#WrestleBudapest

Must-watch storylines from Budapest Ranking Series

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (June 4) -- As the Budapest Ranking Series gets underway Thursday in the Hungary capital, a few intriguing storylines will be seen on the mats. Countries will be finalizing their Olympic line-ups, a few star wrestlers are returning to competition while others are competing for the ranking points.

Here are the top storylines that no wrestling fan should miss at the Budapest Ranking Series which will be live on uww.org using UWW+.

Iran's dilemma

A wrestle-off is set to be held by Iran in Budapest to decide on the Paris Olympic team. Tokyo Olympic champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) won the spot by winning bronze at the World Championships. But Saeid ESMAEILI LEIVESI (IRI) won the Asian Championships to lay his claim for the 67kg gold medal.

60kg will also see a wrestle-off as Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) is set to face Amirreza DEHBOZORGI (IRI) to decide who goes to the Paris Games.

Also, Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) is wrestling!

Hassan YAZDANI (IRI)Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) will wrestle for the first time since winning gold medal at the Asian Games. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Sachiko Hotaka)

Yazdani returns

Undoubtedly Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) returning to competition is the big show in Budapest. Since winning the silver medal at the World Championships in Belgrade, Yazdani has wrestled only once, winning the gold medal at the Asian Games. A shoulder injury kept him out for eight months but Yazdani will be wrestling at 86kg on Thursday.

Before the Ranking Series, there were talks in Iran about a potential clash of Yazdani against 92kg world champion Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) who is looking to make the Paris Olympic team for Iran. But Iran decided to send Yazdani alone and will assess his performance before deciding on a trial between the two.

Ziqi FENG (CHN)Ziqi FENG (CHN) gave a scare to Yui SUSAKI (JPN) in the Asian Championships final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

China's problem of plenty

China rarely sends a portion of its team to the Ranking Series. But it has sent only five wrestlers for Budapest, all in Women's Wrestling. Three wrestlers are entered at 50kg and two at 57kg, expected for a wrestle-off.

Yu ZHANG (CHN), Jiang ZHU (CHN) and Ziqi FENG (CHN) are fighting for the Paris Olympic spot at 50kg. Feng won the quota for China by winning the bronze medal at the World Championships in Belgrade.

Qi ZHANG (CHN) and Kexin HONG (CHN) will wrestle off for the spot at 57kg. Hong won the quota at the Asian Olympic Qualifier in Bishkek. But Zhang, a world champion at 59kg, won the Asian Championships, a run that also had a win over Risako KINJO (JPN) in the first round.

Jamalov's switch

Razambek JAMALOV (UZB) has been waiting for his Uzbekistan debut which will finally happen in Budapest. Jamalov will take the mat at 74kg and can also face Bekzhod ABURKHAMANOV (UZB), meaning that their match can also be a wrestle-off.  Jamalov has not wrestled at an international event since finishing fifth at the 2021 European Championships but has previously shown that he can win against any top wrestler on his day.

#WrestleBudapest

#WrestleBudapest: Senior European Championships Entries

By Eric Olanowski

BUDAPEST, Hungary (March 17) -- The senior continental championships season kicks off with the European Championships from March 28 to April 3 in Budapest, Hungary.

A few rivalries will once again be revived as several World and Olympic medalists are named in the list of over 400 wrestlers that will be competing at the end of this month.

The biggest names will be Taha AKGUL (TUR) and Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO). The Turkey wrestler defeated the Georgian in the first-round match in the last edition. The two have not met since then despite wrestling at the Olympics and World Championships.

Haji ALIYEV (AZE), Frank CHAMIZO (ITA), Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE), Vladislav BAITSAEV (HUN) are some other big names in freestyle.

After a stellar last season, Ukraine is bringing a solid women's team to the competition led by Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR) and Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR).

Anhelina LYSAK (POL), Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL), Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) are also entered for the competition.

Greco-Roman will see Riza KAYAALP (TUR) going for this 11th European title while other weight classes have a mix of some established stars and young studs.

