#WrestleTallinn

Carr Crushes Reigning World Champ Gadzhiyev; USA Puts Three into Wednesday Finals

By Eric Olanowski

TALLINN, Estonia (August 13) – David CARR (USA) crushed reigning junior world champion Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE) in under a minute as the United States inserted three wrestlers into the Day 3 freestyle finals. Carr will be joined on Wednesday night by fellow Americans Lucas DAVISON (USA) and Mason Mark PARRIS (USA), who’ll wrestle for gold at 92kg and 125kg, respectively. 

Carr cruised to a 10-0 win over reigning junior world champion Khadzhimurad Gadzhiyev after he transitioned into four laces from an early first-period low-level single leg takedown. “I knew that lace was coming. I knew that lace was coming,” Carr repeatedly told his father as he headed back to the warm-up area. In his first world finals appearance, Carr will wrestle Jintaro MOTOYAMA (JPN), who moved past  BYAMBASUREN Bat-Erdene (MGL), 10-6 in the opposite 74kg semifinal. 

Lucas Davison and Mason Parris were the other two Americans who reached the Day 3 finals. Like Carr, both Davison and Parris ended their semifinal matches early to make their first trip to a world title bout.

Davison punched his ticket to the  finals with a fall over Mongolia’s ENKHTUVSHIN Batmagnai in the semifinals. After a quick takedown, Davison dropped into a trio of leg laces and commanded the 8-0 lead. The American conceded a takedown and a gut -- which cut his lead to four points. While his Mongolian opponent was looking for a second turn, Davison planted him on his back and scored the fall to move into the finals against Alan BAGAEV (RUS), who bagged a 3-0 shutout win over Ertugrul AGCA (GER). 

The third American Day 3 finalist was Mason Parris, who pulverized Pasa KARABULUT (TUR), 13-2 in his 125kg semifinal bout. Parris will be paired with reigning cadet world champion Amir ZARE (IRI) in the gold-medal bout. Zare zipped pasted Alen KHUBULOV (RUS), 11-1 and will wrestle in his second consecutive age-level world gold-medal bout. 

Kaiki YAMAGUCHI (JPN) will meet Andrii DZHELEP (UKR) in the 61kg finals after defeating Gabriel TAGG (USA), 12-2 in the semifinals. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Meanwhile, Kaiki YAMAGUCHI (JPN) moved into the 61kg finals with a 12-2 throttling of Gabriel TAGG (USA). The match was relatively close (3-2) after the opening period, but the Japanese wrestler stockpiled points in the second period – ending the match with a takedown and a leg lace. He’ll take on Ukraine’s Andrii DZHELEP, who defeated Asgar MAMMADALIYEV (AZE), 11-5 in the other semifinal. 

The final gold medal bout to be determined on Tuesday night came at 86kg, where Alik SHEBZUKHOV (RUS) will meet India’s senior-level world team representative Deepak PUNIA (IND). Shebzukhov squeaked out a 4-3 victory against Trent HIDLAY (USA), while Punia, a 2018 junior world silver medalist, picked up a 3-2 victory over Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO). 

The final session of freestyle wrestling begins on Wednesday night at 18:00 (local time) and will be broadcasted live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS 
61kg
GOLD - Kaiki YAMAGUCHI (JPN) vs. Andrii DZHELEP (UKR)
SEMIFINAL - Kaiki YAMAGUCHI (JPN) df. Gabriel TAGG (USA), 12-2 
SEMIFINAL - Andrii DZHELEP (UKR) df. Asgar MAMMADALIYEV (AZE), 11-5

74kg
GOLD - Jintaro MOTOYAMA (JPN) vs. David CARR (USA)
SEMIFINAL - Jintaro MOTOYAMA (JPN) df. BYAMBASUREN Bat-Erdene (MGL), 10-0 
SEMIFINAL - David CARR (USA) df. Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE), 10-0 

86kg 
GOLD - Deepak PUNIA (IND) vs. Alik SHEBZUKHOV (RUS) df
SEMIFINAL - Alik SHEBZUKHOV (RUS) df. Trent Niemond HIDLAY (USA), 4-3 
SEMIFINAL - Deepak PUNIA (IND) df. Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), 3-2 

92kg
GOLD - Alan BAGAEV (RUS) vs. Lucas DAVISON (USA)
SEMIFINAL - Alan BAGAEV (RUS) df. Ertugrul AGCA (GER), 3-0 
SEMIFINAL - Lucas DAVISON (USA) df. Batmagnai ENKHTUVSHIN (MGL), via fall 

125kg
GOLD - Amir ZARE (IRI) vs. Mason Mark PARRIS (USA)
SEMIFINAL - Amir ZARE (IRI) df. Alen KHUBULOV (RUS), 11-1 
SEMIFINAL - Mason PARRIS (USA) df. Pasa KARABULUT (TUR), 13-2 

#WrestleTirana

Kadzimahamedau, Sadulaev Return to European Finals

By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (April 24) -- Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), David BAEV (UWW), and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) were among the wrestlers who reached the final of the European Championships 2026 in Tirana on Friday.

