Ranking Series

Olympic Champ Borrero Headlines World Greco-Roman Rankings

Friday, May 11, 2018 - 16:47 By United World Wrestling Press

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Olympic champion Ismael BORRERO (CUB) headlines the May 2018 Ranking Series for Greco-Roman. 

Borrero, ranked No.1 at 67kg, has accumulated 47 ranking points, which is more points than any Greco-Roman wrestler in any weight class. The Cuban star recently cruised to his fourth overall Pan American gold, picking up four technical falls and outscoring his opponents by a combined score of 40-0. Earlier this year Borrero won a gold medal at the Cerro Pelado International.

Another Cuban wrestler, Oscar PINO HINDS (130kg), a returning world bronze medalist, earned a No.1 ranking. Like Borrero, Pino Hinds claimed a gold medal at the Pan American Championships. He topped Robby SMITH (USA) to win his third consecutive continental title.

Kyrgyzstan also has a pair of top-ranked Greco-Roman wrestlers, K. ZHOLCHUBEKOV (60kg) and U. AMATOV (63kg).

Zholchubekov opened the year by winning a gold medal at the Takhti Cup and followed it up with a bronze at the Asian Championships. 


Amatov earned medals at both the Takhti Cup (bronze) and Asian Championships (silver). 

2016 world champion Balint KORPASI (HUN) is the top-ranked wrestler at 72kg. He was a Cerro Pelado International champion in February and recently captured a bronze medal at the European Championships. 

Returning world bronze medalist Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) occupies the top spot at 77kg. He has been a Takhti Cup champion and Asian Championships silver medalist this year. 

Another returning world bronze medalist, Roberti KOBLIASHVILI (GEO), tops the rankings at 87kg. He recently claimed a gold medal at the European Championships. 


Other top-ranked Greco-Roman wrestlers include Ekrem OZTURK (TUR) at 55kg, Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL) at 82kg and Orkhan NURIYEV (AZE) at 97kg. 

The 2018 season is the first in which United World Wrestling is utilizing an objective ranking system. The points acquired at continental championships and select rankings series will determine the top four seeded athletes at the 2018 World Championships in October held in Budapest.

For more on the Ranking Series format, be sure to check out this article. 

View all the rankings on United World Wrestling's homepage. 

55kg
1. Ekrem OZTURK (TUR) // 30 Points
2. Reza KHEDRI (IRI) // 24 Points
3. Shota TANOKURA (JPN) // 22 Points
4. Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) // 20 Points
5. Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) // 20 Points

60kg
1. K. ZHOLCHUBEKOV (KGZ) // 36 Points
2. Luis Alberto ORTA SANCHEZ (CUB) // 35 Points
3. Sergey EMELIN (RUS) // 27 Points
4. Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) // 25 Points
5. Shinobu OTA (JPN) // 23 Points

63kg
1. U. AMATOV (KGZ) // 30 Points
2. Mihai Radu MIHUT (ROU) // 28 Points
3. Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR) // 26 Points
4. Zaur KABALOEV (RUS) // 24 Points
5. Donior ISLAMOV (MDA) // 24 Points

67kg
1. Ismael BORRERO (CUB) // 47 Points
2. Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) // 42 Points
3. Artem SURKOV (RUS) // 32 Points
4. Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) // 30 Points
5. Karen ASLANYAN (ARM) // 28 Points

72kg
1. Balint KORPASI (HUN) // 42 Points
2. Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) // 38 Points
3. Adam KURAK (RUS) // 33 Points
4. Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) // 31 Points
5. Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) // 29 Points

77kg
1. Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) // 38 Points
2. Ariel FIS BATISTA (CUB) // 34 Points
3. Roman VLASOV (RUS) // 34 Points
4. Viktor NEMES (SRB) // 32 Points
5. Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) // 30 Points

82kg
1. Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL) // 40 Points
2. Laszlo SZABO (HUN) // 31 Points
3. Maksim MANUKYAN (ARM) // 29 Points
4. Viktar SASUNOUSKI (BLR) // 27 Points
5. Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) // 25 Points

87kg
1. Roberti KOBLIASHVILI (GEO) // 33 Points
2. Bekkhan OZDOEV (RUS) // 31 Points
3. Daniel GREGORICH HECHAVARRIA (CUB) // 29 Points
4. Khussein MUTSOLGOV (KAZ) // 29 Points
5. Kristoffer Zakarias BERG (SWE) // 29 Points

97kg
1. Orkhan NURIYEV (AZE) // 42 Points
2. Cenk ILDEM (TUR) // 38 Points
3. Luillys Jose PEREZ MORA (VEN) // 34 Points
4. Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) // 33 Points
5. Gabriel Alejandro ROSILLO KINDELAN (CUB) // 32 Points

130kg
1. Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) // 36 Points
2. Behnam mahdizadeh ARPATAPEH (IRI) // 34 Points
3. Lam BALINT (HUN) // 32 Points
4. Ciurariu alin ALEXUC (ROU) // 30 Points
5. Riza KAYAALP (TUR) // 27 Points
 

#WrestleBudapest

Ranking Series: Tazhudinov leads star-studded Freestyle field

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 - 10:54 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 15) -- Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) marked his return after the Paris Olympic Games with gold at the Grand Prix of Spain. If his opponents thought their will be any rust after the long break, they were mistaken. Tazhudinov won four bouts, all via technical superiority, without giving up a point.

