#WrestleBudapest

Belarus Crowns Three Champs, Armenia’s Tevanyan Keeps Hot Streak Alive

By Eric Olanowski

BUDAPEST, Hungary (March 19) --- Belarus crowned three freestyle champions at the European Olympic Qualifier, while Armenia’s Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) kept his hot streak alive and proved his serious contender to leave the Tokyo Olympic Games with gold around his neck.

Yesterday, Ali SHABANAU (BLR), Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR) and Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (BLR) bagged Olympic berths for Belarus, and today, they capped off the competition with golds at 86kg, 97kg, and 125kg, respectively.

Shabanau, the four-time world medal-winner, controlled his 86kg gold-medal match against Osman GOCEN (TUR with his patented left-side underhook. He stayed patient and calculated with his attacks off that hook, using it to pick up three takedowns in the finals, and after a lost Turkish challenge, he walked away with a 7-0 win and the 86kg gold medal.

At 97kg, Hushtyn had a fairly even battle with Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR) but came up clutch with a short-time takedown to win back-to-back golds for Belarus. He defeated the Turkish wrestler, 5-4.

Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (BLR) was Belarus' third champion on the day. He was awarded the 125kg title after his final opponenet Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER) injury defaulted out of the title bout.

Meanwhile, Tevanayn turned heads again and continued to prove that he’s a true threat to leave Tokyo with Olympic gold.

He stunned three-time world champion Haji ALIYEV 9-0 in the 65kg finals.

Since December, he has wins over Olympic champion Vlad KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO), world bronze medalist Ismail MUSUKAEV (HUN), two-time world medalist Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL), and now three-time world champion Aliyev.

Tevanayn was on the inactivity clock in the second period when he blew the doors on the match wide open. He snapped Aliyev down for a takedown and caught the Azeri's left arm in a trapped arm gut wrench. He rolled twice to his left with that trapped arm gut and led 7-0 before closing the match out with one final takedown to claim gold, 9-0.

Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) also claimed gold for Armenia on Friday night.

In the 57kg finals, Harutyunyan scored a takedown with a textbook head outside single and carried the one-point lead into the second period. The 21-year-old built a comfortable 8-1 lead after a counter-offensive go behind and a pair of below the hip exposures. Harutyunyan’s Bulgarian opponenet tried everything he could to close the gap, but the Armenian took the safe route out, conceding a late takedown and bellying out.  Harutyunyan won the match 8-3.

The final gold medal of the day went to Georgia's '18 world runner-up Avtandil KENTCHADZE. His 74kg finals opponent Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE) injury defeated out of the finals, giving the Georgian the final freestyle gold of the competition.

RESULTS
 

57kg
GOLD - Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) df. Georgi Valentinov VANGELOV (BUL), 8-3
BRONZE - Andrii YATSENKO (UKR) df. Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO), via injury default
BRONZE - Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE) df. Petru CRACIUN (MDA), via forfeit

65kg
GOLD - Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) df. Haji ALIYEV (AZE), 9-0
BRONZE - Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) df. Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL), via injury default
BRONZE - Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR) df. Maxim SACULTAN (MDA), 5-3

74kg

GOLD - Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) df. Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE), via injury default
BRONZE - Maxim VASILIOGLO (ROU) df. Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN), 8-6 BRONZE - Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) df. Ali Pasha Ruslanovich UMARPASHAEV (BUL), 4-2

86kg
GOLD - Ali SHABANAU (BLR) df. Osman GOCEN (TUR), 7-0
BRONZE - Boris MAKOEV (SVK) df. Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE), 7-5
BRONZE - Piotr IANULOV (MDA) df. Akhmed Adamovitch MAGAMAEV (BUL), 4-4

97kg
Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR) df. Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR), 4-3
Erik Sven THIELE (GER) df. Albert SARITOV (ROU), 4-3
Abraham de Jesus CONYEDO RUANO (ITA) df. Ahmed Sultanovich BATAEV (BUL), 3-0

125kg
Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (BLR) df. Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER) , via injury default
Shamil SHARIPOV (RUS) df. Johannes LUDESCHER (AUT), 8-0
Jamaladdin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) df. Paris KAREPI (ALB), 11-0

 

#WrestleBudapest

Higuchi, Kiyooka reach finals at Budapest Ranking Series

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (June 6) -- The final Ranking Series before the Olympics kicks off in Budapest. Seven weight classes in Freestyle will be in action with top wrestlers in all the weight categories. The ranking, and ultimately the seeds for the Olympics will be determined after this Ranking Series.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER

13:25: Abbas EBRAHIMZADEH (IRI) blanks Haji ALIYEV (AZE) 6-0 in the 65kg semifinal. Top win for the Iran wrestler who will now wrestle Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) for the gold medal. Kiyooka defended well against a storming Austin GOMEZ (MEX) in the second period to win 12-6.

