Burroughs Makes 10th Senior World Team

Monday, September 13, 2021 - 14:34 By Gary Abbott

Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) won five matches over the weekend and punched his ticket to an eighth World Championships. (Photo: Sam Janicki)

LINCOLN, Nebraska (September 13) -- Jordan BURROUGHS of the Sunkist Kids won a new weight class to qualify for his 10th career U.S. World or Olympic Team, with an impressive victory at the World Team Trials in his college hometown of Lincoln, Neb. on Sunday.

Burroughs has made his eighth Senior World teams, along with two U.S. Olympic Team berths. In his previous nine World or Olympic appearances, he has won eight medals, five gold and three bronze.

He defeated talented Alex DIERINGER of the Titan Mercury WC/CKWC in the finals series to the delight of his local fans. He secured a 10-5 victory in the first match, winning the key positions, then got an early lead and scored a 4-3 win over Dieringer in match two. Burroughs was a Hodge Trophy winner for Nebraska, then trained there during his international career until recently moving back to his Jersey roots with the Pennsylvania RTC.

Two-time World champion J’den COX ox of the Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC secured a spot on his fourth Senior World team with two-match sweep over Kollin MOORE of the Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC at 97kg. Cox shut out Moore in both matches, winning 5-0 in the first match and 4-0 in the second bout. Cox boasts two World titles, an Olympic bronze and a World bronze in his four World-level appearances, winning a medal every time.

James GREEN of the Titan Mercury WC/SERTC is making his sixth trip to the Senior World Championships, after claiming the 70kg weight class with a two-match sweep over Ryan Deakin of the Titan Mercury WC/Wildcat WC. Green scored late in the first match to secure a 6-6 criteria decision over Deakin in bout one. He took the lead and kept the edge for a 4-2 win in bout two. Like Burroughs, he was a star for Nebraska and trained here for years, before moving to his new location at Virginia Tech.Green has won a World silver medal in 2017 and a World bronze medal in 2015.

Two-time World bronze medalist Nick GWIAZDOWSKI of the Titan Mercury WC/Spartan Combat RTC qualified for his fourth Senior World Championships, with a two-match sweep over 2019 Junior World champion Mason PARRIS of the Cliff Keen WC at 125kg. Gwiazdowski had an edge on power and technique, winning the first match 6-0, then adding more offense in a 10-3 win in bout two.

Making a second career Senior World Team was Daton FIX of the Titan Mercury WC/CWC, who secured a two-match sweep over Nathan Tomasello of the Titan Mercury WC/OKRTC at 61kg. Fix was aggressive in both of his wins, taking bout one by an 8-3 margin and bout two with a 7-0 shutout.

The only new Senior World Team member was Yianni DIAKOMIHALIS of the Titan Mercury WC/Spartan Combat WC, who needed three matches to defeat tough Joey MCKENNA of the Titan Mercury WC/PRTC) at 65kg. It was McKenna who had late heroics with a counter exposure for an 8-7 win in bout one. Diakomihalis rallied for a 5-2 victory in match two. In the deciding third bout, Diakomihalis opened up his scoring attack for a 12-2 technical fall and the team berth.

Four 2020 Olympic medalists chose to compete at the World Championships also, and their weight classes are not being contested this weekend: Olympic champion David Taylor (86kg), Olympic silver medalist Kyle Snyder (97kg), Olympic bronze medalist Thomas Gilman (57kg) and Olympic bronze medalist Kyle Dake (74kg).

*For more articles and recaps from USA Wrestling, please visit https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling.

Men’s freestyle Champions Series results

61kg
1st - Daton Fix (Titan Mercury WC/CWC) vs. Nathan Tomasello (Titan Mercury WC/OKRTC), two matches to none
Bout One –Fix dec. Tomasello, 8-3
Bout Two – Fix dec. Tomasello, 7-0
3rd – Carter Young (Cowboy WC) dec. Seth Gross (Sunkist Kids), 15-12

