#WrestleRome

Azerbaijan opens Matteo Pellicone with four golds

Wednesday, June 22, 2022 - 18:41 By Eric Olanowski

Share this article

ROME, Italy (June 22) -- Despite the absence of superstars Rafiq HUSEYNOV (AZE) and Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) in the Matteo Pellicone lineup, Azerbaijan's young core of rising stars showed how poised they are to carry the baton when it's ready to be handed over.

Azerbaijan built a commanding 59-point lead over Hungary in the team title race after the opening day of the third Ranking Series event of the season. Murad MAMMADOV (AZE), Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE) and Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) moved into at least the top four of the world rankings, while Islam ABBASOV (AZE) leaped into the top ten by winning gold medals on Wednesday night.

Hungary sits in second place with 69 points, but more importantly, they may have locked in their World Championships roster after the in-country battle at 87kg and 97kg.

In the all-Azeri battle at 60kg, Murad Mammadov used his size to overpower the smaller Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE), who was up from his world and European title-winning weight of 55kg.

Mammadov was creative with his lifts from the par terre position, picking up a four-pointer after earning a mid-period inactivity point. The 2021 world bronze medalist carried that momentum into the second period and exposed Azizli for two points before throwing the former world champ for the 9-1 win.

Mammadov will represent Azerbaijan at the World Championships at 60kg. He came into the Matteo Pellicone ranked fifth in the world, but after collecting 8000 first-place Ranking Series points, he leaped Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) and is now ranked fourth in the world with 48,500 points.

Azizli will now move back to his normal weight of 55kg in preparation for Belgrade.

In the 63kg finals, Taleh Mammadov handed Azerbaijan their second gold medal of the night. The European runner-up upset reigning 60kg world champion Victor CIOBANU (MDA) in a chippy final that featured multiple stoppages due to repeated head butts from both parties.

But in the end, Mammadov picked up the 4-2 win and earned 8000 Ranking Series points. That pushed him ahead of Meysam DALKHANI (IRI) for the No. 2 ranking with 49,200 points. He's now only 800 points shy of stealing the top seed at the World Championships from Georgia's Leri ABULADZE, who has 50,000 points.

The future of Azeri Greco-Roman wrestling, Jafarov cruised to his first Ranking Series gold medal with a blistering 9-0 win over Furkan YILDIZ (TUR). He closed out his Ranking Series debut by outscoring his four opponents, 34-3.

In the final, Jafarov, last year's U20 and U23 world champion, scored four points in the first period after stopping a Yildiz headlock and then transitioned into a correct throw. The up-and-comer only needed 32 seconds in the second period to toss Yildiz to his back for the easy 9-0 win.

Jafarov came into the Matteo Pellicone with 36,500 points and was ranked sixth in the world at 67kg. However, he earned 8,000 points for his gold medal and jumped Nazir ABDULLAEV (RWF), Murat FIRAT (TUR) and Parviz NASIBOV (UKR) to be ranked No. 3 in the world with 44,500 points.

Islam Abbasov was the fourth Azeri wrestler who claimed gold on the first day of wrestling.

In the anticlimactic 87kg gold medal match, Abbasov traded inactivity points with Erik SZILVASSY (HUN), but his second-period inactivity was the difference in the finals.

Abbasov had 22,900 points before the competition, but after collecting 11,000 points on Wednesday, he now has 33,900. That's good enough to push him up to No. 9 in the world rankings.

Riza KAYAALP (TUR) celebrates winning his third career Ranking Series title. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Kayaalp's golden return

With his daughter and wife on hand in Italy, Riza KAYAALP (TUR) returned to the mat after dealing with personal matters and improved on his bronze-medal Ranking Series finish from earlier this year. The Turkish big man picked up a four-point shutout win over Rio Olympic bronze medalist Sabah SHARIATI (AZE).

Kayaalp grabbed up a stepout point after being handed an inactivity point with 40 seconds left in the first period. Then, the four-time world champ tacked on two additional points with a reverse lift and carried the 4-0 lead into the second period.

After a scoreless second frame, Kayaalp hung on to the four-point win and claimed the third Ranking Series title of his career.

