Russia, Georgia Win Two #WrestleBudapest GR Titles; Ukraine Shines on Day 6

Saturday, July 24, 2021 - 18:53 By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST (Hungary) July 24 --- The celebrations were subdued and all Daniil CHASOVNIKOV (RUS) could think of after winning his first world title was about his parents.

The 17-year-old Russian lost his parents when he was five and Saturday, he wished they were alive to see him win the cadet World Championships gold with a stunning win in the 110kg final.

"I made my mother and father happy," he said after the final, controlling his emotions as he spoke.

Chasovnikov was in a destructive mood as he hammered Nikita OVSJANIKOV (GER) 9-0 in the first period. After getting awarded for the German's passivity, Chasovnikov added eight points from par-terre in quick succession and claimed the win.

His victory was an improved performance from the cadet Euros final in which the Russian had won 5-3. He later said that the final was exactly like he planned.

"My final match went very well. I have done everything as I planned. Rolled him in par-terre," he said. "I beat the same guy at the European championships final as well 5-3. Now 9-0. I have given it all."

He revealed that it was his confidence in Budapest that allowed him to win so strongly against the German wrestler.

"Last time at the European Championships I was scared, it was my first international tournament, I didn’t believe in myself. But this time I concentrated well and everything went well," he said.

Chasovnikov was raised by his grandparents and after some training in football, it was his uncle, a former Greco-Roman wrestler, who put him in the same sport.

"I don’t have a mother and father," he said. "Since I was five, I was brought up by my grandmother and grandfather. My uncle is a former Greco-Roman wrestler. I started training in football, but I didn’t like it. My weight was already 45 kg when I was five years old. My uncle told me to start wrestling training. I didn’t like it in the beginning, then I started winning the competitions.

"I made my mum and dad happy. I dedicated the victory to my parents and all those people who supported me."

Valerii MANGUTOV (RUS) won the gold medal at 55kg. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

The second Russian to win the gold Saturday was Valerii MANGUTOV (RUS) at 55kg as he beat Cory LAND (USA) 8-0 in the final.

Mangutov was in no mood to let his American opponent get any openings as he scored four points in each period to claim the victory and his world title.

“I am glad that I won the gold medal. It’s been a long way,” Mangutov said. “During the day I was trying to get ready morally. I prepared a plan on how to wrestle and everything went well [in the final].

His world title is even sweeter as he had lost in the first round of the 2019 Worlds in Sofia. In fact, his opponent Saturday, Land was also there but had failed to medal as well.

“I have corrected all the mistakes I had back in 2019, and today I got my gold,” he said and also revealed that it was his grandfather who introduced him to wrestling when he was five-years-old.

“My grandfather brought me to wrestling and since then my father comes to training every day.” he said. “I find inspiration in my close people, my parents who believe in me, all those people who support me. I am very grateful to all of them.”

Despite winning two gold medals, Russia trails Georgia in the Greco-Roman team title at the tournament. Georgia also won two gold and also a bronze to lead the race.

Luka JAVAKHADZE (GEO) celebrates after winning the 45kg gold medal in Budapest. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

For Georgia, Luka JAVAKHADZE (GEO) should not have been in Budapest, let alone the podium. He had lost the Georgian national championships and his name was struck off the World team. It was only after the national winner failed to make the weight that Javakhadze's name was added again. On Saturday, he made the most of the lucky break.

Javakhadze claimed his first world title at the cadet level on the penultimate day, opening the country's account by winning the 48kg world title, beating cadet European silver medalist Servet ANGI (TUR) 7-5 in the final.

After leading 3-0 at the break in the final, the Georgian gave up five points in the second period but scored four for himself to win 7-5.

While he had all the luck he needed to be on the team and win, his teammate, Anri PUTKARADZE (GEO) did not.

Imed KHUDZHADZE (UKR) won the world title at 65kg. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Putkaradze was wrestling in the 65kg final and was up 6-0 in the first 40 seconds of the bout against Imed KHUDZHADZE (UKR). The two had met in the cadet European Championships final just two months back with Khudzhadze winning 9-4. But this time, Putkaradze had it figured out. Or so he thought.

