#panam2018

Cuba and USA Set to Clash in #PanAm2018 Men’s Freestyle Finals

By Taylor Miller

Lima (May 6) – Cuba and the USA will have four head-to-head matchups in Sunday night’s men’s freestyle finals at the 2018 Pan American Championships in Lima, Peru. Overall, the U.S. put seven in the finals, while Cuba advanced five.

Finals at 74 kg, 86 kg, 97 kg and 125 kg will pit the nations against each other.

At 74 kg, Nazar KULCHYTSKYY (USA) will challenge 2012 Olympic bronze medalist and three-time World medalist Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) for the title. Both wrestlers teched their ways to the finals.

2018 Ivan Yarygin Memorial champion David TAYLOR (USA) is set to do battle with two-time defending Pan Am champion Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB).

In the semifinals, Torreblanca edged out Pedro Francisco CEBALLOS FUENTES (VEN), who finished fifth at the 2016 Olympic Games. Torreblanca took a 3-1 decision to earn his spot in the final.

Three-time Senior World bronze medalist Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) put himself in position to wrestle for gold with decisive wins over opponents from Dominican Republic, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Advancing through the other side at 97 kg was Kyven GADSON (USA), who edged out a win on criteria over Jose DIAZ ROBERTTI (VEN), 3-3, in the semis.

The 125 kg final features 2017 World bronze medalist Nick GWAIZDOWSKI (USA) against two-time Pan American silver medalist Yudenny ALPAJON ESTEVEZ (CUB).  Neither wrestler gave up a point in the first half of the day. Gwiazdowski outscored his opponents, 22-0, and Alpajon outscored his competition, 15-0.

There were two semifinals, 57 kg and 65 kg, where the USA and Cuba matched up. They split the bouts.

At 57 kg, U23 World champion Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) advanced to the finals, after taking out 2017 Senior World silver medalist Thomas GILMAN (USA) in the semifinals with a 7-4 win.

In gold-medal match, Andreu will take on 2017 Junior Pan Am finalist Oscar Eduardo TIGREROS URBANO (COL).

2016 World champion Logan STIEBER (USA) emerged victorious from the 65 kg semifinal that pitted him against 2017 World bronze medalist Alejandro Enrique VALDES TOBIER (CUB). Stieber came back from a 7-0 deficit to lead Valdes, 10-9, with six seconds left when Valdes injury defaulted.

Stieber will take on Abel Gerald HERRERA PASTOR (PER), who teched his way to the finals, guaranteeing a medal for the host country.

Two others from the United States seek gold tonight, Joseph COLON (USA) at 61 kg and James GREEN (USA) at 70 kg. Both competed in six-man brackets that went through pool play before deciding semifinalists.

A 2017 World silver medalist and 2015 World bronze winner, Green is the only U.S. wrestler looking to defend his 2017 Pan Am title. He will face Hernan Dario GUZMAN IPUZ (COL), who he defeated earlier in the day with a 13-2 technical fall.

Colon will face Joshua BODNARCHUK (CAN), who he also defeated in the morning session, 11-1.

A slight change in the schedule sets tonight’s finals for 6 p.m. ET live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

MEN’S FREESTYLE MATCHUPS
57 kg
GOLD - Oscar Eduardo TIGREROS URBANO (COL) vs. Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB)
BRONZE - Pedro Jesus MEJIAS RODRIGUEZ (VEN) vs. Thomas Patrick GILMAN (USA)
BRONZE – Victor Manuel BARRON CARDENAS (MEX) vs. Juan Rubelin RAMIREZ BELTRE (DOM)

61 kg
GOLD - Joseph Daniel COLON (USA) vs. Joshua BODNARCHUK (CAN)
BRONZE - Juan Antonio RODRIGUEZ JOVEL (ESA) vs. Alexis OLVERA MAGALLANES (MEX)

