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

Thursday, February 25, 2021 - 16:10 By Eric Olanowski

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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 

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Chamizo and Gazimagomedov to Collide in Sunday's European Finals

Saturday, February 15, 2020 - 17:49 By Eric Olanowski

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ROME, Italy (February 15) --- Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) and Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) will collide in a colossal matchup of two-time world champions on Sunday night for the 74kg European title. 

Chamizo, the 2015 and ’17 world champion, started his day off with a 6-5 win over fellow Rio Olympic bronze medalist, Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR). The pair combined to score ten points in the first period, but Chamizo’s three takedowns trumped Demirtas’ two takedowns, as the Italian won, 6-4.

In his second match, Chamizo tossed Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE) with a picturesque throw and moved into the quarterfinals with a fall over the young Azeri. 

In the quarterfinals, he shutout Valentin BORZIN (MDA), 8-0, setting up a semifinals matchup against Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN). Chamizo blanked the Hungarian, 6-0, and will wrestle in the European finals for the fifth time in his career. He’s 3-1 in his previous four trips to the finals and hasn’t dropped a gold-medal match since losing to Olympic champion Togrul ASGAROV (AZE) in the 2015 European Games finals. 

Chamizo will wrestle Gazimagomedov for the second time in their career and first since the 2017 Ali Aliev Tournament, where he won, 11-5. 

Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) finishes a shot against Stefanov KIROV (BUL) in the semifinals. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

Gazimagomedov, the 2015 and ’18 world champion, won three matches on Saturday. His top win came in the quarterfinals when he grabbed the 9-2 victory over 2018 world runner-up Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO). Gazimagomedov’s other Saturday wins came against Jonatan ALVAREZ DIAZ (ESP) and Miroslav Stefanov KIROV (BUL). He defeated his Spanish opponent, 10-0, then downed his Bulgarian foe, 11-0.

Gazimagomedov, who replaced Russia's other two-time world champion Zaubek SIDAKOV (RUS), is wrestling in his second European finals. His lone appearance was in 2015, where he capped off the European Games with a win over Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL). 

Myles AMINE (SMR) is the first wrestler from San Marino to wrestle in the European finals. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Amine and Scherrer Lock up Finals Berth, Eyeing History 
Myles AMINE (SMR) and Samuel SCHERRER (SUI) cemented their spots in the European finals are on the verge of rewriting a page in their nation’s freestyle history books. 

Amine became the first wrestler from San Marino to reach the European finals, while Scherrer locked up Switzerland’s first trip to the continental gold-medal match in 74 years.  

At 86kg, Myles AMINE (SMR) edged Rasul TSIKHAYEU (BLR), 2-1, in the semifinals, and continued his streak of making history for San Marino. Last year, Amine finished in fifth place at the World Championships – becoming the first athlete from San Marino to qualify for the Olympic Games. He also won a bronze medal at the European Games, which was a first for his country.

Amine will wrestle Artur NAIFONOV (RUS) in a rematch of the bronze-medal bout from last year’s World Championships. Naifonov won that meeting, 6-0. 

Naifonov outscored his four Saturday opponents 21-2 and capped off his finals run with a 3-0 win over 2017 world silver medalist Boris MAKOEV (SVK). 

Samuel SCHERRER (SUI) became the first Swiss freestyle wrestler to reach the European finals since 1946.  (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Scherrer shutout Marzpet GALSTYAN (ARM), 6-0, in the semifinals and became the first Swiss wrestler to reach the European finals since Willy LARDON’S (SUI) trip to the 1946 European finals in Stockholm, Sweden. 

Scherrer will square off with Turkey’s Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR) for a shot at becoming the first Swiss wrestler to win European gold since Karl HEGGLIN (SUI) won gold at the 1935 European Championships in Brussels, Belgium. 

Karadeniz pancaked Irakli MTSITURI (GEO) to his back for the fall while holding a one-point lead with a short time left in the closing period. He’ll wrestle in the European finals for the first time in career. 

Aleksandr BOGOMOEV (RUS) celebrates his win over reigning champion Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM). (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Bogomoev Ends Harutyunyan’s Quest to Repeat as European Champion
Aleksandr BOGOMOEV (RUS) scored a dramatic takedown with five seconds left over Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), ending the young Armenian’s quest at repeating as European champion. 

Bogomoev hip tossed Harutyunyan in the first period and led 4-0. But the Russian surrendered six unanswered points and trailed by two points with under ten seconds left. Bogomoev fired off a late attack and scored the go-ahead takedown with under five seconds left, stopping the potential rematch between Harutyunyan and Beka LOMTADZE (GEO). 

Bogomoev will go toe-to-toe with the Georgian reigning world champion, Lomtadze, for the 61kg gold medal. 

Lomtadze earned his finals berth with a close 2-1 victory over Intigam VALIZADA (AZE). He fell behind 1-0 but scored two second-period points and claimed the one-point win. Lomtadze returns to the European finals for the fourth time in his career but is 0-3 in those appearances.

Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) smirks after reaching the 125kg European finals. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Petriashvili Moves into European Finals for the Fourth Time
Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) handled Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR), 6-2, in the semifinals, and locked up his fourth trip to the European finals. Petriashvili is 1-2 in his three trips to the European finals, and despite being the reigning three-time world champion, he hasn't won European gold since 2016.

He'll wrestle Poland’s Robert BARAN in the 125kg finals. Their Sunday matchup will be a rematch of the 2016 European finals, which was won by Petriashvili.

Baran blasted Levan BERIANIDZE (ARM), 9-0, in their semifinals meeting and will wrestle for European gold for the second time in his career. 

The final session of wrestling at the European Championships begins at 18:00 (local time) and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org. 

RESULTS 
61kg
GOLD - Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) vs. Aleksandr BOGOMOEV (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) df. Intigam VALIZADA (AZE), 5-1 
SEMIFINAL - Aleksandr BOGOMOEV (RUS) df. Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), 6-4 

74kg 
GOLD - Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) vs. Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA)
SEMIFINAL - Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Miroslav KIROV (BUL), 11-0 
SEMIFINAL - Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) df. Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN), 6-0 

86kg
GOLD - Artur NAIFONOV (RUS) vs. Myles AMINE (SMR)
SEMIFINAL - Artur NAIFONOV (RUS) df. Boris MAKOEV (SVK), 3-0 
SEMIFINAL - Myles Nazem AMINE (SMR) df. Rasul TSIKHAYEU (BLR), 2-1 

92kg
GOLD - Samuel SCHERRER (SUI) vs. Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR)
SEMIFINAL - Samuel SCHERRER (SUI) df. Marzpet GALSTYAN (ARM), 6-0 
SEMIFINAL - Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR) df. Irakli MTSITURI (GEO), via fall 

125kg
GOLD - Robert BARAN (POL) vs. Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)
SEMIFINAL - Robert BARAN (POL) df. Levan BERIANIDZE (ARM), 9-0 
SEMIFINAL - Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) df. Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR), 7-2