#WrestleTokyo

Mensah-Dosho Clash Highlight #WrestleTokyo Day 2

By Vinay Siwach

CHIBA, Japan (August 1) --- Tamyra STOCK MENSAH (USA) debut at the Olympics will not get bigger than this. The world champion will face defending Olympic champion and local star Sara DOSHO (JPN) in the opening round at 68kg at the Tokyo Olympics Monday.

Mensah and Dosho squared-off in the quarterfinal at the 2019 World Championships in which the American won easily. But that was close to two years ago and Dosho will like to avenge that loss if she wants to defend her gold from Rio.

It won't be easy for the winner though. Feng ZHOU (CHN) will be the likely opponent of the Chinese can get over U23 world champion Yusaris SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB). The two are also locked in the first round.

Their semifinal opponent will be one of Enas AHMED (EGY), Agnieszka WIESZCZEK (POL), Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) and Anna SCHELL (GER).

On the other side of the bracket, former junior and U23 world champion Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) will be up against Mongolia's star Battsetseg SORONZONBOLD (MGL). The winner will face one of former world silver medalist Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN) and European champion Khanum VELIEVA (ROC).

Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) also has a tough one against Asia champion Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ). The winner will face one of Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) or Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR).

In Greco-Roman, two favorites at the 97kg weigh class world champion Musa EVLOEV (ROC) and defending Olympic champion Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) are on the opposite side of the brackets.

Aleksanyan opens up against Uzur DZHZUPBEKOV (KGZ) who beat the Armenian at the Ukrainian Memorial earlier this year. Evloev also has better 3-1 head-to-head record against him.

Even if Aleksanyan wins his first bout, he has to go through Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) or Rio Olympic bronze Cenk ILDEM (TUR) who are likely to in the quarterfinal.

Another weight class that will be in action Monday is 77kg at Greco-Roman. Rafiq HUSEYNOV (AZE) and Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) will wrestle in the opening round. Both won a silver medal at the 2019 Worlds but at different weight categories. Huseynov has dropped down from 82kg and will be wrestling down below 80kg for the first time since 2014.

World champion Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) gets Zied AIT OUAGRAM (MAR) in the first round. World bronze medalist Karapet CHALYAN (ARM) will be wrestling Asian champion Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) in the first round. The winner is likely to get 2018 world champion and veteran Aleksandr CHEKHIRKIN (ROC) in the quarterfinals.

Wrestling begins at 1100 hours local time at the Makuhari Messi, Chiba.

#WrestleZagreb

WATCH: Chasing Greco 87kg Gold at World C'ships

By United World Wrestling Press

ZAGREB, Croatia (December 4) -- If there was one weight class in Greco-Roman at the World Championships in Zagreb which was extremely unpredictable, it was 87kg.

Olympic silver medalist Alireza MOHAMDI (IRI) was leading a pack of wrestlers who had medals at the World Championships, both senior and age-group, continental championships and even at the Olympics.

WATCH FULL DOCUMENTARY HERE

Paris bronze medalist Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) was primed to win the gold as well after a good start to the season. Then there was European champion David LOSONCZI (HUN).

Former European champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) was expected to be on the podium. Other names included age-group world champs in Asan ZHANYSOV (KGZ), Exacue MUKUBU (NOR), Vigen NAZARYAN (ARM), Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) and Mukhammadkodir RASULOV (UZB) among others.

As the day progressed in Zagreb, a few of those names fell apart and it was Komarov, Mohmadi, Losonczi and Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW) who reached the semifinals before Komarov and Mohmadi clashed for the gold medal.

Mohmadi, a silver medalist at 82kg from 2023, was leading the final but Komarov made a solid comeback and clinched the gold medal, 4-3, becoming the second male wrestler to win gold medals at all World Championships.