#WrestleAcapulco

Five talking points from Pan-Am Championships brackets

Thursday, May 5, 2022 - 10:52 By Vinay Siwach

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ACAPULCO, Mexico (May 5) -- As the Pan-Am Championships kick off in the picturesque town of Acapulco, there will be some major talking points from the tournament.

Cuba has returned to the tournament after a break and has entered in all three styles. Apart from that, a few stars from the age-group level would be waiting to make their mark at the senior level and this is a perfect chance to pocket a Pan-Am medal.

Here are the five biggest talking points of the Championships over the next four days. Check all 30 brackets here

Greco-Roman

Oscar PINO (CUB), 130kg

More than two years after he last competed, Pino is returning to the mat. The three-time World Championships medalist at 130kg has to make way for four-time Olympic champion Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) every four years.

It was a similar case when he won the silver medal at the 2019 Worlds but had to vacate the space for Lopez for the Tokyo Games. He last participated in the '20 Pan-Am Championships at 125kg in freestyle and finished with a bronze.

In Mexico, he is pitted against Tanner FARMER (USA) in the opening round match at 130kg and a win will take him to the showdown against Olympian fifth-placer Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI). He wrestles Thursday.

It will be a test for Pino but he would like to add to his three Pan-Am gold, the last of which came in 2018.

TafurNestor TAFUR (COL) will be wrestling Greco-Roman in Mexico. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

Nestor TAFUR (COL), 82kg

Another wrestler who will be competing in his non-favorable style is Nestor TAFUR (COL). But the 30-year-old will be making his debut in Greco-Roman on Friday.

A long-time freestyle wrestler for Colombia, Tafur will be wrestling at 82kg Greco-Roman and has been clubbed with Brayden AMBO (CAN) and Tyler CUNNINGHAM (USA) in Group B of the weight class.

Tafur, who trains in New York, has represented Colombia at the World Championships and has three Pan-Am Championships medals at 74kg and 79kg in freestyle.

But it is yet to be seen how he will take on the challenge of switching styles and winning another medal and first in Greco-Roman.

Lucia YEPEZLucia YEPEZ (ECU) will be eyeing her first senior Pan-Am medal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Women's wrestling

55kg - Karla GODINEZ GONZALEZ (CAN) vs Lucia YEPEZ (ECU)

Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) will enter the Pan-Am Championships as the U23 world champion and has her reputation at stake. She is clubbed in Group B at 55kg with Brenda FERNANDEZ (MEX) and Karla GODINEZ (CAN).

Bout number 102 of the competition could well decide her position in the tournament as she faces Godinez, who was fifth at the U23 World Championships three years ago.

Yepez, a Tokyo Olympian at 50kg, will be making her debut at the senior Pan-Ams and will have to punch above her weight to challenge the likes of Godinez and Fernandez. If she wins the group, she will have to go through former world champion Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) to win the gold.

Milaimys MARINMilaimys MARIN (CUB) is a junior and U23 world champion. (Photo: UWW / Sachiko HOTAKA)

76kg -- Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) vs Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB)

Another bout that will catch the attention of the fans is at 76kg. U23 World silver medalist Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) and former U23 and junior world champion Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) are drawn together in the first round. In action on Saturday, the two are expected to put on a show.

Marin burst into the scene when she won the Youth Olympics in 2018 and followed that by winning the junior and U23 world titles a year later. She was not able to repeat that performance at the senior level in 2020 and 2021.

But still 20, Marin end the year with a junior Pan-Am Games title at 76kg, a run which had a win over junior world champion Kylie WELKER (USA).

Renteria is also looking for her first senior Pan-Am medal. She won the silver at the U23 Worlds last year at 76kg but is still adjusting to the jump in weight class from 68kg.

 

Freestyle

Nishanpreet SINGH RANDHAWA (CAN), 97kg

Canada's freestyle team isn't talked about much but Randhawa can spring a surprise in Pan-Am Championships. After missing the '21 championships, Randhawa is back with the hope of winning a medal in the '22 edition in Mexico.

Back in 2015, Randhawa had secured a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships going 3-1 at the tournament. His only loss came against Iran while he defeated wrestlers from South Africa, Tunisia and India.

He later won the junior Pan-Am title in 2016 and defended that a year later. He finished eighth at the U23 Worlds in 2019.

The British Columbia is now hoping to win his second senior Pan-Am medal, the first came in 2017 when he won the bronze medal in Brazil. He will begin his tournament against Miller MONDRAGON ARBOLEDA (COL) and a win will take him to the likely semifinal against Kyle SNYDER (USA). He will be in action on Sunday.

#WrestleParis

10 seeded showdowns we need to see at Paris 2024 (No. 6-10)

Wednesday, July 17, 2024 - 14:29 By Eric Olanowski

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PARIS, France (July 17) – We’re still a few weeks out from the Paris 2024 draws taking place on August 4. However, with the release of the top eight seeds per style, we can start to project potential matches that could take place as early as the quarterfinals.

SCHEDULE | PARIS 2024 EVENT PAGE 

The top eight Ranking Series point collectors from the 2023 World Championships, 2024 Continental Championships, and the Croatian and Hungarian Ranking Series events earned a top eight seed. The remaining eight wrestlers will be randomly drawn into their respective brackets.

