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Japan and Georgia Claim Two Champions in 2018 U23 World Men's Freestyle

Saturday, November 17, 2018 - 19:20 By Taylor Miller

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Photo of Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) by Martin Gabor. 

BUCHAREST, Romania – The first five men’s freestyle 2018 U23 World champions were determined on Saturday night in Bucharest, Romania, with Japan and Georgia each claiming two champions.

Japan started the night with back-to-back gold medals, coming from Toshihiro HASEGAWA (JPN) at 57 kg and Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) at 65 kg.

Hasegawa, a 2013 Cadet World bronze medalist, went up 4-0 halfway through the first period against Kumar RAVI (IND) before locking up a cradle and getting the pin at the 2:08 mark.

2016 Olympic silver medalist Higuchi edged out 2018 Yasar Dogu runner-up Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE) in 5-4 battle. Rahimzade rallied from a 4-1 deficit to tie the score as the clock ran out, but Higuchi held criteria. Azerbaijan’s corner challenged, looking for a fleeing call, but lost the challenge, resulting in another point for Higuchi.

Georgia ended the night with back-to-back World champions as Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO) and Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) were victorious in their gold-medal matches.

Kentchadze won the crown at 79 kg, defeating 2015 Junior World champion Gadzhi NABIEV (RUS).

In the final bout of the night, Matcharashvili dominated Kollin MOORE (USA), scoring 10 points in two sequences for a first-period technical fall and his second age-group World title.

Matcharashvili won a Cadet World championship in 2014 and also owns a 2017 Junior World silver and a 2013 Cadet World bronze.

At 70 kg, Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) dominated 2017 Junior World champion and 2014 Cadet World champion David BAEV (RUS) for gold, scoring four takedowns en route to a 9-1 victory.

Finals results

57 kg
GOLD: Toshihiro HASEGAWA (JPN) df. Kumar RAVI (IND), fall
BRONZE: Wanhao ZOU (CHN) df. Jack Michael MUELLER (USA), 11-9
BRONZE: Taras MARKOVYCH (UKR) df. Jahongirmirza TUROBOV (UZB), 11-6 

65 kg
GOLD: Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) df. Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE), 5-4
BRONZE: Maxim SACULTAN (MDA) df. Roman ASHARIN (HUN), 7-2
BRONZE: Islam DUDAEV (RUS) df. Morteza Hassanali GHIASI CHEKA (IRI), 6-0

70 kg
GOLD: Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) df. David BAEV (RUS), 9-1
BRONZE: Enes USLU (TUR) df. Ramazon IBODOV (UZB), 4-2
BRONZE: Jintaro MOTOYAMA (JPN) df. Oleksii BORUTA (UKR), 9-2 

79 kg
GOLD: Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO) df. Gadzhi NABIEV (RUS), 3-0
BRONZE: Dovletmyrat ORAZGYLYJOV (TKM) df. Isa SHAPIEV (UZB), 13-3
BRONZE: Omaraskhab NAZHMUDINOV (ROU) df. Yajuro YAMASAKI (JPN), 9-8

97 kg
GOLD: Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) df. Kollin MOORE (USA), 10-0
BRONZE: Igor OVSIANNIKOV (RUS) df. Magamed ZAKARIIEV (UKR), 6-0
BRONZE: Ali Khalil SHABANIBENGAR (IRI) df. Chaoqiang YANG (CHN), 11-0

Team results
1. Russia – 76
2. Japan – 75
3. Georgia – 58
4. USA – 50
5. Ukraine – 35

 

#WrestleBudapest

Budapest Ranking Series 2026 Day 2 Results & Highlights

Thursday, July 16, 2026 - 08:34 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 16) -- The second day of the Budapest Ranking Series will see four Freestyle and two Women's Wrestling weight classes. In Freestyle, it will be 79kg, 92kg, 97kg and 125kg while for Women's it will be 50kg and 55kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 1 RESULTS

WW 55kg semifinals - Nataliia KLIVCHUTSKA (UKR) scored one takedown before the break and then hung on that 2-1 lead to beat Karla GODINEZ (CAN) and enter the final. She will face Hansika LAMBA (IND) for the gold medal after the Indian mounted a comeback to beat Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER), 10-7. Down 7-2, Lamba powered her way to four different takedowns to claim the win and a spot in the final.

WW 50kg semifinals - Samara CHAVEZ (USA) with a fall over Zeinep BAYANOVA (KAZ) to move into the final at 50kg. She scored a takedown and then turn to hold Bayanova in the position and secure the pin. She will face Ziqi FENG (CHN) for the gold after she rolled to a 12-2 victory over Jacqueline MOLLOCANA (ECU).

