#WrestleMonterrey

Orta claims 4th Pan-Am title; U.S. wins five Greco golds

Friday, May 9, 2025 - 09:05 By Vinay Siwach

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MONTERREY, Mexico (May 8) -- Olympic and world champion Luis ORTA (CUB) captured his fourth Pan-American Championships title and the United States won five of the eight Greco-Roman gold medals on offer on day one of the Pan-American Championships which got underway in Monterrey, Mexico on Thursday.

Orta, returning to competition for the first time since winning the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in August 2024, outscored his opponents 26-0 in three bouts.

In the final, he faced Nestor ALMANZA TRUYOL (CHI) and posted an 8-0 technical superiority win to capture the gold medal. He began with a stepout before Almanza Truyol was called passive and put in par terre. However, Orta failed to score from par terre and only added a stepout later to lead 3-0 at the break.

The second period saw more stepouts as Almanza Truyol failed to position his hands for any attack. Orta scored two stepouts and Almanza Truyol was cautioned for one point for fleeing to make it 6-0 for Orta, who later added two more stepouts for the win.

Cuba won its second gold medal at 130kg as Oscar PINO (CUB) defeated Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA) 3-1 in the final with a easy takedown in the final minute of the match. Schultz got the first par terre but he failed to score any points. Pino got the 1-1 criteria lead when he was given the par terre position in the second period. Pino also failed to score any points but he later scored a takedown towin 3-1.

Kamal BEY (USA)Kamal BEY (USA) works on a takedown against Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARG) in the 77kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Osvaldo Aguilar)

The U.S. won five gold medal, including Kamal BEY (USA) winning the gold medal at 77kg after defeating Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARG), 11-7, in the final.

Bey, who has one Pan-Am gold earlier in his career, began the final with a takedown and then lifted Julfalakyan for a suplex for four points to lead 6-0. A lost challenge from Julfalakyan made it 7-0 for Bey.

As Bey tried scoring one more point for a win, Julfalakyan was cautious. Bey went for the stepout to get the point but Julfalakyan threw his hands off him and scored a takedown before a turn gave him two more points as he cut Bey's lead to 7-4.

After the break, Julfalakyan was awarded the par terre position and he scored a turn via gut-wrench to make it 7-7 but Bey led on criteria for his four-pointer.

Bey got a takedown when Julfalakyan was defending a headpinch attempt but Bey jumped over for two points. Julfalakyan tried a duckunder to score but Bey countered it and scored two more points.

The 38-year-old Julfalakyan was celebrating his birthday on Thursday and may have wrestled for the final time in his career. Julfalakyan has a silver medal from 2012 London Olympics and gold medal at the World Championships in 2014, for Armenia.

World U23 silver medalist Beka MELELASHVILI (USA) won the gold medal at 82kg after he won both his matches in the round-robin competition. He defeated Diego MACIAS TORRES (MEX), 6-1, after he had blanked David CHOC HUOC (GUA) 8-0.

Payton JACOBSON (USA)Gold medalist Payton JACOBSON (USA), center, with silver medalist Luis AVENDANO (VEN), left, and bronze medalist Jose VARGAS (MEX). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Osvaldo Aguilar)

Paris Olympian Payton JACOBSON (USA) won the 87kg gold medal with a convincing 6-0 win over Luis AVENDANO ROJAS (VEN) in the final match.

In a seven-wrestler Nelson bracket, Jacobson and Avendano Rojas were in the same group and the latter beat Jacobson 7-5 in the first bout. Both made it to the final as they wrestler the top two finishers of the other group.

Avendano Rojas, however, failed to repeat his performance of the group stages. Jacobson was awarded the par terre and he scored two turns from the position to lead 5-0 in the first period. Avendano Rojas would have hoped for a par terre position in the second period but Jacobson began with a stepout and kept the action going to but be hit with passivity.

Jacobson's aggressive style and Avendano Rojas' dwindling conditioning gave him an advantage and he defended his 6-0 for the gold medal.

Maxwell BLACK (USA)Maxwell BLACK (USA) won the gold medal at 60kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Osvaldo Aguilar)

At 60kg, Maxwell BLACK (USA) emerged victorious as he negated a young field and defeated Alexis RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ (MEX), 9-0, in the final. He scored two turns from par terre and a beautiful suplex for four points to complete the victory.

Former world U17 champion Jayden RANEY (USA) won the fifth gold for the U.S. as he defeated Isaac MARIN MATA (MEX), 10-1, in the 55kg final. Only two wrestlers were entered in the weight class.

Greco highlight for Ecuador 

Ecuador has won three Greco-Roman gold medals in Pan-American Championships history and all three won by Andres ARROYO (ECU). On Thursday, Jeremy PERALTA GONZALEZ (ECU) became the second wrestler from Ecuador to win a Greco-Roman gold medal at the Pan-Am Championships after he defeated Ellis COLEMAN (USA), 12-4, in the 63kg final.