Khudzhadze scripted an incredible comeback from 0-6 down to level it 6-6 and hold the criteria to beat his Georgian rival and win the cadet World Championships gold medal at 65kg, giving Ukraine it's first title.

"I can’t express what I feel. It was a very tough match," Khudzhadze said. "I was losing 6-0, but the will to get this belt helped me to score six points and win the match.

"Honestly, I didn’t expect the Georgian to be so assertive. He scored 6 points in the first 40 seconds of the match."

He also praised his opponent's skills despite knowing that he had lost to Khudzhadze just a couple of months back.

"I think I would not be able to concentrate that way against the guy I lost," he said. "The Georgian wrestler is unbelievable. I wish him all the best, I wish him a lot of victories, but not in my weight category."

Khudzhadze is a Georgia native with his father, who was born in Georgia, also being a wrestler. It was his father who put him in the sport.

After his loss, Putkaradze was unable to control his emotions, ruing the chance of joining his two other teammates who won gold medals Saturday as Greco-Roman got five new world champions in Budapest. Russia claimed the remaining two titles.

Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) defeated Kamaludin MAGOMEDOV (RUS) via fall at 80kg. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

At 80kg, a Georgia-Russia final saw Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) defeat Kamaludin MAGOMEDOV (RUS) via fall which made a big difference in the title race.

The cadet European champion Bolkvadze held a slender one point lead at 3-2 going into the break but was warned for passivity in the second period. At 3-3, the Georgian scored two points and then held Magomedov to his back to get the pin.

Ukraine puts three in final

After just one wrestler in the final Saturday, Ukraine managed to send three in the five finals that will take place Sunday – the final day of the World Championships in Budapest. Kyrgyzstan and Iran also improved their performances and sent two wrestlers each to the finals. Moldova, Belarus and Uzbekistan also marked their presence with one wrestler each in the final.

Nikita DEMENTIEV (UKR) reached the final at 45kg in Budapest. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

At 45kg, cadet European silver medalist in 2021 Nikita DEMENTIEV (UKR) made his way to the final after a dominating 10-0 win over Nurbolot BERDIKULOV (KGZ) in the semifinal. He was flawless Saturday apart from the quarterfinal against as he claimed the win 1-1.

He will take on Ozodbek KHALIMBOEV (UZB) in the final. The Uzbek was in a class of his own as he won his first two bouts via fall and the semifinal via technical superiority. Combined, he outscored his opponents 24-0.

Yurii TOVT (UKR) was the second Ukrainian to reach the final and he will take on Nuristan SUIORKULOV (KGZ) at 51kg.

Nuristan SUIORKULOV (KGZ) defeated Beso MAKHARADZE (GEO) in the 51kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Tovt won the semifinal against Hayk LYUDVIGYAN (ARM) via fall, his second of the day while Suiorkulov, 16, defeated Beso MAKHARADZE (GEO) 8-3 in the semifinal.

“I feel no difference between 2019 and now at all, it feels the same,” Suiorkulov, who finished 12th at the 2019 Worlds, said. “I’ll prepare for the final well. I am ready to wrestle the final match even now.”

Another Kyrgyzstan wrestler who booked his spot in the final was Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ). In a close semifinal, he managed to hang on to a 10-0 victory over SUMIT (IND). It was his aggressive start in the first period that gave him a 10-6 lead at the break.

While Sumit did try to make a comeback and scored two points, he was not able to stop his Kyrgyz opponent from reaching the 60kg final in which he will wrestle Seyyedmostafa REZAEI DARYAKENARI (IRI).

Seyyedmostafa Seyyedjafar REZAEI DARYAKENARI (IRI) Seyyedmostafa REZAEI DARYAKENARI (IRI) will wrestle for the 60kg gold. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

The Iranian wrestler completed a 3-0 win against Rati KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO). Rezaei Daryakenari was first awarded a passivity point which he carried into the break. Then he scored a takedown in the second period to complete the win.

His teammate at 71kg Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) also marched into the final with a 7-2 win over Ruslan NURULLAYEV (AZE) in the semifinal.

He will take on Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) who defeated Dimitar RACHEV (BUL) 7-0 in the semifinal. Solovei was wrestling at the cadet Worlds in 2019 but was in his first year as cadet. His experience now helped him reach the final.

Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) made it to his first cadet Worlds final. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

“In 2019, I was the youngest athlete there, my goal was just to get some experience on the international event,” the 17-year-old said. “I train hard, that’s why I could win the semifinal.”

Incidentally, in 2019, Solovei, who trains and studies in Kishinev, Moldova, had lost to an Iran wrestler and now wants to avenge the first-round loss to Hojat REZAEI (IRI) from 2019.

“I hope to become a world champion. It’s important not to make any mistakes,” he said.

In a rematch of the 2021 cadet European Championships final at 92kg, Vladyslav LUB (UKR) wrestled Timur CHERNYSHEV (RUS) in the semifinal in Budapest and won 2-1. It was Lub who won at the Euros as well.

He will now wrestle Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (BLR) in the final. The Belrusian notched up a 12-3 win over Harutyun KIRAKOSYAN (ARM) in the semifinal.

Lub, who trains in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, said that he has wrestled Khaslakhanau before, referring to his 8-5 win at the cadet Euros semifinal.

“I have wrestled against that guy from Belarus before as well,” Lub said. “With the help of God, everything will work out.”

Despite previously beating his Russian rival, Lub had his doubts of another win due his illness before coming here.

“When I stepped on the mat, I had some doubts that I would win again,” he said. “One week before the tournament I was staying in bed with a very high temperature.”

But he is now just one win away from being crowned a world champion on Sunday.

RESULTS GR Medal Bouts

48kg
GOLD: Luka JAVAKHADZE (GEO) df Servet ANGI (TUR), 9-5

BRONZE: Yussuf ASHRAPOV (KAZ) df Pavel BONDAR (RUS), 12-1
BRONZE: Faraim MUSTAFAYEV (AZE) df Otto BLACK (USA), 4-2

55kg
GOLD: Valerii MANGUTOV (RUS) df Cory LAND (USA), 8-0

BRONZE: Tamazi GLONTI (GEO) df RUPIN (IND), 5-1
BRONZE: Berati INAC (TUR) df Zhantoro MIRZALIEV (KGZ), 8-0

65kg
GOLD: Imed KHUDZHADZE (UKR) df Anri PUTKARADZE (GEO), 6-6

BRONZE: Ankit GULIA (IND) df Tair AMANGELDI (KAZ), 9-0
BRONZE: Nihat KARA (TUR) df Karl BAFF (SWE), 10-0

80kg
GOLD: Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) df Kamaludin MAGOMEDOV (RUS), via fall

BRONZE: Ivan TSYBANEV (UKR) df Hamza SERTCANLI (SWE), 5-5
BRONZE: Joju SAMADOV (AZE) df Beibit KORGANOV (KAZ), 8-0

110kg
GOLD: Daniil CHASOVNIKOV (RUS) df Nikita OVSJANIKOV (GER), 9-0

BRONZE: Rafail GKIRNIS (GRE) df Artur BOICHUK (UKR), 9-4
BRONZE: Artur SARKISJAN (CZE) df James MULLEN (USA), via fall

RESULTS GR Semifinals

45kg
GOLD: Ozodbek KHALIMBOEV (UZB) vs Nikita DEMENTIEV (UKR)

SF 1: Ozodbek KHALIMBOEV (UZB) df Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO), 11-0
SF 2: Nikita DEMENTIEV (UKR) df Nurbolot BERDIKULOV (KGZ), 10-0

51kg
GOLD: Yurii TOVT (UKR) vs Nuristan SUIORKULOV (KGZ)

SF 1: Yurii TOVT (UKR) df Hayk LYUDVIGYAN (ARM), via fall
SF 2: Nuristan SUIORKULOV (KGZ) df Beso MAKHARADZE (GEO), 8-3

60kg
GOLD: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) vs Seyyedmostafa REZAEI DARYAKENARI (IRI)

SF 1: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) df SUMIT (IND), 10-8
SF 2: Seyyedmostafa REZAEI DARYAKENARI (IRI) df Rati KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO), 3-0

71kg
GOLD: Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) vs Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI)