Here are the top ten matches that we could see between seeded wrestlers from the quarterfinals on:

10. WW 68kg QUARTERFINAL - No. 3 Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) vs. No. 6 Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)
Koumba Larroque has been a prominent figure in French wrestling since her bronze medal at the 2017 World Championships at just 19 years old. Now in the prime of her career, she’s France’s best shot at a medal.

Larroque’s path to an Olympic medal will be bumpy, to say the least. She’s the third-seeded athlete in a bracket with six world champions and includes a potential quarterfinal clash with  familiar foe No. 6 Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR).

Larroque and Oborududu met twice in their career, splitting their pair of previous encounters.

Oborududu won their opening meeting at the 2020 Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series event, but Larroque returned the favor a year later at the Poland Open, evening the score at 1-1.

If Larroque and Oborududu win their first match, their third career meeting would take place August 5 in the 68kg quarterfinals.

9.  FS 65kg SEMIFINAL –  No. 2 Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) vs. No. 3 Ismail MUSUKAEV (HUN)
Amouzad and Musukaev are nightmare opponents for each other and are stylistically opposites.

Amouzad, the 65kg world champ from two years ago, is a guy who wants to close the gap with his right-side underhook and fill as much space as possible. Conversely, Musukaev, the reigning 65kg world champion, wants as much space as possible to flow freely.

In their first meeting—the semifinals of the 2022 World Championships-- Musukaev fell victim to Amouzad’s pace and was shut out 6-0. In their second matches—the semifinals of the 2023 World Championships—Musukaev weathered the first period storm, saved enough energy for a last-ditch effort and stole the world finals spot, 6-5, with less than 10 seconds remaining.

If Amouzad and Musukaev meet for a third time, it’ll be on August 10 in 65kg semifinals.

8. 57kg SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) vs. No. 3  Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR)
The Nichita and Adekuoroye rivalry is one that dates back to the 2019 World Championships but has since changed hands from their pre-COVID meeting.

The seasoned vet Adekuoroye is an anomaly in the wrestling world. Her style can’t be mimicked or replicated. She’s the tallest and lengthiest 57kg wrestler in the world but has also learned to use her leverage to become one of the most powerful wrestlers in the weight.

Adekuoroye’s unique style gave Nichita fits in their first meeting, as the four-time world medalist opened their three-match series with a dominant 10-0 win.

But Nichita carried what she learned from their first meeting into their next matches and had her hand raised on subsequent occasions.

In Tokyo, Nichita fell behind early but capitalized on an uncharacteristic Adekuoroye’s mistake and picked up a dramatic come-from-behind fall while trailing 8-2. Their next meeting came at the 2023 World Championships, where Nichita doubled Adekuoroye before ending the match in the first period with a left-sided trap arm gut, 10-0.

The fourth meeting between Nichita and Adekuoroye will take place August 8 in the 57kg semifinals.

7. GR 67kg QUARTERFINAL – No. 2 Luis ORTA SANCHEZ (CUB) vs. No. 7 Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI)
If there were ever a lesson from losing a match, Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) certainly learned it the hard way.

Earlier this year at the Hungarian Open Ranking Series event, Esmaelil led reigning Olympic champion Orta, 7-5, with 0.4 seconds left in the match.

But before we get to the ending of the match, it’s important to note that Esmaeili was in a domestic battle with reigning Olympic gold medalist Reza GERAEI (IRI) for Iran’s 67kg Paris Olympic spot. If Esmaeili beat Orta, he cemented his spot on Iran’s Olympic team. If he lost, Esmaeili and Geraei would go to a three-match wrestle off and the winner goes to Paris.

Now, circling back to the match: With less than a second to go in the match, Esmaeili began celebrating as he thought the clock expired.

During Esmaeili’s lapse of judgement, Orta, being the experienced guy, continued to wrestle through the whistle. Orta took a peek at the clock, saw there was still time left, locked up a throw and picked up four points, stealing the match, 9-7.

Esmaeili will try to get his revenge on Orta August 7 in the 67kg quarterfinals.

*Esmaeili ended up beating Geraei in two straight matches to earn the Olympic spot.

6. WW 57kg SEMIFINAL - No. 1 Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) vs. No. 5 Helen MAROULIS (USA)
Through the first two meetings between Sakurai and Maroulis, it’s been a one-sided affair. Sakurai is 2-0 against Maroulis, outscoring the Rio Olympic champion, 9-0, while picking up four offensive takedowns and not surrendering a single point.

Sakurai and Maroulis’ meeting at the 2022 World Championships was a slow-paced match, where the Japanese wrestler did enough to win but didn’t really establish her dominance.

That came in the second match.

In their second meeting, the biggest difference was Sakurai’s tatical use of her right hand when tied up with Maroulis. She used it to score three takedowns—one from an underhook front headlock, one from a underhook throw-by and the final one coming from a two-on-one—besting the American, 6-0.

The third meeting between Sakurai and Maroulis would take place August 8 in the 57kg semifinals.

Wrestling at the Paris Olympic Games starts Agust 5-11 and can be followed on www.uww.org.