#WrestleBelgrade

Live Blog, U23 World Championships Day 2: GR 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg, 97kg

Tuesday, November 2, 2021 - 08:54 By United World Wrestling Press

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BELGRADE, Serbia (November 2) -- After a memorable first day, the U23 World Championships enter day two with five new Greco-Roman weight classes -- 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg and 97kg. Iran dominated day one and they will like to continue that on the second day but Russia is right behind them.

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That will do for the morning session. Long one but we had some exciting matches and the semifinals are set. We also have the draws of the women's wrestling about now.

1545: A mini upset here! Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) looked good to make the semifinals but he hit a rock named Pavel HLINCHUK (BLR) in the quarters. The Belarusian's top defense and scores give him a 7-3 win

1525: Kamal and Minasyan leave everything on the mat but it's Kamal who wins 2-2 on criteria for his takedown against the Armenian's one and one.

1520: Kamal gets the takedown and the two points. He leads 2-0. Turkey is asking for a point for step out but the referee rules it a push. Turkey challenge the call but lost. 2-1 for Kamal. Minasyan get a point for Kamal's passivity and it's 2-2 but Kamal holds criteria.

1510: Kerem KAMAL (TUR) is up against Tigran MINASYAN (ARM) in the 60kg quarterfinal. A big four to start for Minasyan but Turkey challenge for a leg four. Challenge won. 0-0.

1450: In a turn of events, Jafarov gives no opening and scores eight unanswered points to win 9-2 in the quarterfinals

1440: Big battle between Asian champion Sultan ASSETULY (KAZ) and junior world champion Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE). Assetuly is called passive and Jafarov gets a point. He fails to score from par terre but Azerbaijan challenge. Lost and Kazakhstan lead 1-1 on criteria

1410: Artur SARGSIAN (RUS) continues his quest for a second age-group world title and reaches the quarterfinals at 97kg with an 11-0 win over Nicholas BOYKIN (USA). As usual some big throws in that bout

1350: Sergei KUTUZOV (RUS) gives Iran a taste of their own medicine. He breaks Amir ABDI (IRI) in the 72kg bout and wins 9-1 and advance

1330: Junior world champion Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) was tested in the first minute but he overcomes Vasile DOSOFTEI (ROU) 10-1 in the second period

1315: Kerem KAMAL is making his way to the mat for his first bout of the competition. He will face Tommaso BOSI (ITA). He gets a point for Bosi's passivity. Three gut wrenches and he leads 7-0. A huge throw and he wins 11-0

1300: Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) keeps Iran rolling with an 8-0 win over Dylan GREGERSON (USA). No Iran wrestler has suffered a loss on day two so far

1230: Mohammad NAGHOUSI (IRI) and Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) in a battle! Mukubu had the lead but the constant pressure from Naghousi tires him out. A 7-5 win for the Iranian 

1200: Artur SARGSIAN (RUS) is making his way to the mat! He faces Ondrej DADAK (CZE) at 97kg. He begins as the aggressor and Dadak is called for passivity. Sargasian hits a big four and a roll to lead 7-0. Dadak goes for a headlock but fails to connect. 4 points for Sargsian and an 11-0 win

1145: World silver medalist Sergei KUTUZOV (RUS) has Denis MERTL (CZE) in the opening round at 72kg. But he doesn't spend too much time on the mat as he wins 8-0 thanks to the gut-wrenches

1130: How far will Tigran MINASYAN (ARM) go in this tournament? He starts with an 8-0 win over Hleb MAKARANKA (BLR) 

1115: Junior world champion Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) begins his quest for a U23 world gold with a controlled 3-1 win against Diego MARTINEZ DE LEIJA (MEX) 

1100: U23 European champion Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (RUS) has an easy first round as he beats Rayan B HAWSAWI (KSA) 9-0 to advance at 60kg 

1050: It was back and forth but Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) prevails 5-3 over Karlo KODRIC (CRO) in the opening round at 82kg 

1045: We are done with the repechage bouts. U23 European champion at 82kg Shamil OZHAEV (RUS) takes on Ilias PAGKALIDIS (GRE). Just effortless from Ozhaev as he wins 9-0

1030: Welcome to day two of the U23 World Championships from the Belexpocentar in Belgrade. Greco-Roman action continues with five new weight categories with Iran and Russia battling for the team title. 

#WrestleZagreb

Kusaka earns shot at world title; Iran puts 3 in final

Thursday, September 18, 2025 - 15:57 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 18) -- Olympic champion Nao KUSAKA (JPN) is a step away from winning his first world title.

After finishing with a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships at 77kg, Kusaka went on to win the 2024 Paris Olympic Games at the same weight. The Olympic champion now wants the tag of world champion.

