In Rome, mini battles highlight Greco-Roman field

Saturday, June 18, 2022 - 11:07 By Vinay Siwach

ROME, Italy (June 18) -- Out of the seven Greco-Roman weight categories in which Azerbaijan wrestlers are entered for the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series event, all but two would see the country's wrestler receive a seed at the World Championships.

Azerbaijan is bringing a strong squad to the Ranking Series event, looking to select their team for the Islamic Games in August and later for the World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

For that reason, Murad MAMMADOV (AZE), Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) and Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) are all entered at 60kg weight class in Rome. But for the World Championships, they will be returning to their original weight classes. World silver medalist Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) and world champion Rafiq HUSEYNOV (AZE) are the only two wrestlers who get an automatic selection to the national team.

U23 and U20 world champion Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) will be returning to the mat since winning a bronze medal at the European Championships and will be looking for his first Ranking Series medal at 67kg. But with Erik TORBA (HUN), Morten THORESEN (NOR) and Niklas OEHLEN (SWE) also entered in the same weight class, he will have to do better than the performance in Budapest.

Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) will be eyeing his second Ranking Series medal this year. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Apart from 60kg, an all-Azerbaijan battle will be at 97kg as Arif NIFTULLAYEV (AZE) and Murat LOKIAYEV (AZE) look to earn a spot on the national team. But the weight class some of the top wrestlers entered. Tokyo fifth-place Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) will be eyeing his second Ranking Series medal of the year after winning silver in Istanbul. He also won a silver at the European Championships.

However, the second fifth-placer in Tokyo and World silver medalist Alex SZOKE (HUN) will be the favorite to win the weight class in Rome. Asian champion Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI) will also be put to test against a strong European field. Two other strong medal contenders are Felix BALDAUF (NOR) and Mihail KAJAIA (SRB).

Going back to Istanbul, Beka KANDELAKI (AZE) had stunned Riza KAYAALP (TUR) with a fall at the first Ranking Series and the two can clash again at 130kg in Rome. But Kayaalp has since won the European Championships title and is looking to return to prime form as the World Championships approach.

Oslo bronze medalist Oskar MARVIK (NOR) and former U17 world champion Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA) are also entered.

Islam ABBASOV (AZE) won the gold at the first Ranking Series event in Istanbul. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 87kg, Islam ABBASOV (AZE) has now notched up two straight victories over world champion Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB). His first win came in Istanbul in the final while the second was in the European Championships semifinal. While Datunashvili is not entered for Rome, Abbasov will have to wrestle at the top of his potential if he wants to win the gold.

U23 world champion at 77kg Tamas LEVAI (HUN) will be a strong opponent along with U23 European champion Istvan TAKACS (HUN). Hungary has also entered
Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) in the field at 87kg. Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) is also moving up to 87kg after finishing fifth at the World Championships at 82kg.

60kg world champion Victor CIOBANU (MDA) will once again try to win a gold medal at 63kg after failing to do so at his first two tournaments of the year. He lost in the final to Isomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB) in Istanbul before Etienne KINSINGER (GER) ended his quest for a European title Victor CIOBANU (MDA) with a 3-1 loss in the quarterfinals in Budapest.

Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU) is the top ranked wrestler at 72kg. (Photo: UWW / Tony Rotundo)

Lituania's history maker Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU) will be eyeing revenge against Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) as the Azerbaijan wrestler defeated him in the bronze medal bout at the European Championships. Apart from the two, European silver medalist Krisztian VANCZA (HUN) and gold medalist in Istanbul Selcuk CAN (TUR) will be threats to the gold medal.

At 77kg, U23 world silver medalist Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) will be involved in a battle against compatriot Ali Mohammad GHOLAMI (IRI) for a spot on the Iran national team. A similar battle will be for Hungary as defending champion Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) and European champion Robert FRITSCH (HUN) are entered.

Returning to international competition after a two-year gap, Kamal BEY (USA) will try to win a medal on his return. His last competition in 2020 was also the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series where he finished fifth. But after securing his spot on the USA team for the World Championships, Bey will be eyeing a winning start to the year internationally.

The Matteo Pellicone will begin Wednesday with seven Greco-Roman weight classes. Thursday will the remaining three Greco-Roman weight classes along with four women's wrestling categories. The remaining six along with two freestyle weight categories will be in action Friday before eight freestyle weight categories close out the action Saturday.

Live action and highlights from the Matteo Pellicone can be available on uww.org.

#JapanWrestling

Ozaki denies Onishi in 62kg semis, sets up clash with Motoki

Saturday, December 20, 2025 - 08:01 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (December 20) -- Nonoka OZAKI gave Sakura ONISHI a less-than-cordial welcome to the women’s 62kg weight class.