ChamizoFrank CHAMIZO (ITA) will be making a return to mat since the Tokyo Olympics. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

57kg
Manvel KHNDZRTSYAN (ARM)
Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE)
Mikyay Salim NAIM (BUL)
Levan METREVELI VARTANOV (ESP)
Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO)
Niklas STECHELE (GER)
Anatolii BURUIAN (MDA)
Vladimir EGOROV (MKD)
Gary GIORDMAINA (MLT)
Razvan Marian KOVACS (ROU)
Martin ZIDZIK (SVK)
Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR)

61kg
Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB)
Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE)
Georgi VANGELOV (BUL)
Adam BIBOULATOV (FRA)
Teimuraz VANISHVILI (GEO)
Viktor LYZEN (GER)
Gamzatgadzsi HALIDOV (HUN)
Shamil OMAROV (ITA)
Besir ALILI (MKD)
Adam AL KANDOUSSI (NED)
Eduard GRIGOREV (POL)
Suleyman ATLI (TUR)

65kg 
Islam DUDAEV (ALB)
Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM)
Haji ALIYEV (AZE)
Vladimir DUBOV (BUL)
Quentin STICKER (FRA)
Beka LOMTADZE (GEO)
Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN)
Maxim SACULTAN (MDA)
Adam VELLA (MLT)
Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL)
Stefan COMAN (ROU)
Stevan MICIC (SRB)
Munir AKTAS (TUR)

70kg
Orges LILA (ALB)
Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM)
Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE)
Ramazan RAMAZANOV (BUL)
Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO)
Kevin HENKEL (GER)
Daniel ANTAL (HUN)
Raul ZARBALIEV (ISR)
Gianluca TALAMO (ITA)
Alban SOPA (KOS)
Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA)
Fati VEJSELI (MKD)
Patryk OLENCZYN (POL)
Marc DIETSCHE (SUI)
Daniel CHOMANIC (SVK)
Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)

74kg 
Hrayr ALIKHANYAN (ARM)
Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE)
Ali UMARPASHAEV (BUL)
Aimar ANDRUSE (EST)
Charlie BOWLING (GBR)
Giorgi SULAVA (GEO)
Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN)
Mitchell FINESILVER (ISR)
Frank CHAMIZO (ITA)
Artem AUGA (LTU)
Mihail SAVA (MDA)
Kamil RYBICKI (POL)
Zurab KAPRAEV (ROU)
Malik AMINE (SMR)
Hetik CABOLOV (SRB)
Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK)
Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR)

79kg
Arman AVAGYAN (ARM)
Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE)
Miroslav KIROV (BUL)
Erik REINBOK (EST)
Saifedine ALEKMA (FRA)
Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO)
Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)
Csaba VIDA (HUN)
Dan TSESARSKY (ISR)
Alans AMIROVS (LAT)
Stanislav NOVAC (MDA)
Dejan MITROV (MKD)
Iakub SHIKHDZHAMALOV (ROU)
Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK)
Muhammet AKDENIZ (TUR)

86kg
Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)
Akhmed MAGAMAEV (BUL)
Taimuraz FRIEV NASKIDAEVA (ESP)
Akhmed AIBUEV (FRA)
Syerus ESLAMI (GBR)
Tarzan MAISURADZE (GEO)
Ahmed DUDAROV (GER)
Patrik PUESPOEKI (HUN)
Uri KALASHNIKOV (ISR)
Ivars SAMUSONOKS (LAT)
Domantas PAULIUSCENKO (LTU)
Denis BALAUR (MDA)
Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL)
Myles AMINE (SMR)
Boris MAKOEV (SVK)
Osman GOCEN (TUR)

92kg
Hovhannes MKHITARYAN (ARM)
Benjamin GREIL (AUT)
Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE)
Ahmed BATAEV (BUL)
Damian IGLESIAS VILELA (ESP)
Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO)
Simone IANNATTONI (ITA)
Georgii RUBAEV (MDA)
Radoslaw MARCINKIEWICZ (POL)
Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR)

97kg
Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE)
Alejandro CANADA PANCORBO (ESP)
Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO)
Erik THIELE (GER)
Vladislav BAITSAEV (HUN)
Lukas KRASAUSKAS (LTU)
Radu LEFTER (MDA)
Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD)
Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL)
Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK)
Burak SAHIN (TUR)

125kg
Paris KAREPI (ALB)
Johannes LUDESCHER (AUT)
Aydin AHMADOV (AZE)
Jere HEINO (FIN)
Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)
Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER)
Daniel LIGETI (HUN)
Abraham CONYEDO RUANO (ITA)
Robert BARAN (POL)
Magomedgadzhi NURASULOV (SRB)
Gabriel TYSZ (SVK)
Taha AKGUL (TUR)


One of the world's most dominant pinners, Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL), headlines the women's wrestling entries. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Women's Wrestling

