#WrestleDortmund

Bayramov Bulldozes Way to Second Junior Euro Title

By Eric Olanowski

DORTMUND, Germany (June 29) --- Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) bulldozed his way to a second junior European title, while Polat POLATCI (TUR) ascended to the top of the junior European podium by pinning Ali ALIEV (RUS) after trailing by nine points in the 97kg finals.

Bayramov, the ’19 U23 world champion, blanked all of his opponents en route to the 70kg title. Heading into Tuesday’s finals, he outscored his three opponents 26-0, and after shutting out Stanislav NOVAC (MDA) 7-0 in the finals, stretched that clean sheet to 35-0.

Bayramov’s win in Dortmund on Tuesday marked the third time the Azeri claimed European gold. He also won a cadet title in ’18 and a junior title in ’19.

Turkey’s Polatci closed out the day with an unbelievable comeback performance. He trailed 13-4 against Ali Aliev in the second period of the 97kg finals when he stopped a lazy Russian gut wrench attempt and scored the fall.

Meanwhile, Russia reeled in three gold medals and a silver medal and lead Turkey by 26 points heading into the final day of freestyle wrestling at the Junior European Championships.

Ukraine (53 points), Georgia (52 points) and Azerbaijan (47 points) round of the top five in the team score after Tuesday’s action.

Thanks to gold-medal performances by Said KHUNKEROV (RUS), Turpal Ali KHATUEV (RUS) and Rasul ASLUEV (RUS), and Aliev winning silver, Russia has a comfortable lead heading into Wednesday’s final day of freestyle action.

At 57kg, Khunkerov muscled his way to an 8-2 win over Khndzrtsyan in the finals. The Russian capitalized on two takedowns in each period and won gold, 8-2.

Khatuev walked his way to the 65kg gold medal. After the first period, he led 6-0 from a pair of takedowns and a leg lace. A right-sided sweep single leg put the Russian up 8-0 late in the second period. He conceded a late step out, but ultimately picked up a second gold of the night for Russia with the 8-1 victory.

Although it was lackluster, Asluev won Russia’s third gold of the day with a 3-1 win over Greece’s Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE). He scored an inactivity point, step out and failed challenge as time expired and bagged 79kg gold.

Wrestling at the Junior European Championships resumes on Wednesday at 11:30 (local time) and can be followed on www.uww.org.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD - Said KHUNKEROV (RUS) vs. Manvel KHNDZRTSYAN (ARM), 8-2
BRONZE - Giorgi GEGELASHVILI (GEO) vs. Ahmet KARAVUS (TUR), 11-0
BRONZE - Thomas EPP (SUI) df. Ioannis MARTIDIS (GRE), 1-1

65kg
GOLD - Turpal Ali KHATUEV (RUS) df. Mykyta HONCHAROV (UKR), 8-1
BRONZE - Giorgi TCHOLADZE (GEO) df. Sabir JAFAROV (AZE), 7-4
BRONZE - Ayub Muratovitch MUSAEV (BEL) df. Marcell BUDAI KOVACS (HUN), 12-8

70kg
GOLD - Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) vs. Stanislav NOVAC (MDA), 7-0
BRONZE - Narek HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) df. Davit PATSINASHVILI (GEO), 7-6
BRONZE - Mevlut OZDEMIR (TUR) df. Viktor VOINOVIC (SRB), 8-4

79kg
GOLD - Rasul ASLUEV (RUS) df. Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE), 3-1
BRONZE - smail KUCUKSOLAK (TUR) df. Otari ADEISHVILI (GEO), 10-7
BRONZE - Richard SCHROEDER (GER) vdf Viktor KRUPA (UKR), 2-1

97kg
GOLD - Polat POLATCI (TUR) df. Ali ALIEV (RUS), via fall
BRONZE - Danylo STASIUK (UKR) df. Yusuf SENYIGIT (GER), 10-0
BRONZE - Milan Andras KORCSOG (HUN) df. Alexandru BESLIU (ROU), 11-0

#UWWAwards

UWW's top ranked wrestlers in 30 weight classes

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 15) -- United World Wrestling has announced the top ranked wrestlers for 2025 in all 30 weight classes. The ranks of these wrestlers are defined by the ranking points achieved at the 2025 World Championships, Continental Championships and the four Ranking Series.

Here's the list of top wrestlers, according to UWW rankings, in all the weight classes:

Freestyle

The United States has three wrestlers who finished as the top ranked wrestlers in the weight classes. World champs Zahid VALENCIA (USA) at 86kg, Trent HIDLAY (USA) at 92kg and Kyle SNYDER (USA) at 97kg are ranked one.

Bahrain has two wrestlers finishing as ranked one -- Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN) at 79kg and Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) at 125kg.

World champion at 57kg Chongsong HAN (PRK) finished first and so did 61kg world champion Zavur UGUEV (UWW).

Iran, Japan and Slovakia also had one highest ranked wrestler as well with world champion Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) at 65kg and Yoshinosuke AOYAG (JPN) at 70kg. World bronze medalist Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) finished top at 79kg.

57kg - Chongsong HAN (PRK)
61kg - Zavur UGUEV (UWW)
65kg - Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI)
70kg - Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN)
74kg - Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK)
79kg - Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN)
86kg - Zahid VALENCIA (USA)
92kg - Trent HIDLAY (USA)
97kg - Kyle SNYDER (USA)
125kg - Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN)

Women's Wrestling

Best women's wrestling country, Japan, finished with three number one ranked wrestlers. Sakura ONISHI (JPN) at 59kg, Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) at 65kg and Ami ISHII (JPN) at 68kg, all world champs, are all ranked number one.

Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) is at the top at 57kg for Turkiye, ANTIM (IND) ranked topped at 53kg, Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) finished best at 55kg, Helen MAROULIS (USA) at 57kg and Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) at 62kg.

Ukraine's got on the list as well with world champion Alla BELINSKA (UKR) ranked number one at 72kg. World silver medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) finished as best wrestler at 76kg. 

50kg - Evin DEMIRHAN YAVUZ (TUR)
53kg - ANTIM (IND)
55kg - Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW)
57kg - Helen MAROULIS (USA)
59kg - Sakura ONISHI (JPN)
62kg - Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL)
65kg - Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN)
68kg - Ami ISHII (JPN)
72kg - Alla BELINSKA (UKR)
76kg - Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)

Greco-Roman

Uzbekistan emerged as the best country in Greco-Roman with three top ranked wrestlers. World champion Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) at 63kg, Alisher GANIEV (UZB) at 60kg and Abdullo ALIEV (UZB) at 72kg were best.

Georgia and Hungary got two wrestlers each at the top. World champion Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) earned himself the top rank at 55kg while Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) is at 82kg. For Hungary, Alex SZOKE (HUN) at 97kg and Darius VITEK (HUN) at 130kg earned the top rank.

Iran, Turkiye and Serbia earned one spots each at the top of the ranking. Olympic and world champion Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) became the top ranked wrestler at 67kg, Ahmed YILMAZ (TUR) at 72kg and world champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) at 87kg.

55kg - Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO)
60kg - Alisher GANIEV (UZB)
63kg - Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB)
67kg - Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI)
72kg - Abdullo ALIEV (UZB)
77kg - Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR)
82kg - Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO)
87kg - Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB)
97kg - Alex SZOKE (HUN)
130kg - Darius VITEK (HUN)

Each of the top ranked wrestlers in their respective weight classes will receive Swiss Francs (CHF) 5,000.