#WrestleBelgrade

Freestyle entries released for 2023 World Championships

Friday, August 25, 2023 - 14:04 By Eric Olanowski

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BELGRADE, Serbia (August 25) --- United World Wrestling has released the preliminary freestyle entries for the 2023 World Championships.

The World Championships will be live in Belgrade, Serbia, September 16-24, with freestyle kicking off the competition on the 16th.

Seven returning champions— Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB), Rei HIGUCHI (JPN), Rahman AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI), Kyle DAKE (USA), David TAYLOR III (USA), Kyle SNYDER (USA) and Taha AKGUL (TUR)—are headed to Belgrade striving to add another world title to their list of achievements..

The 2023 World Championships hold significant importance for the 2024 Olympic cycle as it marks the initial phase of the six qualifying events for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 90 Olympic quotas—30 each in freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women's wrestling—are up for contention in Belgrade.

The Olympic quotas will be allocated across six weight classes: 57kg, 65kg, 74kg, 86kg, 97kg, and 125kg. Additionally, four non-Olympic weights will be contested—61kg, 70kg, 79kg, and 92kg—however, placements in these categories will have no impact on qualification for the Paris Olympics.

Wrestlers who achieve gold, silver, or bronze medals in the six Olympic weight categories will secure a place for their nation in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Additionally, the two wrestlers who fall short in the bronze-medal bouts will compete in a wrestle-off to determine the fifth quota for the Paris Olympics.

Other Olympic Qualification Events:
}March 01-03: Pan-American Olympic Qualifier in Acapulco, Mexico
March 22-24: African and Oceania Olympic Qualifier in Cairo, Egypt
April 04-07: European Olympic Qualifier in Baku, Azerbaijan
April 19-21: Asian Olympic Qualifier in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
May 09-12: World Olympic Qualifier in Istanbul, Turkey

At 57kg, reigning world champion Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB) will share headlining responsibilities with Rei HIGUCHI (JPN). Higuchi, who previously held the 61kg world title, has decided to compete at his Rio 2016 Olympic silver medal weight of 57kg.

Other medalists from last year that'll compete at 57kg are bronze medal finishers Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL) and Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM). Zandanbud's bronze came in the 57kg category, while Harutyunyan competed at 61kg.

With Higuchi's move to the 57kg Olympic weight, the 61kg division lacks a clear frontrunner. Nevertheless, there are three entrants with world medals to their name. Reza Ahmadali ATRINAGHARCHI (IRI) was the runner-up last year, and Narankhuu NARMANDAKH (MGL) and Stevan Andria MICIC (SRB) both claimed bronze medals.

Despite being registered at 61kg, there's a strong possibility that Micic might reclassify and move down to the 57kg category, considering the Olympic qualification stakes.

At 65kg, world and Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) is set to return after a hiatus since his gold-medal win at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Wrestling enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating a potential showdown between Otoguro and reigning world champion Rahman AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI).

Other prominent contenders in the 65kg division include superstar Haji ALIYEV (AZE), a three-time world champion and two-time Olympic medalist, as well as two-time world bronze medalist Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN).

In the 70kg class, Zain RETHERFORD (USA), Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ), and Amirmohammad YAZDANICHERATI (IRI) are the top targets for all contenders. While these three wrestlers have reached the world finals recently, they fell short of their lifelong ambition of reaching the pinnacle of the sport.

The ultra-competitive 74kg weight class is led by Kyle DAKE (USA), who has been the dominant figure in the division since transitioning from 79kg in January 2020. Since that shift, Dake has triumphed in 7 out of 8 competitions, securing two world titles, with his only loss coming against Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (AIN) at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Kadimahamedau, the wrestler responsible for defeating Dake at the Olympic Games, is set to return to the international stage in Belgrade. Behind Dake and Kadimahamedau, Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) holds the third position on the favorites list. Despite reaching the world finals twice in consecutive years, Salkazanov fell short against Dake on both occasions.

Other dark horses in this weight category, with past world medals to their names, include Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR), Yones Aliakbar EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI), and Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA).

