#WrestleYakutsk

Potential Russia and Iran World Cup Final Looming

Saturday, March 16, 2019 - 14:30 By Eric Olanowski

Share this article

YAKUTSK, Russia (March 16) – The Russian Federation went 17-3 in their 20 individual bouts and won their pair of Group A matches on the opening day of wrestling at the 2019 Freestyle World Cup in Yakutsk, Russia. The host nation is expected to take on Iran, who went 2-0 in Group B action, in Saturday night’s first-place match. 

In Group A, Russia opened up with a 9-1 routing of Cuba, then defeated Japan, 8-2. 

In their dual against their Cuban opponents, Aryian TIUTRIN (RUS) kicked things off (at 57kg) for Russia by upsetting U23 world champion Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA, 8-3, giving Russia the 1-0 lead. Reigning 61kg world champion Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) put Cuba on the board with a 5-5 win over Zelimkhan ABAKAROV(RUS), which tied the dual at one match apiece. But Russia never looked back and went on an eight-match win streak, ultimately taking the match, 9-1. 

In their second match, the Russians beat a Japanese squad who was without 2018 world champion Takuto OTOGURO, 8-2. The reigning world runner-ups trailed 2-0 after Japan's 2017 world champion Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) and Yudai FUJITA (JPN) scored back-to-back wins at 57kg and 61kg but rattled off eight straight wins for the second time on Day One and picked up the 8-2 victory. 

Though they both lost to Russia, Cuba and Japan both scooped up wins against Turkey and head into the final group-stage matchup with 1-1 records. They’ll wrestle each other on Saturday morning (at 11:00) for the second place spot in Group A, with the winner heading to the third-place bout. 

Japan, in their match with Turkey,  won eight of ten matches, including a win via fall for Sohsuke TAKATANI over current world No. 1 and 2018 world runner-up Fatih ERDIN (TUR) at 86kg. The two were in a scramble when Takatani caught Erdin on his back and flattened him for the fall. Erdin later injury defaulted out of his second match. 

Cuba also picked up a win over Turkey. The final score of that match was 6-4. 

They did so on the backs of four consecutive Cuban wins after Turkey's Nazim KARA and Abdulkadir OZMEN broke the matches 2-2 tie and handed Turkey the commanding 4-2 advantage with four matches left. The Cuban quartet of Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA, Lazaro HERNANDEZ LUIS, Reineris SALAS PEREZ, and Oscar PINO HINDS picked up wins and closed out the dual on a four-match win streak, helping Cuba grab the 6-4 team victory. 

Group B

In Group B action, Iran is the favorite to meet the Russian Federation for the gold medal after their undefeated 2-0 record after the first day of wrestling. They started the day off with a 9-1 thumping of Mongolia before upending the defending champion, the United States, 5-5 on classification points. 

For Iran to meet the Russian Federation for the Freestyle World Cup title, they'll have to avoid a loss to a Georgia team that has lost both of their opening day matches.

The United States and Mongolia went 1-1 on the day and will wrestle Sunday afternoon (at 12:15) to determine Group B’s second-place finisher. That match will determine who wrestles the winner of Cuba and Japan in tomorrows bronze-medal match. 

Results

Session One 

Group A

Russia df. Cuba, 9-1 
57kg - Aryian TIUTRIN(RUS) df. Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA(CUB), 8-3 (Russia 1-0)
61kg - Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) df. Zelimkhan ABAKAROV(RUS), 5-5 (Tie) 
65kg - Gadshimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) wins via inj. def. (Russia 2-1) 
70kg - David BAEV(RUS) df. Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB) (10-0) (Russia 3-1) 
74kg - Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) df. Jeandry GARZON CABALLERO (CUB), via fall (Russia 4
1) 
79kg - Husej SUUNCEV (RUS) df. Reinier PEREZ ABREU (CUB), 12-1 (Russia 5-1) 
86kg - Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) df. Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB), 4-0 (6-1) 
92kg - Magomed KURBANOV (RUS) df. Lazaro Daniel HERNANDEZ LUIS (CUB), 9-7 (Russia 7-1)
97kg – Vladislav BAITSAEV (RUS) df. SALAS PEREZ R. (CUB), 4-0 (Russia 8-1) 
125kg - Zelimkhan KHIZRIYEV (RUS) df. Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB), 10-0 (Russia 9-1) 

