Four Russians Reach European Finals; Karadeniz Erases Five-Point Deficit

Monday, April 19, 2021 - 19:58 By Eric Olanowski

WARSAW, Poland (April 19) --- The Russian Federation emerged victorious in 12 of 13 matches on the opening day of wrestling at the Hala Widowiskowo-Sportowa and have a quartet of wrestlers vying for European gold on Tuesday night.

Nachyn MONGUSH (57kg) cruised to the finals while Zagir SHAKHIEV (65kg), Israil KASUMOV (70kg) and Alikhan ZHABRAILOV (97kg) scored come-from-behind wins to punch their tickets to the finals.

Mongush started the fire for Russia with a 2-0 win over 23-year-old Afgan KHASHALOV (AZE). The talented young Russian’s defensive skills were on display throughout the day, but his most significant defensive stop came in the closing seconds against Khashalov. Mongush fended off Khashalov’s only attack of the match and hung on to the two-point win. After reaching the finals, Mongush said, “I wanted to win or die on the wrestling mat.” He’ll wrestle two-time world medalist and returning European silver-medal winner Suleyman ATLI (TUR) for 57kg gold.

Atli looked in mid-season form during his run to the 57kg finals. The 26-year-old breezed his way to the finals with a pair of Monday wins. Atli started his day with an 11-0 shutout over Kamil KERYMOV (UKR), then beat 23-year-old Mikyay NAIM (BUL) to earn his second straight European finals berth.

In his semifinals match against Naim, Atli controlled the match's tempo and secured an inactivity point halfway through the period. Then, with 10 ticks left in the first, the 26-year-old added two points to the scoreboard with a takedown and commanded the three-point advantage. Atli gave up a stepout point but held center in the closing frame and will look to improve his European silver medal from a year ago.

Zagir SHAKHIEV (RUS) gets tangled up with Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE) in their semifinals meeting. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

At 65kg, Zagir Shakhiev rallied off eight unanswered points against Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE) and moved into the finals. He’ll take on Poland’s 30-year-old veteran Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL) for gold on Tuesday night.

Shakiev found himself in a big hole after the opening 30 seconds but showed no signs of panic. Early in the first period, he shot a single leg, came up to his feet, and had his 23-year-old opponent’s leg dangling in the air. Shakiev's opponent used a slick back trip to sit him on his rear end. At first, the scoreboard showed that two points were awarded for the unconventional maneuver, but two additional points were awarded after a successful Azeri challenge. Shakiev stayed offensive late in the first period and cut Rahimzade’s lead to two points with a swing single.

Despite falling behind early, Shakiev scored eight unanswered points and moved into the finals with an 8-5 victory.

As he made his way back to the locker room, Shakiev said, “I imagined that the hall was full of fans and it helped me find the strength to win.”

He’ll square off with Polish vet Krzysztof Bienkowski in the finals. The hometown hero spoiled Maxim SACULTAN’s (MDA) hopes of reaching the finals with a 7-3 victory.

The match was dull and had limited action for the first 5:50. But, in the closing 10 seconds, Bienkowski stopped a low-level attack and capitalized on a pair of exposures. Although he conceded an exposure himself, the 30-year-old will wrestle for European gold for the first time in nine tries.

Israil Kasumov was the third Russian who was victorious on Monday night. He’ll take on U23 world champion Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) for 70kg gold tomorrow night.

Kasumov’s semifinal opponent Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM) came out hot with a single leg. Still, after the two were twisted in a pretzel-like scramble, it was the Russian who grabbed the takedown before transitioning into a right-side gut wrench. Kasumov nearly gave up a takedown with 10 seconds left but squared his hips up just enough to not give up the two-point takedown.

Bayramov had a much easier time making it to the finals. He picked up two takedowns and a stepout and defeated Ihor NYKYFORUK (UKR), 5-0.

When asked about his thoughts on tomorrow’s match against Bayramov, Kasumov said, “Tomorrow will be better than today!”

