 Jordan BURROUGHS (USA).  

Superstars Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) and Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) could meet for a fifth time at the Matteo Pellicone. The American owns a 3-1 record against the Italian heading into the first Ranking Series event of '21.

But the weight goes much deeper than the trio of top-five ranked competitors. Other wrestlers ranked inside the top-20 heading into the Matteo Pellicone are Puerto Rico’s first-ever four-time Olympian No. 7 Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) and India’s No. 14 Jitender JITENDER (IND). 

Meanwhile, three other guys who have world medals on their resume will be lacing up their boots in Ostia. They are Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ), Yakup GOR (TUR) Jeandry GARZON CABALLERO (CUB). 

Kaipanov, a ’19 world silver medalist at 70kg, is ascending to 74kg for just the third time in his career.  

Gor, who is still looking to build his case as Turkey’s best 74kg option to qualify for Olympic Games, has a pair of world medals on his resume – with his most recent medal coming in ’15.  

Garzon Caballero, the 37-year-old Cuban, is a four-time world medal winner, with his last medal coming in ’10. 

 74kg Entries 
Jeandry GARZON CABALLERO (CUB)

  • ’07 world silver 
  • ’10, ’06 and ‘05 world bronze  

Sandeep Singh MANN (IND) 
Narsingh Pancham YADAV (IND)
No. 14 Jitender JITENDER (IND) 
Mitchell Louis FINESILVER (ISR) 
No. 1 Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA)

  • ’16 Olympic bronze 
  • ’17 and ’15 world gold  
  • ’19 world silver 
  • ’10 world bronze  

No. 3 Daniyar KAISANOV (KAZ) 

  • ’19 world bronze  

Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ)   

  • ’19 world silver  

No. 7 Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) 

  • ’11 world silver  

Malik Michael AMINE (SMR) 
Fazli ERYILMAZ (TUR) 
Yakup GOR (TUR) 

  • ’15 world bronze 
  • ’14 world silver  

No. 4 Jordan BURROUGHS (USA)  

  • ’12 Olympic gold  
  • ’11, ’13, ’15 and ’17 world gold 
  • ’14, ’18 and ’19 world bronze 

#WrestleRome

World Championships, Day 5 semis set

By Vinay Siwach

ROME, Italy (July 29) -- The U17 World Championships enters day five with five freestyle weights. Wrestlers from 48kg, 55kg, 65kg, 80kg and 110kg will take the mat in Rome. Only three returning medalists are entered into the field.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER | DAY 4 WRAP

14:57: The final set of semifinals is at 80kg

Reza SOLEIMANIAN (IRI) vs. Muhammadamin ABDULOEV (TJK)
Sachin MOR (IND) vs. Yehor HOROKH (UKR) 

14:56: The 110kg semifinals are set. An Iran-USA final is on the cards

Koy HOPKE (USA) vs. Khikmatullo KURBONOV (UZB)
Mohammadreza LOTFI (IRI) vs. Levan LAGVILAVA (FRA) 

14:55: Another India-USA clash in the semifinals

Ilyas ISAYEV (AZE) vs. Goga OTINASHVILI (GEO)
ANKIT (IND) vs. Tyler KASAK (USA) 

14:50: The 55kg semifinals

Jannis Valerien REBHOLZ (GER) vs. Daryn ASKERBEK (KAZ)
Jaxen FORREST (USA) vs. Vaibhav PATIL (IND) 

14:35: The 48kg semifinals are set

Lalit KUMAR (IND) vs. Vasif BAGHIROV (AZE)
Rassoul GALBOURAEV (FRA) vs. Christian CASTILLO (USA)

14:33: Vaibhav PATIL (IND) once again with that strong attacking game. He reaches the 55kg semifinal with a 19-8 win over Saba GAMBASHIDZE (GEO).