65kg
1st - Yianni Diakomihalis (Titan Mercury WC/Spartan Combat RTC) dec. Joey McKenna (Titan Mercury WC/PRTC) , two matches to one
Bout One –McKenna dec. Diakomihalis, 8-7
Bout Two – Diakomihalis dec. McKenna, 5-2
Bout Three – Diakomihalis tech. fall McKenna, 12-2
3rd –Evan Henderson (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) tech. fall Luke Pletcher (Titan Mercury WC/Pitt RTC)

70kg
1st - James Green (Titan Mercury WC/SERTC) dec. Ryan Deakin (Titan Mercury WC/Wildcat WC), two matches to none
Bout One – Green dec. Deakin, 6-6
Bout Two – Green dec. Deakin 4-2
3rd – Zain Retherford (Titan Mercury WC/NLWC) tech. fall Tyler Berger (Titan Mercury WC/California RTC), 11-0, 2:49

79kg
1st - Jordan Burroughs (Sunkist Kids) dec. Alex Dieringer (Titan Mercury WC/CKWC), 4-3
Bout One –Burroughs dec. Dieringer, 10-5
Bout Two – Burroughs dec. Dieringer, 4-3
3rd – Carter Starocci (Titan Mercury WC/NLWC) dec. Jason Nolf (Titan Mercury WC/NLWC), 4-3

92kg
1st - J’den Cox (Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC) dec. Kollin Moore (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC), two matches to none
Bout One – Cox dec. Moore, 5-0
Bout Two – Cox dec. Moore, 4-0
3rd – Trent Hidlay (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Drew Foster (Panther WC RTC), 8-1

125kg
1st - Nick Gwiazdowski (TMWC/Spartan Combat RTC) dec. Mason Parris (Cliff Keen WC), two matches to none
Bout One – Gwiazdowski dec. Parris, 6-0
Bout Two – Gwiazdowski dec. Parris, 10-3
3rd – Hayden Zillmer (Gopher WC RTC) dec. Dominique Bradley (Sunkist Kids), 4-2

Women’s freestyle championship series results

53kg
1st - Amy Fearnside (Titan Mercury WC/USOPTC) dec. Ronna Heaton (Sunkist Kids), two matches to none
Bout One – Fearnside dec. Heaton, 5-3
Bout Two – Fearnside dec. Heaton, 3:29
3rd – Arena Villaescusa (Army WCAP) by forfeit over Alyssa Lampe (Sunkist Kids)

55kg
1st - Jenna Burkert (Army WCAP) dec. Jacarra Winchester (Titan Mercury WC/USOPTC), two matches to one
Bout One –Burkert dec. Winchester, 7-6
Bout Two – Winchester dec. Burkert, 9-8
Bout Three – Burkert dec. Winchester, 4-3
3rd – Marissa Gallegos (Colorado Mesa WC) pin Amanda Martinez (Cardinal WC), 4:49

59kg
1st - Maya Nelson (Sunkist Kids) dec. Megan Black (Army WCAP), two matches to none
Bout One –Nelson dec. Black, 5-4
Bout Two – Nelson pin Black, 5:13
3rd – Xochilt Mota-Pettis (Rise RTC) tech. fall Michaela Beck (Sunkist Kids), 10-0, 1:59

62kg
1st - Kayla Miracle (Sunkist Kids) vs. Mallory Velte (Titan Mercury WC/Beaver Dam RTC)
Bout One – Miracle dec. Velte, 5-3
Bout Two – Miracle dec. Velte, 10-2
3rd – Jennifer Page (Titan Mercury WC/NLWC) dec. Gracie Figueroa (Titan Mercury WC), 8-6

65kg
1st - Forrest Molinari (Sunkist Kids) dec. Emma Bruntil (Titan Mercury WC/Bearcat WC), two matches to none
Bout One – Molinari dec. Bruntil, 4-3
Bout Two – Molinari dec. Bruntil, 9-0
3rd – Alara Boyd (McKendree Bearcat WC) dec. Skylar Grote (NYAC/Beaver Dam RTC), 7-4

72kg
1st - Kylie Welker (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Kennedy Blades (Sunkist Kids), 2 matches to 0
Bout One – Welker dec. Blades, 4-4
Bout Two – Welker inj. dft. Blades, 4:02
3rd – Yelena Makoyed (Cardinal WC) dec. Dymond Guilford (Titan Mercury WC/USOPTC), 10-8