Alikhan Zhabrailov was Russia’s fourth and final semifinal winner. He gave up a late takedown and fell behind 3-1 with less than 20 seconds left. But, with ice water running through his veins, he scored a takedown with 9 seconds left and stole a 97kg finals appearance from Radoslaw BARAN (POL).

Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR) stuffs a shot attempt from world bronze medalist Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO). (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Zhabrailov will try to stop Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR) from winning a second consecutive European title.

Karadeniz, last year’s 92kg European champion, was getting blown out of the water in the opening period against six-time European bronze medalist Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) but held it together long enough for the Georgian to run out of gas.

In the second period, Karadeniz, who qualified Turkey for the Olympic Games through his 97kg runner-up finish at the European Olympic Qualifier, completely gassed Odikade and scored seven unanswered points to reach the finals in back-to-back years.

Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) stops a dump attempt and puts Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO) on his back. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Gulaev and Alekma Make 79kg Finals
Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) and Saifedine ALEKMA (FRA) will wrestle for 79kg gold -- the lone finals match that won't feature a Russian wrestler.

Early in the first, Gulaev stopped a Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO) dump attempt and opened the match up with a two-point exposure. The pair traded exposures off each other shots, but a one-point reversal gave the Slovakian a 4-3 lead. Then, in the second period, the 23-year-old scored the match-deciding step out and reached the finals with a 5-4 win.

While trailing 1-1, Alekma showed off his world-class timing by capitalizing on the inactivity clock point before stopping a half-hearted shot attempt, which he turned into a takedown and gut wrench. He went from trailing 1-1 to leading 6-1 and punching his ticket to the European finals in a matter of seconds.

Freestyle action resumes tomorrow morning in Poland at 11:30 and can be followed live on www.uww.org.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD - Suleyman ATLI (TUR) vs. Nachyn MONGUSH (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Nachyn MONGUSH (RUS) df. Afgan KHASHALOV (AZE), 2-0
SEMIFINAL - Suleyman ATLI (TUR) df. Mikyay NAIM (BUL), 3-1

65kg
GOLD - Zagir SHAKHIEV (RUS) vs. Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL)
SEMIFINAL - Maxim SACULTAN (MDA), 7-3
SEMIFINAL - Zagir SHAKHIEV (RUS) df. Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE), 8-5

70kg
GOLD - Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) vs. Israil KASUMOV (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Israil KASUMOV (RUS) df. Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM), 3-2
SEMIFINAL - Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) df. Ihor NYKYFORUK (UKR), 5-0

79kg
GOLD - Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) vs. Saifedine ALEKMA (FRA)
SEMIFINAL - Saifedine ALEKMA (FRA) df. Rashad YUSIFLI (AZE), 6-1
SEMIFINAL - Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) df. Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO), 5-4

97kg
GOLD - Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR) vs. Alikhan ZHABRAILOV (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR) df. Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO), 7-5
SEMIFINAL - Alikhan ZHABRAILOV (RUS) df. Radoslaw BARAN (POL), 3-3

#WrestleZagreb

Saravi returns to final; Ganizade, Ghanem rematch for 72kg gold

Friday, September 19, 2025 - 16:52 By Ken Marantz

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 19) -- Paris Olympic champion Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) safely negotiated the minefield that was the draw of the stacked 97kg division, advancing to the final to earn a shot at capturing a second world title.

Saravi defeated Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW) 3-1 in the semifinals Friday at the World Championships in Zagreb, putting him in Saturday's gold-medal match against Artur SARGSIAN (UWW) as the finals were set in three Greco weight classes.

In other finals, Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) and Alisher GANIEV (UZB) will battle it out at 60kg, while the 72kg match will be a rematch of last year's final between defending champion Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) and Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA).

Saravi, who avoided the upset bug that hit the legendary Artur ALEKSANYAN (AZE) and 2023 world champion Gabriel ROSILLO (CUB) earlier in the day, executed a gut wrench from par terre against Maskevich, then hardly budged when he was put on the bottom in the second period.