SF 1: Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) df Dimitar RACHEV (BUL), 7-0
SF 2: Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) df Ruslan NURULLAYEV (AZE), 7-2

92kg
GOLD: Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (BLR) vs Vladyslav LUB (UKR)

SF 1: Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (BLR) df Harutyun KIRAKOSYAN (ARM), 12-3
SF 2: Vladyslav LUB (UKR) df Timur CHERNYSHEV (RUS), 2-1

#WrestleAmman

Masoumi: Young star's quest for wrestling glory

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 - 15:56 By Vinay Siwach

AMMAN, Jordan (March 18) — Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) already has his eyes set on next week’s Asian Championships in Amman. His goal is clear: gold. But the path to the podium runs through two opponents he knows all too well — Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) and BUHEEERDUN (CHN).

Two years ago at the Asian Championships in Astana, the then 18-year-old Masoumi suffered his only international losses to non-Iranian wrestlers. A semifinal defeat to Munkhtur was followed by a bitter loss to Buheeerdun in the bronze-medal bout at 125kg. Now, as a more focused and confident 20-year-old, Masoumi is eager to avenge those setbacks.

Masoumi has grown immensely since then. He is now a six-time world champion in various age groups, with two more titles added in 2024. In those competitions, he didn’t allow a single point to be scored against him. He continued his flawless form at the 2025 Zagreb Open, outscoring his opponents 42-0 in four matches. His elbow, which had once been a source of discomfort, is now fully healed, and Masoumi shows no signs of slowing down.

"I hope to use this experience and return to win the World Championships in Zagreb," he says after claiming gold in the Croatian capital.

Masoumi is on phone with his family, showing them the new sneakers he has bought in Zagreb. Not one but three pairs.

He loves shoes.

"I have a sneaker collection myself, and I really love shoes," he said. "I always carry a lot of them with me. For example, in this tournament alone, I brought five pairs. I mostly try to wear special brands and new collections. I think I have around 100 pairs of shoes."

That's where he spends most his money.

"I don't have to spend money on my face because it's perfect."

That is one way of easing off before the interview. Masoumi settles down with a big bar of chocolate which he finishes by the first two questions into the interview.

Masoumi has just won the Zagreb Open gold medal in a dominating manner and began the new Olympic cycle with a bang.

"The ultimate dream for every athlete is definitely an Olympic gold, and that’s mine as well," he says. "I want to stand on the podium in Los Angeles in four years."

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Masoumi is the most exciting heavyweight wrestling on the planet. He isn't your regular teenager of 125kg. Masoumi is a very quick for 125kg who destroys his opponents with a smile. He has six age-group world titles in three years.

He can gut-wrench, switch to the typical Iranian underhook pushouts and even wore down the opponents with his heavy-hands.

Masoumi was 16 when made his international debut at the 2021 U17 World Championships in Budapest at 110kg. He outscored his opponents 35-1 in four bouts and won gold. Then came the U20 World Championships next year. He won gold at 125kg and followed it with a gold medal at the U23 Worlds the same year. He was 17.

His senior debut came in 2022 at the World Cup in Coralville, Iowa, where he won all three of his bouts as Iran finished second to the United States.

The year 2023 wasn’t as fruitful, with Masoumi suffering losses at the Asian Championships and domestically. However, he was given the chance to challenge Zare for a spot in the Iranian team for the Paris Olympics. The match-up took place at the 2024 Zagreb Open, but Masoumi came up short.

Since then, he has bounced back with gold medals at five international tournaments, and now he is aiming for a sixth in Amman.

So, how did a wrestler from Gilan, a province not traditionally known for freestyle wrestling, rise to prominence so quickly?

“There’s no rivalry between us and Mazandaran,” Masoumi says. "It feels good to beat a province known for producing many wrestlers like Mazandaran, but I don’t feel good about defeating a specific city or village. There’s no animosity."

Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) with his father Fardin. (Photo courtesy Amirreza Masoumi)

Masoumi was born in Masal village of the Gilan town in northern Iran. His father, Fardin, is a two-time World Championships medalists and the one who pushed him into wrestling.

"When I was three or four years old, when my father wrestled and I went to the competition hall to watch his practice, my childhood was intertwined with wrestling right there," he says. "I was able to get to know the wrestling environment much better in my childhood."