In a notable development, Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB), after experimenting at 86kg, has decided to shift back to 74kg in pursuit of another Olympic medal.

With the absence of the two-time reigning 79kg world champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA), Mohammad NOKHODILARIMI (IRI) emerges as the frontrunner in this weight division. Nokhodilarimi reached the finals in two consecutive years but faced defeat against Burroughs, settling for second place.

In the 86kg category, David TAYLOR III (USA) stands as the undeniable favorite, following his commanding victory over Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) in Belgrade a year ago. Taylor carries with him a history of wins against Yazdani, having secured victories in the 2017 World Cup, 2018 World Championships, 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, and 2022 World Championships. Yazdani's sole win against Taylor came at the 2021 World Championships.

Myles Nazem AMINE (SMR), Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ), and Boris MAKOEV (SVK) are the three prominent contenders with the best prospects of preventing a Taylor vs. Yazdani rematch in the world finals. Amine, an Olympic bronze medalist, alongside Dauletbekov and Makoev, both returning world bronze medalists, are aiming to make their mark.

At 92kg, with Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) and J’den COX (USA) absent from the registration list, the frontrunners become the 2022 world bronze medalists Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) and Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO).

In the 97kg division, with the absence of Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) on the early entry list, Kyle SNYDER (USA) emerges as the top contender. Snyder, a three-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist, is likely to face strong competition from world bronze medalist Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) and Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) as he aims to secure his fourth world gold.

At 125kg, Gable STEVESON (USA) is set to return after a substantial absence. The 21-year-old sensation made waves at the Tokyo Olympic Games, stunning the wrestling community with his triumph. He managed to defeat now-reigning world champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) and three-time world champion Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) en route to Olympic glory.

Following his Olympic gold, Steveson took a brief retirement from wrestling to pursue a career in WWE. However, he has since added another Olympic gold to his aspirations.

During Steveson's absence, young contender Amir ZARE (IRI) has emerged as a dominant figure in the weight class. Zare claimed world gold in Oslo before relinquishing the crown to Rio Olympic champion Akgul in Belgrade. A highly anticipated clash between Zare and Steveson is eagerly awaited by fans after numerous exchanges on social media.

One often underestimated contender in this division is reigning world runner-up MUNKHTUR Lkhagvagerel (MGL). He showcased his capabilities last year by competing well against elite opponents, even shocking Petriashvili to reach the finals.

The 2023 World Championships begin September 16-24 in Belgrade, Serbia. Fans can follow all the action live on www.uww.org or on 'The Home of Wrestling,' United World Wrestling's new app.

Note: The aforementioned entries are preliminary and subject to change.

Freestyle entries:

57kg
Dzmitry SHAMELA (AIN)
Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB)
Bofenda KALUWEKO (ANG)
Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE)
Georgi VANGELOV (BUL)
Darthe CAPELLAN (CAN)
Wanhao ZOU (CHN)
Gamal MOHAMED (EGY)
Levan METREVELI (ESP)
Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS)
Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO)
Niklas STECHELE (GER)
Milad VALIZADEH (IRI)
Simone PIRODDU (ITA)
Rei HIGUCHI (JPN)
Meirambek KARTBAY (KAZ)
Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ)
Gukhyeon KIM (KOR)
Ben TARIK (MAR)
Igor CHICHIOI (MDA)
Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL)
Vladimir EGOROV (MKD)
Muhammad BILAL (PAK)
Darian CRUZ (PUR)
Razvan KOVACS (ROU)
Gayan KATHURANGANA (SRI)
Thomas EPP (SUI)
Suleyman ATLI (TUR)
Kamil KERYMOV (UKR)
Zane RICHARDS (USA)
AMAN (UWW)
Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB)