Japan df. Turkey, 8-2 
57kg - Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) df. Ali KARABOGA (TUR), 11-2 (Japan 1-0) 
61kg - Yudai FUJITA (JPN) df. Munir Recep AKTAS (TUR), 5-1 (Japan 2-0) 
65kg - Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) wins via inj. def.  (Japan 3-0) 
70kg - Serhat ARSLAN (TUR) df. Kojiro SHIGA (JPN), 7-2 (Japan 3-1) 
74kg – Yuto MIWA (JPN) df N. KARA (TUR), 4-3 (Japan 4-1) 
70kg - Yuta ABE (JPN) df. Abdulkadir OZMEN (TUR), 3-0 (Japan 5-1)
86kg - Sohsuke TAKATANI (JPN) df Fatih ERDIN (TUR), via fall (Japan 6-1) 
92kg - Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN) df Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR), 2-1 (Japan 7-1) 
97kg - Naoya AKAGUMA (JPN) df. Ali BONCEOGLU (TUR), 6-3 (Japan 8-1) 
125kg - Abdullah OMAC (TUR) df. Nobuyoshi ARAKIDA, 3-0 (Japan 8-2) 

Group B 

USA df. Georgia 7-3 

57kg - Lasha LOMTADZE  (GEO) df. Zach SANDERS Z. (USA), 3-1 (Georgia 1-0) 
61kg - Nicholas MEGALUDIS (USA) df. Tornike KATAMADZE (GEO), 10-0 (Tied) 
65kg - Zain RETHERFORD (USA) df Amiran VAKHTANGASHVILI (GEO), 9-2 (USA 2-1) 
70kg - Jason CHAMBERLAIN (USA) df. Mirza SKHULUKHIA (GEO), 10-0 (USA 3-1)
74kg - Isaiah MARTINEZ (USA) df. Zurabi ERBOTSONASHVILI (GEO), 10-6 (USA 4-1) 
79kg - Davit KHUTSISHVILI (GEO) df. Thomas GANTT JR (USA), 11-0 (USA 4-2) 
86kg - Samuel BROOKS (USA) df. Tarzan MAISURADZE (GEO), via fall (USA 5-2) 
92kg - Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO) df. Hayden ZILLMER (USA), 3-0 (USA 5-3) 
97kg - Kyven GADSON (USA) df. Mamuka KORDZAIA (GEO), 2-0 (USA 6-3) 
125kg - Anthony NELSON (USA) df. Rolandi ANDRIADZE (GEO), 6-0 (USA 7-3) 

Iran df. Mongolia, 9-1 
57kg - Alireza SARLAK (IRI) df TUMENBILEG Tuvshintulga (MGL), 3-2  (iran 1-0) 
61kg - ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL) df. Iman SADEGHIKOUKANDEH (IRI), 4-0 (Tied) 
65kg - Morteza GHIASI CHEKA (IRI) df. BATCHULUUN Batmagnai (MGL), 7-3 (Iran 2-1) 
70kg - Meisam NASIRI (IRI) df. GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL), 7-2 (Iran 3-1) 
74kg - Reza AFZALIPAEMAMI (IRI) df. BAT ERDENE Byambadorj (MGL), 7-0 (Iran 4-1 )
79kg - Mojtaba ASGHARI OSMAVANDANI (IRI) df. B. BYAMBASUREN (MGL), 11-0 (Iran 5-1) 
86kg - Mersad MARGHZARI (IRI) df. ORGODOLUitumen (MGL), 5-3 (Iran 5-1)
92kg - Mohammadjavad EBRAHIMIZIVLAEI (IRI) df. BAASANTSOGT Ulziisaikhan. (MGL), 10-0  (Iran 7-1)
97kg -  Alireza GOODARZI (IRI) df. LUVSANDORJ Turtogtokh (MGL), 10-0 (Iran 8-1)
125kg -Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) df. DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL), via fall. (iran 9-1) 

Session Two 
Group A

Russia df. Japan 8-2 
57kg - Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) df. Muslim SADULAEV (RUS) , 2-1 (Japan 1-0) 
61kg - Yudai FUJITA (JPN) df. Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (RUS), 2-2 (Japan 2-0) 
65kg - Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) df. Daichi TAKATANI (JPN), 11-0 (Japan 2-1) 
70kg - Anzor ZAKUEV (RUS) df. Kojiro SHIGA (JPN), 11-0 (Tied) 
74kg - Timur BIZHOEV (RUS) df. Yuto MIWA (JPN) , 11-0 (Russia 3-2)
79kg - Magomed Eldarovitch RAMAZANOV (RUS) df. Yuta ABE (JPN), 10-0 (Russia 4-2)
86kg - Vladislav VALIEV (RUS) df. Sohsuke TAKATANI (JPN), 6-4 (Russia 5-2)
92kg - Alikhan ZHABRAILOV (RUS) df. Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN) 10-0 (Russia 6-2)
97kg - Vladislav BAITCAEV (RUS) df. Naoya AKAGUMA (JPN), 6-2 (Russia 7-2)
125kg - Pavel KRIVTSOV (RUS) df. Katsutoshi KANAZAWA (JPN), 11-0 (Russia 8-2)

