#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 one semis set

Saturday, September 10, 2022 - 08:03 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

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BELGRADE, Serbia (September 10) -- The first day of the World Championships is here. Belgrade is all set for the biggest event of the year. Greco-Roman kicks off the competition with a lot of anticipation from the local crowd as they hope to win two of the four gold medals.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

What a session we had on the first day of the competition. The semifinals for the evening session are set.

55kg
Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ) vs. Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO)
Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) vs. Max NOWRY (USA)

72kg
Selcuk CAN (TUR) vs. Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE)
Ali ARSALAN (SRB) vs. Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA)

77kg
Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) vs. Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR)
Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) vs. Viktor NEMES (SRB) 

87kg
Ali CENGIZ (TUR) vs. Turpan Ali Alvievich BISULTANOV (DEN)
Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) vs. David LOSONCZI (HUN)

14:30: The final bout of the morning session is a thriller. Olympic champion Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) began with a four but Yunus BASAR (TUR) got the exposure in the same move before adding a four for himself. Makhmudov with a takedown before challenging for another. Basar held 7-7 criteria lead before he was cautioned for a singlet pull when Makhmudov was attacking. Makhmudov got the 9-7 lead and the win.

14:25: Veteran Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR) showed he still has medal-winning potential when the 33-year-old scored all of his points early in the first period and cruised to a 6-0 victory over Aram VARDANYAN (UZB) in the 77kg quarterfinals. 

14:25: Viktor NEMES (SRB) is moving into the 77kg semifinals. The former world champion gets a 7-0 win over Rui LIU (CHN). The local fans are absolutely thrilled with it.

14:24: Zoltan LEVAI (HUN), who started the day by knocking off the 2021 world 72kg champion, continued his mission at 77kg by routing Tamerlan SHADUKAYEV (KAZ) by 9-0 technical fall. Levai scored 4 points in the par terre in the first period, then ended the match with a takedown in the second.

14:15: Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) kept his hopes alive of regaining the world title he won in 2019, but he came dangerously close to missing out. The 2021 world bronze medalist had to fight off his back in the first period, then scored a 2-point throw in the second to clinch a 5-2 quarterfinal victory over Jasurbek ORTIKBOEV (UZB). 

14:09: Top seed Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) powered his way into the 55kg semifinals, scoring three gut wrenches from the par terre before putting away Asian champion Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) with a second-period takedown for a 9-0 technical fall.

14:07: Max NOWRY (USA) with a fall in the quarterfinals! Fabian SCHMITT (GER) cannot come out of the headlock after par terre.

14:05: 55kg quarterfinals and Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) is wrestling Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ) who gets the 1-0 lead for the passivity of Dad Marz. In the second period, Bekbolatov begins with a takedown before a point for Dad Marz.

13:59: If Gevorg SAHAKYAN (POL) takes home a medal from Belgrade, at best it will only be the same as the bronze he won in Oslo last year. Selcuk CAN (TUR) scored a 2-point throw from par terre in the second period, giving him a 3-1 victory and the final place in the 72kg semifinals.

13:55: On Mat D, Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) built a 4-0 lead before adding two more stepouts to lead 6-0 against Valentin PETIC (MDA). No more score in that bout as Ghanem reached the semifinals.

13:53: European bronze medalist Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) takes full advantage of par terre, scoring a pair of 4-point throws to overwhelm Deyvid DIMITROV (BUL) by 10-0 technical fall in just over two minutes to make the 72kg semifinals.

13:50: At 72kg, Ali ARSALAN (SRB) and top seed Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU) in the quarterfinal. Arsalan gets the advantage with par terre. He gets two turns to lead 5-0. He then goes behind Sleiva for a takedown before continuing the move to get the 9-0 win and a place in the semifinal.

13:40: Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN), aiming to become Denmark's first world Greco medalist since 2015, stayed in the running at 87kg when he scored a stepout midway through the second period and held on for a 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Asian champion Naser ALIZADEH (IRI). 