13:00: AMAN (IND) moves into the final of the 57kg after a 14-4 technical superiority win over Aryan TSIUTRYN (AIN). He will wrestle world silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) for the gold medal. Higuchi was in all sorts of trouble in his semifinal against Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE) when the Azerbaijan wrestler used a high chest wrap to lead 8-0. But Higuchi managed to defend the last turn. He scores a takedown and uses a gut wrench to finish the bout 18-8 inside the first period.

12:45: An upset from Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) as he pins Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) in the 125kg final. Petriashvili looks in some trouble with his elbow and has called for a medical timeout. But the pin takes him out of the final. 

12:40: Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) with a stunning late exposure takedown to beat Abolfazl BABALOO (IRI) 3-2 and enter the 97kg final. On Mat C, the 92kg world champion Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) looked like entering the final when he led 5-0 against Magomedkhan MAGOMEDGOV (AZE) but the Azerbaijani world silver medalist came back to beat him 15-7.

12:30: Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) with a fall over Nahshon GARRETT (USA) after building a 10-1 lead in the 61kg semifinal. He will wrestle the winner of Shahdad Ali KHOSRAVI (IRI) and Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) for the gold medal.

12:15: That will sting Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) for some time. Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE) pins Abdullaev in the 57kg quarterfinal and sets up a semifinal against Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) who defeated Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ) 11-0 in the quarterfinal.

12:12: Haji ALIYEV (AZE) cannot find a way past Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) at 65kg! After building a 4-1 lead at the break, he hits a huge four-pointer on Aliyev to steer clear and win 9-3.

12:00: Mason PARRIS (USA) was checked by Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) on different occasions but Parris won the 125kg bout 9-2. The Georgian, who qualified for the Paris Olympics at 97kg, is wrestling at 125kg in this Ranking Series.

11:45: Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), who got a walkover in his first bout, works to a technical superiority win over Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (AIN) at 125kg. Moments later, at 57kg, AMAN (IND) rolls to an 11-1 win over Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO)

11:35: World champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) drops his Round 2 bout! Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) scores three technical points to lead 3-0 but Muszukajev's takedown cuts the lead to 3-2 with 30 seconds left on the clock. Kiyooka defends well and hits a counter takedown in the end, adding lace to win 7-2.  

11:27: Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) does not show up for his Round 2 bout against Haji ALIYEV (AZE) at 65kg. A big result for Aliyev who is now poised to finish at the top of group A.

11:25: Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) dominates Giorgi GONIASHVILI (GEO) at 61kg and wins 18-5 to advance. Harutyunyan will come down to 57kg for the Paris Olympics.

11:20: Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), wrestling at 70kg instead of his preferred 65kg, rolls to an 11-0 victory at Alibek OSMONOV (KGZ). The ranking points won at 70kg will not be added to the ranking points of Tevanyan at 65kg.

11:15: Paris-bound wrestler Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) comes back from a 2-0 deficit to beat Ali Hossein MOMENIJOUJADEH (IRI) 6-2 at 57kg. He will wrestle Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE) in the quarterfinals.

11:00: Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM) with a top 9-2 win over Evan HENDERSON (USA) at 70kg. The Armenian controlled the bout throughout for the win. 

10:50: World champion Iszmail MUSZUKAKEV (HUN), wrestling for the first time since winning the World Championships, begins with a solid 6-2 win over Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB). He keeps it under control despite many attacks from Jalolov.

10:45: Haji ALIYEV (AZE) vs Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) felt like a long bout! Aliyev got a 1-0 lead at the break for Kiyooka's inactivity. Kiyooka got one point in the second period but Aliyev scored a counter just after the clock expired to lead 3-1. A stepout for Kiyooka with 17 seconds left on the clock. He needed a takedown to win and tried for one but Aliyev bodylocked for a takedown to win 5-2.

10:35: Austin GOMEZ (MEX), qualified for the Olympic Games at 65kg, begins with a 10-0 rout of Gyoergy SZILAGYI (HUN). The 65kg wrestlers are drawn in round-robin and will be wrestling again.

10:30: The first bouts in Budapest are crazy. Austin GOMEZ (MEX) is on Mat C but on Mat B, it's world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) against Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) and on Mat C, it's Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) vs Haji ALIYEV (AZE).