Greco-Roman Championship Series results

55kg
1st - Max Nowry (Army WCAP) dec. Brady Koontz (TMWC), two matches to none
Bout One – Nowry dec. Koontz, 2-1
Bout Two – Nowry dec. Koontz, 3-1
3rd – Dalton Duffield (Army WCAP) pin Jacob Cochran (Florida), 1:52

60kg
1st - Dalton Roberts (Army WCAP) dec. Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP), two matches to one
Bout One –Hafizov dec. Roberts, 3-2
Bout Two – Roberts dec. Hafizov, 5-3
Bout Three -Roberts tech. fall Hafizov, 9-0
3rd – King Sandoval (Bandits WC) tech. fall Dylan Koontz (Titan Mercury WC)

63kg
1st - Sam Jones (NYAC) dec. David Stepanian (NYAC), two matches to none
Bout One –Jones tech fall Stepanian, 9-0, 2:01
Bout Two – Jones dec. Stepanian, 10-6
3rd – Dylan Gregerson (Brunson UVRTC) tech. fall We Rachal (Illinois RTC/Illini WC)

67kg
1st - Peyton Omania (NYAC) dec. Alejandro Sancho (Army WCAP), two matches to none
Bout One –Omania dec. Sancho, 6-3
Bout Two – Omania dec. Sancho, 3-2
3rd – Hayden Tuma (Suples WC) tech. fall Jesse Thielke (Army WCAP), 8-0, 1:08

72kg
1st - Patrick Smith (Minnesota Storm) dec. Benjamin Peak (Sunkist Kids), two matches to none
Bout One – Smith dec. Peak, 3-3
Bout Two – Smith dec. Peak 6-4
3rd –Jamel Johnson (Marines) dec. Michael Hooker (Army WCAP), 7-4

77kg
1st - Jesse Porter (NYAC) dec. Fritz Schierl (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC), two matches to none
Bout One – Porter tech. fall. Schierl, 9-0
Bout Two – Porter dec. Schierl, 9-7
3rd – Britton Holmes (Army WCAP) tech. fall Peyton Walsh (Marines), 14-6, 3:57

82kg
1st - Ben Provisor (NYAC) dec. Spencer Woods (Army WCAP), two matches to none
Bout One – Provisor dec. Woods, 7-1
Bout Two – Provisor dec. Woods, 4-2
3rd - Richard Carlson (Minnesota Storm) dec. Tommy Brackett (Gator WC), 6-4

87kg
1st - Alan Vera (NYAC) dec.. Ryan Epps (Minnesota Storm), two matches to none
Bout One – Vera tech. fall Epps, 9-0
Bout Two – Vera tech. fall Epps, 8-0
3rd – Tanner Hannah (Combat WC School of Wrestling) dec. George Sikes (NYAC), 4-3

97kg
1st - G’Angelo Hancock (Sunkist Kids) dec. Nicholas Boykin (Sunkist Kids) , two matches to one
Bout One –Hancock dec. Boykin, 8-2
Bout Two – Hancock dec. Boykin, 5-0
3rd – Khymba Johnson (NYAC) tech. fall James Souza (Army WCAP), 9-0

130kg
1st - Cohlton Schultz (Sunkist Kids) dec. Jacob Mitchell (Army WCAP), two matches to one
Bout One – Mitchell dec. Schultz, 4-2
Bout Two – Schultz tech. fall Mitchell, 8-0 in 1:00
Bout Three – Schultz dec. Mitchell, 6-0
3rd – Tanner Farmer (NYAC) tech. fall Donny Longendyke (Minnesota), 8-0, 2:03

#WrestleOslo

#WrestleOslo: Taylor, Yazdani set up gold-medal showdown; USA puts 3 in finals

Saturday, October 2, 2021 - 18:47 By Ken Marantz

OSLO (October 3) -- Just two months after a victory that gave him an Olympic gold medal, David TAYLOR (USA) will meet nemesis Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) again, this time with the world championship on the line in the latest edition of one of wrestling's biggest rivalries.