13:42: 87kg quarterfinal between Damian VON EUW (SUI) and Ali CENGIZ (TUR) and it's Von Euw who gets the first par terre position. Cengiz commits a leg foul while defending which gives Von Euw a 3-0 lead. Chengiz with a stepout and he tries a body lock throw. It's only a stepout but Switzerland is asking for exposure but lost the challenge. Von Euw lead 3-3 on criteria. But Chengiz with a turn from par terre and caution against Von Euw. Chengiz wins 8-3

13:38: Defending champion Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) kept alive his hopes of a golden repeat at 87kg, scoring three points in the first period and a stepout in the second to defeat Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) 4-1 and advance to the semifinals.

13:35: The first quarterfinal win! David LOSONCZI (HUN) with a huge four-pointer against Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) and it's a technical superiority 12-3 win for him at 87kg.

13:12: At 77kg, Idris IBAEV (GER) is in some trouble as Tamerlan SHADUKAYEV (KAZ) builds a 7-0 at the break. Ibaev begins with a takedown in the second period but Shadukayev with an arm throw for four and he wins 11-2 

13:08: Max NOWRY (USA) assured an American presence in the quarterfinals on the opening day with a stunning victory at 55kg over Arjun HALAKURKI (IND). Trailing 3-1, Nowry launched a spectacular arm throw for 4, then clamped down for a fall with just under a minute left. 

13:05: Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR) with a roll from par terre against Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI)to lead 3-0 in their 77kg bout. Geraei can't do the same from par terre as no control when he was trying to roll Kim. A 4-1 win for Kim

13:03: Asian silver medalist Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ) books his place in the 55kg quarterfinals with a 3-1 win over Nedyalko PETROV (BUL)

12:58: At 55kg, Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) rallies from a 5-0 deficit, scoring a stepout with :06 left to knock off Ekrem OZTURK (TUR) 6-5 and advance to the quarterfinals. 

12:52: Yu SHIOTANI (JPN), aiming to keep the 55kg title in Japanese hands, couldn't turn Koriun SAHRADIAN (UKR) from par terre, but came right back with a takedown and 2-point exposure to lead 5-0 after one period. A front headlock roll in the second gave him a 9-0 victory and a showdown in the quarterfinals with Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE). 

12:51: Home hero Viktor NEMES (SRB) with a four from par terre and he leads Yasaf ZEINALOV (UKR) at 77kg. Zeinalov gets a stepout and then a passivity advantage but gets no points. Nemes wins the bout 6-2

12:48: The returning bronze medalist at 55kg, Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO), had no problem in putting away Mostafa ALQADE (JOR) 10-0 in just under two minutes to make the last eight.

12:47: Here are the quarterfinals at 87kg

David LOSONCZI (HUN) vs. Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ)
Damian VON EUW (SUI) vs. Ali CENGIZ (TUR)
Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) vs. Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN)
Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) vs. Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) 

12:42: European champion and 2021 world bronze medalist Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) makes short work of Giovanni FRENI (ITA), gaining a takedown and three gut wrenches for an 8-0 technical fall in 1:32. 

12:39: At 72kg, 2021 world U23 bronze medalist Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE) secures a place in the quarterfinals with a hard-fought 4-2 win over Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ). 

12:36: In a clash of continental bronze medalists, Asia wins out as Jasurbek ORTIKBOEV (UZB) caps his 9-0 technical fall over Rudik MKRTCHYAN (ARM) with a leaping 4-point roll to advance to the 55kg quarterfinals. 

12:32: Fabian SCHMITT (GER) became the first into the quarterfinals at 55kg with a close 3-2 win over Artiom DELEANU (MDA). 

12:30: Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU), a bronze medalist at 72kg a year ago in Oslo, began his campaign with a 6-3 victory over Matias LIPASTI (FIN). Sleiva was trailing 0-1 in the second period when he started a scramble with an arm throw; when the dust cleared and the referees sorted it out, he ended with six points and his opponent two. 

12:15: Ali ARSALAN (SRB) rides on the local support to come back from 3-0 down and beat Robert FRITSCH (HUN) 7-3 at 72kg. He is into the quarterfinals. That bout is followed by Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) beating Mohammad Reza MOKHTARI (IRI) at 72kg. 

12:11: European champion Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN), aiming to improve on his fifth-place finish in 2021, took as much time waiting for the result of Barthelemy TSHOSHA (COD)'s an unsuccessful challenge to be announced than he did in scoring his 9-0 victory to make the quarterfinals at 87kg. 