Incidentally, Arroyo's last two gold medals also came at 63kg [in 2019 and 2021].

Jeremy PERALTA GONZALEZ (ECU)Jeremy PERALTA GONZALEZ (ECU) completes a reverse lift on Ellis COLEMAN (USA) in the 63kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Osvaldo Aguilar)

In an action-packed final, Peralta Gonzalez and Coleman exchanged four-pointers but it was the former's two back-to-back throws that gave him the technical superiority win.

Peralta began with a stepout and then blocked Coleman's attempted throw for a 3-0 lead. In one of the scrambles, Coleman locked Peralta from behind and threw him on the mat for four points and led 4-3.

When Peralta got the par terre position in the second period, he launched two reverse body lifts for four points each and left the crowd in complete awe. He left with the gold medal.

Photo

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Jayden RANEY (USA) df. Isaac MARIN MATA (MEX), 10-1

60kg
GOLD: Maxwell BLACK (USA) df. Alexis RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ (MEX), 9-0

BRONZE: Yonaiker MARTINEZ (VEN) df. Pedro DE SOUZA (BRA), 5-1

63kg
GOLD: Jeremy PERALTA GONZALEZ (ECU) df. Ellis COLEMAN (USA), 12-4

BRONZE: Hector SANCHEZ (MEX) df. Matias MUNOZ (CHI), 2-0

67kg
GOLD: Luis ORTA (CUB) df. Nestor ALMANZA TRUYOL (CHI), 8-0

BRONZE: Neiser MARIMON (VEN) df. Andres MONTANO ARROYO (ECU), 3-0
BRONZE: Marco FERNANDEZ (PER) df. Osvaldo YANEZ (MEX), 7-1

77kg
GOLD: Kamal BEY (USA) df. Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARG), 11-7

BRONZE: Leomar CORDERO DEPOOL (VEN) df. Oscar BARRIOS (HON), 2-0
BRONZE: Calebe CORREA (BRA) df. Ryan CUBAS CASTILLO (PER), 11-3

82kg
GOLD: Beka MELELASHVILI (USA)
SILVER: Diego MACIAS TORRES (MEX) 
BRONZE: David CHOC HUOC (GUA)

87kg
GOLD: Payton JACOBSON (USA) df. Luis AVENDANO ROJAS (VEN), 6-0

BRONZE: Jose VARGAS RUEDA (MEX) df. Ariel ALFONSO RODRIGUEZ (HON), 2-1

130kg
GOLD: Oscar PINO (CUB) df. Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA), 3-1

BRONZE: Gino AVILA DILBERT (HON) df. Leonidas MANZABA (ECU), 9-0
BRONZE: Moises PEREZ (VEN) df. Eduard SOGHOMONYAN (BRA), 6-0

#WrestleSamokov

Iliasov levels up to win 130kg gold; Iran Greco champ again

Sunday, August 24, 2025 - 19:38 By Vinay Siwach

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SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (August 24) -- Ali ILIASOV (UWW) made his international wrestling debut at the European U20 Championships in July and won a silver medal. Two months later, the 18-year-old is a world champion.

Wrestling at his career first World U20 Championships on Sunday, Iliasov emerged at the champion in the 130kg weight with victories over rivals more experienced and heavier, literally, than him.

Weighing only 115kg for the 130kg final, Iliasov defeated returning silver medalist Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI) in the semifinals and on Sunday, he managed to humble two-time world U17 champion Yusuf BAKIR (TUR) in the final and win the gold medal.

"I’m underweight for the class but I feel a kind of relief," Iliasov said. "I’ve fulfilled a small dream of mine. I still haven’t fully realized that I’ve become a world champion."

Overall, Iran became the team champions with 117 points. Armenia managed second-place finish with 98 points and Azerbaijan was third with 90 points. This was Iran's fourth straight team win in Greco at the World U20 Championships.

Ali ILIASOV (UWW)Ali ILIASOV (UWW) turns Yusuf BAKIR (TUR) for two points during the 130kg final at the World U20 Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Iliasov was only 10 seconds into the final against Bakir when he used an arm-drag and had Bakir in trouble. Bakir managed to stop the takedown but he stepped out and was cautioned for fleeing as well. Iliasov led 2-0 after this sequence.

A similar arm drag brought down Bakir to the mat and Iliasov scored his first takedown. A stepout made the score 5-0. Iliasov remained relesntless in his attacks and a snapdown helped him score another takedown on Bakir. He then turned Bakir for the match-winning gut-wrench.

"I managed to beat my opponent so decisively was because I was extremely confident in myself, even more confident than he was," he said.

While he blanked Bakir in the final, Iliasov did have his share of close bout in Samokov. In his opening bout, Iliasov had a close 7-6 victory over Viachaslau FEDARYNA (UWW). He scored a technical superiority win over Leonhard JUNGER (AUT) in the second match before facing Fathitanzangi in the semifinals.

