#GuatemalaCityWrestle

Rosillo de Cuba Busca su Segundo Oro Panamericano de 2019

By Taylor Miller

Hace dos meses, Gabriel ROSILLO KINDELAN (CUB) ganó el oro en el Campeonato Panamericano de Mayores en 97 kg en grecorromana. Derrotó un luchador experimentado de los Estados Unidos por el título. Y hoy tiene que hacer lo mismo.

Hoy Rosillo está compitiendo en el Campeonato Panamericano Juvenil en la Ciudad de Guatemala, su primera competición de nivel juvenil.

Él sigue ganando en grande, pero hay algo un poco diferente esta vez.

“Hoy me siento bien. No tengo tanta presión porque en Argentina en el Panamericano de Mayores, hubo mucha presión,” dijo Rosillo. “Yo solo tengo 20 años y hoy, no hay ninguna presión.”

Rosillo ha dominado la competencia. De sus cuatro combates hasta el momento, él solo ha luchado menos de 3 minutos en total.

Su victoria más rápida llegó en las semifinales, donde derrotó a Juan CANTILLO TORRES (PAN), 8-0, en 17 segundos.

Por el oro, Rosillo se enfrentará a Braxton AMOS (USA). Ya venció a Amos en la primera sesión de acción, 10-0, en solo 40 segundos, pero se volverán a encontrar esta noche.

Rosillo ya tiene una medalla de oro del Campeonato Panamericano de Mayores de 2019 y también una medalla de bronce del Campeonato Panamericano de Mayores de 2018.

Mira el torneo en vivo en unitedworldwrestling.org. Las finales comienzan a las 6 p.m. CST

#WrestleTirana

Greco-Roman must-watch battles at U23 Worlds

By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (October 19) -- The Greco-Roman at the U23 World Championships will reignite the rivalries among wrestlers from Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia and Turkiye. These are some of the countries that dominate the classic style and when the wrestlers perform from October 27 to 29, it will be a spectacle. Here's what to watch in Greco-Roman at the U23 World Championships

Must-watch match-ups

At 130kg, the battle for gold can be a four-way battle with Mikhail LAPTEV (AIN), Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI), Muhammet BAKIR (TUR) and Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) all entered. Laptev is the bronze medalist from the 2021 U23 World Championships while Hedayati is the U20 world champ. Bakir won the gold at the U20 level in 2021.

Vyshnyvetskyi will try to upgrade his silver from last year after losing the final to Fatih BOZKURT (TUR). He won the gold medal at the U20 Worlds in 2022 as he defeated Hedayati in the final.

A similar battle will be seen at 87kg as the 82kg U23 world champion Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) is moving up to 87kg to challenge the defending champion Istvan TAKACS (HUN).

Joining the two are U20 world champion Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) and Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) who is coming off a silver-medal finish at the World Championships in Belgrade.

Alex SZOKE (HUN) is the defending champion at 97kg and will be the favorite to win the gold medal. But the return of Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN) should put some pressure on Szoke.

Hlinchuk won the gold at the U20 World Championships in 2021 and then finished with a silver at the U23 Worlds. He will look to change the color of his medal this year.

Sohrabi-Snjoyan Rematch

A rematch of the 67kg final last year is on the cards as both Danial SOHRABI (IRI) and Gagik SNJOYAN (FRA) are entered. Sohrabi stormed back from 7-0 down to beat Snjoyan 17-7 and claim the gold medal. Snjoyan, however, has been out of action since that final due to an injured shoulder.

Sohrabi has had a busy year as he wrestled in three of the four Ranking Series, the World Championships and recently the Asian Games.

60kg minefield

The 60kg bracket can see intense competition with 2021 U23 world champion Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (AIN) returning. He wrestled at the senior World Championships in Belgrade but failed to win a medal. Joining him is U20 world champion Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM) who will be looking to at the U23 world title.

SUMIT (UWW) will be keen to avenge his U20 Worlds loss against Aghajanyan as he aims to become the first finalist in Greco-Roman at the U23 World Championships. Returning bronze and U23 European silver Melkamu FETENE (ISR) is also coming to Tirana.

Last year's 55kg silver medalist Nihad GULUZADE (AZE) is moving up to 60kg as he continues to search for a world title. He finished with a silver medal at 55kg in Pontevedra.

Nurmukhammet ABDULLAEV (KGZ) will undoubtedly be the dark horse of this weight class.

New challengers

Tirana will see a number of wrestlers from the 2021 class of U20 World Championships. But the young crop is out to challenge them. The U20 wrestlers trying to make a mark at U23 are Denis MIHAI (ROU) at 55kg, Aghajanyan at 60kg, Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) at 77kg, Alperen BERBER (TUR) at 82kg, Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) at 87kg and Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) at 130kg.

Aghajanyan, Berber, Bolkvadze and Hedayati are coming off title-winning runs at the U20 Worlds in August.