#WrestleAlmaty

Bolat Turlykhanov Cup day three finals set

By Vinay Siwach

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (June 4) -- Freestyle begins at the Bolat Turlykhanov Cup Ranking Series event in Almaty along with the remaining six weight classes of women's wrestling.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

13:00: The finals for the night.

WW 50kg: Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL) vs Jasmina IMMAEVA (UZB)
WW 53kg: Zhuldyz ESHIMOVA (KAZ) vs Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL)
FS 97kg: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) vs Batyrbek TCAKULOV (SVK)
WW 55kg: Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) vs Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB)
WW 59kg: Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) vs Sarita MOR (IND)
FS 125kg: Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) vs Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ)
WW 65kg: Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) vs MANISHA (IND)
WW 72kg: BIPASHA (IND) vs Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)

12:50: At 97kg, Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) and Batyrbek TCAKULOV (SVK) fighting for a spot in the semifinal. Tcakulov with a quick takedown and two exposures. He then gets a cradle and secures the fall. Tcakulov is a U23 World silver medalist and even a senior Russian champion at 92kg. He switched to Slovakia and won a bronze at the European Championships this year.

12:45: Olympic bronze medalist Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) gave up four points in the first period against Leyla GURBANOVA (AZE) but she works her way back to pick a fall at 53kg and enter the final.

12:30: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) worked his way to a big win over Mukhammadrasul RAKHIMOV (UZB). He did give up two takedowns but continued working with pressure and won 15-4.

12:20: World champion Amir ZARE (IRI) against world bronze medalist Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL). Slow start to the bout as Munkhtur is called passive. Zare leads 1-0. Munkhtur is called for a second passive in the second period. He trails 2-0 now. Zare tries to get his takedown but only manages a stepout. He leads 3-0 and wins with the same scoreline.

12:00: We are beginning with the semifinals in a short while. Big matches all around.

11:45: World bronze medalist Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) had a tough time navigating Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) at 125kg. He led 3-0 but Yergali scored a takedown and almost had another point for the win. But Munkhtur holds on.

11:30: Sarita MOR (IND) looks in top form. She wins 11-0 against Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ) to book her spot in the semifinals at 59kg. She will be looking to move on from her bronze medal finish at the Asian Championships

11:25: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) and Akezhan AITBEKOV (KAZ) were involved in a fierce battle. Firouzpour is moving up to 97kg from 92kg for the first time. Aitbekov had a 3-1 lead but Firouzpour manages to crawl back and win 8-3. Not the perfect bout for him but he will take it.

11:10: Tokyo Olympian Elis MANALOVA (AZE) is in top form here. She has leg laced her way to the semifinals. She first defeated MANISHA (IND) and then Dinora RUSTAMOVA (UZB) in the same fashion

11:00: Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) begins her quest at the home Ranking Series event with a 10-0 win against Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB) at 72kg.

10:50: Amir ZARE (IRI) led 6-0 but Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ) comes up with a takedown and then a four-point move to tie it 6-6. A reversal and takedown gave Zare a 9-7 win.

10:30: Welcome to the third day of the Ranking Series here in Almaty. With a sudden change of weather, it's windy and rainy here. 

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open Best Move: Blades Suplex

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (February 14) -- Kennedy BLADES (USA) is making the suplex her own. After thrilling a packed Champs de Mars Arena with a majestic suplex at the Paris Olympics, the 21-year-old star began her 2025 season with two of them at the Zagreb Open last week.

"When I get behind, in my mind, I am like I have to execute this because it's so rare to hit a suplex," Blades said in Zagreb. "So every time I get behind in matches or big stages, I try to hit the suplex. I want to do it at the world stage because I know it will be on the highlights."

At the Zagreb Open, Blades was at 68kg, two weight classes down from 76kg, in which she won the silver medal at the Paris Games. She debuted at 68kg with a fall over Kendra DACHER (FRA) and another fall over world bronze medalist Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE).

The first glimpse of her suplex in the match against Noémi SZABADOS (HUN). Close to a minute had gone in the bout when Blades used her reach for a outside single-leg. Instead of going for a takedown, she stood up and locked Szabados from behind and out came the throw.

However, the perfect arch was missing and it was awarded four points.

Blades wasn't satisfied. In Round 5 and leading 7-0, Blades countered Karolina POK (HUN) in a perfect set up for a suplex. Pok made a half-hearted attempt for a headlock but Blades snuck out and moved behind.

Pok knew it was coming. She did not resist and Blades did not relent. A picture-perfect arch, a beautiful throw, safe landing and a cheeky smile at the end. Blades was content.

"I just feel like when someone gets a headlock, they probably have to throw it really hard because growing up, I used to wrestle Greco in the summer," she said. "So my coach always taught us how to set up the suplex if they grab your head for a headlock and they don't go. When someone gets in a headlock position and they don't go super hard, then the suplex is there. If I would ever be in that position, I just go flat because I know that they can probably throw me. "

While it has become relatively easy for Blades to throw her opponents at 68kg, she still needs to tackle their speed and movement.

"I think at 68kg, the girls just feel lighter and that's what makes it a tiny bit easier," she said. "The difference though is that they wrestle a little bit more so my conditioning and footwork needs to be better. Whereas at 76kg, they're kind of hand fighting. It's more like strength. But at 68kg, it's speed and technique. It's hard to distinguish if it's easier or not, but I think the fact that I was able to lift the girls up easy was the best thing ever."

The suplex isn't new to Blades. She performed one at the U20 World Championships back in 2021, then at the Olympics and now in Zagreb. However, Blades picks the one in Paris as the best one so far.

"The best suplex is probably my Olympic one because that was straight back on her neck, on the Olympic stage, first match." she said. "I was on fire. I kind of want to see that the suplex I just hit because I think it was pretty nice. But the Olympic one is so hard to beat and I was in a pink singlet."