61kg
Andrei BEKRENEU (AIN)
Abdelhak KHERBACHE (ALG)
Norik HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
Georgii OKOROKOV (AUS)
Intigam VALIZADA (AZE)
Stilyan ILIEV (BUL)
Nicholas LATTANZE (CAN)
Congbao XIE (CHN)
Shota PHARTENADZE (GEO)
Reza ATRI (IRI)
Daniel POPOV (ISR)
Kodai OGAWA (JPN)
Ossimzhan DASTANBEK (KAZ)
Kenneth KOECH (KEN)
Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ)
Hyeonsik SONG (KOR)
Leomid COLESNIC (MDA)
Narankhuu NARMANDAKH (MGL)
Besir ALILI (MKD)
Joseph SILVA (PUR)
Nikolai OKHLOPKOV (ROU)
Stevan MICIC (SRB)
Nils LEUTERT (SUI)
Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR)
Valentyn BLIASETSKYI (UKR)
Vitali ARUJAU (USA)
Akash DAHIYA (UWW)
Jahongirmirza TUROBOV (UZB)

65kg
Niurgun SKRIABIN (AIN)
Islam DUDAEV (ALB)
Pedro LUVUEZO (ANG)
Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG)
Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM)
Haji ALIYEV (AZE)
Ayub MUSAEV (BEL)
Alibeg ALIBEGOV (BRN)
Mikyay NAIM (BUL)
Lachlan MCNEIL (CAN)
Shaohua YUAN (CHN)
Uber CUERO (COL)
Yanisse MADI (COM)
Alejandro VALDES (CUB)
Carlos ALVAREZ (ESP)
Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA)
Junjun ASEBIAS (FSM)
Edemi BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Alexander SEMISOROW (GER)
Ethan AGUIGUI (GUM)
Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN)
Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI)
Joshua FINESILVER (ISR)
Colin REALBUTO (ITA)
Takuto OTOGURO (JPN)
Adil OSPANOV (KAZ)
Levi NYONGESA (KEN)
Ikromzhon KHADZHIMURODOV (KGZ)
Seokki YOON (KOR)
Maxim SACULTAN (MDA)
Austin GOMEZ (MEX)
Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL)
Lowe BINGHAM (NRU)
Abdullah ASSAF (PLE)
Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL)
Sebastian RIVERA (PUR)
Stefan COMAN (ROU)
Sylvio DIATTA (SEN)
Divoshan CHARLES FERNANDO (SRI)
Nino LEUTERT (SUI)
Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK)
Cavit ACAR (TUR)
Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR)
Nicholas LEE (USA)
Anuj KUMAR (UWW)
Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)
Ibrahim GUZAN (YEM)

70kg
Nikita DMITRIJEVS MAYEUSKI  (AIN)
Patricio MANGUAU (ANG)
Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM)
Magomed KHANIEV (AZE)
Ramazan RAMAZANOV (BUL)
Michael ASSELSTINE (CAN)
Hazhimuhan YELIXIATI (CHN)
Amr REDA (EGY)
Caetano SA (GBS)
Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO)
Kevin HENKEL (GER)
Daniel ANTAL (HUN)
Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI)
Orts ISAKOV (JOR)
Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN)
Sanzhar DOSZHANOV (KAZ)
Brian Maurice OLOO (KEN)
Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ)
Yongseok JEONG (KOR)
Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA)
Cristian SANTIAGO (MEX)
Temuulen ENKHTUYA (MGL)
Fati VEJSELI (MKD)
Patryk OLENCZYN (POL)
Viktor VOINOVIC (SRB)
Niroshan MUNASINGE (SRI)
Marc DIETSCHE (SUI)
Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK)
Perman HOMMADOV (TKM)
Servet COSKUN (TUR)
Ihor NYKYFORUK (UKR)
Zain RETHERFORD (USA)
ABHIMANYOU (UWW)
Zafarbek OTAKHONOV (UZB)

