#NFRoundup

NF Roundup Blog, Jan. 4-10

Monday, January 4, 2021 - 17:19 By United World Wrestling Press

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2020 Iran Wrestling Premier League News and Results

The Iran Wrestling Premier League concluded its 2020 season as superstars Hassan YAZDANI and Mohammad Ali GERAEI earned brilliant victories for their teams.

The Iran Mall team captured  the title in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. 

Iran Mall defeated newcomer team Esteghlal 7-3 in the final match. At 86kg, the Olympic and world champion Yazdani recorded technical fall victory over Sajad GHOLAMI, 11-1.

In Greco-Roman, Iran Mall downed Azad University, 7-3.

Geraei

At 77kg, two-time world bronze medalist Mohammad Ali GERAEI beat rival Boroumand ASLAN, 6-4. The ABDEVALI brothers earned two technical fall victories against their rivals in 63 and 82kg.

Freestyle Final Standings
1. Iran Mall
2. Esteghlal
3. Ghaemshahr Wrestling Association
4. Azad University

Greco-Roman Final Standings
1. Iran Mall 
2. Azad University
3. Sina Sanat Izeh 
4. Foulad Oxin

Freestyle Final Match: Iran Mall df. Esteghlal, 7-3
57kg- Reza Atri(Iran Mall) df. Nader Hajaghania (Esteghlal), 6-2
61kg- Majid Dastan (Iran Mall) df. Mohammad Ramezanpour (Esteghlal), 8-3
65kg- Morteza Ghiasi (Esteghlal) df. Meysam Nasiri (Iran Mall), 6-1
70kg- Amir Hossein Hosseini (Iran Mall) df. Mohammadreza Sargou (Esteghlal), 8-0
74kg- Ali Savadkouhi (Esteghlal) df. Mostafa Hosseinkhani (Iran Mall), 3-0
79kg- Hamidreza Zarrinpeykar (Esteghlal) df. Peyman Yarahmadi (Iran Mall), 2-2
86kg- Hassan Yazdani (Iran Mall) tf. Sajad Gholami (Esteghlal), 11-1
92kg- Kamran Ghasempour (Iran Mall) df. Ali Mojerlou (Esteghlal) by injury forfeit
97kg- Mohammad Hossein Mohammadian (Iran Mall) df. Alireza Rekabi (Esteghlal), 7-0
125kg- Amir Hossein Zare (Iran Mall) df. Abbas Foroutan (Esteghlal), 4-0

Greco-Roman Final Match: Iran Mall df. Azad University, 7-3
55kg- Reza Khedri (Iran Mall) df. Sajad Abbaspour (Azad University), 6-4
60kg- Alireza Nejati (Iran Mall) df. Omid Arami (Azad University), 6-3
63kg- Saman Abdevali (Iran Mall) tf. Hossein Abbasi (Azad University), 8-0
67kg- Danial Sohrabi (Azad University) df. Mohammad Elyasi (Iran Mall), 5-4
72kg- Ali Arsalan (Iran Mall) tf. Amir Abdi (Azad University), 8-0
77kg- Mohammad Ali Geraei (Iran Mall) df. Boroumand Aslan (Azad University), 6-4
82kg- Saeid Abdevali (Iran Mall) tf. Mehdi Mohammadzadeh (Azad University), 8-0
87kg- Naser Alizadeh (Azad University) df. Mehdi Fallah (Iran Mall), 4-2
97kg-  Mehdi Bali (Azad University) df. Mehdi Aliyari (Iran Mall), 2-2
130kg- Amin Mirzazadeh (Iran Mall) df. Amir Ghasemi Monjazi (Azad University), 4-1
 

World Champs Burroughs and Taylor to Square off Saturday
World champions Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) and David TAYLOR (USA) will headline Flo Wrestling's January 9 11-match event.