50kg

Turkan NASIROVA (AZE)
Miglena SELISHKA (BUL)
Julie SABATIE (FRA)
Lisa ERSEL (GER)
Szimonetta SZEKER (HUN)
Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA)
Emilia CIRICU BUDEANU (MDA)
Anna LUKASIAK (POL)
Emilia VUC (ROU)
Evin DEMIRHAN YAVUZ (TUR)
Nataliia KLIVCHUTSKA (UKR)

53kg
Irena BINKOVA (BUL)
Marina RUEDA FLORES (ESP)
Tatiana SALAH DEBIEN (FRA)
Annika WENDLE (GER)
Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE)
Mercedesz DENES (HUN)
Iulia LEORDA (MDA)
Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL)
Emma MALMGREN (SWE)
Zeynep YETGIL (TUR)
Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR)

55kg
Sezen BELBEROVA (BUL)
Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER)
Erika BOGNAR (HUN)
Laura STANELYTE (LTU)
Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA)
Andreea ANA (ROU)
Nova BERGMAN (SWE)
Bediha GUN (TUR)
Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR)

57kg
Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL)
Graciela SANCHEZ DIAZ (ESP)
Jenna HEMIAE (FIN)
Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER)
Tamara DOLLAK (HUN)
Anhelina LYSAK (POL)
Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU)
Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR)
Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR)

59kg
Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE)
Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL)
Elena BRUGGER (GER)
Morena DE VITA (ITA)
Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)
Grace BULLEN (NOR)
Jowita WRZESIEN (POL)
Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU)
Elif YANIK (TUR)
Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR)

62kg
Taybe YUSEIN (BUL)
Lydia PEREZ TOURINO (ESP)
Ameline DOUARRE (FRA)
Luisa NIEMESCH (GER)
Nikolett SZABO (HUN)
Nataliia SHAFIR MAZUR (ISR)
Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA)
Natalia KUBATY (POL)
Anna FABIAN (SRB)
Olivia HENNINGSSON (SWE)
Yagmur CAKMAK (TUR)
Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR)

65kg
Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)
Sofiya GEORGIEVA (BUL)
Viktoria VESSO (EST)
Kriszta INCZE (ROU)
Asli TUGCU (TUR)
Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR)

68kg
Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE)
Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA)
Noémi SZABADOS (HUN)
Irina RINGACI (MDA)
Natalia STRZALKA (POL)
Amina CAPEZAN (ROU)
Asli DEMIR (TUR)
Alla BELINSKA (UKR)

72kg
Yuliana YANEVA (BUL)
Kendra DACHER (FRA)
Anna SCHELL (GER)
Tuende ELEKES (HUN)
Eleni PJOLLAJ (ITA)
Patrycja SPERKA (POL)
Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU)
Buse CAVUSOGLU TOSUN (TUR)
Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR)

76kg
Martina KUENZ (AUT)
Mariya ORYASHKOVA (BUL)
Epp MAEE (EST)
Georgina NELTHORPE (GBR)
Francy RAEDELT (GER)
Bernadett NAGY (HUN)
Enrica RINALDI (ITA)
Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU)
Catalina AXENTE (ROU)
Fanni NAGY NAD (SRB)
Yasemin ADAR (TUR)
Anastasiia OSNIACH SHUSTOVA (UKR)

Turkish legend Riza KAYAALP will look to win his eleventh European title. He'll wrestle at 130kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Greco-Roman

55kg

Rudik MKRTCHYAN (ARM)
Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE)
Stefan GRIGOROV (BUL)
Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO)
Fabian SCHMITT (GER)
Giovanni FRENI (ITA)
Artiom DELEANU (MDA)
Denis MIHAI (ROU)
Sebastian KOLOMPAR (SRB)
Emre MUTLU (TUR)

60kg
Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM)
Murad MAMMADOV (AZE)
Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL)
Daniel BOBILLO VIGIL (ESP)
Helary MAEGISALU (EST)
Pridon ABULADZE (GEO)
Abdolmohammad PAPI (GER)
Erik TORBA (HUN)
Abere FETENE (ISR)
Justas PETRAVICIUS (LTU)
Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA)
Michal TRACZ (POL)
Razvan ARNAUT (ROU)
Dimitar SANDOV (SUI)
Kerem KAMAL (TUR)