74kg
Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (AIN)
Hrayr ALIKHANYAN (ARM)
Simon MARCHL (AUT)
Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE)
Cesar BORDEAUX (BRA)
Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN)
Ali UMARPASHAEV (BUL)
Adam THOMSON (CAN)
Feng LU (CHN)
Anthony WESLEY (CPV)
Erik REINBOK (EST)
Bacar NDUM (GBS)
Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO)
Tim MUELLER (GER)
Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)
Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN)
Yones EMAMI (IRI)
Mitchell FINESILVER (ISR)
Frank CHAMIZO (ITA)
Daichi TAKATANI (JPN)
Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ)
Mathayo MAHABILA (KEN)
Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (KGZ)
Seungchul LEE (KOR)
Vasile DIACON (MDA)
Anthony VALENCIA (MEX)
Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL)
Marko ANDONOV (MKD)
Inayat ULLAH (PAK)
Kamil RYBICKI (POL)
Shane JONES (PUR)
Iakub SHIKHDZHAMALOV (ROU)
Mamadou DIOUF (SEN)
Mamudu MARAH (SLE)
Malik AMINE (SMR)
Hetik CABOLOV (SRB)
Udayantha FERNANDO (SRI)
Tobias PORTMANN (SUI)
Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK)
Magomet EVLOEV (TJK)
Kakageldi AGAYEV (TKM)
Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR)
Jamal ABDUL (UGA)
Tymur HUDYMA (UKR)
Kyle DAKE (USA)
NAVEEN (UWW)
Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB)
Anthony MONTERO (VEN)

79kg
Andrei KARPACH (AIN)
Chems  FETAIRIA (ALG)
Francisco KADIMA (ANG)
Arman AVAGYAN (ARM)
Orkhan ABASOV (AZE)
Mihail GEORGIEV (BUL)
Jasmit PHULKA (CAN)
Peilong LI (CHN)
Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO)
Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI)
Yuto MIWA (JPN)
Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ)
Gunwoo LEE (KOR)
Alans AMIROVS (LAT)
Raul PALACIOS (MEX)
Byambadorj BAT ERDENE (MGL)
Stefan DIMITROV (MKD)
Krisztian BIRO (ROU)
Zaur EFENDIEV (SRB)
Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK)
Shuhrat BOZOROV (TJK)
Gurbanmyrat OVEZBERDIYEV (TKM)
Ramazan SARI (TUR)
Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR)
Chandler MARSTELLER (USA)
Sachin MOR (UWW)
Iman MAHDAVI (UWW)

86kg
Rasul TSIKHAYEU (AIN)
Jayden LAWRENCE (AUS)
Benjamin GREIL (AUT)
Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)
Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN)
Ilia HRISTOV (BUL)
Alexander MOORE (CAN)
Zushen LIN (CHN)
Carlos IZQUIERDO (COL)
Matteo MONTEIRO (CPV)
Yurieski TORREBLANCA (CUB)
Taimuraz FRIEV (ESP)
Aimar ANDRUSE (EST)
Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA)
Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO)
Lars SCHAEFLE (GER)
Patrik PUESPOEKI (HUN)
Hassan YAZDANI (IRI)
Matthew FINESILVER (ISR)
William RAFFI (ITA)
Erzo ISAKOV (JOR)
Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN)
Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ)
Mark ONGUYESI (KEN)
Narbek IZABEKOV (KGZ)
Deakyu KANG (KOR)
Ivars SAMUSONOKS (LAT)
Domantas PAULIUSCENKO (LTU)
Roman MANITRA RAHARISON (MAD)
Sofiane PADIOU BELMIR (MAR)
Ivan ICHIZLI (MDA)
Noel TORRES (MEX)
Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL)
Dejan MITROV (MKD)
Muhammad INAM (PAK)
Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL)
Ethan RAMOS (PUR)
Andrei FRANT (ROU)
Myles AMINE (SMR)
Sanjith BAPTIST (SRI)
Stefan REICHMUTH (SUI)
Boris MAKOEV (SVK)
Yanaal BARAZE (SYR)
Dovletmyrat ORAZGYLYJOV (TKM)
Osman GOCEN (TUR)
Ivan MASAKWE (UGA)
Vladyslav PRUS (UKR)
David TAYLOR (USA)
Sandeep Singh MANN (UWW)
Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB)
Pedro CEBALLOS (VEN)