Ozaki, a two-time former world champion who has hit a wall of late amid Japan’s incredible depth in women’s wrestling, defeated world 59kg champion Onishi 4-1 in the semifinals at 62kg at the Emperor’s Cup All-Japan Championships on Saturday.

That earned Ozaki yet another shot at reigning world and Olympic champion Sakura MOTOKI, who advanced with an 8-2 victory over Yuzuka INAGAKI.

The Olympic weight classes are being contested over two days, and organizers saved a bevy of world and Olympic champions and medalists for the third day of the four-day tournament at Tokyo’s Komazawa Gym.

In other semifinals, a clash of champions from this year’s World Championships in Zagreb was set up at freestyle 74kg, in which reigning champion Kota TAKAHASHI will square off with Yoshinosuke AOYAGI, the victor at 70kg who has moved up to the Olympic division.

Takahashi easily disposed of Toki OGAWA by 11-0 technical fall, while Aoyagi posted a 7-1 victory over Hikaru TAKATA.

Meanwhile, Paris Olympic champions Akari FUJINAMI, Kotaro KIYOOKA and Nao KUSAKA all advanced to their respective finals with varying degrees of ease or difficulty, along with Paris bronze medalist Yui SUSAKI.

Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) Nonoka OZAKI will wrestle Sakura MOTOKI in the 62kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Ozaki had been forced to watch the World Championships from the sidelines after losing out Motoki at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships, which, along with Emperor’s Cup, serves as a domestic qualifier for major international competitions.

The last thing Ozaki needed was another interloper in the weight class, and she determinedly fended off the challenge from the 19-year-old Onishi.

“It was my first time facing her,” Ozaki said. “She’s a young, upcoming wrestler who hasn’t yet experienced the Olympics, just like I had been. But this is not a weight class that can be taken lightly.”

After giving up an activity point, Ozaki scored a late takedown in the first period, then added another in the second to earn a spot in Sunday’s final.

“There are many videos of her out there that I have watched, so I had an image of how she wrestles in mind,” Ozaki said. “I had to think of what form my wrestling should take.”

Asked if she has come up with a strategy to handle Motoki, Ozaki said, “I’ve faced her twice now, and I watched her at the World Championships. There is a ‘Motoki way’ of wrestling, and that’s implanted in my mind.”

Takara SUDA (JPN) Takara SUDA, left, works for a takedown in the first period against Kaisei TANABE during their 65kg semifinal. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Suda spoils Tanabe’s bid for two-style double

The stacked freestyle 65kg division saw the match of the day, in which Takara SUDA spoiled Kaisei TANABE’s bid for a historic Greco-freestyle title double with dramatic last-second takedown in their semifinal.

Suda had taken the lead with a takedown with 1:10 left, only to see Tanabe come back with a takedown of his own with five seconds left. But Suda shot for all he’s
worth and managed to score in time for a 5-4 victory.

“There was still five seconds left and I just kept calm,” Suda said. “I thought if I kept cool, I could score.”

Tanabe had won the Greco 63kg gold on Thursday, and was aiming to become the first to double in two styles at the same tournament since 1973.

“I had lost to him twice before, both by technical fall,” Suda said. “This time I just wanted to avoid losing by technical fall. But those matches were two years ago, and I think I’ve gotten better over these two years.”

Suda’s victory earns him a shot at Paris gold medalist Kiyooka, who managed to hold on for a 3-2 victory over Kaiji OGINO that ended with a wild scramble in
the final 15 seconds.

“He’s an opponent on another level,” Suda said of Kiyooka. “I’ll have to keep moving and give everything I got."

Yui SUSAKI (JPN) Yui SUSAKI throws Mako ONO en route to a technical fall in their 50kg semifinal. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Susaki stormed into the women’s 50kg final with three straight technical falls without surrendering a point, the last one a 10-0 rout of Mako ONO. In the final, she will face world U23 53kg champion Haruna MORIKAWA.

Susaki’s path to a fourth national title and first since 2022 was made slightly easier by the absence of rival Remina YOSHIMOTO and the late withdrawal of
Umi ITO.

Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) Akari FUJINAMI, left, squares off with Sara NATAMI in the 57kg semifinals. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Fujinami, the Paris champion at 53kg, continued her transition to 57kg with solid victories, although with all of her points being scored from her feet, save
for an activity point.

In the semifinal, she built up a 7-0 lead over defending champion Sara NATAMI before her opponent twice countered single-leg attempts to score exposures, leaving Fujinami with a 7-4 victory. She will face Himeka TOKUHARA in the final.

Kusaka was clearly the most dominant of the Olympians on the day, winning his two matches by 11-0 scores -- both topped off with 4-point throws. He will face
Isami HORIKITA in the final.

In Rome, mini battles highlight Greco-Roman field

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Ozaki denies Onishi in 62kg semis, sets up clash with Motoki