"I would say I was warming up, a little nervous [in the first bout]," he said. "After that first match I completely opened up."

In the semifinals, Iliasov led 3-0 when Fathitanzangi went for a pushout. Iliasov tried to stop it by throwing Fathitanzangi but he landed on his back and the Iranian wrestler was given two points.

As Fathitanzangi was awarded par terre position in the second period, he also got the 3-3 criteria lead over Iliasov. The Iranian tried defending his lead for the win but Iliasov managed to circle around and bring him down for two points. Fathitanzangi pulled one back with a stepout but that was all as Iliasov entered the gold-medal bout with a 5-4 win.

"My performance can be rated 9 out of 10," he said. "Because in the semifinal I strayed a bit from my tactics, lost focus, and almost gave away points."

With experience from this World U20 Championships, Iliasov now wants to switch to senior level as early as next year.

"I’ll try at the senior level," he said. "Of course, that’s another level, wrestler with much more experience. But I’ll do my best to test myself."

Georgia double

Georgia earned two gold medals on the final day of the World U20 Championships, a feat the country has not achieved since 2016.

Anri PUTKARADZE (GEO) and Luka KOCHALIDZE (GEO) came out with dominant performances in the 77kg and 87kg finals respectively to bring home two golds for Georgia.

Anri PUTKARADZE (GEO)Anri PUTKARADZE (GEO) hits a counter attack against Ahoura BOUVEIRI (IRI) during the 77kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At 77kg, Putkaradze was up against Ahoura BOUVEIRI (IRI) in the final and got the par terre position. He managed to turn Bouveiri two times for a 5-0 lead. In the second period Bouveiri had the chance to turn it around when he the top position in par terre.

Things, however, did not go that way. As Bouveiri was trying lift Putkaradze, the Georgian countered with a bodylock and then slammed him for two-point takedown. He then turned the Iranian for two more points and won the gold medal, 9-1. Iran challenged for a foul but there was none and one more point was added to his score to make it 10-1.

Luka KOCHALIDZE (GEO)Luka KOCHALIDZE (GEO) celebrates with his coach after winning the 87kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The second gold came from Kochalidze as he pinned Abdurakhman ABDULKADYROV (UWW) in the 87kg final. In a rematch of the European U20 Championships final at 87kg, Abdulkadyrov was hoping to avenge his loss from Carole, Italy.

He was given the par terre advantage in the first period and he tried turning Kochalidze, who blocked the turn but lost his grip as well and the turns were called neutral. As Abdulkadyrov was back on top, he again tried to turn Kochalidze who managed stop Abdulkadyrov and kept him on the mat till the fall was called.

Georgia was the only country to win two gold medals in this competition in Greco-Roman.

At 63kg, senior Asian champion Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) proved why he will be medal threat in Zagreb with a dominant run to gold-medal. He defeated Aleks MARGARYAN (ARM), 12-2, with two big four-point throws.

Khalmakhanov began with a underhook throw for a takedown in the first 20 seconds. He tried the same move again but Margaryan blocked and scored a takedown for a 2-2 criteria lead. Late in the first period, Khalmakhanov was awarded the par terre position for one point but he failed to score and led 3-2 at the break.

If Margaryan hoped for a better second period, Khalmakhanov had no such idea. He slammed Margaryan from standing using the underhook for four points. He continued the sequence and lifted Margaryan and slammed him forward for four more points.

The two big throws for Khalmakhanov were enough for him for the win despite a challenge from Armenia. The lost challenged made his score 12-2.

RESULTS

63kg
GOLD: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) df. Aleks MARGARYAN (ARM), 12-2

BRONZE: Mohammad ABOUTALEBI (IRI) df. Kristiyan MILENKOV (BUL), 9-0
BRONZE: Igor PUNCHENKO (UWW) df. Damir IBRASHOV (KAZ), 5-1

77kg
GOLD: Anri PUTKARADZE (GEO) df. Ahoura BOUVEIRI (IRI), 10-1

BRONZE: Zaur BESLEKOEV (UWW) df. Raatbek PAIAZBEKOV (KGZ), 8-0
BRONZE: Kiryl VALEUSKI (UWW) df. Leister BOWLING (USA), 9-0

87kg
GOLD: Luka KOCHALIDZE (GEO) df. Abdurakhman ABDULKADYROV (UWW), via fall

BRONZE: Erik TER MATEVOSYAN ( ARM) df. Elias LYYSKI (FIN), 1-1
BRONZE: Temirlan TURDAKYN (KAZ) df. Orkhan HAJIYEV (AZE), 4-4

130kg
GOLD: Ali ILIASOV (UWW) df. Yusuf BAKIR (TUR), 9-0

BRONZE: Ivan YANKOVSKYI (UKR) df. Mazaim MARDANOV (AZE), 8-0
BRONZE: Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI) df. Viachaslau FEDARYNA (UWW), 5-1