92kg
Hajy RAJABAU (AIN)
Artunes PEDRO (ANG)
Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE)
Akhmed MAGAMAEV(BUL)
Tejvir BOAL (CAN)
Xiao SUN (CHN)
Arturo SILOT (CUB)
Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO)
Balazs JUHASZ (HUN)
Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI)
Uri KALASHNIKOV (ISR)
Abdul ABUIDAIJ (JOR)
Arash YOSHIDA (JPN)
Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ)
Dan CHEPTAI (KEN)
Woomin JANG (KOR)
Ion DEMIAN (MDA)
Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL)
Michal BIELAWSKI (POL)
Ermak KARDANOV (SVK)
Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR)
Denys SAHALIUK (UKR)
Zahid VALENCIA (USA)
Pruthviraj PATIL (UWW)
Rustam SHODIEV (UZB)

97kg
Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (AIN)
Sergey SARGSYAN (ARM)
Thomas BARNS (AUS)
Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE)
Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN)
Ahmed BATAEV (BUL)
Nishan Preet RANDHAWA (CAN)
Awusayiman HABILA (CHN)
Carlos ANGULO (COL)
Maxwell LACEY (CRC)
Mostafa ELDERS (EGY)
Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO)
Erik THIELE (GER)
Vlagyiszlav BAJCAJEV (HUN)
Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI)
Benjamin HONIS (ITA)
Takashi ISHIGURO (JPN)
Alisher YERGALI (KAZ)
Jaegang KIM (KOR)
Lukas KRASAUSKAS (LTU)
Radu LEFTER (MDA)
Badamdorj BALTMUNKH (MGL)
Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD)
Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL)
Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA)
Strahinja DESPIC (SRB)
Samuel SCHERRER (SUI)
Utah MANN (TGA)
Shatlyk HEMELYAYEV (TKM)
Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR)
Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR)
Kyle SNYDER (USA)
SAHIL (UWW)
Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB)

125kg
Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (AIN)
Paris KAREPI (ALB)
Catriel MURIEL (ARG)
Johannes LUDESCHER (AUT)
Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE)
Islam ADIZOV (BUL)
Bali SOU (CAM)
Zhiwei DENG (CHN)
Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY)
Jose CUBA (ESP)
Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)
Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER)
Daniel LIGETI (HUN)
Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI)
Abraham CONYEDO (ITA)
Aaron JOHNSON (JAM)
Taiki YAMAMOTO (JPN)
Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ)
Joel TUKAI (KEN)
Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ)
Donghwan KIM (KOR)
Eduardo GARCIA (MEX)
Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL)
Robert BARAN (POL)
Jonovan SMITH (PUR)
Magomedgadzhi NURASULOV (SRB)
Oma SAREM (SYR)
Zyyamuhammet SAPAROV (TKM)
Taha AKGUL (TUR)
Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR)
Lucas DAVISON (USA)
SUMIT (UWW)
Sardorbek KHOLMATOV (UZB)
Jose DIAZ (VEN)

#WrestleBelgrade

World Championships day six semis set

Thursday, September 15, 2022 - 08:00 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

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BELGRADE, Serbia (September 15) -- The freestyle action in men's begins on day six of the World Championships in Belgrade with superstars competing in 70kg, 79kg, 86kg and 125kg at the Stark Arena.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

The semifinals for the evening session

70kg
Zain RETHERFORD (USA) vs. Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO)
Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) vs. Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN)

79kg
Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) vs. Ali UMARPASHAEV (BUL)
Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR) vs. Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI)

86kg
Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) vs. Boris MAKOEV (SVK)
Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) vs. David TAYLOR (USA)

125kg
Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) vs. Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL)
Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) vs. Taha AKGUL (TUR)

14:38: Ali UMARPASHAEV (BUL) trailed Yudai TAKAHASHI (JPN) 3-2 till the final five seconds when he got Takahashi's knee touching the mat to win 4-3. Japan challenges the call but there is a clear touch. Umarpashaev wins 5-3.

14:36: Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR), the winner of the Rome tournament in June, plows into the 79kg semifinals with a 10-0 technical fall over Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE). After a first-period takedown, Mykhailov gets a takedown and two exposures in the second period and then ends the match with a third takedown.

14:35: Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) puts on a takedown clinic, scoring four in a 10-5 victory over Olympic bronze medalist Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB) to make the 79kg semifinals.