Burroughs, the four-time world champion and London Olympic gold medalist at 74kg, is making the significant bump up to 86kg -- the weight in which Taylor won his '18 world title. "The two of us are always looking for ways to push the sport forward, so I think this is a cool event," said Burroughs. He continued, saying, "For both of us, this match is a big stamp on our legacy and how people will look at us moving forward."

It'll be the fifth time the pair of world champions have squared off in their storied careers. Burroughs owns a 4-0 record, with his last win coming in '14. Taylor, in looking for his first win over Burroughs, said, "This match is personal for me. Anytime you get to wrestle someone who has beaten you -- it's personal."

In addition to the freestyle meeting of world champions, the night's co-main event will also feature a matchup of world gold medalist. 

Tamyra MENSAH-STOCK (USA), the reigning world champion at 68kg, is moving up to 76kg, where she'll face five-time world champion and leg-lace queen Adeline GRAY (USA).

For complete coverage of the event, visit www.flowrestling.org.

Complete Match Order
155lbs - Mitch McKee vs Tristan Moran
61kg - Ronna Heaton vs Desiree Zavala
215lbs - Nate Jackson vs Wynn Michalak
61kg - Seth Gross vs Zane Richards
143lbs - Ethan Lizak vs Matt McDonough
65kg - Nahshon Garrett vs Joey McKenna
51kg - Emily Shilson vs Erin Golston
152lbs - James Green vs Pat Lugo
97kg - J'den Cox vs Hayden Zillmer
76kg - Adeline Gray vs Tamyra Mensah-Stock
86kg - Jordan Burroughs vs David Taylor

Obituary

Franz Beckenbauer, football legend and wrestling's friend, passes away

Wednesday, January 10, 2024 - 14:33 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (January 10) -- Franz BECKENBAUER was a football pioneer, a World Cup legend and one of the world’s biggest sporting heroes. A true global star, he was worshipped by millions across the globe. And it wasn’t just the football fans for whom he was a hero.

Beckenbauer, who passed away on Monday aged 78, held a special place in the wrestling family for his immense contribution to popularising the sport and bringing it back into the Olympic fold.

When the wrestling fraternity was leaving no stone unturned to return to the Olympics back in 2013, Beckenbauer famously lent his unwavering support. Fondly known as The Kaiser, he shared his thoughts on the future of wrestling, met UWW President Nenad LALOVIC to discuss ways to improve the sport’s visibility and campaigned for its inclusion in the Olympics after it was removed from the program 11 years ago.

For this, Beckenbauer was awarded wrestling’s highest honor, the Golden Necklace. It’s an award usually given to the heads of state.

Speaking at the ceremony, Lalovic had said: “Franz said he grew up wanting to be a wrestler but his coaches told him he was too skinny and to try another sport.  The world is pretty glad that he did.”

Indeed, world football is richer and in a better place today because of Beckenbauer.

FRANZFranz Beckenbauer was awarded wrestling’s highest honor, the Golden Necklace, by UWW Bureau Member Rodica YAKSI.

Gifted with grace that he combined with steely determination, the player who started as a forward before dropping back and starting as a defender until he eventually created an altogether new role – the libero - redefined football.

He is one of the three men to have won the FIFA World Cup as a player and a coach. On both occasions, he masterminded wins over two players hailed as the greatest to ever grace football.

At the 1982 World Cup, the West Germany team captained by Beckenbauer defeated the legendary Netherlands side led by Johan Cruyff, the father of ‘total football’ philosophy. Then, as a coach of the German team at Italia 1990, Beckenbauer halted Diego Maradona’s Argentina.

At club level, too, he tasted incredible success with Bayern Munich, whom he led to three consecutive European titles as a player before taking them to further heights as a manager and later as the club’s president.

In the later stages of his career, Beckenbauer had a successful spell with Bundesliga side Hamburger SV and went on to win three North American Soccer League titles with New York Cosmos.

The Kaiser had an oversized impact on world football. But his influence reached far beyond the football field, as the sport of wrestling experienced in 2013.

UWW mourns the passing away of one of the true sporting icons spanning generations and expresses its deepest sympathies to the Beckenbauer family.