#WrestleOslo

Burroughs Makes 10th Senior World Team

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

#WrestleBaku

Vyshnyvetskyi, Hasanli avenge losses to rivals, reach U23 European finals

By United World Wrestling Press

BAKU, Azerbaijan (May 20) -- The last time Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) faced Muhammet BAKIR (TUR), it ended in a bruising defeat that also deprived him of a world title. On Monday, he avenged that loss. And in doing so, the Greco-Roman wrestler has given himself a chance to defend his U23 European Championship crown in the 130kg category.

The first day of the continental age-group championship in Baku saw the third installment in a little more than a year of the riveting rivalry between two of the finest U23 wrestlers in this weight category.

When they met in the semifinals of the U23 European Championship in March 2023, Vyshnyvetskyi prevailed over his Turkish opponent in what turned out to be a lopsided bout. When the duo faced off later that year at the U23 World Championship, Bakir returned the favor in style, defeating his nemesis in the gold medal bout.

So, when the draws were out for the Greco-Roman bouts, it was hardly a surprise that the re-match between Vyshnyvetskyi and Bakir was one of the most anticipated matches of the day. And it lived up to the hype, although not in a way Bakir would have liked.

Vyshnyvetskyi beat his Turkish opponent 9-1 to advance to the final. Bakir had his chance when he got the par terre advantage in the first period but Vyshnyvetskyi stood up. Bakir was trying to lock his arms around the Ukrainian when Vyshnyvetskyi hit a four-pointer grabbing one of Bakir's arms. Turkiye challenged but to no avail, adding one more point to Vyshnyvetskyi's score for the lost challenge.

Vyshnyvetskyi used another four-pointer when the two were in a bear-hug position to finish the bout 9-1 in two minutes and 13 seconds.

It was a day when the Ukrainian wrestler hardly had to break a sweat. He began with a 2-1 win over Marcel ALBINI (CZE) in the qualification round, then pinned Dominik KRAWCZYK (POL) after leading 12-1 in the quarterfinals before he got the job done against Bakir in the last-four round.

Vyshnyvetskyi will take on Koppany LASZLO (HUN) in the final. The 18-year-old from Hungary got the better of Dmitrii BABORYKO (AIN) to reach Tuesday's gold medal match.

Khasay HASANLI (AZE)Khasay HASANLI (AZE) tries to score on Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) in the 77kg semifinal at the U23 European Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

This wasn't the only bout on Monday that had a gripping backstory and ended with one of the wrestlers getting his revenge.

In the 77kg weight class, Khasay HASANLI (AZE) stunned the reigning world and European U23 champion Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) 7-0 to set up a final encounter with Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR).

Like Vyshnyvetskyi and Bakir, this was part three of the rivalry between Hasanli and Gutu. In fact, it was a rivalry only on paper as the Moldovan wrestler had defeated his Azerbaijani opponent twice. On both those occasions, it was in the finals: in the U23 European Championships last year, Gutu won 6-3 and at the U23 Worlds later, he won the gold with a 3-1 win.

Competing in front of his home crowd, the 22-year-old didn't concede a single point as he turned the tables in style. In the semifinal against Gutu, Hasanli got the par terre position and scored two points for a correct throw. Gutu was docked two caution points for committing a defensive foul and was put in par terre. Hasanli did not make any big moves but Gutu was cautioned again for a leg foul, ending the bout due to his two cautions.

Hasanli wasn't the only one with a chance to win a gold medal in front of his own supporters. In the 63kg category, Ziya BABASHOV (AZE) beat Abere FETENE (ISR) 5-3 to give himself a fighting chance of winning a title, when he faces off against the U23 World and European Championships bronze medallist Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA).

Babashov, a 2022 senior European Championship silver medallist, began with a convincing 4-1 win over Mairbek SALIMOV (POL) and followed it up with another comfortable victory, this time over Talibsho KHAIBARAU (AIN).

The march to the final marks an improvement for Babashov, who made exits in the round of 16 at the U23 European and World Championships in 2023. However, in Eriomenco, he faces a formidable opponent, who gave up just two points en route to the final.

Meanwhile, in the 55 kg category, Adam ULBASHEV (AIN) upset defending champion Denis MIHAI (ROU) 3-2 in a close quarterfinal bout. However, he later lost 6-5 to Emre MUTLU (TUR) in the semifinals in an equally tough encounter.

Mutlu, the European Championship gold medallist in 2022, will wrestle Giorgi TOKHADZE (GEO) for the gold medal on Tuesday. Tokhadze beat Ivan STEFANSKYI (UKR) 13-4 in his first bout and followed it up with a commanding 8-0 win over Rashad MAMMADOV (AIN).

In the 87kg class, Aues GONIBOV (AIN) will take on Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) in the final. Gonibov did not concede a single point on his way to the gold medal bout. He started with a 9-0 win over Nikolaos IOSIFIDIS (GRE) and then defeated former U23 world champion Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) 3-0 in the quarterfinals. In the semis, he got the better of Samet YALDIRAN (TUR) 2-0.

Bolkvadze's road to the final was a little more complicated, as he had to overcome stiff competition posed by Ilya MIALESHCHYK (AIN) before beating him 8-4 and sealing his spot in the title round.

 

dfg

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Emre MUTLU (TUR) vs. Giorgi TOKHADZE (GEO)

SF 1: Giorgi TOKHADZE (GEO) df. Rashad MAMMADOV (AZE), 8-0
SF 2: Emre MUTLU (TUR) df. Adam ULBASHEV (AIN), 6-5

63kg
GOLD: Ziya BABASHOV (AZE) vs. Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA)

SF 1: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) df. Aleksandr ANDREEV (AIN), via fall (2-2
SF 2: Ziya BABASHOV (AZE) df. Abere FETENE (ISR), 5-3

77kg
GOLD: Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR) vs. Khasay HASANLI (AZE)

SF 1: Khasay HASANLI (AZE) df. Alexandrin GUTU (MDA), via cautions (7-0)
SF 2: Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR) df. Attila TOESMAGI (HUN), 5-2

87kg
GOLD: Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) vs. Aues GONIBOV (AIN)

SF 1: Aues GONIBOV (AIN) df. Samet YALDIRAN (TUR), 2-0
SF 2: Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Ilya MIALESHCHYK (AIN), 8-4

130kg
GOLD: Koppany LASZLO (HUN) vs. Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR)

SF 1: Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) df. Muhammet BAKIR (TUR), 9-1
SF 2: Koppany LASZLO (HUN) df. Dmitrii BABORYKO (AIN), 1-1