14:30: Jordan BURROUGHS (USA), chasing his sixth world title, looks as good as ever. He makes it look so easy as he did against Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (KGZ), steamrolling to an 11-0 win.

14:25: Amir ZARE (IRI) and Taha AKGUL (TUR) set up a mouth-watering semifinal at 125kg with similar one-sided victories on adjacent mats. Zare uses a spin-behind takedown to finish up a 10-0 technical fall over Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR). About a minute later, Akgul defeats Amarveer DHESI (CAN) 8-2. The only difference was a nifty ankle pick that Dhesi used to score a takedown against Akgul.

14:25: Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) led Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ) 4-2 in the 125kg quarterfinals but Boltin kept the pressure on. Munkhtur, however, manages to keep the score and win. He will face Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO).

14:23: Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) is moving into the semifinals at 125kg as he beats Hayden ZILLMER (USA) 9-4 in a very controlled bout.

14:13: Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) gets a stepout in the first period and an activity point in the second, and that's all the scoring in a tense 70kg quarterfinal victory over Servet COSKUN (TUR).

14:11: Zain RETHERFORD (USA) keeps his gold-medal hopes alive with a solid 5-0 victory over Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM) to make the 70kg semifinals. After getting an activity point in the first period, Retherford stays on the attack and scores a takedown and three stepouts for the win.

14:07: Ernazar AKMATELIEV (KGZ) completes a technical superiority win as well. Ramazan RAMAZANOV (BUL) did try some tricks but Akmataliev keeps the counters coming and wins 11-0. He will face Narikuni in the semifinals, a rematch of the Asian Championships final which was won by Narikuni.

14:06: Asian champion Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN) with an anti-climatic technical superiority win over Ilyas BEKBULATOV (UZB). He goes for a big four exposure and then a chest wrap gut for a 10-0 win at 70kg.

13:56: Boris MAKOEV (SVK) got a 4-0 lead against Tarzan MAISURADZE (GEO) but the Georgian has since bounced back with two takedowns and a stepout to lead 5-4. Slovakia challenge the call and the two points are taken off. 4-3 lead for Makoev. He got a takedown but Maisuradze changed the direction and got the two. He is awarded two more but Slovakia challenges asking for two and two. The review takes out two from Maisuradze. 5-4 lead for the Georgian. But Makoev with a two in the final second to win 6-5.

13:53: Asian champion Azamat DAULETBEKOV gets a 4-point cradle to the back in the second period against Olympic bronze medalist Myles AMINE (SMR) and he's into the 86kg semifinals with a 9-1 victory.

13:48: David TAYLOR (USA) looks just awesome in his quest for a second world title, putting away Ethan RAMOS (PUR) by technical fall 11-0 in 1:34. A takedown and two gut wrenches, then another takedown and another gut wrench finished the job. A capricious challenge at the end was unsuccessful, adding another point.  

13:45: The quarterfinals begin at 86kg Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) taking on Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL) on Mat C. He gets a stepout to start. Takedown and gut to make it 5-0. Yazdani keeps the pressure and wins 11-0 within three minutes.

13:38: Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) is through to the 79kg quarterfinals with a 10-0 technical fall over Aulguun ALTANZUL (MGL), much to the delight of the horn-honking, chanting Iranian fans at Stark Arena.

13:36: Yudai TAKAHASHI (JPN), who went to his first senior worlds while still in high school in 2021, makes it to the quarterfinals this time at 79kg when he scores a stepout with :28 left to defeat  Arman AVAGYAN (ARM) 7-6. Takahashi was trailing on criteria at the time.

13:27: Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) hits those doubles like no one else. He moves into the 79kg quarterfinals with a 12-1 win over Dejan MITROV (MKD).

13:26: Taha AKGUL (TUR), going for his third world title and seventh medal overall, gets a pair of takedowns near the edge in the first period and that was enough for a 4-0 victory over DANIEL LIGETI (HUN) and place in the 125 quarterfinals.