Returning for the first time since Paris, Kusaka wrestled like is the Olympic champion, beating Robert FRITSCH (HUN), 3-1, in the semifinals. He scored a takedown to open the scoring before getting the par terre advantage. He failed to score but led 3-0. Fritsch was in danger of giving up a four-pointer but he flung Kusaka on counter for a point to make it 3-1.

There was no action in the second period and Kusaka defended his lead till the time expired to earn his first trip to the finals at a World Championships.

"Like at the Olympics, you can't predict what will happen. But a year after the Olympics, I want to show my strength to the world again," Yoshida said after the win. " I always worked out with him, so we know each other well. But to me, it didn't matter if he had a strategy or not."

Earlier in the quarterfinals, he defeated Olympic silver medalist Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), 4-2, in a rematch of the Olympic final. Kusaka had to come back as he was down 2-2 on criteria as Zhadrayev launched a counter throw for two points. But Kusaka added two stepouts in the second period to win 4-2.

He will now face Olympic bronze medalist Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) for the gold medal after the Armenian defeated world U20 champion Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) in a one-move semifinal.

Amoyan got the first chance in par terre and he loaded for a suplex on the edge. Abdevali was ready to land on his hands but Amoyan changed his throw and slammed the Iranian in a reverse throw for four and lead 5-0.

Abdevali failed to score from par terre in the second period and dropped the semifinal 5-1 against Amoyan.

Despite Abdevali's loss, Iran managed three other wrestlers in the finals with world champion Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) leading the way. Two World Championships debutants, Payam AHMADI (IRI) and Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) reached the finals at 55kg and 82kg, respectively.

At 130kg, world champion Mirzazadeh had no trouble reaching the final after he defeated Wenhao JIANG (CHN), 3-1, in the semifinals. He got a roll from par terre for two points and despite par terre position in the second period, he won 3-1.

He will face a surprise finalist Darius VITEK (HUN) who denied Pavel HLINCHUK (UWW), 1-1, as he got the criteria for the first point in a 1-1 finish.

Farokhi, who won the Zagreb Open this year, powered his way to the 82kg final after denying local star Karlo KODRIC (CRO), 7-1, in the semifinals. Farokhi led 3-1 at the break after a takedown. He scored another as soon as the second period began before adding two stepouts to win.

He will face Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) for the gold medal after the Georgian denied Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) yet another comeback as he had all day on Thursday. Yoshida began with two stepouts before getting the par terre. He failed to score any points but led 3-0 at the break.

It was all Bolkvadze in the second period as he scored three turns from par terre to take a 7-3 lead. Japan challenged the last turn saying that Yoshida's head was out of bounds before last turn. However, the review showed that it was inside and Bolkvadze got a point for the lost challenge to make it 8-3 with 1:10 remaining. 

Yoshida used an arm drag to takedown and make it 8-5 but he did not have any another action and Georgia got its second finalist of the night.

Ahmadi upsets Azizli

Iran's gamble to switch Pouya DAD MARZ (IRI) with world U20 champion Payam AHMADI (IRI) a week before the World Championships paid off as he denied four-time world champion Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) a record fifth at 55kg.

Ahmadi was subjected to a selection bout against Dad Marz in Iran and he defeated the former world silver medalist with ease thus earning a trip to Zagreb a month after winning the gold at the U20 World Championships.

In the semifinals, Ahmadi got a takedown to put Azizli on the backfoot. He was awarded the par terre position as well but failed to score. However, he led 3-0 at the break. Azizli got his chance in the second period but Ahmadi brought out his top defense to not give up any points and keep his 3-1 lead, a score he went on to win with.

He will face another teenager for the gold medal, Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO), who defeated Emin CAKIR (TUR), 2-2, on last point criteria to earn a spot in the final.

Lolua, just 18 years of age, won a bronze medal at 55kg at the U20 World Championships in which Ahmadi was the champion. Lolua and Cakir traded passivity points with the latter holding first-point criteria. Lolua got a third passivity which is without points and only position, but he failed to score from that as well. Georgia challenged for a leg-foul but there was none.

Cakir got a point for lost challenge from Georgia which made it 2-1 with 40 seconds left. However, Lolua got a stepout soon after and got the 2-2 criteria for the last point scored to win.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Payam AHMADI (IRI) vs. Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO)

SF 1: Payam AHMADI (IRI) df. Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE), 3-1
SF 2: Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) df. Emin CAKIR (TUR), 2-2

77kg
GOLD: Nao KUSAKA (JPN) vs. Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)

SF 1: Nao KUSAKA (JPN) df. Robert FRITSCH (HUN), 3-1
SF 2: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df. Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI), 5-1

82kg
GOLD: Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) vs. Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO)

BRONZE: Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN), 8-5
BRONZE: Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) df. Karlo KODRIC (CRO), 7-1

130kg
GOLD: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) vs. Darius VITEK (HUN)

SF 1: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) df. Wenhao JIANG (CHN), 3-1 
SF 2: Darius VITEK (HUN) df. Pavel HLINCHUK (UWW), 1-1