ISTANBUL (August 5) -- Saturday's action at the U17 World Championships was highlighted by two young Americans who chose glory over comfort. 

Paul KENNY (USA) beat Yamato FURUSAWA (JPN), and Marcus BLAZE (USA) defeated Ankush (IND) to win the 48kg and 55kg titles, respectively.

Kenny, 15, could have opted to compete in the U15 Division and settle for a title in the Pan American Games. Blaze could have chosen to defend the national title instead.

Both went the World Championships route and struck gold in Istanbul.

“Name a state and chances are I have wrestled there,” Kenny told Jersey Shore Online, “but I have never been overseas before.”

At the U17 World Team Trials, Kenny punched the ticket to Turkiye in style, defeating the top seed and reigning world champion Domenic MUNARETTI (USA).

Paul KENNY (USA) celebrates after winning the 48kg final in Istanbul (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Kenny — who "didn’t like (wrestling) right away, didn’t like to be sweaty" — was made to work for his title in Istanbul. 

Kenny trailed 4-0 against Sam Reza SAYAR (IRI) in Friday's semifinal but kept fighting back. The wild bout against the reigning Asian champion saw two challenges favorable for Kenny, who managed to eke out criteria win at 8-8.

If that match was "really crazy", Saturday's final, in Kenny's words, "was kind of boring." 

Both wrestlers were put on the shot clock, with Kenny giving up the point first before 2022 Asian U15 champion Furusawa was penalized for passivity. The American took the win on criteria.

"It feels great to be part of the winning team," Kenny said. "I hope the USA comes out on top of the team score. I look up to some of the guys on the team."

In the bronze medal bout at 48kg, Joseph BACHMANN (PUR), who lost 4-2 to Furusuwa in the semifinals, defeated Marian RUSU (ROU) 15-5 thus marking the first time in 48 years when Puerto Rico won a Freestyle medal at the U17 World Championships.

Blaze considered competing at the U.S. Marine Corps Junior and National Championships, before heading to Las Vegas for the U17 trials.

“Both of these tournaments are spectacular; both would be awesome to make and win,” Blaze had told Toledo Blade. “The process of going overseas and wrestling the other foreign wrestlers is an opportunity like no other. It’s a hard thing to pass up. I definitely have to wrestle at the world championships.”

On Friday, Blaze won the semifinal against 2023 European U17 silver medalist Samvel GEVORGYAN (ARM) with an 11-0 technical superiority. 

Against Ankush in the final, Blaze — described by his coach Scott BURNETT as a "super sneaky counterattack wrestler who holds really good position" — lived up to the billing. After countering the initial pressure from the Indian, Blaze went for the single leg to open the scoring, before adding another step out.

The nifty U17 Asian champion scored a takedown before Blaze ran out the 31 seconds remaining to earn a 4-3 win. 

"He really only had one thing, it was that duck under," Blaze said. "He had very good forward pressure. I really had to be careful about changing directions and getting pushed on my butt. But I think the difference was I was just a better wrestler."

Just like Kenny, the ongoing worlds was the first taste of international wrestling for Blaze, who hadn't been abroad even for a vacation.

“It’s actually going to be a very big learning curve,” Blaze had said. “It’s going to be awesome to feel how the foreign guys wrestle.”

Blaze felt, and learned. After a tough 2-1 win over Amirreza TEYMORIZAD (IRI), Blaze cruised into the finals with three tech fall wins, adapting his game along the way.

"I've always been known as a defensive wrestler," he said. "But I had to get to my offense against the Iranian. Indian wrestling is also similar, so they both just try to slow you down with more pressure and control ties."

And of course, watching his compatriot clinch gold before he walked onto the mat boosted Blaze's confidence.

"Paul stayed solid throughout that entire match. It just kind of motivated me that yeah, we can do this."