65 kg
GOLD - Abel Gerald HERRERA PASTOR (PER) vs. Logan Jeffery STIEBER (USA)
BRONZE - Michael Stanley David ASSELSTINE (CAN) vs. Alejandro Enrique VALDES TOBIER (CUB)
BRONZE – Albaro RUDESINDO CAMACHO (DOM) vs. Freddy Leonardo VERA FAJARDO (ECU

70 kg
GOLD - James Malcolm GREEN (USA) vs. Hernan Dario GUZMAN IPUZ (COL)
BRONZE - Marcos PEREIRA DE OLIVEIRA JUNIOR (BRA) vs. Alexander CHAVES (CAN)

74 kg
GOLD - Nazar KULCHYTSKYY (USA) vs. Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB)
BRONZE - Jevon BALFOUR (CAN) vs. Nestor Joaquin TAFUR BARRIOS (COL)
BRONZE – Jorge Ivan LLANO (ARG) vs. Carlos Eduardo ROMERO MILLAQUEO (CHI)

86 kg
GOLD - Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB) vs. David Morris TAYLOR III (USA)
BRONZE - Julio Rafael RODRIGUEZ ROMERO (DOM) vs. Pool Edinson AMBROCIO GREIFO (PER)
BRONZE – Carlos Arturo IZQUIERDO MENDEZ (COL) vs. Pedro Francisco CEBALLOS FUENTES (VEN)

97 kg
GOLD - Kyven Ross GADSON (USA) vs. Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB)
BRONZE - Charles Zachary MERRILL (PUR) vs. Jordan STEEN (CAN)
BRONZE – Miguel Javier SANCHEZ GERALDO (MEX) vs. Jose Daniel DIAZ ROBERTTI (VEN)

125 kg
GOLD - Yudenny ALPAJON ESTEVEZ (CUB) vs. Nicholas Edward GWIAZDOWSKI (USA)
BRONZE - Catriel Pehuen MURIEL (ARG) vs. Carlos Jose FELIX GARCIA (DOM)
BRONZE -
Jose Noel ERAZO HENRIQUEZ (ESA) vs. Korey JARVIS (CAN)

 

#wrestlebishkek

Asian Championships 2026 Live: Women's Wrestling

By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 8) -- Women's Wrestling will be in action in 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg and 76kg at the Asian Championships on day three in Bishkek. The likes of Yui SUSAKI (JPN), Sowaka UCHIDA (JPN), NEHA (IND), Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) and Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) will take the mat.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | YUI SUSAKI 2.0

12:42: Gulmaral YERKEBAYEVA (KAZ) with an excellent fake attack to get a takedown against KAJAL (IND) to secure the win int the 76kg quarterfinals. Kajal led 3-1 when Yerkebayeva scored a stepout with 25 seconds left. Yerkebayeva managed a leg attack soon but let it go when Kajal fell forward to defend it. The Kazakhstan wrestler just jumped behind to get a takedown which stunned Kajal. Yerkebayev with a 5-3 win, as India challenged at the end and lost it.

12:37: Former world silver medalist Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL) secures her spot in the 76kg semifinals with an 8-2 victory over Eunju HWANG (KOR). Leading 4-0, Enkh Amar gains two takedowns in the second period before Hwang gets on the scoreboard with a late takedown

12:35: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ), one of the host nation's top stars, avoided what would have arguably been the biggest upset of the tournament so far when she snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat in her 76kg quarterfinal with Wenji LI (CHN). Li, the 2023 Asian U23 champion at 72kg, was the dominant wrestler, using her double-leg takedown to build up a 6-2 lead deep into the second period. But there is a reason that Medet Kyzy is a three-time Asian champion and three-time world medalist. Just when it looked like all was lost, she shot in on a double, rose up to secure a bear hug, and tripped Li directly to her back in the final minute. That four points would have given her the win, but Li wasn't going anywhere and Medet Kyzy secured the fall with :29 left.

