#WrestleSassari

Sassari City Matteo Pellicone Memorial Preview

Monday, May 20, 2019 - 17:34 By Eric Olanowski

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SASSARI, Italy (May 20) -- The Palestra Comunale, located minutes away from the sandy beaches of the Italian island of Sardinia, will host United World Wrestling’s third Ranking Series event of the year, the Sassari City Matteo Pellicone Memorial on May 23-25. The endless list of star-studded entries features four Olympic champions, 18 returning world medalists, and three wrestlers who sit atop of this month’s world ranking.

The four wrestlers who’ve reached the top of the podium at the Olympic Games are Rio gold medalists Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) and Erica WIEBE (CAN), and London Olympic champions KIM Hyeonwoo (KOR) and Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS).  

There’ll also be at least five returning medalists per style from last year’s Budapest World Championships and three No. 1-ranked wrestlers in action starting on Thursday.  

Both freestyle and Greco-Roman will feature five returning world medalists, including a pair of world silver-medal finishers. There will also be a pair of Budapest silver medalists in women’s wrestling, but women’s wrestling boasts eight 2018 world podium finishers. 

The trio of top-ranked wrestlers that’ll be in action in Sardinia are Suleyman ATLI (TUR), Fatih ERDIN (TUR), and Kim Hyeonwoo. Atli and Erdin are the No.1-ranked freestyle wrestlers at 57kg and 86kg, respectively, and Kim is ranked first in Greco-Roman at 77kg.

Freestyle

The freestyle entry list is littered with wrestlers who’ve reached the pinnacle of the sport on the world and Olympic stage, but with the tournament taking place in Italy, all eyes will be on Italian superstar Frank CHAMIZO. 

Chamzio, Italy’s two-time world champion, is looking to follow up on his gold-medal performance from last month’s European Championships. In Bucharest, Chamizo went a perfect 4-0 and picked up his third continental title since transferring from Cuba back in 2013. 

If the Cuban-born Italian can come out on top of the 74kg bracket, it’d be his second career Ranking Series title and first since defeating London Olympic champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) in the Yasar Dogu finals last year. More importantly, a podium finish for fourth-ranked Chamizo (56 points) would give him the upper hand on Burroughs for the world’s second-ranking heading into the fourth and final Ranking Series event, the Yasar Dogu.  

For Chamizo to reach the podium this week, he’ll have to navigate through three world-class competitors. His most significant threats at 74kg are 2017 world runner-up Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS), three-time European champion Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) and two-time world bronze medalist Yakup GOR (TUR). 

Chamizo defeated both Tsabolov and Gor in their previous meetings and would be favored if they were to meet again this week. Chamizo beat Gor in Paris at the 2017 World Championships and pinned Tsabolov at the 2018 European Championships. 

But, if Chamzio were to take on Demirtas, he’d be the underdog. Demirtas stunned Chamzio by scoring a late stepout in last year’s European semifinals before ultimately grabbing his third continental title.

Another massive storyline to follow at this weight is the placement of the Turkish wrestlers, Demirtas and Gor. 

Demirtas has represented Turkey at five consecutive World Championships and the Rio Olympic Games, where he was a bronze medalist, but his streak is in jeopardy. Gor, who bumped up to 74kg last season, stole Demirtas' spot at this year's European Championships but fell to a disappointing nine-place finish. 

It's not official, but my guess is the highest placing wrestler at this week's Sassari City Matteo Pellicone Memorial will have the upper hand at getting a shot to be Turkey's 74kg representative at the European Games in Minsk, Belarus, in June. 

Freestyle will also feature the Turkish pair of No.1-ranked wrestlers in Suleyman Atli and Fahti Erdin. 

Atli, who sits atop of the world rankings at 57kg, will be making his debut as the world’s top-ranked wrestler after winning the European title last month in Bucharest, Romania. 

Atli will be chased by Italy's Givi DAVIDOVI. The Italian is the only other ranked wrestler competing at 57kg. Davidovi, who has 16 Ranking Series points, is ranked 18th coming into the Sassari, but a win would catapult him up the rankings to the eighth spot behind world fifth-place finisher Thomas GILMAN (USA).

Both wrestlers would hold 32 points, but Gilman would hold criteria because of his placement at last year's World Championships. 

Fatih Erdin is Turkey’s second No.1-ranked wrestler.

Erdin holds a four-point advantage over returning world champion David TAYLOR (USA) and would have 100 if he were to win a the Sassari. If he’s able to win the gold medal this week, Erdin could lock up the No. 1 seed at 86kg at the World Championships. Erdin would have a 20 point advantage over the American, and the most points Taylor would be able to earn with a Yargar Dogu title (in a weight with 20+ entries) would be 18 points. 

But, Erdin, who has fallen short in two Ranking Series gold-medal matches, will have a steep road to win his first Ranking Series title. The route will go through reigning European champion Vladislav VALIEV (RUS) or Olympic runner-up Selim YASAR (TUR). 

Valiev, who won the 86kg European title, is ranked sixth in the world with 34 points. A podium finish for the Russian would bump him up into the third spot in next month’s rankings. If Valiev moves into the third spot, he’d be pitted against reigning world champion David Taylor in the semifinals of the Nur-Sultan World Championships. 

Selim Yasar is another wrestler at 86kg who is looking to dethrone top-ranked Erdin.

But, Yasar has struggled as of late. The three-time world and Olympic medalist finished outside of the top-10 once in his career (2013 Ali Aliev) before falling short of a top-10 finish in his last three tournament appearances. Yasar has placed 10th, 11th, and 14th at the Ivan Yariguin, Alexander Medved, and Dan Kolov, respectively. 

