#YasarDogu

Burroughs, Cox, Snyder Close out Yasar Dogu with Day 4 Titles

By Eric Olanowski

ISTANBUL, Turkey (July 14) --- The United States closed out the final day at the Yasar Dogu with three gold medals -- bringing their overall freestyle championship total to five. They had a pair of winners on Day 3, then tacked on three additional golds thanks to the help of world champions Jordan BURROUGHS, J’den COX and Kyle SNYDER, who won the 74kg, 92kg and 97kg title respectively. 

Cox and Snyder now head into September’s World Championships as the top-ranked wrestlers at their respective weights, while Burroughs gained the No. 2 ranking with his win in Istanbul.

Burroughs, a four-time world and Olympic champion, was scheduled to wrestle his biggest rival Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) for the 74kg title. But Chamizo, a two-time world champion, decided to sit out of the gold-medal bout after he locked up the top seed at 74kg -- handing the American the Yasar Dogu gold. 

With Chamizo grabbing the No. 1 seed from Sidakov, the Italian will face Budapest world runner-up and fourth-ranked Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) in the top-side semifinal in Nur-Sultan, and Sidakov and Burroughs in the bottom side semifinal. That is, of course, if the seeds hold true in Kazakhstan.

J’den COX (USA) outscored his four Yasar Dogu opponents 42-0 en route to the 92kg gold medal. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

J’den Cox closed out his run to a 92kg Yasar Dogu title outscoring his opponents 42-0 --including a 10-0 victory over Bendeguz TOTH (HUN) in the finals. 

Cox, the reigning 92kg world champion, picked up four takedowns then ended the finals match against Toth with a right side gut and slides into the World Championships with an unblemished 2019 record. 

Kyle Snyder earned a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Ali SHABANIBENGAR (IRI) in the 97kg finals and passed Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) for the weights top spot. 

Snyder, a two-time world and Olympic champion, grabbed what ended up being the match-deciding takedown early in the first period with a quick ankle pick. Though he conceded a stepout point in the second period, Snyder hung on to win his first Yasar Dogu title -- improving on his third-place finish from a year ago. 

Erica WIEBE (CAN) won her second straight Ranking Series title with a 2-1 win over Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA) in the 76kg finals. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Meanwhile, Erica WIEBE (CAN) became the third Olympic champion to win a Yasar Dogu title after scoring a 2-1 victory over Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA) in the 76kg women’s wrestling finals. 

Wiebe and Da Sila Ferreira traded inactivity points, and the Brazilian led at the halfway point of the second period, but the Canadian earned her second inactivity point with 45 seconds left to hang on to win, 2-1. 

Wiebe has now defeated a world or Olympic champion in three straight tournaments en route to her gold medals. At the Sassari in late May, Wiebe stuck Olympic champion Natalia VORBIEVA (RUS) in the opening period, then followed that up by defeating reigning world champion Justina DI STASIO (CAN) to win the Canada Cup title two weeks ago.

RESULTS

Freestyle

Team Standings 
GOLD - Turkey (165 points) 
SILVER- USA (155 points) 
BRZONE - Azerbaijan (100 points) 
Fourth - India (94 points) 
Fifth - Hungary (83 points)

74kg
GOLD - Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) df. Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA), via injury default
BRONZE - Fazli ERYILMAZ (TUR) df. Enes USLU (TUR), via injury default 
BRONZE - Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) df. Yakup GOR (TUR), 7-5 

92kg 
GOLD - J'Den Michael Tbory COX (USA) df. Bendeguz TOTH (HUN), 10-0 
BRONZE - Shamil ZUBAIROV (AZE) df. Abubakar TURGAYEV (KAZ), via injury default
BRONZE - Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR) df. Viky VIKY (IND), 8-0 

97kg 
GOLD - Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Ali Khalil SHABANIBENGAR (IRI), 2-1 
BRONZE - Abraham CONYEDO RUANO (ITA) df. Aslanbek ALBOROV (AZE), via disqualification
BRONZE - Pavlo OLIINYK (HUN) df. Baki SAHIN (TUR), via fall 

Women's Wrestling

Team Standings
GOLD - Russia (113 points)
SILVER - Turkey (112 points)
BRONZE - Belarus (92 points)
Fourth - India (89 points)
Fifth - Canada (78 points)

72kg 
GOLD - Buse TOSUN (TUR) df. Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (BLR)
BRONZE - Alena STARODUBTSEVA (RUS) df. Nilufar GADAEVA (UZB)

76kg 
GOLD - Erica Elizabeth WIEBE (CAN) df. Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA), 2-1 
BRONZE - Yasemin ADAR (TUR) df. Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER), 10-3
BRONZE - Iselin Maria Moen SOLHEIM (NOR) df. Alla BELINSKA (UKR), via fall 

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open 2026 Day 3 Results: Morikawa, Ozaki in final

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (February 6) -- The third day of the Zagreb Open will see Women's Wrestling in four weight classes and Greco-Roman in two weight classes. Women's Wrestling will be competed in 59kg, 62kg, 65kg and 68kg while GR will be in 63kg and 67kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | YAZDANI vs BUCHANAN FINAL

14:05: GR 67kg semifinals - Two top class matches! Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB), world champion at 63kg, beats Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN), 11-5. He began with an arm-throw for four and added a turn for a 6-0 lead. Sogabe managed to come back a few times but failed to take the lead. Eventually, Khalmakhanov threw Sogabe for two correct throws and win the semifinals.