Sina KHALILI (IRI) won the 65kg final against Magomed ALIBAKHARCHIEV (AIN) 10-0. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Khalili wins 65kg title

Sina KHALILI (IRI) defeated Magomed ALIBAKHARCHIEV (AIN) to win the 65kg gold. The reigning Asian champion was at his defensive best, using his speed and strength to repeatedly score takedowns en route to a 10-0 win.

Alibakharchiev, who looked solid in his 12-2 win over Brock MANTANONA (USA), had to answers to Khalili's strength and speed in the final. 

Khalili's win gave Iran a gold medal which continues the country's streak of having at least one champion in Freestyle after it missed out to crown any at the 2016 edition in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Magomed IDRISOV (AIN) won the 80kg gold after beating Alexandru BORS (MDA). (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Individual Neutral Athletes also won a gold medal as Magomed IDRISOV (AIN) defeated the 2023 U17 European champion Alexandru BORS (MDA) in the 80kg category.

Idrisov wasn't the same self as he had been on Friday, winning his four bout by outscoring his opponents 28-1. In the final, Idrisov had to deal with strong of Bors but he switched his strategy and scored two points via Bors inactivity.

In the semifinal, Idrivsov defeated Konstantine PETRIASHVILI (GEO) who is the younger brother of three-time world champion Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO). Konstantine, on Saturday, returned to win the bronze medal against Dovletgeldi MYRADOV (TKM) 6-4.

U17 European champion Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE) added the U17 world gold to his name in Istanbul. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The 110kg final saw the U20 European silver medallist Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE) beat Asian champion Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ) to clinch gold.

Over the two days, Dursunov has been a force, running away with the gold medal with little resistance from his opponents. He won his first bout against Eldorbek KHASANOV (UZB) 11-0, won 5-1 against Aleksandre ABRAMISHVILI (GEO) in the second bout and in the semifinals, he defeated Henrik HAYKYAN (ARM) 6-2, a better margin than the 4-4 win in the U17 European Championships final.

Kassimbek was no pushover for Dursunov as he got the first point on the board after Dursunov was called for inactivity. But it all changed in the second period as Dursunov defended a double-leg and scored a stepout.

Put on the activity clock, Kassimbek went for the far leg and Dursunov was quick to counter that with a takedown. Another point was added as the activity time finished for Kassimbek who, however, did not let Dursunov score any turns. Instead, a reversal got him one point.

Dursunov ran out the 20 seconds left on the clock to add a world gold to his continental title. He will have a chance to add another in just over a week's time as he makes the trip to Amman, Jordan for the U20 World Championships beginning August 14.

U17 Asian champion Ahora KHATERI (IRI) is a win away from becoming U17 world champion. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan) 

Team battle heats up

Khalili's gold topped off an outstanding Saturday for Iran as their battle for the team title against the U.S. heats up. Three Iranians advanced to the finals in the first session on Saturday, including two head-to-head wins against the U.S.

In the 45 kg category semifinal, Ahora KHATERI (IRI) defeated Ignacio VILLASENOR (USA) 5-2. The U17 Asian champion will face Gor BUNIATYAN (ARM) in the final as the Armenian managed to go past Ebubekir GUR (TUR), 4-3.

At 92kg, Tahood NOORY (IRI) beat Aeoden SINCLAIR (USA) in the round of 16 at 92kg but lost in the quarterfinals, dashing Sinclair's repechage hopes. The final in this weight class will be a repeat of the U17 European final between Eyyup CETIN (TUR) and Sandro KURASHVILI (GEO) which the Georgian won.

Ladrion LOCKETT (USA) outscored his opponents 38-0 on his way to the 71kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Only Ladrion LOCKETT (USA) advanced to the finals for the U.S. on Saturday. And he did so with pure dominance as the 71kg competitor hasn't given up a point in the tournament so far. Incidentally, he will take on U17 Asian Seyedabolfazl HOSSEINI (IRI) in the gold medal bout.