Taylor was one of three Americans to advance to the finals in the four freestyle weight classes in action on the opening day Saturday of the World Championships in Oslo, storming into the 86kg gold-medal match with a victory by fall over Abubakr ABARAKOV (AZE) in the semifinals.

Meanwhile, Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Kyle DAKE (USA) will get a chance to add the world 74kg title to the two he owns at 79kg, while Daton FIX (USA) rampaged through the rounds to make the final at 61kg at the Jordal Amfi arena.

At 125kg, rising star Amir ZARE (IRI) outlasted two-time former world champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) in a clash of Olympic bronze medalists to set up a gold-medal showdown with three-time defending champion Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO).

Yazdani, aiming for his third career world title, advanced into Sunday night's 86kg final by defeating Artur NAIFONOV (RWF) 8-2 -- a virtual repeat of their semifinal clash at the Tokyo Olympics in August which Yazdani won 7-1.

David TAYLOR USA David TAYLOR (USA) advanced to the 86kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Taylor's victory in the Tokyo final over Yazdani was the third in three career meetings between the two, but he knows not to underestimate such a dangerous foe, given that he needed a late takedown to forge out a 4-3 win.

"You can't take this one for granted," Taylor said. "It was a very close match at the Olympics. So we'll see which guy prevails in this match. Either way, it's going to be very tough. I'm ready, I'm looking forward to it."

Yazdani, the 2016 Rio Olympic champion at 74kg, has similar sentiments, but thinks he is ready to turn the tide.

"It will be a beautiful wrestling bout," Yazdani said. "Based on my three times wrestling with him, I know him, I am getting better and I can do a good job so that I can avenge my Tokyo loss."

Taylor, who started the day with a technical fall and a fall, had a rare lapse in his semifinal against 2019 world U23 silver medalist Abarakov, who scored an early takedown with a shrug and go-behind.

But Taylor came back with a vengence, scoring a quick takedown and gut wrench. Then, harkening back to his American folkstyle roots, he used a chicken wing and arm bar to turn Abarakov over and secure the fall at 2:34.

"My background is folkstyle wrestling, I'm a dangerous freestyle wrestler, and I can score from so many positions." Taylor said, "It's about adapting, finding ways to make that stuff work...You get to the World Championships, where people really want to win and want to scramble a little longer, that kind of stuff opens up for me."

Taylor's high-pace attack has always been his strongpoint, helping him win his first and only world title in 2018. He is certainly showing none of the effects of the knee injury that kept him out of the 2019 worlds.

"People have been trying to slow me down since I was 10," Taylor said. "It hasn't changed, it's just a different level. They're not going to wrestle my pace, we know that.

"It's about making adjustments, getting a good game plan ready to go. He gets the first takedown, but now what, there's five minutes? Know that I'm coming for five. He was good, he was prepared. He's a good skilled guy."

Asked about the strong opening-day showing by the US, which includes all but one of its Olympic medalists, Taylor said he didn't really understand why some countries would opt to skip the tournament or send lower-level teams.

"We have a great team," he said. "A lot of countries chose to take this one off, but I think it's a big mistake. You only get so many healthy world championship opportunities, you got to show up. We showed up, we performed really well today, we got to keep it rolling. I hope we set the tone for the next couple of days."

Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) will wrestle Kyle DAKE (USA) in the 74kg final. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Also getting the ball rolling was Dake, who rolled to a 9-1 victory over Azamat NURYKAU (BLR), which got a little testy at times, to advance to the 74kg final, where he will face Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK).

"I am excited to be back and to compete at a high level, whoever I face," Dake said.

Dake scored a single-leg takedown that he followed with a gut wrench and two tilts for a quick 8-0 lead. All that Nurykau could manage was a stepout in the second period, while a penalty point capped Dake's scoring.

Nurykau, who is competing in his seventh World Championships, will get yet another chance for a medal -- he wrestled for a bronze three times, in 2014, 2015 and 2017, and lost each time.

The Russian-born Salkazanov assured his adopted country of a fourth world medal in its history, and will look to become its first-ever gold medalist, after defeating 2018 world silver medalist Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) 5-0.

"It would be a great honor for me to bring the gold medal of the World Championships for my country Slovakia, I would be unbelievably proud of it," Salkazanov said. "I will be happy if I can make it."