63kg
Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM)
Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE)
Leri ABULADZE (GEO)
Etienne KINSINGER (GER)
Krisztian KECSKEMETI (HUN)
Ruben MARVICE (ITA)
Aleksandrs JURKJANS (LAT)
Victor CIOBANU (MDA)
Mateusz SZEWCZUK (POL)
Perica DIMITRIJEVIC (SRB)
Virgil BICA (SWE)
Ahmet UYAR (TUR)

67kg
Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB)
Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM)
Christoph BURGER (AUT)
Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)
Ivo ILIEV (BUL)
Stefan CLEMENT (FRA)
Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO)
Witalis LAZOVSKI (GER)
Krisztian VANCZA (HUN)
Donior ISLAMOV (MDA)
Morten THORESEN (NOR)
Mateusz BERNATEK (POL)
Pedro DE MATOS OLIVEIRA DE MORAIS CA (POR)
Mihai MIHUT (ROU)
Sebastian NAD (SRB)
Mate NEMES (SRB)
Andreas VETSCH (SUI)
Murat FIRAT (TUR)

72kg
Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE)
Deyvid DIMITROV (BUL)
Pavel PUKLAVEC (CRO)
Jakub BIELESZ (CZE)
Marcos SANCHEZ SILVA MEJIAS (ESP)
Mikko PELTOKANGAS (FIN)
Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Samuel BELLSCHEIDT (GER)
Robert FRITSCH (HUN)
Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU)
Valentin PETIC (MDA)
Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR)
Gevorg SAHAKYAN (POL)
Ali ARSALAN (SRB)
Leos DRMOLA (SVK)
Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR)

77kg
Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)
Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE)
Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL)
Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO)
Oliver KRUEGER (DEN)
Matias LIPASTI (FIN)
Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA)
Beka MAMUKASHVILI (GEO)
Zoltan LEVAI (HUN)
Ciro RUSSO (ITA)
Mantas SINKEVICIUS (LTU)
Patryk BEDNARZ (POL)
Ilie COJOCARI (ROU)
Viktor NEMES (SRB)
Denis HORVATH (SVK)
Per OLOFSSON (SWE)
Yunus BASAR (TUR)

82kg
Karapet CHALYAN (ARM)
Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE)
Rosian DERMANSKI (BUL)
Filip SACIC (CRO)
Petr NOVAK (CZE)
Ranet KALJOLA (EST)
Johnny BUR (FRA)
Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Pascal EISELE (GER)
Georgios PREVOLARAKIS (GRE)
Tamas LEVAI (HUN)
David ZHYTOMYRSKY (ISR)
Matteo MAFFEZZOLI (ITA)
Mihail BRADU (MDA)
Marcel STERKENBURG (NED)
Exauce MUKUBU (NOR)
Branko KOVACEVIC (SRB)
Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR)

87kg
Islam ABBASOV (AZE)
Yoan DIMITROV (BUL)
Matej MANDIC (CRO)
Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN)
Raido LIITMAEE (EST)
Roberti KOBLIASHVILI (GEO)
Ilias PAGKALIDIS (GRE)
Erik SZILVASSY (HUN)
Mirco MINGUZZI (ITA)
Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL)
Nicu OJOG (ROU)
Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB)
Damian VON EUW (SUI)
Kristoffer BERG (SWE)
Metehan BASAR (TUR)

97kg
Daniel GASTL (AUT)
Murat LOKIAYEV (AZE)
Kiril MILOV (BUL)
Artur OMAROV (CZE)
Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN)
Loic SAMEN (FRA)
Revazi NADAREISHVILI (GEO)
Ramsin AZIZSIR (GER)
Laokratis KESIDIS (GRE)
Robert ERSEK (HUN)
Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA)
Vilius LAURINAITIS (LTU)
Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED)
Felix BALDAUF (NOR)
Michal DYBKA (POL)
Mihail KAJAIA (SRB)
Aleksandar STJEPANETIC (SWE)
Beytullah KAYISDAG (TUR)

130kg
David OVASAPYAN (ARM)
Beka KANDELAKI (AZE)
Marko KOSCEVIC (CRO)
Stepan DAVID (CZE)
Konsta MAEENPAEAE (FIN)
Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO)
Franz RICHTER (GER)
Dariusz VITEK (HUN)
Danila SOTNIKOV (ITA)
Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU)
Oskar MARVIK (NOR)
Rafal KRAJEWSKI (POL)
Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU)
Delian ALISHAHI (SUI)
Riza KAYAALP (TUR)