Now, the question that begs to be answered: what will Turkey do at 130kg for the Belgrade World Championships? Their first option, most would think, would be Kayaalp. But Osman YILDIRIM (TUR) is undefeated in the season, with a pair of 2022 Ranking Series titles to his name. Not to mention, Yildirim won gold at the Yasar Dogu, where Kayaalp fell in the semifinals and fought back to win a bronze medal.

David LOSONCZI (HUN) celebrates claiming the 97kg Matteo Pellicone gold medal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Hungary's world spots nearly determined

Coming into the Matteo Pellicone, Hungary entered multiple guys into 87kg and 97kg, hoping it would help the Federation determine their world team roster.

David LOSONCZI (HUN) may have locked himself into the Hungarian lineup at 97kg after winning gold in Rome.

In a reasonably slow 97kg finals match, Losonczi hung on to beat Italy's own Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA), 2-1. The determining factor in the gold-medal match was Losonczi's push-out in the first period after trading inactivity points with Kakhelashvili.

Losonczi came to Italy fighting with Alex SZOKE (HUN) for the start spot. 

Szoke lost to Kakhelashvili in the semifinals, and with Losonczi's win against the Italian, he's almost a shoo-in for the World Championships at 97kg.

Another weight Hungary was looking for clarification on was 87kg, where Szilvassy, Istvan TAKACS (HUN) and Tamas LEVAI (HUN) were in a tight race.

Szilvassy proved to be Hungary's top option after finishing in second place and beating Levai en route to the finals. 

Takacs and Levai fought back and won bronze medals despite falling in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.

Hosseinvand wins 55kg

In the three-man 55kg Nordic-style bracket, Mohammad HOSSEINVAND (IRI) picked up the gold medal with his 11-7 come-from-behind win over Florin TITA (ROU). 

Panahisani showed his never-say-die Iranian attitude against the Romanian in their opening-round match. He was in jeopardy of giving up the technical superiority after falling behind 7-0 in the first period. But in the second period, the Iranian stormed back to score 11 unanswered points and win his first Ranking Series title.

RESULTS
50kg
GOLD - Mohammad HOSSEINVAND (IRI) 
SILVER -  Florin TITA (ROU) 
BRONZE - Max NOWRY (USA) 

60kg
GOLD - Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE), 9-1
BRONZE - Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) df. Helary MAEGISALU (EST),10-0

63kg
GOLD - Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Victor CIOBANU (MDA), 4-2
BRONZE -  Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) df. Justas PETRAVICIUS (LTU), via inj. def.

67kg
GOLD - Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) df. Furkan YILDIZ (TUR), 9-0
BRONZE - Mohammad REZAEI (IRI) df. Niklas OEHLEN (SWE), 7-2
BRONZE - Tigran GALUSTYAN (FRA) df. Mihai MIHUT (ROU), 3-1

87kg
GOLD - Islam ABBASOV (AZE) df. Erik SZILVASSY (HUN), 1-1
BRONZE - Istvan TAKACS (HUN) df. Alex KESSIDIS (SWE), via inj. def.
BRONZE - Tamas LEVAI (HUN) df. Kristoffer BERG (SWE), 9-1

97kg
GOLD - David LOSONCZI (HUN) df. Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA), 2-1
BRONZE - Alex SZOKE (HUN) df. Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI), 7-4
BRONZE - Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) df. Aleksandar STJEPANETIC (SWE), 8-0

130kg
GOLD - Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Sabah SHARIATI (AZE), 4-0
​​​​​​​BRONZE - Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU) df. Oskar MARVIK (NOR), 6-3
BRONZE - Beka KANDELAKI (AZE) df. Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA), 4-2

#JapanWrestling

Tokyo Olympic champ Otoguro calls it a career at 26

Sunday, April 6, 2025 - 14:27 By Ken Marantz

Share this article

TOKYO (April 6) -- Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Takuto OTOGURO (JPN), whose dynamic moves and fierce tenacity thrilled fans around the world, suddenly announced his retirement, bringing down the curtain on a short but glory-filled career also plagued by injuries.