12:25: Two-time Olympic medalist Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ), looking for her first Asian gold to go with two bronzes and a silver, gets her campaign at 68kg started with an 11-0 win over Thi Linh DANG (VIE). Zhumanazarova is limited to two takedowns in the first period by the gutsy Dang, but after a second-period takedown, she ends the match with a 4-point takedown.

12:24: After a slow first period in which Yelena SHALYGINA (KAZ) got a point for Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) passivity in their 68kg bout, Morikawa managed to score 10 points in the second to complete a victory over the Kazakhstan wrestler. A takedown and gut-wrenches is what Morikawa used to score her points.

12:16: Yui SUSAKI (JPN) uses her low single to deadly effectiveness in an 11-0 victory over NEELAM (IND) at 50kg that she completes eight seconds inside the first-period buzzer. Neelam did her best to counter Susaki's singles, but the Japanese star kept piling up the points in a four-takedown effort.

12:10: Son Hyang KIM (PRK) continues to impress at 50kg, hitting three gut wrenches after her second takedown to defeat Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL) 10-0 in 1:10 and advance to the semifinals

12:07: Sena NAGAMOTO (JPN), winner at the Zagreb Ranking Series who is making her senior Asian debut, gets off to a roaring start at 59kg with an 10-0 victory over Sezim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)

12:02: Former Asian champion and world bronze medalist Mengyu XIE (CHN) overwhelms two-time Asian medalist Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL), scoring seven points in the first period and then ending the match in the second for an 11-0 win to advance to the 59kg semifinals

11:59: Rising star Sowaka UCHIDA (JPN), a 2025 world bronze medalist a year after winning the world U20 gold, storms to a 10-0 victory over Jeongbin OH (KOR) to secure her spot in the 55kg semifinals

11:58: Ulmeken ESENBAEVA (UZB), a multiple-time medalist at age-group Asian Championships, begins with a fall over Hyebin AHN (KOR) at 59kg.

11:56: Wenji LI (CHN) proves too powerful for Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN) in their qualifying round bout at 76kg, handing the Japanese squad its first loss by topping off two of her three takedowns with 2-point rolls in a 12-2 technical superiority win in 5:31

11:55: NEHA (IND), a former U20 world bronze medalist, starts with a fall over Viktoriia KHUSAINOVA (KAZ) at 59kg. She built a 6-0 lead before scoring a takedown and then used a cradle to secure the fall

11:53: An impressive start for last year's runner-up at 55kg, Yuxuan LI (CHN). After a stepout to get started against Aruuke KADYRBEK KYZY (KGZ), Li gains a takedown, then reels off four gut wrenches in succession for an 11-0 victory in just over a minute.

11:52: Five-time Asian medalist and 2023 world silver medalist Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) scores two stepouts in the first period, the second with Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB) on the activity clock, and adds two takedowns in the second before finishing the match with a 4-point takedown in the last seconds for an 11-0 victory at 68kg.

11:41: Yi Hui LIN (TPE) stuns Ngoc Linh DO (VIE) with a 4-point takedown with :16 left, then holds on for a 5-4 victory  at 50kg in the opening match on Mat B. Her reward is a quarterfinal clash with Susaki

11:35: Son Hyang KIM (PRK), a world bronze medalist and Asian silver medalist way back in 2017, storms into the quarterfinals at 50kg with a 10-0 thrashing of Nipuni HEWA PEDIGE (SRI). Kim's most recent accomplishment was a silver at the 2023 Asian Games.

11:34: 53-second fall for Yui SUSAKI (JPN) in her first international match since the 2024 Paris Olympics! Susaki got Ziqi FENG (CHN) in her opening bout at 50kg, a rematch of the final from the 2024 Asian Championships final. Susaki tried two leg attacks but failed to covert them into points. Out of nowhere, Feng tried an arm-spin which was blocked by Susaki. Feng fell back first on the mat and Susaki kept the pressure to secure the fall!

11:30: After two of exciting Greco-Roman in the morning, the Asian Championships will see Women's Wrestling on the mats. Local stars Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) and Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) will be the favorites at 68kg and 76kg