CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland – Despite one of the busiest months on the FILA calendar, and accounting for some churn in the middle, there was little changes at the top of FILA World Rankings for Freestyle – even with a number of the top-ranked wrestlers in action.

World and Olympic Games champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) showed again that he is the world’s top welterweight with a triumph at the Pan American Championships. His victory was capped with a technical fall over lightweight world silver medalist Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) in the 74kg final.

Meanwhile, top-ranked Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) and Haji ALIEV (AZE) demonstrated contrasting styles with the same result -- winning their respective weight categories at the Golden Grand Prix Final in Baku.

Khinchegashvili, a silver medalist at the London 2012 Olympic Games, was more tactical at 57kg with three decisions on points in Baku, while Aliev overwhelmed three opponents with non-stop offense at 61kg.

Three wrestlers on the third rung of the rankings – Yabrail HASANOV (AZE), Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE) and Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (UKR) -- marched to victory in Baku, while London 2012 bronze medalist Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) dominated the Commonwealth Games at 65kg to climb to No.3. 

Hasanov’s technical fall in the 74kg final over world bronze medalist Rashid KURBANOV (UZB), fourth-ranked at 84kg, lifted the hometown favorite to the second position in the rankings behind Burroughs.

Two other winners in Baku, Brent METCALF (USA) and Israil KASUMOV (RUS), regained places in the rankings with their GGP Final victories. Metcalf comes in at No.11 at 65kg, while Yarygin Grand Prix winner Kasumov climbs to No.7 with a semifinals win over Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE) at 70kg.

London Olympian Haislan GARCIA VERANES (CAN), who won at the Canada Cup and then claimed a bronze medal in Baku, was one of four wrestlers who took advantage of the packed schedule to earn medals in two events in July.

Zsombor GULYAS (HUN) and Attila SZMIK (HUN) both won at the Olympia Tournament in Greece. Gulyas won after grabbing a bronze medal at 70kg in the World University Championships in Pecs, Hungary, while Szmik snared a silver at 97kg in the Grand Prix of Spain before traveling to Olympia. 

Africa champion Slim TRABELSI, meanwhile, kicked off the month with a win in Madrid before taking a bronze in Olympia.

Entries in the rankings are listed by name, country code, most recent or most significant result in the last 12 months, and ranking the previous month.

57kg – European champion Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) edged Yarygin Grand Prix winner Rustam AMPAR (RUS) in the semifinals of the Golden Grand Prix Final, 6-5, and then held off returning champ at 60kg Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE), 6-2, in the final. 

World silver medalist Amit KUMAR (IND) edged up in the rankings with a win at the Commonwealth Games while Africa champion Welson EBIKEWENIMO (NGR) breaks into the rankings at No.18 with the silver medal.

1. Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) – GGP Final No.1 (1)

2. Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) – World Cup No.1 (3)

3. Rasul KALIEV (KAZ) – Asia No.1 (2)

4. Fumitaka MORISHITA (JPN) – University No.1 (5)

5. Akhmednabi GVARZOTILOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (7@61)

6. Hassan RAHIMI (IRI) – World Cup No.2 (7)

7. ERDENEBAT BEKHBAYAR (MGL) – German GP No.1 (9)

8. Amit KUMAR (IND) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (11)

9. DAMDINBAZAR Tsogtbaatar (MGL) – Asia No.2 (4)

10. Samat NADYRBEK UULU (KGZ) – Asia No.3 (6)

11. Artyom GEBEKOV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (8)

12. Zoheir EL OUARRAQE (FRA) – German GP No.3 (12)

13. Andrei DUKOV (ROU) – Dan Kolov No.3 (13)

14. Ghenadi TULBEA (MON) – Europe No.2 (14)

15. Garik BARSEGHYAN (ARM) – Europe No.3 (15)

16. Sezer AKGUL (TUR) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (17)

17. Yashar ALIEV (AZE) – GGP Final No.3 (not ranked)

18. Welson EBIKEWENIMO (NGR) – Africa No.1 (nr)

19. Vladislav ANDREEV (BLR) – Medved Prizes No.3 (19)

20. JIN Jong-Hak (PRK) – Takhti Cup No.1 (16)


61kg – European champion Haji ALIEV (AZE) rolled over 2013 world silver medalist Vladimir DUBOV (BUL), 10-0, in the final of the Golden Grand Prix Final to go with his 12-5 drubbing of world champion Bekhan GOYGEREEV (RUS) in the European championships final in April.

David TREMBLAY (CAN), newly returned from an extended break after London 2012, wrapped up world bronze medalist Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) for a 13-2 technical fall in the final of the Commonwealth Games and a No.12 in the rankings.

1. Haji ALIEV (AZE) – GGP Final No.1 (1)

2. Masoud ESMAILPOUR (IRI) – Asia No.1 (2)

3. Murshid MURTALIMOV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (4)

4. Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) – Buryatia Cup No.1 (9)

5. Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) – GGP Final No.2 (15)

6. Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) – GGP Final No.3 (13)

7. Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) – Asia No.3 (6)

8. Behnam EHSANPOUR (IRI) – Ali Aliev No.3 (10)

9. Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL) – German GP No.1 (11)

10. ENKHSAIKHAN Nyam-Ochir (MGL) – Yasar Dogu No.2 (8)

11. Bekhan GOYGEREEV (RUS) – Europe No.2 (3)

12. David TREMBLAY (CAN) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (nr)

13. Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) – Commonwealth Games No.2 (5)

14. Andrei PERPELITA (MDA) – Europe No.3 (14)

15. James KENNEDY (USA) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (16)

16. TUMENBILEG Tuvshintulga (MGL) – World University No.1 (nr)

17. Bernard FUTRELL (USA) – World University No.2 (nr)

18. Bazar BAZARGURUEV (KGZ) – Mongolian Open No.2 (17)

19. Vasyl FEDORISHIN (UKR) – Takhti Cup No.2 (18)

20. Noriyuki TAKATSUKA (JPN) – Takhti Cup No.3 (19)

65kg – London 2012 bronze medalist Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) collected his second triumph since returning to international competition with a dominating performance at the Commonwealth Games. Dutt won all four of his bouts in Glasgow inside regulation and climbed to No.3 in the rankings.