Iran also has a finalist at 60kg as Sajad PIRDAYEH (IRI) won 3-2 against U17 European champion Jamal ABBASOV (AZE). He will take on Akito MAEHARA (JPN) in the final after the Japanese defeated Zandanbat BATSAIKHAN (MGL) 11-0 in the other semifinal.

Japan's second finalist on Saturday was Yamato OGAWA (JPN) who ended U17 Asian champion Amirmohammad NAVAZI's (IRI) dream of becoming a world champion with a 4-1 win. He will now take on ROHIT (IND) who won 5-2 over Usman INDIRBAEV (AIN) in the other semifinal. A gold for Rohit would mean India winning a U17 world title for the third consecutive year.

RESULTS

48kg
GOLD: Paul KENNY (USA) df. Yamato FURUSAWA (JPN), 1-1

BRONZE: Sam Reza SAYAR (IRI) df. Azymberdi ASHYRGULYYEV (TKM), 10-0
BRONZE: Joseph BACHMANN (PUR) df. Marian RUSU (ROU), 15-5

55kg
GOLD: Marcus BLAZE (USA) df. ANKUSH (IND), 4-3

BRONZE: Samvel GEVORGYAN (ARM) df. Amirreza TEYMORIZAD (IRI), 4-4
BRONZE: Akhmad MUSAKHADZHIEV (AIN) df. Arshak LULUKYAN (GEO), 12-2

65kg
GOLD: Sina KHALILI (IRI) df. Magomed ALIBAKHARCHIEV (AIN), 10-0

BRONZE: Manuel WAGIN (GER) df. Vladimir AZARYAN (ARM), 13-13
BRONZE: Brock MANTANONA (USA) df. Khizir DASIYEV (FRA), 6-5

80kg
GOLD: Magomed IDRISOV (AIN) df. Alexandru BORS (MDA), 2-0

BRONZE: Konstantine PETRIASHVILI (GEO) df. Dovletgeldi MYRADOV (TKM), 6-4
BRONZE: Zackary RYDER (USA) df. Ismayil ASADLI (AZE), via fall (12-2)

110kg
GOLD: Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE) df. Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ), 4-2

BRONZE: Henrik HAYKYAN (ARM) df. Aleksandre ABRAMISHVILI (GEO), 11-0
BRONZE: Rakhman MALAKHMEDOV (AIN) df. Balazs CSIPKES (ROU), 10-0

Semifinals

45kg
GOLD: Gor BUNIATYAN (ARM) vs. Ahora KHATERI (IRI)

SF 1: Gor BUNIATYAN (ARM) df. Ebubekir GUR (TUR), 4-3
SF 2: Ahora KHATERI (IRI) df. Ignacio VILLASENOR (USA), 5-2

51kg
GOLD: Yamato OGAWA (JPN) vs. ROHIT (IND)

SF 1: Yamato OGAWA (JPN) df. Amirmohammad NAVAZI (IRI), 4-1
SF 2: ROHIT (IND) df. Usman INDIRBAEV (AIN), 5-2

60kg
GOLD: Sajad PIRDAYEH (IRI) vs. Akito MAEHARA (JPN)

SF 1: Sajad PIRDAYEH (IRI) df. Jamal ABBASOV (AZE), 3-2
SF 2: Akito MAEHARA (JPN) df. Zandanbat BATSAIKHAN (MGL), 11-0

71kg
GOLD: Ladarion LOCKETT (USA) vs. Seyedabolfazl HOSSEINI (IRI)

SF 1: Ladarion LOCKETT (USA) df. NARENDER (IND), 10-0
SF 2: Seyedabolfazl HOSSEINI (IRI) df. Islam KAZHAROV (AIN), 11-1

92kg
GOLD: Eyyup CETIN (TUR) vs. Sandro KURASHVILI (GEO)

SF 1: Eyyup CETIN (TUR) df. VINAY (IND), 10-0
SF 2: Sandro KURASHVILI (GEO) df. Genki HOKI (JPN), 10-0