"Some may be surprised by this sudden announcement, but I have decided to retire as a wrestler," the 26-year-old Otoguro wrote on Instagram on Friday that included an English translation. "I discovered wrestling and became obsessed with it, and [was] loved and supported so much that it was a happy wrestling life."

Otoguro, who still remains Japan's youngest-ever male world champion for the freestyle 65kg gold he won in 2018, said he feels no uneasiness about leaving the mat, while adding a cryptic message about how the sport lost some of its shine for him.

"I have no regrets, because I was able to play the wrestling I love until I started to hate it," Otoguro wrote.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Takuto Otoguro (@01096taku)

It seems that being unable to defend his Olympic title at the 2024 Paris Games likely swayed his decision. First, he was hampered by a lingering foot injury and failed to secure Japan's quota at 65kg at the 2023 World Championships. Then he lost out in the domestic qualifying process to eventual gold medalist Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN).

As it turned out, the 6-6 loss to Kiyooka in the semifinals at the All-Japan Championships in December 2023 would prove to be Otoguro's final match. There was no symbolic leaving of the shoes on the mat at the time.

In stepping away, Otoguro paid tribute to all those who helped him achieve his success, while expressing his gratitude for putting up with his self-acknowledged stubbornness.

"My family, coaches, trainers, fellow wrestlers, and everyone who supported me and cheered me on," Otoguro wrote. "I can't mention all of their names, but I think I was a crazy and difficult wrestler to deal with. Thank you for believing in me and supporting me."

Otoguro won gold and bronze medals in three appearances at the cadet (U17) worlds, but gained widespread global notoriety with his dazzling performance at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest.

Otoguro overcame an ankle injury to notch a 16-9 victory over Bajrang PUNIA (IND) in a wild, freewheeling final that was selected as UWW's Freestyle Match of the Year  -- overshadowing his 15-10 come-from-behind win in the semifinals over Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS).  He was also chosen as the Breakout Performer of the Year.

That made him, at 19 years 10 months, Japan's youngest-ever male world gold medalist, breaking the previous record held by 1976 Olympic gold medalist Yuji TAKADA (JPN), his head coach at Yamanashi Gakuin University.

Otoguro, who won back-to-back titles at the Asian Championships in 2020 and 2021, hit the pinnacle of his career at the Tokyo Olympics. He defeated in succession Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), avenging a loss in the bronze-medal match at the 2019 worlds; Gadshimurad RASHIDOV (ROC), the 2019 world champion; and Haji ALIEV (AZE), a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and former world champion.

Otoguro started wrestling at age 4, following older brother Keisuke into the wrestling club coached by their father. He found success early, winning five straight national titles for his elementary school age group from second to sixth grades.

In a 2019 interview with The Japan News, Otoguro recalled the battles he and Keisuke had in their home, and how it laid the foundation for his future success.  "We would break windows, and open holes in the wall," he said, his soft-spoken, reserved nature contrasting with his aggressive style on the mat. "It would escalate from wrestling into fighting. It made us both better. It was the best way."

Otoguro opted to leave their home in Yamanashi Prefecture after elementary school to enroll in the JOC Elite Academy in Tokyo. He won the national junior high school title, then became the fourth wrestler in history to win the national Inter-High tournament for three consecutive years.

For university, Otoguro returned to his home prefecture to attend Yamanashi Gakuin, where his practice partners included 2017 world 57kg champion Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) and world 70kg bronze medalist Yuji FUJINAMI (JPN), the older brother Paris women's gold medalist Akari FUJINAMI (JPN).

"Of course he works hard, but what I am most envious about him is his total preparation for matches," Takahashi was quoted as saying by The Japan News. "He knows no fear. He is really remarkable."

Early in his freshman year, Otoguro suffered his first major injury, a torn cruciate ligament in the knee, that kept him off the mat for about a year. But he came back in the fall of 2017 and, at that year's All-Japan, defeated 2016 Rio Olympics 57kg silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) for the first of three national titles.

Upon graduation, Otoguro followed Keisuke again, this time to the Japan Self-Defense Forces' Physical Training School team. He has not indicated what he plans to do in the future.

"To everyone who loved my wrestling: I feel a little lonely, but this is farewell as a wrestler. I hope that the wrestling world moves in a positive direction in the future."