13:19: European champion and returning bronze medalist Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) encounters stiff resistance from Temuulen EHKHTUYA (MGL) to start his campaign at 70kg. An activity point gives him a 2-1 lead, and that's how it ends to put Iakobishvili into the quarterfinals.

13:14: Olympic silver medalist Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) warms up with a fall over DINESH (IND) and moves into the quarterfinals at 125kg. His match is followed up by Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) against Zhiwei DENG (CHN). Zare leads 2-0 at the break. A passivity against Deng in the second period makes it 3-0. That will be the final score of the bout.

13:09: Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN) gets the fall on Mat A over Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ) to make the 70kg quarterfinals, but not without some drama. Narikuni is trailing 4-2 in the second period when he gets in on a tackle. Talgat gets on top to defend, but Narikuni rises up and rolls forward. He is awarded 2, but Kazakhstan challenges—and the call is changed to 4! With the lost challenge point, now it's 7-4. Narikuni gets a takedown, a roll, then stacks up Talgat for the fall with :38 left.

13:09: At 125kg, Hayden ZILLMER (USA) hangs on for a 3-2 win over European bronze medalist Robert BARAN (POL). That means the USA will get team points at 125kg, a huge aspect in the team race.

13:02: Olympic champion David TAYLOR (USA) needs just 51 seconds to get a takedown, lock up an arm and roll back and forth four times to defeat Aron CANEVA (ITA) by 10-0 technical fall and advance to the 86kg quarterfinals.

13:00: Tarzan MAISURADZE (GEO) goes into the break at 86kg against 2021 bronze medalist Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) leading 3-1 after giving up a takedown and a fleeing penalty. Abakarov gets in on leg late in the second period, but Maisuradze defends and comes away with the win and a spot in the quarterfinals.

12:56: Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) gives up a takedown against Maxim SACULTAN (MDA) but remains unfazed. In the second period, Sacultan tries to trip Akmataliev who counters with a four and gut wrenches to a 13-2 win.  

12:50: Russian-born Iakub SHIKHDZHAMALOV (ROU) gets the early takedown against Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI), the returning silver medalist from 2021 at 79kg. Nokhodi spins behind for 2, then adds a pair of rolls to go up 6-2. A counter lift by the bearded Shikhdzhamalov and a Nokhodi reversal makes it 7-4 at the break. Shikhdzhamalov gets behind to cut the gap to 1 midway through the second period, but Nokhodi holds on for a 7-6 win.

12:48: Olympic bronze medalist Myles AMINE (SMR) up against Ivars SAMUSONOKS (LAT) and he takes the 2-0 lead with a takedown. He adds one more in the second period and will hold on for a 4-0 win.

12:43: Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) is walking out and you know that as the Iran fans cheer him. He is facing Ivan ICHIZLI (MDA) at 86kg. A slow start from the defending world champion but he works more in the second period for a 10-0 technical superiority win.

12:32: Arman AVAGYAN (ARM), a 2021 world U23 bronze medalist, wins points on both offense and defense in beating Adam THOMPSON (CAN) by 11-0 technical fall at 79kg.

12:25: Big match at 79kg as Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB), who won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics at 74kg, facing Muhammet AKDENIZ (TUR). Abdurakhmonov went up to 86kg but has come back to 79kg for this tournament. He is up 1-0 at the break. A scramble gives two points for Abdurakhmanov and one for Akdeniz. A second scramble results in a four-pointer for Akdeniz but Uzbekistan and it's only two. Turkey leads 3-3 on criteria. A double from Abdurakhmonov and he takes the lead. An attack from Akdeniz but he gives up points. Challenge from Turkey as Akdeniz suffers a 7-3 loss. A lost challenge and Abdurakhmonov wins 8-3

12:21: 2020 Asian champion Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (KGZ) leaves it late but gets a double-leg takedown with :25 left to defeat 2021 European silver medalist Saifedine ALEKMA (FRA) 2-2 on criteria at 79kg.

12:20: European champion Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) could not have asked for a tougher start to his World Championships. Facing Alans AMIROVS (LAT) at 79kg, he scores a stepout a point for passivity and another stepout to win 3-1.

