#WrestleAcapulco

Live Blog: Pan-American Championships (Day One)

Thursday, May 5, 2022 - 15:02 By Eric Olanowski

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ACAPULCO, Mexico (May 5) -- The opening day of action at the 2022 Pan-Ameican Championships kicks off with Greco-Roman action at 55kg, 60kg, 63kg, 72kg, 97kg and 130kg. 

Finals matches (as they come in):
55kg - Nordic style
60kg - Randon Drew MIRANDA (USA) vs. Winner 21
63kg -  Jose Alberto RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ (MEX) vs. Samuel Lee JONES (USA) 
67kg -  Kenedy Anderson MORAES PEDROSA (BRA) vs. Julian Stiven HORTA ACEVEDO (COL) 
72kg - Nordic style
97kg - Juan Luis CONDE IBANEZ (CUB) vs. Kevin MEJIA CASTILLO (HON) 
130kg - Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) vs. Eduard SOGHOMONYAN (BRA) 

2:05: One of the highlights of the morning has been Samuel GURRIA VIGUERAS (MEX). He scored 14 points in his first match and is winning 4-0 against Maikol JOSEFA (DOM). The winner of this match gets Randon Miranda in tonight's 60kg finals.

1:46: Julian HORTA ACEVEDO (COL) put up seven points in the second period and will wrestle Moraes Pedrosa for the 67kg title.

1:42: Last year, Kevin MEJIA CASTILLO (HON) became the first wrestler from Honduras to win a Pan-Am title. He outscored his opponents 16-0 and will wrestle Juan Luis CONDE IBANEZ (CUB) for 97kg gold tonight.

1:32: Julian Stiven HORTA ACEVEDO (COL), after picking up a quick 10-0 win over Nilton Gonzalo Marcos SOTO GARCIA (PER), will try to stop Mexico's  Diego Alberto MARTINEZ DE LEIJA from punching his ticket to the 67kg finals in his home country. They are wrestling on Mat A.

1:20: Kenedy Anderson MORAES PEDROSA (BRA) defeated Enyer Manuel FELICIANO (DOM) by three points, putting Brazil in the gold medal matches at 67kg and 130kg.

12:45 : After upsetting the returning champion in the quarterfinals, Soghomonyan picked up a 9-0 win over  Gino Tanislado AVILA DILBERT (HON) and moved into the 130kg finals. He'll take on Cuba's 2019 world silver medalinst Pino Hines.

12:20:  Diego Alberto MARTINEZ DE LEIJA (MEX) punched his ticket to the 67kg semifinals with a 8-4 win over Hayden Daniel TUMA (USA). 

12:17:  Eduard SOGHOMONYAN (BRA) leads reigning champion Leo Dalis SANTANA HEREDIA (DOM) by one point with less than a minute to go. That match is wrapping up over on Mat B.

11:54: The difference in the match was a gut wrench, which Pino Hines scored in the first period. He outlatsted Acosta Fernandez, 3-1, and will take on the winner of  Jacob Fredrick PHILLIPS (CAN) and Edgardo Juan LOPEZ MORELL (PUR). Currently, the Lopez Morell leads the Canadian, 7-0.

11:45: The match of the morning is coming up next on Mat B, where world medalists Pino Hines and Acosta Fernandez will collide in the 130kg quarterfinals. 

11:40: Returning champs Leo Dalis SANTANA HEREDIA (DOM) and Kevin MEJIA CASTILLO (HON) will be in action on Mat B. They'll wrestle in bouts 37 and 41, respectively. 

11:15: Pino Hinds collected a 9-0 win in the first round and will clash with Chilie's first-ever GR world medalist Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI). It's worth noting that Acosta Fernandez transferred from Cuba to Chile in 2017.

11:03: Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) returns to the mat for the first time in two years after relinquishing his 130kg starting spot to Mijian LOPEZ (CUB). He's wrestling on Mat B Tanner Richard FARMER (USA).

#WrestleAthens

World champions Sanchez, Rashidov set up golden clash at U17 Worlds

Saturday, August 2, 2025 - 14:49 By Vinay Siwach

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ATHENS, Greece (August 2) -- It will be world champion clashing with another for the 51kg gold medal on Sunday at the World U17 Championships in Athens, Greece.

Returning world champion from 45kg Samuel SANCHEZ (USA) and returning 48kg champion Ulugbek RASHIDOV (UZB) both won their semifinals and will have a go at each other on Sunday.