Salkazanov, this year's European champion and a 2019 world bronze medalist at 79kg, barely made it out of the quarterfinals, scoring a last-second stepout to stun Timur BIZHOEV (RWF) 2-2.

Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RWF) will wrestle Daton FIX (USA) in the 61kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 61kg, the final was set up between Fix and European champion Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RWF), as the two were equally dominant in opposite brackets.

Fix, a 2017 world junior champion, needed just 34 seconds to overwhelm two-time world junior bronze medalist Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) by 10-0 technical fall, giving him a shot at a gold medal in his second career World Championships.

"I wanna be a world champion," Fix said. "I am here, you know, the time is now. I am not gonna let another opportunity slip away from me....I feel good, I am wrestling well, and I am just gonna keep it rolling into the finals."

Magomedov, the 2018 world junior champion, had little trouble in also advancing with a 10-0 technical fall, ending his clash at 3:41 with 2018 world U23 champion Toshihiro HASEGAWA (JPN), who couldn't pull off another comeback after rallying in all three of his previous wins.

As the lone Russian Wrestling Federation wrestler in the first group of finals, Magomedov is also thinking of the importance of a victory in terms of the team race.

"I will be the first one to wrestle [in Sunday’s finals] and I’ll try to give it all I can with God's will to help my team get the team title," Magomedov said.

Fix chalked up three technical falls without giving up a point leading up to the semifinals, while Magomedov had a pair of first-period falls.

"It’s not my special tactic to pin the opponents," Magomedov said. "I see how it goes during the match. It’s better to pin the opponent and rest rather than wrestle for six minutes. If I feel it’s gonna work, I’ll pin. But it’s not something I’ve learned on purpose."

Fix recalled that he and Magomedov met once before, in the 54kg quarterfinals at the 2015 world cadets in Sarajevo. Magomedov won that encounter 3-2 (he went on to the final, but lost to Takuto OTOGURO (JPN), the Tokyo 2021 65kg champion).

"I’ll let him have that one, and I’ll get one here," Fix said.

The 125kg field is missing Olympic champion Gable STEVESON (USA), but the three other medalists are all here, and Akgul ended up being the odd-man out of the final.

Amir ZARE (IRI) defeated Taha AKGUL (TUR) in the semifinal and will wrestle Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) in the 125kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Zare, the 2019 world U23 gold medalist, gained an activity point in each period, then scored a takedown countering a late attack by Akgul for a 4-0 victory and a chance to avenge a semifinal loss to Petriashvili from the Tokyo Olympics.

"After the Olympics and a short break, I joined the training camp," Zare said. "The coaches analyzed carefully and I am really ready for the [final] and I am eager for it. In the final, I will not repeat my mistakes as I did in Tokyo and I can win gold medal."

Petrashvili, who lost a 10-8 thriller to Steveson in the Olympic final, had little trouble scoring a 10-0 technical fall over Asian champion Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ). The Georgian scored three takedowns, adding a gut wrench after two of them to win in 4:50.

Boltin will get a chance for take home a bronze in likely his final competition. The 28-year-old, who won four Japan national collegiate titles at Yamanashi Gakuin University, will reportedly start a career with the New Japan Pro-Wrestling organization following the tournament.

Day 1 Results

61kg
Semifinal - Daton FIX (USA) df. Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) by TF, 10-0, :34
Semifinal - Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RWF) df. Toshihiro HASEGAWA (JPN) by TF, 10-0, 3:41

74kg
Semifinal - Kyle DAKE (USA) df. Azamat NURYKAU (BLR), 9-1
Semifinal - Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) df. Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO), 5-0

86kg
Semifinal - David TAYLOR (USA) df. Abubakr ABARAKOV (AZE) by Fall, 2:34 (6-2)
Semifinal - Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) df. Artur NAIFONOV (RWF), 8-2

125kg
Semifinal Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) df. Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ) by TF, 10-0, 4:50
Semifinal - Amir ZARE (IRI) df. Taha AKGUL (TUR), 4-0

Burroughs Makes 10th Senior World Team

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#WrestleOslo: Taylor, Yazdani set up gold-medal showdown; USA puts 3 in finals