The victory gives Saravi, who won his third straight Asian title and fourth overall this year, a shot at regaining the world title he won in 2021. He also has an Olympic bronze and world silver and bronze medals to his credit.

Sargsian, a 2021 bronze medalist, earned his place in the final with a 1-1 victory over Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE), prevailing on the criteria of receiving the first of two passivity points.

Following an opening victory by technical superiority, it was Sargsian's third straight victory by a 1-1 scoreline, an aspect that is totally irrelevant to him.

"I don’t care about the score, the important thing is that they raised my hand," Sargsian said. "All my life I tried to win ahead of time, to get 8-0 in every match -- and for what? It didn’t lead to anything good. I’m 27 years old and I still have only world championship medal. So for me, three times 1-1 is the same as three times 8-0."

For Sargsian, the final gives him a chance to avenge a loss to Saravi from the 2021 World Championships, when the Iranian defeated him 6-4 in the first round in Oslo.

"I’m very glad that tomorrow I’ll finally have my long-awaited rematch with Saravi," Sargsian said. "It adds extra excitement that now he is not only a world champion, but also an Olympic champion."

At 60kg, Asian silver medalist Ganiev will get a chance to become just the second Uzbekistan wrestler to win a world Greco title after holding on to win a 5-5 thriller
over European silver medalist Georgij TIBILOV (SRB).

Ganiev was on top in par terre, trailing on criteria because he received the second passivity point, when he lifted Tibilov and executed a nifty cartwheel for a 4-pointer and a 5-4 lead.

But Tibilov, a world bronze medalist at 63kg in 2023, was not going down easily, and he pressured Ganiev at the edge for a takedown, then added a second one. But
that was all he could get, and Ganiev won on big-point criteria.

The victory avenged a 6-4 loss to Tibilov in the final of the Zagreb Open in the same arena back in February.

Uzbekistan's lone title in Greco came back in 2001, when Dilshod ARIPOV (UZB) won the 58kg gold in Patras, Greece.

Sultangali, who has world bronze medals from 2018 and 2022, will get a shot at his first gold after putting on a late surge and defeating Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO)
10-2 in the other semifinal.

Sultangali trailed 2-1 when he bulled Shavadze over for a 4-point takedown with :30 left, then added a gut wrench. An unsuccessful challenge made it 8-2 before Shavadze gave up the fight and allowed a stepout with fleeing penalty point with :03 left.

Kazakhstan has won five Greco world golds through three wrestlers, but hasn't had put one on the top of the medal podium since 1999, when Mkhtar MANUKYAN
(KAZ) won the second of his back-to-back titles at 63kg in Athens.

At 72kg, a second potential Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan match-up failed to come to fruition when both countries' wrestlers lost in the semifinals. Instead, it will be
Ganizade and Ghanem going at it for the second consecutive year.

Ganizade scored all of his points in the first period in a 5-0 victory over Asian silver medalist Abdullo ALIEV (UZB). He slipped behind for a takedown, then added a gut wrench before getting the lone passivity point to cap the first period.

In the other semifinal, Ghanem was leading a close match 3-2 as it was winding down when he countered Merey MAULITKANOV (KAZ) for 4-point throw.

Maulitkanov just remained lying on the mat, officially giving Ghanem a victory by fall in 5:49.

RESULTS

Greco-Roman

60kg (25 entries)
SF 1: Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) df. Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO) by TF, 10-2, 5:57
SF 2: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) df. Georgij TIBILOV (SRB), 5-5

72kg (30 entries)
SF 1: Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) df. Abdullo ALIEV (UZB), 5-0
SF 2: Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) df. Merey MAULITKANOV (KAZ) by Fall, 5:49 (7-2)

97kg (29 entries)
SF 1: Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) df. Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW), 3-1
SF 2: Artur SARGSIAN (UWW) df. Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE), 1-1

Four Russians Reach European Finals; Karadeniz Erases Five-Point Deficit

Comments

Saravi returns to final; Ganizade, Ghanem rematch for 72kg gold