And if you missed watching the Grand Prix, Tazhudinov continues his return in Budapest at the Ranking Series, the last before the World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.

Women's Wrestling Preview | Greco-Roman Preview

Tazhudinov has been on an eight-tournament gold-medal winning streak dating back to 2023 Asian Championships. The only international loss he suffered was in 2023 at the Ibrahim Mustafa Ranking Series. But Tazhudinov now is perhaps the best wrestler walking on the planet right now.

The 97kg weight class in Budapest will see Tazhudinov take on the likes of Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK), Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO), Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL), Jay AIELLO (USA), Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (UWW) among others.

But no name on that list seems a threat to Tazhudinov, who is likely to put on another masterclass.

Tazhudinov is not the only start landing in Budapest. Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE), Islam DUDAEV (ALB), Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) and Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) to name a few others.

European silver medalist Kadzimahamedau will be at 86kg, his weight class since the start of this season as he tries to be at his third Olympics in 2028. But the bracket in Budapest will be a testing one as Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE), Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA), Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI), Boris MAKOEV (SVK) and Osman GOCEN (TUR) are some of the big names.

Savadkouhi is leading a small Iran team that made it to Budapest. While he will be at 86kg, Abbas EBRAHIMZADEH (IRI) and Sina KHALILI (IRI) are entered at 70kg. Fariborz BABAEI (IRI) will be at 79kg for Iran.

Khalili and Ebrahimzadeh are potentially trying to be on the Iran team for Zagreb. A win in Budapest will at least guarantee the winner a domestic playoff of chance if Iran decides that way.

But a gold medal won't be easy. European medalist Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM), Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE), world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) and world silver medalist Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) are all going for gold.

Aoyagi, who will be Japan's representative in Zagreb as well, will be the favorite given his crafty style and technique. Muszukajev has not looked the same as he did while winning the 2023 world gold in Belgrade.

For Babaei at 79kg, the challenge will come from Asian medalist Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN), European silver medalist Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA), world silver medalist Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO), European Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE), former world U20 silver Ryunosuke KAMIYA (JPN).

Kougiomtsidis is competing for the first time since the Paris Games in which he lost in first round. But at 79kg, Kougiomtsidis can be a real threat for his opponent.

Gamkrelidze, a force at 79kg, is dropping from 86kg after an unsuccessful attempt to qualify for Paris and even at April's European Championships. Kamiya won the Meiji Cup recently and will be Japan's representative at 79kg in Zagreb.

In one of the highly contested weight classes, 74kg can see a few surprises. Azerbaijan is sending Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) and Magomed KHANIEV (AZE), undoubtedly its best talents at this weight class.

Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN), the world U23 champion, and returning after injury will be keen on proving himself at the senior level. Asian silver medalist Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ), European bronze Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) and United States' star David CARR (USA) are also in the field.

Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO), Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN) and JAIDEEP (IND) will hope to finish on the podium at 74kg.

At 92kg also, Azerbaijan has Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) and Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), perhaps in a bid to finalize their selection for Zagreb. 

But it will be European champion Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) who will be the favorite to win the gold medal in Budapest. World silver medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) needs to find his confidence back before World Championships, and medal in Budapest will do exactly that.

The 57kg weight class has world U20 champion Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) who will be at his first Ranking Series and it will be big test for him. He has the likes of Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE), Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO), Luka GVINJILIA (GEO), Aryan TSIUTRYN (UWW), RAHUL (IND) and Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) who have senior level experience.

A gold medal in Budapest can give a big boost to Lilledahl as he tries to make the senior team in the U.S. in the coming years. He lost to Spencer LEE (USA) in the domestic playoffs for World Championships.

Asian champion Takara SUDA (JPN), who won in Tirana, will be at 61kg and so will be his opponent UDIT (IND), who lost to Suda in the final in Amman.

Add to the mix Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) and Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR), who recently won the Yasar Dogu. Incidentally, he also beat Udit in the final in Turkiye. Former world silver medalist Seth GROSS (USA) has also entered at 61kg. 

Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Islam DUDAEV (ALB) missed the European Championships due to an injury but he is returning to international competition. He may face stiff challenge from Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA), SUJEET (IND) and Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK).

European champion at 125kg Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) has a chance to earn more ranking points before the World Championships with a gold medal in Budapest. 

While he starts as the favorite, he is likely to face Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO) who lost to him in the final seconds of the European final to finish with silver. The Georgian will be keen to avenge that loss. Matcharashvili, European champion at 97kg, will also be at 125kg perhaps to not reduce weight before the World Championships.

European U23 champions Georgi IVANOV (BUL) and Alen KHUBULOV (BUL, , Vlagyiszlav BAJCAJEV (HUN) and Robert BARAN (POL) are also contenders to finish on the podium.