Sanchez took just 44 seconds to see of Danael ABDYKASSYM (KAZ), 10-0, in the semifinals at 51kg. He used his gut-wrench to great effect to win via technical superiority.

Ulugbek RASHIDOV (UZB) had to work harder for his win against Haruku SHIINA (JPN). He set up two takedowns and then scored an exposure by doubl arm-locking Shiina and throwing him on the mat when the Japanese tried to defend using headpinch just before the break. Japan challenged but lost the decision as Rashidov led 7-0 at the break.

He used a takedown and turn to make it 11-0 in three minutes and 57 minutes.

Iran vs U.S. in two finals

Iran and the United States will face off in two finals on Sunday. At 45kg, Parsa TAHMASBI (IRI) and Keegan BASSETT (USA) dominated their semifinals to enter the gold-medal bout.

Tahmasbi pinned Mirjalol MUKAMMILOV (UZB) using a cradle and Bassett posted a composed 6-2 win over Ibragim VELIULLOV (UWW), 6-2.

The second Iran-U.S. final will be at 71kg after Arsham VAHABIAN (IRI) and Jayden JAMES (USA) needed comeback wins in their respective semifinals.

Vahabian was trailing 5-3 but scored a takedown to make it 5-5 against Ayubjon BOZORZODA (TJK), who led on criteria. Bozorzoda added a stepout to take a clear 6-5 lead. However, Vahabian got behind and managed to tilt Bozorzoda more than 90 degrees to score two points in the final five seconds.

Tajikistan challenged the decision but there was no other action as seen in review and the challenge was lost, giving one more point to Vahabian.

In the other semifinal, James was leading 3-3 against Yeghishe MOSESYAN (ARM) when the Armenian used a front headlock for turn and got two points to lead 5-3. But James quickly blocked Mosesyan and broke his lock and held him on the mat for a fall.

Canada could have had its first finalist of a World Championships in Freestyle since 2018 and first time at U17 Worlds since 1989, but Nathan NASH (CAN) failed to hold on to his 3-3 criteria lead against Rihito HIURA (JPN) in the final 30 seconds and suffered a heartbreaking 5-3 loss at 60kg.

Hiura scored a takedown to take a 5-3 lead and tried a leg-lace as the clock ticked and he managed to keep his score till it expired.

The Japanese will face SITENDER (IND) for the gold medal bout after the Indian defeated Bekassyl ASSAMBEK (KAZ), 5-1, in the other semifinal which turned out be a one-big-move match.

Iran had another finalist as Amirali ALIZADEH (IRI) won another one-sided bout. He defeated Elguja LOMIDZE (GEO), 11-0, in the semifinals. 

David DZEBISOV (UWW) made it to the final from other side after he blanked Beibarys YERGALI (KAZ), 9-0, in the other semifinal.

RESULTS

45kg
GOLD: Keegan BASSETT (USA) vs. Parsa TAHMASBI (IRI) 

SF 1: Keegan BASSETT (USA) df. Ibragim VELIULLOV (UWW), 6-2
SF 2: Parsa TAHMASBI (IRI) df. Mirjalol MUKAMMILOV (UZB), via fall

51kg
GOLD: Ulugbek RASHIDOV (UZB) vs. Samuel SANCHEZ (USA)

SF 1: Ulugbek RASHIDOV (UZB) df. Haruku SHIINA (JPN), 11-0
Sf 2: Samuel SANCHEZ (USA) df. Danael ABDYKASSYM (KAZ), 10-0

60kg
GOLD: SITENDER (IND) vs. Rihito HIURA (JPN)

SF 1: SITENDER (IND) df. Bekassyl ASSAMBEK (KAZ), 5-1
SF 2: Rihito HIURA (JPN) df. Nathan NASH (CAN), 5-3

71kg
GOLD: Jayden JAMES (USA) vs. Arsham VAHABIAN (IRI)

SF 1: Jayden JAMES (USA) df. Yeghishe MOSESYAN (ARM), via fall (5-5)
SF 2: Arsham VAHABIAN (IRI) df. Ayubjon BOZORZODA (TJK), 8-6

92kg
GOLD: David DZEBISOV (UWW) vs. Amirali ALIZADEH (IRI)

SF 1: David DZEBISOV (UWW) df. Beibarys YERGALI (KAZ), 9-0
SF 2: Amirali ALIZADEH (IRI) df. Elguja LOMIDZE (GEO), 11-0