He will face Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) who defeated another Japanese Katsuaki ENDO (JPN), 11-3. Chkhikvadze scored multiple correct throws in his semifinals to complete the victory.

13:55: GR 63kg semifinals - Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) drops his semifinal against Erfan JARKANI (IRI) 3-1 as the Iranian enters the final. He will face a surprise finalist in CHETAN (IND) who stunned former world champion Meysam DALKHANI (IR), 14-5.

13:40: 68kg semifinals - A fall for Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) in the semifinals over Aleah NICKEL (CAN) after building a 5-0 lead. Morikawa will face her first tough battle against Nesrin BAS (TUR) who stunned Kennedy BLADES (USA) in the other semifinal. In a low scoring bout, Blades went up 1-0 after a activity clock point. In the second period, Bas got the same point and then a stepout to lead 2-1, a lead she defended till the end.

13:25: 62kg semifinals - European silver medalist Johanna LINDBORG (SWE) with a quick 10-0 victory over ANJLI (IND). Lindborg with a drag for four before rolling to a technical superiority. For the gold medal, Lindborg will face Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) who had a tough time beating Macey KILTY (USA), 5-2, in the other semifinal.

13:15: 59kg semifinals - Alexis JANIAK (USA), a former U20 world bronze medalist, gets the better of U20 world silver medalist Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) in the semifinals. Janiak with a takedown and turn to make it 4-0. She then counters Hurbanova on three different occasions and wins 10-0. A lost challenge from Azerbaijan makes it 11-0.

Sena NAGAMOTO (JPN) stops the final from being all-USA as she beats Abigail NETTE (USA) 11-0 and secures a place in the final

12:55: Kennedy BLADES (USA) survives a scare against Mansi LATHER (IND) in the 68kg quarterfinal. Blades took a 5-1 in the first period but Lather scored a takedown to close the gap to 5-3. Blades challenged the decision and got it overturned on review. But Lather's pressure made Blades passive, though she defended well. Blades gave up a takedown but that was all as Blades wins and makes it to the semifinals.

12:28: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) puts a show and beats Valentin PETIC (MDA), 12-4, at 67kg. After leading 6-4, he hit a four-pointer and then a turn to finish the bout via technical superiority

12:20: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), U23 world champion, scores two turns from par terre and beats world champion Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) at 63kg. Sultangali was down 5-2 but scored an exposure to make it 5-4. However, he failed to score another point which would have given him the win.

12:15: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) continues her campaign with yet another 10-0 victory at 68kg. She beats Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW) and moves into the semifinals.

12:10: Nesrin BAS (TUR) who got a walkover in her first bout, leg laces NISHA (IND) for a 10-0 win and make her place in the 68kg semifinal. Bas took a 4-0 lead and then decided to sit on it. But in the last minute, she got a takedown and two turns to win.

12:00: Katsuaki ENDO (JPN) is checked up Sachin SAHRAWAT (IND) but the Japanese star manages to hold on for a 4-2 victory and move into the quarterfinals at 67kg against Morten THORSEN (NOR). 

11:45: World champion at 65kg Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), now wrestling at 68kg, takes her own time but manages to beat Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU), 10-0, in her opening bout in Zagreb

11:35: Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) failed to score any points from par terre in the first period but he gets the takedown and moves to a 9-0 victory at 67kg against Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO).

11:30: World champion at 63kg Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) has moved up to 67kg. And he has no trouble in winning his first bout via technical super superiority. He tries to score a throw when Mohamed ABDELREHIM (EGY) commits a leg foul. Back in par terre, Khalmakhanov completes the turn and wins 10-0

11:25: Kennedy BLADES (USA), world bronze medalist at 68kg, was flying against Karolina POK (HUN) having taken an 11-2 lead. However, she decided to not end the bout via technical superiority and kept her distance in the second period and won with the same scoreline.

11:20: NISHA (IND) stays in total control of her bout against Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE) and posts an 8-1 victory. While Soltanova did get on a few scrambles, Nisha managed to defend the positions and scored her eight points.

11:15: Nonoka OZAKI (JPN), a world champion at 65kg in 2023 and Paris bronze medalist at 68kg, is back at 62kg. She begins with a 12-2 technical superiority win over Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ)

11:10: Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ), world champion at 60kg, now wrestling 63kg gets going with an 8-2 victory over Adham ELSAYED (EGY).

11:00: Former age-group world champion Eniko ELEKES (HUN) gets a 10-0 technical superiority win over Marilyn GARCIA (USA) at 62kg. Excellent control throughout the bout for Elekes.

10:45: Early explosive Greco-Roman action here. Oybek SHARIBJONOV (UZB) gets the technical superiority win over Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) at 67kg in just over two minutes. Mohsen Nezhad, a U20 world champion, tries to front headlock Sharibjonov and score a throw but the Uzbek wrestler gets the control and sends Mohsen Nezhad to danger to get four points. Mohsen Nezhad tries to get another move but lands on his back and gives up two points. Sharibjonov scores a turn and wins 8-0. Iran challenges for the first action for four points but the challenge is lost.

10:30: Another big day of wrestling coming up in Zagreb. The 68kg weight class in Women's Wrestling has a few big names with Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), Kennedy BLADES (USA), NISHA (IND), Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW), Nesrin BAS (TUR) competing among others.