#NFRoundup

NF Roundup Blog, Jan. 4-10

By United World Wrestling Press

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

#WrestleSantiago

Torreblanca, Valdes repeat as Pan-Am Games champs

By Eric Olanowski

(Photo credit: Ramon Monroy Panam Sports via Xpress Media)

SANTIAGO, Chile (November 2) --- Yurieski TORREBLANCA (CUB) and Alejandro VALDÉS (CUB) repeated as Pan-American Games champions after grabbing golds on Thursday night at the Chilean Olympic Center.

Valdes dominated his three opponents, picking up 10-0 wins over Joseph SILVA (PUR) and Albaro RUDECINDO (DOM) before pinning Nahshon GARRETT (USA) in the gold medal bout.

Valdes now has a pair of Pan-American Games gold medals to go along with his three Pan-American Championship titles.

Fellow Cuban Torreblanca was nearly flawless in his quest to repeat as Pan-Am Games champion, scoring four wins on Thursday—three coming via shutouts. Torreblanca blanked Carlos IZQUIERDO (COL), Rashji MACKEY (BAH) and Pedro CEBALLOS (VEN) (8-0, 10-0 and 4-0, respectively) to reach the 86kg finals.

In the championship bout, Torreblanca controlled the six-minute finals bout against Mark HALL (USA), effectively shutting down the American’s offense. The Cuban stopped Hall’s only real shot attempt of the bout, picking up a counter-offensive takedown. After giving up a reversal to end the first, Torreblanca tacked on an additional step-out point and cruised to the 3-1 win.

Meanwhile, in women's wrestling, Yusneylis GUZMÁN (CUB) became the first Cuban woman to win Pan-American Games gold since Lisset HECHEVARRIA (CUB) and Katherine VIDIAUX (CUB) claimed titles at the 2011 Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Guzman defeated Erin GOLSTON (USA) and Jacquline MOLLOCANA (ECU) to end Cuba’s 12-year Pan-Am Games gold drought. She defeated Golston, 10-0, then beat Mollocana, 5-1, cementing a spot in her nation’s wrestling history books.

In the bout of the night, Giullia RODRIGUES (BRA) narrowly edged Hannah TAYLOR (CAN) to win the 57kg gold. She hit two inside trips to score her six points—a two-point trip in the first and a four-point trip in the second—to win her third competition of the season. Rodrigues also won gold medals this season at the Poland Open and Ion Corneanu & Ladislau Simon Memorial. 

Rodrigues joins Joice SILVA (BRA) as the only woman from Brazil to win a Pan-American Games gold medal.

The final gold of the night in women’s wrestling went to Forrest MOLINARI (USA), who defeated Soleymi CARABALLO (VEN), 3-2, in the 68kg finals. Molinari surrendered a high-level single-leg takedown in the first period but scored three unanswered points to win her first Pan-Am Games title.

Friday's opening round matches begin at 10:00 (local time), with the bronze and gold-medal bouts beginning at 17:00.

Freestyle

65kg
GOLD - Alejandro VALDÉS (CUB) df. Nahshon GARRETT (USA), via fall
BRONZE - Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG) df. Sixto AUCCAPIÑA (PER), 7-1
BRONZE - Joseph SILVA (PUR) df. Albaro RUDECINDO (DOM), 6-5

86kg 
GOLD - Yurieski TORREBLANCA (CUB) df. Mark HALL (USA), 3-1
BRONZE - Hunter LEE (CAN) df. Ethan RAMOS (PUR), 14-4
BRONZE - Pedro CEBALLOS (VEN) df. Carlos IZQUIERDO (COL), 7-6

Women’s Wrestling

50kg
GOLD - Yusneylis GUZMÁN (CUB) df. Jacquline MOLLOCANA (ECU), 5-1
BRONZE - Mariana ROJAS (VEN) df. Erin GOLSTON (USA), 3-0

57kg
GOLD - Giullia RODRIGUES (BRA) df. Hannah TAYLOR (CAN), 6-6
BRONZE - Angela ALVAREZ (CUB) df. Xochitl MOTA-PETTIS (USA), 10-0

BRONZE - Luisa VALVERDE (ECU) df. Betzabeth SARCO (VEN), via fall

68kg
GOLD - Forrest MOLINARI (USA) df. Soleymi CARABALLO (VEN), 3-2
BRONZE - Nicoll PARRADO (COL) df. Virginia JIMÉNEZ (CHI), 6-0
BRONZE - Olivia DI BACCO (CAN) df. Ambar GARNICA (MEX), 8-6