12:10: World champion Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) up against Hannes WAGNER (GER) in the 87kg pre-quarterfinals. He gets the early point for Wagner's passivity. He leads 1-0 at the break. Wagner tries a tie but Datunashvili gets the takedown for two. One point for fleeing the mat. Wagner challenges but lost. Datunashvili wins 5-0.

12:06: Asian silver medalist Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) makes short work of Haitao QIAN (CHN), winning 8-0 to secure a place in the 87kg quarterfinals. He will face David LOSONCZI (HUN). 

12:01: Georgio PREVOLARAKIS (GRE), trailing 4-1 against Yosvanys PENA FLORES (CUB), uses a front headlock roll for six points and advances at 77kg with a 7-5 victory. The Greek squirmed out of a takedown attempt in the final seconds to secure the win.

11:55: Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO) got the four over Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) but the two-time World Championships bronze medalist Iran wrestler wins 5-4 as he had the throw from par terre.

11:50: At 77kg, 2021 world U23 bronze medalist Per Albin OLOFSSON (SWE) hit a 4-point back suplex with :20 left to grab a 5-1 victory over European bronze medalist Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL). That sets up a second-round clash with the red-hot Zoltan LEVAI (HUN).   

11:41: In a thriller at 77kg, 2021 world U23 champion Idris IBAEV (GER) stormed out to a 7-0 lead in the first period against the senior world silver medalist, Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE), only to allow him to come back with 7 points in the second. But Ibaev held the advantage by criteria, and a late unsuccessful challenge gave him an 8-7 victory.  

11:26: Two-time Asian champion Yu SHIOTANI (JPN), who knocked off 2021 world champion Ken MATSUI (JPN) in a playoff to make the squad at 55kg to Belgrade, used a 5-point throw to finish off an 8-0 technical fall over Jiahao LIU (CHN) and advance to the round of 16. 

11:20: He defeated Amoyan and now Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) beats Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) at 77kg with a 4-1 score line. Huge win for Levai  

11:10: At 72kg, Matias LIPASTI (FIN) scores a big 4-point throw with :40 left, giving him a 5-5 victory over Mirzobek RAKHMATOV (UZB), who slammed the mat in disgust.

11:12: Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) was facing some trouble with a 5-5 criteria against Mirco MINGUZZI (ITA) but lets the lead 6-5 to win his 87kg opening bout  

11:07: Two-time European bronze medalist Rudik MKRTCHYAN (ARM) advanced out of the qualification round at 55kg with an 8-0 technical fall over Hyeokjin JEON (KOR). He will next face an Asian bronze medalist, Jasurbek ORTIKBOEV (UZB).

10:56: Continuing the first-round matches at 87kg, Damian VON EUW (SUI) used a massive lift-and-dump for 5 from par terre, then added a 2-point exposure for an 8-0 technical fall over Bachir SID AZARA (ALG) in 2:01.

10:51: In a battle of Tokyo Olympians, Jinhyeok KIM (KOR) had a successful challenge overturn a 4-point move in the final 30 seconds, preserving his 3-1 victory over Mohamed METWALLY (EGY) to send him into the round of 16.

10:45: A world champion goes down early. Malkas AMOYAN (ARM) got the turn from par terre in the first period but Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) also got the turn for a 3-3 win. Amoyan won the gold medal at the 2021 Worlds at 72kg.

10:42: Alex KESSIDIS (SWE), the silver medalist at 77kg in 2019, gets his campaign started at 87kg by tossing about Masato SUMI (JPN) from the par terre to post an 11-2 technical fall. 

10:30: The first whistle at the World Championships! Mat A has Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) going up against Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) at 77kg. Mat B has Vjekoslav LUBURIC (CRO) vs Hannes WAGNER (GER) at 87kg, Masato SUMI (JPN) vs Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) at 87kg and Mat D has Nurbek KHASHIMBEKOV (UZB) vs Yoan DIMITROV (BUL).

10:25: Greetings from Belgrade! The sun is playing hide-and-seek with the clouds, but the action will be in full view on the four mats. We're about to get the opening day started with the morning session through the quarterfinals at Greco 55kg, 72kg, 77kg and 87kg.