Brent METCALF (USA) rallied for six points late to defeat Yasar Dogu runner-up Magomed MUSLIMOV (AZE) on criteria and claim his first international tournament victory in nearly a year.

1. Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) – Europe No.1 (1)

2. Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (7)

3. Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (8)

4. David SAFARYAN (ARM) – German GP No.2 (9)

5. Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) – CAC Games No.1 (2)

6. Servet COSKUN (TUR) – Europe No.2 (3)

7. Borislav NOVACHKOV (BUL) – Europe No.3 (4)

8. Konstantin KHABALASHVILI (GEO) – Europe No.3 (5)

9. Sayed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (6)

10. Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) – Spanish GP No.1 (14)

11. Brent METCALF (USA) – GGP Final No.1 (nr)

12. Magomed MUSLIMOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (nr)

13. Haislan GARCIA VERANES (CAN) – GGP Final No.3 (nr)

14. Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) – Takhti Cup No.5 (13)

15. GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) – Mongolian Open No.1 (12)

16. George BUCUR (ROU) – World University No.2 (19)

17. BATMAGNAI Batchuluun (MGL) – World University No.3 (13)

18. Andrey KVIATKOVSKI (UKR) – Ali Aliev No.2 (16)

19. Mustafa KAYA (TUR) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (10)

20. KANG Jin-Hyeok (PRK) – Asia No.2 (9)

70kg – Israil KASUMOV (RUS) romped past European champion Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE), 8-2, in the semifinals of the Golden Grand Prix Final on his way to his first title since the Yargyin Grand Prix in January.

Evgheni NEDEALCO (MDA) won his first-ever medal at an international event with a gold medal at the World University Championships and breaks into the rankings at No.13.

1. Moustafa HOSSEINKHANI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (1)

2. Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE) – Europe No.1 (2)

3. Peyman YARAHMADI (IRI) – Stepan Sargsyan No.1 (7)

4. Grigor GRIGORYAN (ARM) – Europe No.2 (3)

5. Yakup GOR (TUR) – Europe No.3 (4)

6. Khetag TSABOLOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (5)

7. Israil KASUMOV (RUS) – GGP Final No.1 (nr)

8. Zhombor GULYAS (HUN) – World University No.3 (9)

9. Adrian Ionut MOISE (ROU) – German GP No.2 (8)

10. Dshamaluddin KURBANALIEV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (10)

11. Ramazan SHAMSHUTDINOV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.3 (11)

12. Miroslav KIROV (BUL) – Europe No.3 (6)

13. Evgheni NEDEALCO (MDA) – World University No.1 (nr)

14. Semyon RADULOV (UKR) – Sassari Tourney No.2 (13)

15. Emin AZIZOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (nr)

16. Somirshoh VOKHIDOV (TJK) – Asia No.2 (12)

17. Ibrahim NURIDDINOV (UZB) – Asia No.3 (15)

18. BUYANJAV Batzorig (MGL) – Buryatia Cup No.1 (19)

19. Zaur EFENDIEV (SRB) – Paris GGP No.1 (20)

20. Pedro SOTO CORDERO (PUR) – Pan America No.2 (nr)

74kg – European silver medalist Yabrail HASANOV (AZE) tagged world bronze medalist Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) with a technical fall at the Golden Grand Prix Final to edge past Asia champion Reza AFZALI PAEMAMI (IRI) for No.2 in the rankings.

World silver medalist at 66kg Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (AZE) returned to international competition with three technical falls at 74kg in the Pan American Championships, but was overwhelmed in the final by world and Olympic Games champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA), 13-2.

1. Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) – World No.1 (1)

2. Yabrail HASANOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.1 (3)

3. Reza AFZALI PAEMAMI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (3)

4. Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) – Europe No.1 (2)

5. Ali SHABANOV (BLR) – Medved Prizes No.1 (5)

6. Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) – Europe No.3 (6)

7. Krystian BRZOZOWSKI (POL) – Europe No.3 (7)

8. Shushil KUMAR (IND) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (11)

9. Kamal MALIKOV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (8)

10. Magomed ZUBAIROV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.2 (9)

11. Luca LAMPIS (FRA) – Sassari Tourney No.1 (10)

12. Georg HARTH (GER) – Canada Cup No.2 (nr)

13. Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) – Pan America No.2 (nr)

14. PUREVJAV Unurbat (MGL) – Asia No.2 (12)

15. Innokenti INNOKENTYEV (KGZ) – Asia No.3 (13)

16. Leonid BAZAN (BUL) – Stepan Sargsyan No.2 (15)

17. Hamid Reza REZAEI (IRI) – Ali Aliev No.3 (14)

18. Gabor HATOS (HUN) – Spanish GP No.1 (nr)

19. Essadollah AKBARI (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.3 (17)

20. Kiril TERZIEV (BUL) – Europe No.7 (18)

86kg – Yarygin Grand Prix runner-up Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) forged four decisions on points, including a 2-0 shutout of world and Olympic bronze medalist Ehsan LASHGARI (IRI) in the final, to win the Golden Grand Prix Final and vault to No.5 in the rankings.

World silver medalist Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) recorded a fall and a pair of technicals to snare his fourth Pan American championship crown and climb in the rankings to No.6.