14:30: Arshia HADDADI (IRI) and Christian CASTILLO (USA) put on a show. Castillo got a takedown and arm-trap to lead 6-0. Haddadi then scores two takedowns to trim it to 6-4. He then has a takedown with 5 seconds left to lead 6-6. Castillo jumps over Haddadi and scores a takedown in the final second to win 8-6

14:20: What a bout! Zalkarbek TABALDIEV (KGZ) and Jaxen FORREST (USA) with some stunning scrambles. Forrest survived a cradle for a pin and then scored takedowns at regular intervals to win 10-6 at 55kg

14:15: A 28-point thriller on Mat B. Sahin ACAR (TUR) led 14-8 with less than 30 seconds remaining but Ergyun SHUKRI (BUL) hit a four and then a takedown to win 14-14 at 55kg

14:00: Down goes European champion at 110kg Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE)Khikmatullo KURBONOV (UZB) kept coming back despite trailing on different occasions. He wins 8-7 and will face Koy HOPKE (USA) as the American defeated Mateusz PUDLOWSKI (POL) 11-2

13:43: Vasif BAGHIROV (AZE) continues his stunning form from the European Championships. He now reaches the 48kg semifinals after beating Ramil RASSIM (KAZ) 11-0. He will face Lalit KUMAR (IND) in the semifinal after the Indian defeated Hayko GASPARYAN (ARM) 3-1 

13:30: Sachin MOR (IND) looks solid in Rome. After beating the European champion, he now takes out bronze medalist Shamistan AKHUNDOV (AZE) 7-0 to reach the 80kg quarterfinals

13:20: Vaibhav PATIL (IND) finished fifth at last year's Worlds. Can he win a medal this year? He begins with a 10-0 win over Illia SHKETYK (UKR) at 55kg.   

13:15: Zalkarbek TABALDIEV (KGZ) had five seconds to beat European champion at 55kg Jamal ABBASOV (AZE). He comes up with a big double leg to score a four-pointer. He wins 12-9

12:55: European champion Ilyas ISAYEV (AZE) vs. Asian champion Alp BEGENJOV (TKM) in the 65kg quarterfinals. Isayev with a takedown but Begenjov adds one as well. It is scored two each and reversal for Begenjov. Isayev leads 4-3. Turkmenistan challenge. It wins the challenge and Begenjov holds the criteria 2-2. Isayev gets on a single and scores a stepout. With 5 seconds remaining, Begenjov tries a head-pinch and gets the exposure but Isayev is holding on to his leg and will be awarded two points. Isayev wins 5-2

12:45: Rematch of the U17 European Championships final at 110kg. Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE) won that final agaisnt Taha TEMEL (TUR) 6-0. It's a little closer than that but Dursunov wins 5-2 in Rome. 

12:35: The USA opens its account with Koy HOPKE (USA) winning against Ramini GULITASHVILI (GEO). Strong display as he wins 14-3 

12:21: Arshia HADDADI (IRI) is up against Azim ABDYKALYKOV (KGZ) at 48kg. Haddadi was called passive but he scores a takedown in the activity period and then leg laces to lead 6-0 at the break. Haddadi adds a takedown to win 8-0

12:20: European champion Ilyas ISAYEV (AZE) wrestling Mohammad MAMIVAND (IRI) in their 65kg opening round bout. Isayev leads 1-0 at the break after Mamivand's passivity. Isayev gets the cradle and exposure for two points. The bout will end 3-0 for Isayev

12:00: Reza SOLEIMANIAN (IRI) with a big result at 80kg. He beats Zackary RYDER (USA) 10-0. Sachin MOR (IND) defeats European champion Alexandru BORS (MDA) 3-0 

11:57: U17 Asian champion Alp BEGENJOV (TKM) begins with a solid 8-1 win against European bronze medalist Narek NIKOGHOSYAN (ARM). He moves into the 65kg 1/8 finals. 

11:50: Some quick bouts at 65kg

Goga OTINASHVILI (GEO) df. Erdal GALIP (BUL), 10-0
Fatih ACAR (TUR) df. Maksat TABYLDYEV (KGZ), 10-0
Akobir RAHIMOV (UZB) df. Serghei CILCIC (MDA), 7-2
Raschid ABAKAROV (AUT) df. Terence Junior ESTERHUIZEN (RSA), via fall

11:30: Welcome to the coverage of U17 World Championships day five from Rome. After the Greco-Roman and women's wrestling, freestyle qualification and semifinals will be decided Friday.