125kg semifinals - Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ) uses the lace to beat BUHEEERDUN (CHN) via technical superiority and set up a clash against Kamil KOSCIOLEK (POL) in the final. Kosciolek used a headlock and three turns to be up 6-0 against Mason PARRIS (USA) and got one point for lost challenge from the United States. He then used a bodythrow to get his 13-0 victory.

97kg semifinals - Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) forfeits his 97kg semifinal against Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) due to an injury. Tsakulov, the European silver medalist, will face Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) for the gold medal after the Bahrain wrestler pinned Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL). Tazhudinov built a 6-0 lead before a takedown and cradle for the fall.

92kg semifinals - Mukhammed ALIIEV (UKR) has no problem in seeing off Zeteny GANGL (HUN) completing an 11-0 win. But he will have his task cut out in the final against European champion Ali TCOKAEV (AZE) who also posted an 11-0 win over Fatih ALTUNBAS (TUR).

79kg semifinals - Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) with a late takedown to complete a 5-3 win over Luka CHKHITUNIDZE (GEO) and make the final. He will take on Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL) who scored a come-from-behind victory over Aykan SEID (BUL), winning 9-7.

13:05: Upset of the day as U17 world champion Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ) scores a takedown in final 10 seconds to beat world bronze medalist Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) 4-3 at 125kg and advance to the semifinals.

12:55: Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) with a comeback and win over Karadeniz SULEYMAN (TUR) to advance to the 97kg semifinal. Aitmukhan was down 3-1 but scored a takedown to make it 3-3 on criteria before chipping away for a 6-4 win.

12:40: Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) into the 97kg semifinals with a 12-0 win over Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA). He began with a stepout when Viskhanov was on the activity clock and then scored two points for exposure to lead 4-0. Viskhanov was cautioned for fleeing and the bout restarted in par terre with Tazhudinov leading 6-0. He did not score there but managed four-pointer little later to win

12:30: A stunning result at 50kg as Samara CHAVEZ (USA) beats European champion Oksana LIVACH (UKR), 11-0, in the quarterfinals. She did not let Livach settle down and went for it straight off the whistle. Solid win for Chavez

12:05: Asian bronze medalist Ziqi FENG (CHN) with that strong gut-wrench to beat Katie DUTCHAK (CAN) and advance at 50kg.

12:00: Priyanshi PRAJAPAT (IND) with a fall over Pan-American champion Katie GOMEZ (USA) at 50kg. Gomez was the first to take the lead but Prajapat gets on the legs and finishes the bout with a pin.

11:45: Aykan SEID (BUL) will move into the second round at 79kg after Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (BLR) forfeits due to an injury. 

11:40: Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) left it late but still managed to beat DINESH (IND) in his opening bout at 125kg. Sharipov was called passive and then gave a stepout as Dinesh built a 2-0 lead. But Sharipov with a takedown and turn in the final 30 seconds to claim the victory.

11:30: European champion Ali TCOKAEV (AZE) survives a scare against Dustin PLOTT (USA) at 92kg. After a sequence, Tcokaev was down 6-2 but managed to score a four-point throw when Plott tried to hit a head pinch but Tcokaev blocked him. He then scored a takedown to claim an 8-6 win.

11:25: 2023 world champion at 92kg Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) with a fall over Andro MARGISHVILI (GEO) at 97kg. Aitmukhan trailed Margishvili but managed to score a takedown and hold the Georgian till the fall was called. 

11:20: Olympic champion Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) rolls to a 10-0 technical superiority win over Ivan PRYMACHENKO (UKR) in his opening bout.

11:15: Mukhammed ALIIEV (UKR) and Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) kept scoring on each other and put on 28 points in the 92kg bout. Aliiev comes out as a 16-12 winner against Maisuradze is really bizarre bout

11:05: Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) holds on to his 3-1 lead against Robert BARAN (POL) and start his campaign at 125kg with a win.

11:00: Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (BLR) manages to hold on for a 5-3 win over Yerkhan ABIL (KAZ) at 79kg. He led 4-3 and went into the defensive. Kazakhstan challenged at the end for fleeing but lost the challenge to add one more point to his score.

10:50: A close win for European champion Oksana LIVACH (UKR) in her opening bout against former U17 world champion Kaura COLES (CAN) at 50kg. Livach with a double-leg attack for the takedown and two stepouts to claim a 4-0 win.

10:40: Former world silver medalist Deepak PUNIA (IND), who is wrestling to at 97kg, drops his opening bout against Benjamin HONIS (ITA), 6-3. He led 1-0 at the break but Honis clearly had the upper hand in strength and answered with three takedowns in the second period.