Ranking Series

Rome, Warsaw Tapped to Host 2020 Ranking Series Events

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (October 10) – United World Wrestling has announced Rome and Warsaw as hosts of the 2020 Ranking Series. Both events will include all three wrestling styles: freestyle, women’s wrestling, and Greco-Roman and will influence seeding for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Rome will host its competition January 15-18, while Warsaw will welcome wrestlers June 4-7 – one month after the final Olympic qualification tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria.

“We are pleased to announce our host cities for the 2020 Ranking Series,” said United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic. “There was outstanding participation at the 2019 events, which helped create excitement around our wrestlers and the World Championships in Nur-Sultan. We thank the local organizing committees in Rome and Warsaw for hosting these events.”

The 2020 Ranking Series will influence the top four seeds at the Tokyo Olympic Games, which will mark the first-time wrestling has used the Ranking Series to seed at the Olympics. With weight classes limited to 16 entries per weight, 25-percent of each category will be seeded, ensuring fans will enjoy several premier matchups in the semifinals and finals.

Ranking Series points are collected from finishes from the World Championships, Continental Championships, and Ranking Series events. Current rankings are posted on the United World Wrestling homepage and are updated after each relevant tournament.

The remaining Olympic qualification tournaments will also utilize seeding for the top two positions, drawing from the 2019 World Championships, first Ranking Series event, and the Continental championships.

Currently all NOC’s who earned Olympic qualification at the 2019 World Championships have confirmed their nation’s participation at the 2020 Olympic Games.

Wrestling at Tokyo 2020 will run from August 2-8 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba.

#WrestleSofia

U20 World Championships Day 1 semis set

By Vinay Siwach

SOFIA, Bulgaria (August 15) -- The U20 World Championships return to Bulgaria with the Arena Armeec Sports Hall hosting it in Sofia. The tournament begins with freestyle and five weight classes will be in action. Wrestlers from 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg and 97kg will be on the mat.

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE

14:00: Here are the semifinals for the evening session

57kg
Heorhii KAZANZHY (UKR) vs. Merey BAZARBAYEV (KAZ)
Jore VOLK (USA) vs. Luka GVINJILIA (GEO)

65kg
Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) vs. SUJEET (IND)
Robert CORNELLA (USA) vs. Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)

70kg
Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) vs. Mulaym YADAV (IND)
Hayk PAPIKYAN (ARM) vs. Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA)

79kg
Mukhammad ABDULLAEV (KGZ) vs. Mushegh MKRTCHYAN (ARM)
Otari ADEISHVILI (GEO) vs. Sobhan Hooshang YARI (IRI)

97kg
Rifat GIDAK (TUR) vs. Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI)
Luka KHUTCHUA (GEO) vs. Benjamin KUETER (USA) 

13:40:  Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) with another come-from-behind win for the USA. He trailed Hossein AGHAEI (IRI) in the 70kg quarterfinal but completely broke the Iranian and won the bout 9-7. He will now wrestle Hayk PAPIKYAN (ARM) in the semifinals as Papikyan beat Harun SOYLER (TUR) 8-2

13:30: Jore VOLK (USA) continues his winning run and has reached the semifinal at 57kg with an 8-2 win over Azizbek NAIMOV (UZB). In the other quarterfinals, U20 Asian champion Merey BAZARBAYEV (KAZ) scores a late takedown and lace to beat Abhishek DHAKA (IND), 5-1 

13:16: Mohammad Reza SHAKERI (IRI) was leading 5-2 with 15 seconds left when Robert CORNELLA (USA) hits a four-pointer and lead 6-5 and wins the quarterfinal at 65kg. The USA team likes it. Huge win for Cornella who will now face U17 world champion Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB).

In the other semifinal, U20 Asian champion SUJEET (IND) beats 11-0 Ayub MUSAEV (BEL). He sets up the semifinal against returning silver Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) 

13:10: Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) looks strong at 97kg. He wins via technical superiority over Zelimkhan MUSSIKHANOV (KAZ). Benjamin KUETER (USA) beats NIRAJ (IND) 8-1 to enter the semifinals as well

12:57: At 79kg, Sobhan YARI (IRI) controls most of the bout against Braydew THOMPSON (USA) and wins 6-1. He will wrestle Bekir OVEC (TUR) in the quarterfinal as the Turkey wrestler beat Johannes HATTINGH (RSA) 10-0

12:53: We have another quarterfinalist at 57kg as Abhishek DHAKA (IND) beats Seyfulla ITAEV (FRA) 11-3. On Mat A, Tolga OZBEK (TUR) pins Harutyun HOVHANNISYAN (ARM) to move on as well

12:40: Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) and Jore VOLK (USA) wrestling for a spot in the 57kg quarterinal. Volf with exposure and he gets two points. Javan with a reversal and roll to lead 3-2 but Volk also gets a reversal. In the second period, Volk takes the lead 5-3 but Javan scores a takedown with 36 seconds left. He tries to defend the criteria lead but Volk has a sequence where he got Javan's one knee on the mat. He wins 7-7

12:03: Seyfulla ITAEV (FRA) giving France a good start at 57kg. He rolls over Ivaylo TISOV (BUL) 10-0 and into the pre-quarterfinals.

11:45: A top bout at 57kg on Mat C. Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) wrestling U20 European champion Simone PIRODDU (ITA). Piroddu is called passive and Javan scores a takedown in the activity period to lead 3-0 at the break. Another takedown in the second period as Javan wins 5-0 

11:35: Here are the results from the qualification round of 65kg

Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) df. Abderrahmane BENAISSA (ALG), via fall
Robert CORNELLA (USA) df. Olzhas OLZHAKANOV (KAZ), 8-0
Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) df. Myrza ZHYRGALBEK UULU (KGZ), 10-2
SUJEET (IND) df. Jonnathan PEREZ (GUA), via fall 

11:14: A solid start for the USA. Benjamin KUETER (USA) with a technical superiority win over Dmitrii DUSCOV (MDA). That bout is followed by U20 Asian champion Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) beating Toyoki HAMADA (JPN) 11-0. He will face NIRAJ (IND) who got past Joobin PARK (KOR) 11-0

11:00: Welcome to the first morning of the U20 World Championships in Sofia. Some young stars in action with Iran, the USA, India, Azerbaijan bringing strong teams to the competition