12:11: A 7-0 victory on Mat B by Daniel LIGETI (HUN) over Taiki YAMAMOTO (JPN) at 125kg earns him a date in the round of 16 with former world and Olympic champion Taha AKGUL (TUR).

12:05: Five-time world champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) is coming up on Mat C against Sahergeldi SAPARMYRADOV (TKM). Burroughs gives up a stepout but comes back to hit the iconic double to complete a 12-1 win

12:00: World bronze medalist Zhiwei DENG (CHN) up on Mat C against Aydin AHMADOV (AZE) and he keeps it moving for six minutes and completes a 5-0 win over Ahmadov.

11:58: Two-time world medalist Reineris SALAS (CUB), a Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist at 97kg who has moved up to 125kg, falls behind on criteria when he gives up a takedown to Pan Am champ Amarveer DHESI (CAN) with two minutes left in the second period. Dhesi, with Salas on the activity clock, adds a stepout. With a minute to go, Dhesi is up 4-2, then squirms out of a takedown attempt for the win. 

11:45: Zyyamuhammet SAPAROV (TKM) got the opening arm-spin four against Hayden ZILLMER (USA) but the American rallied back to win 15-4 at 125kg.

11:39: Asian champion Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN), whose mother Akiko IIJIMA was a two-time world champion and his coach as a youth, took the first step in emulating his mom in his senior world debut with a 6-1 victory over Naveen MALIK (IND) at 70kg.    

11:35: Zain RETHERFORD (USA), a big favorite to win the gold medal at 70kg, shows why is it so. He rocks and roll Kevin HENKEL (GER) for a technical superiority win.    

11:28: A bit of bad blood on Mat A. Fati VEJSELI (MKD) gives European bronze medalist Ramazan RAMAZANOV (BUL) a shove as the two are on the mat at the end of their 70kg match, which was won 7-4 by Ramazanov.

11:20: Ilyas BEKBULATOV (UZB), making his debut at the World Championships, wins his opening match via technical superiority against Anthony WESLEY (CPV) at 70kg. Bekbulatov has been wrestling for Uzbekistan since 2019. 

11:18: Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA), coming off a gold-medal run at last month's World U20, storms out to an 8-point lead at 86kg against Ethan RAMOS (PUR), only to see his opponent come back with six of his own, all in the first period. Magamadov gets a takedown and roll, but Ramos comes back with a takedown. Then the ceiling falls on the Frenchman, as Ramos muscles him over for a fall as if to say, welcome to the big league.

11:09: At 86kg, European champion Myles AMINE (SMR), the U.S.-raised star who became a hero in his grandfather's homeland of San Marino when he won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics,  comes out the back door to score a 2-point exposure against Zushen LIN (CHN) and go-ahead 2-2 on criteria. He does the same move in the second period, then gives up a stepout. An unsuccessful challenge gives him a 5-3 win.

11:08: Returning bronze medalist Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) against Khasan ZAKARIIEV (UKR) on Mat D. He gives up four early points but then bounces back in the second period with two takedowns to lead 4-4. He scores a stepout as the time expires to win 5-4

11:03: Tarzan MAISURADZE (GEO) trailed for most of the bout but he scored a takedown with 34 seconds remaining to pick up a 4-4 win over Sanjeet KUNDU (IND) at 86kg. 

10:54: Fatih ERDIN (TUR) gets a takedown and gut against Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL) to lead 6-0 but the Poland wrestler returns to secure a 16-6 technical superiority using a lace.

10:49: Ivan ICHIZLI (MDA) gets a couple of rolls in defeating Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL) 7-0 at 86kg in the opening match on Mat A. That sends him into the next round, where he will be the opening opponent for formidable three-time world champion Hassan YAZDANI (IRI).

10:29: Greetings from Belgrade for another great day of wrestling (what day isn't?) In today's morning session, the men return to the mat for the qualification rounds in freestyle at 70kg, 79kg, 86kg and 125kg. You can expect the action to be hot and heavy.