Kadzimahamedau set up a rematch of the final from 2024 against Akhmed USMANOV (UWW) who defeated Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA), 3-0, in a rematch of last year's European final.

After last year's European quest at 86kg, Kadzimahamedau returned to 79kg and continued his crafty wrestling, beating Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE), 5-1, in the semifinals. He used two different takedowns and an activity period point for his scores.

But it was the quarterfinals in which Kadzimahamedau showed his class, Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO), 11-10. He lead 5-0 when Gaphrindashvili scored a double-leg four-pointer to make it 5-4, changed to 7-5 for Kadzimahamedau after a challenge. After a scramble and stepout, the scores read 10-9 for Gaphrindashvili with 11 seconds left but Kadzimahamedau snuck out a takedown with 3 seconds left to win.

At 97kg, five-time European champion Sadulaev returned to the final after six years after a clinical display throughout the day. In the finals, he got the better of Akhmed MAGAMAEV (BUL), 12-2, using his gut-wrench to score points.

Sadulaev used a outside single-leg attack to score his first takedown and then turned Magamaev to get a four-point lead. But as he was trying to turn Magamaev again, the Bulgarian blocked him for two points but Sadulaev managed to sneak out of any control. He then managed a takedown and two turns for a 10-2 lead before an easy go-behind finished the bout.

Former world silver medalist Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) will challenge Sadulaev in the final after he defeated Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO), 12-1, using the leg-lace for five turns.

Defending champion Baev had no trouble in defeated Oleksii BORUTA (UKR), 9-2, and returning to the final. But a rising star awaits him next in the 70kg final as U23 European champion Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA) defeated Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), 11-0, in the other semifinals.

Gaidarli, who won silver at the U20 World Championships last year, did not give any chance to Muszukajev and turned the match into a one-sided affair.

Dudaev Returns to Final

Home-favorite and Olympic bronze medalist Islam DUDAEV (ALB) returned to the final of European Championships at 65kg after a 4-0 victory over Islam GUSEINOV (UWW). Dudaev scored a stepout to start the bout before getting a activity point in the first period and lead 2-0. He doubled the lead to 4-0 in the final minute with a takedown which he defended.

Dudaev will take on Bashir MAGOMEDOV (UWW) for the gold medal after Magomedov handed former European champion Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) a heartbreaking, 3-3, criteria loss in the semifinals.

Tevanyan scored a takedown and also a point for stepout but in a later scramble, Tevanyan got countered on a leg attack and gave up a takedown on the edge for two points to Magomedov. Armenia challenged, asking for two points for Tevanyan during the scramble.

However, Tevanyan never got complete control over Magomedov and the lost challenge added to the latter's score to give him criteria. Tevanyan waited to launch the attack and when he did during the final moments of the bout, he could not gets a stepout or takedown despite all the action taking place in the zone.

At 57kg, Musa MEKHTIKHANOV (UWW) and Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE) will battle it out for the gold medal on Saturday. Mekhtikhanov defeated Manvel KHNDZRTSYAN (ARM), 5-0, in the semifinals after two counter takedowns and point for passivity.

Bazarganov was more active in his semifinal against Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO) and worked on his lace to beat the Georgian 11-1.

RESULTS

57kg
SF 1: Musa MEKHTIKHANOV (UWW) df. Manvel KHNDZRTSYAN (ARM), 5-0
SF 2: Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE) df. Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO), 11-1

65kg
SF 1: Islam DUDAEV (ALB) df. Islam GUSEINOV (UWW), 4-0
SF 2: Bashir MAGOMEDOV (UWW) df. Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), 3-3

70kg
SF 1: David BAEV (UWW) df. Oleksii BORUTA (UKR), 9-2
SF 2: Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA) df. Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), 11-0

79kg
SF 1: Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW) df. Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE), 5-1
SF 2: Akhmed USMANOV (UWW) df. Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA), 3-0

97kg
SF 1: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) df. Akhmed MAGAMAEV (BUL), 12-2
SF 2: Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) df. Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO), 12-1