Cuba df. Turkey, 6-4
57kg - Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) df. Ali KARABOGA (TUR), 5-2 (Cuba 1-0) 
61kg - Munir Recep AKTAS (TUR) df. Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB), 7-1(Tied)
65kg - Cengizhan ERDOGAN (TUR) df. AlejandroVALDES TOBIER (CUB), via disq. (Turkey 2-1)
70kg - Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB) df. Serhat ARSLAN (TUR), via fall (Tied)
74kg - Nazim Selami KARA (TUR) df. COLOMBAT RIVERA Cristian Reinier (CUB), 12-2 (Turkey 3-2) 
79kg - Abdulkadir OZMEN (TUR) df. Reinier PEREZ ABREU (CUB), via fall (Turkey 4-2)
86kg - Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB) df. Fatih ERDIN (TUR), via inj. def (Turkey 4-3)
92kg - Lazaro Daniel HERNANDEZ LUIS (CUB) df. Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR), 4-4 (Tied) 
97kg - Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) df. Ali BONCEOGLU (TUR), 11-7 (Cuba 5-4)
125kg -  Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) df. Abdullah OMAC (TUR), 8-1 (Cuba 6-4)

Group B 
Iran df. USA, 5-5 
57kg - Alireza SARLAK (IRI) df. Zachary SANDERS (USA), 4-3 (Iran 1-0)
61kg - Nicholas MEGALUDIS (USA) df. Iman SADEGHIKOUKANDEH (IRI), 12-0 (Tied)
65kg - Zain RETHERFORD (USA) df. Morteza GHIASI CHEKA (IRI), 6-1 (USA 2-1) 
70kg - Meisam NASIRI (IRI) df. Jason CHAMBERLAIN (USA), 3-0 (Tied)
74kg - Isaiah MARTINEZ (USA) df. Reza AFZALIPAEMAMI (IRI), 8-2 (USA 3-2) 
79kg - Thomas GANTT JR (USA) df. Mojtaba ASGHARI OSMAVANDANI (IRI), 11-6 (USA 4-2)
86kg - Mersad MARGHZARI (IRI) df. Samuel BROOKS (USA), via fall (USA 4-3) 
92kg - Hayden ZILLMER (USA) df. Mohammadjavad EBRAHIMIZIVLAEI (IRI), 6-4 (Tied)
97kg - Alireza Mohammad GOODARZI (IRI) df. Kyven Ross GADSON (USA), 4-0 (Iran 5-4) 
125kg - Komeil Nemat GHASEMI (IRI) df. Anthony NELSON (USA), 6-2 (Tied) 

Mongoloa df. Georgia, 5-5 
57kg - Lasha LOMTADZE (GEO) df. TUMENBILEG Tuvshintulga (MGL), 8-8 (Georgia 1-0) 
61kg - GANSUKH Otgonbaatar (MGL) df. Tornike KATAMADZE (GEO), 10-0 (Tied) 
65kg - BATCHULUUN Batmagnai (MGL) df. Amiran VAKHTANGASHVILI (GEO), 9-2 (Mongolia 2-1) 
70kg - ENKHBAYAR Byambadorj (MGL) df. Mirza SKHULUKHIA (GEO), 16-5 (Mongolia 3-1) 
74kg - Zurabi ERBOTSONASHVILI (GEO) df. BAT ERDENE Byambadorj (MGL), 6-4 (Mongolia 3-2) 
79kg - Davit KHUTSISHVILI (GEO) df. BYAMBASUREN Bat-Erdene (MGL), 6-2 (Tied)
86kg - ORGODOL Uitumen (MGL) df. Tarzan MAISURADZE (GEO), 4-3 (Mongolia 4-3) 
92kg - Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO) df. BAASANTSOGT Ulziisaikhan (MGL), 11-0 (Tied)
97kg - Mamuka KORDZAIA (GEO) df. ULZIISAIKHAN Batzul (MGL), 3-1 (Georga 5-4) 
125kg - MUNKHTUR Lkhagvagerel (MGL) df. Rolandi ANDRIADZE (GEO), 1-1 (Mongolia 5-5) 

#WrestleBucharest

Sadulaev back, Freestyle stars assemble for European Championships

Monday, February 5, 2024 - 08:17 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

BUCHAREST, Romania (February 2) -- Four months after a neck surgery and four years since his last European Championships, Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) will return to the mat, hoping to win his sixth European title.

In September, Sadulaev pulled out of his semifinal against eventual champion Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) and underwent surgery. This will be his first international competition as he won the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in the last week of January. 

The European Championships will kick off on February 12 in Bucharest, making the countries participating in the tournament eligible to participate in the European Olympic Qualifier in Baku. The tournament will be available on UWW+ on uww.org and the UWW app.

