#WrestleFaenza

Edmond Nazaryan, Son of Two-Time Olympic Champ Armen Nazaryan, Wins European Title

Wednesday, June 19, 2019 - 18:50 By Eric Olanowski

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FAENZA, Italy (June 19) -- Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL), the son of the three-time world and two-time Olympic champion Armen NAZARYAN (BUL), followed in his father’s footsteps and won a European title on Wednesday night. Armen, the Atlanta and Sydney Olympic champion, was not only on hand to see his son win his second consecutive continental title, but he was in his corner and was able to lift Edmond off the mat with a hug after his title-winning efforts. Now, Edmond just needs five more golds to catch up to his father who won seven European titles during his storied career.

Through his four matches in Faenza, Nazaryan was only tested once on his road to the 51kg title. That test came against returning cadet European bronze medalist Nihad GULUZADE (AZE), who he edged 7-7 in the quarterfinals. Outside of his quarterfinals match with Guluzade, the Bulgarian blanked William Morten REENBERG (DEN), Armen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), and his finals opponent Baris ERBEK (TUR) by a combined score of 23-0 en route to the gold. 

To repeat as European champion, Nazaryan picked up an early step-out, then tacked on an inactivity point leading Erbek, 2-0. With his Turkish opponent in the par terre position, Nazaryan circled out towards his opponent's head and locked up a front head pinch, and ended the match after scoring on three consecutive rolls. 

Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) only needed 34-seconds to pick up the fall in the 72kg finals. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Meanwhile, Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) improved on his runner-up finish from last year with a 34-second fall in the 71kg finals. 

Gutu, the reigning world and Youth Olympic Games champion, was expected to take on reigning European champion Stepan STARODUBTSEV (RUS) in the finals, but that match took place earlier than expected. The pair of returning European finalists drew into the same side, and it was Gutu who exacted revenge on the man who handed him his only loss of 2018, scoring the 6-1 quarterfinal victory.

In the gold-medal match, Gutu only needed 34 seconds to pick up a fall against Data CHKHAIDZE (GEO). Early in the first period, Gutu hit a duck under, then transitioned to double under hooks and planted Chkhaidze on his back for the fall and earned his first European title since 2017 when he won the U15 European title in Belgrade, Serbia. 

Maksim SKURATOV (RUS) was one of three Russian gold medalist who helped his country win the Cadet European team title. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

On the team side of the competition, the Russian Federation entered the third day of wrestling with a 23 point advantage over Azerbaijan and closed out the Cadet European Championships with 178 points and the team title. They medaled in eight weights and had three champions. 

Azerbaijan, who had a pair of Day 2 champs and another one on Day 3, held onto their second spot and finished with 135 points. In addition to their trio of champions, Azerbaijan also had a silver-medal winner and two bronze-medal finishers. 

Mate GOKADZE’S gold medal at 110kg helped push Georgia into the third spot with 117 points. Like Azerbaijan, Georgia also finished with a silver medalist and two bronzes. 

Women’s wrestling takes center stage on Thursday. The Day 4 competition starts at 11:30 (local time) and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org. 

RESULTS 

Final  Greco-Roman Team Scores
GOLD – Russia (178 points)
SILVER – Azerbaijan (135 points)
BRONZE – Georgia (117 points)
Fourth – Turkey (108 points)
Fifth – Armenia (95 points)

48kg
GOLD - Farid SADIKHLI (AZE) df. Daniial AGAEV (RUS), 10-1 
BRONZE - Miroslav Mariov EMILOV (BUL) df. Kaspars BONDARENKO (LAT), 4-2 
BRONZE - Homeros ARAKELYAN (ARM) df. Rokas CEPAUSKAS (LTU), 9-0 

51kg
GOLD - Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) df. Baris ERBEK (TUR), 8-0 
BRONZE - Armen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) df. Nihad GULUZADE (AZE), 6-3 
BRONZE - Volodymyr VOITOVYCH (UKR) df. Kirill CHETKAREV (RUS), 8-7

60kg
GOLD - Maksim SKURATOV (RUS) df. Mert ILBARS (TUR), 11-0         
BRONZE - Artsiom KLITSUNOU (BLR) df. Rafet Selim RASHID (BUL), 5-1 
BRONZE - Nika BROLADZE (GEO) df. Arturs SESKENS (LAT), via fall

71kg 
GOLD - Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) df. Data CHKHAIDZE (GEO), via fall 
BRONZE - Allahverdi ALIYEV (AZE) df. Stepan STARODUBTSEV (RUS), 3-1 
BRONZE - Simon Christer BORKENHAGEN (SWE) df. Aliaksei PIAKHOTA (BLR), 7-0 

92kg
GOLD - Mate GOKADZE (GEO) df. Said MUSAEV (RUS), 8-0 
BRONZE - Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) df. Razmik KURDYAN (ARM), 12-1 
BRONZE - Omer AYGUL (TUR) df. Adolf BAZSO (HUN), 6-1 

#WrestleTirana

Mirzazadeh dominates his way to Tirana gold; Shiotani impresses

Monday, March 3, 2025 - 04:03 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (March 2) -- There is nothing extraordinary in the 130kg Greco-Roman final in Tirana. World champion Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) controls the proceedings for six minutes and wins the gold medal.

In Tirana for the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series, Mirzazadeh returned to the mat for the first time since winning bronze medal at the Paris Olympics at 130kg where he lost only to eventual champion Mijain LOPEZ (CUB).

Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI)Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) defends a par terre position against Hamza BAKIR (TUR). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

On Sunday, all four matches Mirzazadeh wrestled followed a similar pattern. He will get the first passivity and score the turn from par terre before defending the par terre in the second period. His winning score in quarterfinal, semifinal and final read 3-1. Only in his first match against Heiki NABI (EST) did Mirzazadeh get both par terre advantages to win 4-0.

Wrestling Paris Olympian and Turkiye's next big hope at 130kg Hamza BAKIR (TUR), Mirzazadeh turned Bakir from par terre for a 3-0 lead before defending the lead and winning 3-1.

While beating Bakir, who has all three age-group world titles, did not take a toll on Mirzazadeh, the same cannot be said about another age-group world champion that Mirzazadeh is preparing domestically.

Although he will not feature in the Asian Championships, Mirzazadeh will be keen on defending his world title in Zagreb in September.

In his path for that are Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) and Aliakbar YOUSOFI (IRI). Hedayati has been rising in the ranks and seen as the biggest threat to Mirzazadeh's place on the Iran team.

Yousofi, the 2021 world champion, returned after a sabbatical and won the Zagreb Open gold medal three weeks ago to enter the selection process. Now, teh Iran team will be clear by the third Ranking Series in Mongolia in June.

Yu SHIOTANI (JPN)Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) performing his signature reverse lift move. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Yu SHIOTANI (JPN), a world bronze medalist from 2022, returned to international wrestling after three years and secured the gold medal at 60kg.

"It's been a long time since I last competed, but I'm happy that we were able to finish with gold [today]," Shiotani said.

In his elements, Shiotani launched massive reverse lift throws in all his bouts, barring the final. And he only gave up points in his first bout -- against U20 and U23 world champion Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI).

"I wasn't moving much," he said of the match against Ahmadi Vafa. "I think that's why the match turned out like that. I was probably a little nervous. Of course, the opponent was also strong, but I think I was a little nervous and couldn't play the match as well as I wanted."

Shiotani wrestled Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO) in the final and did not wait for any passivity warnings. He scored a takedown and went for his signature reverse left, exposing Shavadze's back on the mat for two more points. Just before the break, he scored a takedown to make it 6-0.

Just over a minute in the second period, Shiotani pressured Shavadze who stepped backwards till he was out of the zone. One point for stepout and another for fleeing resulted in Shiotani winning 8-0. Georgia challenged the fleeing but lost, giving one more point to Shiotani.

Yu SHIOTANI (JPN)Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) defeated Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) in the opening bout at 60kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

In his first match against Ahmadi Vafa, Shiotani was in forced par terre in the first period but he didn't let give up any points. The referees were about to give Ahmadi Vafa the second par terre as well but Shiotani scored a takedown.

A reversal in the same sequence was scored one point for Ahmadi Vafa. But Shiotani with a big lift and throw for two points. Shiotani challenges and gets two more points for a foul from Ahmadi Vafa to lead 6-2. From par terre, Shiotani would score three more points and lead 9-4 with 35 seconds on the clock.

Shavadze was one of the five wrestlers to reach the finals Sunday but only one -- Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) -- managed to win the gold medal.

Lomadze wrestled four bouts and never looked in any trouble. In his first match, he defeated former world champion Ali ARSALAN (SRB) 5-1, before a 13-2 win over Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU).

Lomadze then defeated fellow countryman Otar ABULADZE (GEO) 6-3 in the semifinals, the win more or less confirming his European Championships spot on the Georgian team.

In the final, Lomadze got the better of Mehmet SAHIN (TUR), beating him 6-3 for the gold medal.

Former European champion Kiril MILOV (BUL) denied Georgi MELIA (GEO) and Georgia another chance to win a gold medal after he defetaed the Georgian 4-0 in the 97kg final bout.

Milov scored a beautiful takedown and transitioned into a gut wrench to get a 4-0 lead. There were no par terre positions in the match and Milov's move remained as the only scoring action.

Turkiye won two gold medals as Emre MUTLU (TUR) and Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) finished on the top at 55kg and 82kg.

Mutlu denied Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO), 7-4 in the 55kg final while Akbudak won the gold medal after Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) injury defaulted in the 82kg final.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Emre MUTLU (TUR) df. Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO), 7-4

BRONZE: Yerassyl MAMYRBEKOV (KAZ) df. Andi MUCA (ALB), 9-0
BRONZE: Yersin ABYIR (KAZ) df. Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ), via fall (9-1)

60kg
GOLD: Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) df. Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO), 9-0

BRONZE: Haodong TAN (CHN) df. Iskhar KURBAYEV (KAZ), 9-0 
BRONZE: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) df. Akyl SULAIMANOV (KGZ), 12-3

72kg
GOLD: Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) df. Mehmet SAHIN (TUR), 8-3

BRONZE: Yryskeldi KHAMZAEV (KGZ) df. Ivo ILIEV (BUL), 10-0
BRONZE: Ali ARSALAN (SRB) df. Otar ABULADZE (GEO), 4-3

82kg
GOLD: Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) df. Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Svetoslav NIKOLOV (BUL) df. Beksultan NAZARBAEV (KGZ), 10-1
BRONZE: Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) df. Ramon BETSCHART (SUI), 3-2

97kg
GOLD: Kiril MILOV (BUL) df. Giorgi MELIA (GEO), 4-0

BRONZE: Alex SZOKE (HUN) df. Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER), 8-2
BRONZE: Markus RAGGINGER (AUT) df. Beytullah KAYISDAG (TUR), 8-0

130kg
GOLD: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) df. Hamza BAKIR (TUR), 3-1

BRONZE: Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) df. Yuta NARA (JPN), 4-1 
BRONZE: Heiki NABI (EST) df. Wenhao JIANG (CHN), 2-2