But it was a third-place finish, Masoumi's first medal at a national tournament, which resulted in congratulatory message and reception for Masoumi which he loved.

"I was 12 or 13 years old at the time," he said. "When I came third, I saw everyone come to our house and congratulate me, and I saw what a good feeling it was. So I tried to continue this process until now that I am here."

Standing tall at two metres, Masoumi is lanky for 125kg. More Geno than Zare. But he has to continuously monitor his weight which he does not want to go too high.

"My mother is almost 180cm tall and my father is 186cm," he said. "We're a tall family overall. However, I still control myself a lot to keep my weight down, especially since my mom tries not to feed me too much. I'm right on the edge for the 125 kg weight class, and if I gain any more weight, I'll have to cut it. That's why I'm very careful. My physique is also more similar to my mom and dad's."

Fardin was his first coach and Masoumi would watch his father's bouts against different competitors. While he kept a few techniques of his father, Masoumi was impressed with the others as well. Like the double underhooks he uses to drive his opponents out-of-bounds. Masoumi says he picked that from former world champion Bilyal MAKHOV (RUS).

"I mostly learned this from Makhov and his techniques in the World Championship final -- how he would get under his opponent’s armpit and drive them backward," he said. "I really liked how he was always moving forward. He was physically huge and kept attacking non-stop."

Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) with former world champion Reza YAZDANI (IRI). (Photo courtesy Amirreza Masoumi)

As he kept putting Gilan on the wrestling map, Masoumi was now being known. People will come to his home, farm and his father's business to congratulate. Being a successful Iran has its share of challenges. Growing up in Gilan and around wrestling, Masoumi wasn't unaware of the pressure it brings. There are fans who become your coach from stands, or even warm-up partners. Iran wrestlers are in the public eye most of their lives.

"I don't know about other countries, but in Iran, it's like that," Masoumi says. "It's the love."

Masoumi's first experience of "stardom" came after he former Asian champion Yadollah MOHEBI (IRI) at the selection trials in Iran.

"When I came out [of the stadium], there was a huge crowd, and a lot of spectators had come for the wrestling," Masoumi recalls ."I noticed many fans were coming up to take pictures with me. That’s when I felt like I was slowly entering an environment with a lot of pressure, and I realized I was growing in this kind of atmosphere."

Masoumi's personality clicks with the fans. He is humble yet celebrates his wins, he acknowledges the fans and doesn't shy away from being cheeky with his opponents after winning the bouts. He also witty.

"I think this comes down to my personality. I’m a bit hyperactive and always try to have my own unique style without being afraid," he says.

He expects them in Amman as well.

For Masoumi, the Asian Championships hold major significance -- not just for this year, but for his entire career. While world champion and Olympic silver medalist Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) holds the top spot for Iran at 125kg, Masoumi is gunning for that position.

A gold medal in Amman would give Masoumi the chance to challenge Zare for a spot on Iran team for the 2025 World Championships.

"My opponent, Zare, is a tough competitor," Masoumi says. "I’ve been wrestling against him in Iran’s national team trials for three years now. I believe I can secure my spot on the national team this year and win gold at the World Championships."

Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) defeated Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) in the 125kg final at the Zagreb Open in 2024. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Zare is also in top form, having won gold at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series in similar dominant fashion. The world waits for their third meeting, likely at the Takhti Cup, Iran’s premier tournament, at the end of April. The winner of the best-of-three series will secure a spot at the World Championships.

"I need to compete in the Asian Championships," Masoumi says. "Any wrestler who wants to start in Iran should begin with the Takhti Cup and then move on to the 2025 World Championships."

Masoumi believes his unique wrestling style will give Zare trouble.

"I feel that match will be a great one for all wrestling fans. I think my wrestling style in the heavyweight category is quite unique. I don’t think there’s anyone in Iran’s heavyweight division with a six-pack. Naturally, in my mind, I aim to defeat Amirhossein to make up for my two previous losses."

Russia, Georgia Win Two #WrestleBudapest GR Titles; Ukraine Shines on Day 6

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Masoumi: Young star's quest for wrestling glory