Apart from Sadulaev, Tokyo Olympic champion  Zavur UGUEV (AIN), world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), world champion Akhmed USMANOV (AIN) and arch-rivals Taha AKGUL (TUR) and Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) will be in action.

Sadulaev, who is yet to qualify for the Paris Olympics, will be checked by world silver medalist in Belgrade Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE), bronze medalist Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO), Vlagyiszlav BAJCAJEV (HUN) and former world silver medalist Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK).

Soon after winning the Yarygin tournament, Sadulaev posted on his Instagram that "he is back on track." A fully fit Sadulaev is expected in Bucharest which will mean that his opponents will have a tough time.

Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE)Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) is the defending champion at 86kg. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Among other Olympic weight classes, 86kg defending champion Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) will be returning since his injury in the Ranking Series in Budapest last year. In all likelihood, he is set to face Tokyo bronze medalist Artur NAIFONOV (AIN) as the two revive their rivalry. The two used to dominate the national scene in Russia.

Another transfer and winner of the season-opening Zagreb Open Ranking Series, Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL) will also be in action, making it a tough bracket. Ramazanov will be keen on continuing his good form and challenging the established stars at 86kg in Europe.

World bronze medalist Myles AMINE (SMR) is entered and making it to his third straight final at the European Championships will be his top priority. U20 world champion Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA), 79kg world silver medalist Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) and Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR) are also in the bracket.

Taha AKGUL (TUR)Taha AKGUL (TUR) and Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) are expexted to meet in the 125kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Akgul and Petriashvili, ranking second and fourth in the world, can only meet in the final, setting up another gold-medal bout if both make it to the final.

The two have long dominated the weight classes with the former winning it 10 times since 2012 and Petriasvili winning it twice with the last coming in 2020. Akgul defeated Petriashvili in the final in Zagreb last year.

At the Ranking Series in Zagreb, Petriashvili pulled out of his bout against world champion Amirhossein ZARE (IRI) citing injury. It will be interesting to see if he will return fully fit.

At 57kg, Zavur UGUEV (AIN) will look to put behind the disappointment of finishing without a medal at the World Championships and return to winning ways. Uguev has a lot to fight for as a win in Bucharest will make him the favorite for the gold medal in Paris as well if he goes to the Olympics.

But world bronze medalist Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) will look to win the European title at 57kg as well. The 61kg champion last year has moved down to the Olympic weight and possesses the skills to upset any star wrestler. At the World Championships, he dropped a 16-13 semifinal against Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) before winning a bronze medal.

With many wrestlers deciding not to go through the rigorous process of reducing their weight, the 65kg weight class will see world bronze medalists Shamil MAMEDOV (AIN) and Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) as the top stars.

The two will be drawn on the same side of the bracket given Tevanyan is ranked third in the world and Mammedov is fifth. Mikyay NAIM (BUL) and Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR) will also be in the fray to reach the final.

Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN)65kg world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) will be at 70kg in Bucharest. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

The 65kg world champion Muszukajev has moved up to 70kg and will be the favorite to win the gold medal. A definite crowd-puller, Muszukajev will once again be tested for his conditioning. But if his performance at the World Championships is anything to go by, Muszukajev should put on a show of explosive wrestling.

U23 world champions Inalbek SHERIEV (AIN) and Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) will look to upset the world champ if they meet in the bracket. At the U23 World Championships, Sheriev defeated Heybatov 13-3 and the Azerbaijan wrestler will be keen on avenging that loss as well.

At 74kg, three-time champion Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) will start as the favorite but will be tested by Timur BIZHOEV (AIN), a former world bronze medalist. The field also includes Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) and veteran Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR).

Akhmed USMANOV (AIN)World champion Akhmed USMANOV (AIN) will be up against a strong field at 79kg. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Most of the regular stars of 74kg have moved up to 79kg, a weight class which will be a tightly-contested category. Multiple world and Olympic medalists are entered in the weight class for the Bucharest tournament. World champion Akhmed USMANOV (AIN), Tokyo silver medalist at 74kg Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (AIN), former world medalist Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO), young star and defending champion Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE), multiple-time world medalist Frank CHAMIZO (ITA), veteran Hetik CABOLOV (SRB), Iakub SHIKHDZHAMALOV (ROU) and Ramazan SARI (TUR) are a few names who will be vying for the European title.

A face-off between Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (AIN) and Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB) is expected at 61kg. MAgomedov lost the 61kg final at the World Championships while Abakarov finished with a bronze medal at 57kg after suffering a loss to Stevan MICIC (SRB). Micic was registered for the European Championships but pulled out.

Boris MAKOEV (SVK) is moving up to 92kg for the European Championships but the weight class already has a few hammers. Magomed KURBANOV (AIN) will have a chance to win the title but world silver medalist Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), bronze medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) and former European champion Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR) are also in the mix.