Rio Olympic champion Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) will be making his international return for the first time since having back surgery in November. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Ramonov Returns to International Competition

Rio Olympic champion Soslan Ramonov will return to international competition for the first time since undergoing spinal surgery in early November to correct a back issue that has long troubled him. 

Ramonov told United World Wrestling, “I’ve returned to the mat. I’m going to wrestle at the Russian National Championships and possibly the World Championships.” He also told UWW, “I expected to return to the mat in January, and hopefully enter a tournament at 65kg closer to the fall.” But, Ramonov isn't wrestling at 65kg just yet. This week in Sardinia, the Russian will wrestle up 5kg as 70kg with hopes of moving down to 65kg closer to July's Rusian Nationals. 

For a healthy Ramonov to represent Russia in Nur-Sultan, he'll have to make a run in one of the countries deepest weight classes. The 65kg weight class in Russia houses returning 65kg world bronze medalist Akhmed Chakaev, returning two-time 61kg world runner-up Gazhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) and Yariguin runner-up Nachyin KUULAR. 

Other Budapest World Medalist to Watch: 
92kg - Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI) 
125kg - Parviz HADIBASMANJ (IRI) 

Greco-Roman

In Greco-Roman, Korea’s Olympic champion and No.1-ranked Kim Hyeonwoo tops the list of entries that features five returning Budapest world medalists. 

Kim is one of the only wrestlers across all styles who’s medaled at the World and Continental Championships and the first two Ranking Series events.

Kim, the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the world at 77kg, was last year’s world bronze medalist. The Korean tightened his stronghold on the rest of the Asian Greco-Roman competition at 77kg, winning his fifth continental title last month in Xi’an, China. He also owns a pair of Ranking Series bronze medals this season, finishing in third place at the Zagreb Open and Hungarian Grand Prix. 

Hungary's Loaded Squad, Head-Scratcher at 87kg 

Hungary, who elected to sit a majority of their first-teamers at the European Championships, is bringing a solid squad to Sardinia. Their team will feature 2018 world runner-ups Balint KORPASI and Tamas LORINCZ, U23 world champion Erik SZILVASSY, and two-time Ranking Series champion Viktor LORINCZ, among many others. 

Korpasi and Tamas Lorincz are entered at 72kg and 77kg, respectively, but Szilvassy and Viktor Lorincz will both compete at 87kg. 

Szilvassy and Lorincz being at the same weight leaves Hungary with a head-scratcher moving forward to the European Games and World Championships. 

Szilvassy, who is coming off a bronze-medal finish at the European Championships, is ranked third in the world at 87kg. Szilvassy has an eight-point advantage over Viktor Lorincz, who’s currently ranked fifth with 36 points.

Although Szilvassy sits in front of Lorincz in the latest rankings, he fell to his fellow Hungarian teammate in the semifinals of the first two Ranking Series events, the Zagreb Open and Hungarian Grand Prix. 

Women’s Wrestling 

The headlining women’s wrestling weight class is 76kg. This weight will be home to Canada’s Rio Olympic champion Erica Wiebe, Russia’s London Olympic champion Natalia Vorobeva, and nine of the world’s top-20 ranked wrestlers. Maybe more impressive, six of those wrestlers sit inside the top-ten of United World Wrestling’s latest rankings. 

The highest ranked wrestler is Germany’s 2017 world runner-up Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER). Rotter Focken is ranked fourth with 56 points and is coming off bronze-medal finishes at the European Championships, Dan Kolov, and the Ivan Yariguin. 

Kazakhstan’s Elmira SYZDYKOVA is ranked fifth with 42 points after bronze-medalist finishes at the Dan Kolov and Ivan Yariguin. 

Olympic champion Erica Wiebe, who was a bronze medalist at last year's Budapest World Championships, fell to No. 1-ranked Adeline GRAY (USA) in the Pan-American Championships but fought back for a bronze medal. The Canadian is ranked sixth in the world with 39 points. 

Zsanett NEMETH (HUN) enters the Sassari as the seventh-ranked wrestler with 36 points. Nemeth is coming off a bronze-medal finish at the European Championships. Her continental third-place finish came month's after she was injured in the bronze-medal bout in the World Championships and had to settle for fifth place in front of her home crowd. 

Estonia’s Epp MAE and Norway’s Iselin SOLHEIM round out the top-10, where they’re ranked eighth and tenth, respectively. 

Top-20 Ranked Wrestlers at 76kg 
No. 4 Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER) 
No. 5  Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) 
No. 6 Erica WIEBE (CAN) 
No. 7 Zsanett NEMETH (HUN) 
No. 8 Epp MAE (EST) 
No. 10 Iselin Maria Moen SOLHEIM (NOR)
No. 15 Genesis Rosangela REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) 
No. 19 Vasilisa MARZALIUK
No. 20  Eunju HWANG (KOR) 

Barka and Dhanda to Compete at 57kg 

At 57kg, world bronze medalists Emese BARKA (HUN) and Pooja DHANDA (IND) have entered their name into the Sassari. Barka comes into this week ranked fifth in the world at 57kg a month removed from winning the European title with a 4-2 win over Tetyana KIT (UKR). 

Dhanda’s ranked just behind Barka in the sixth spot and has 37 points after her fifth-place finish at the Asian Championships. The Indian wrestler fell to returning world champion and No. 1- ranked RONG Ningning (CHN) in the semifinals, then dropped her match against eighth-ranked SUKHEE Tserenchimed (MGL) in the bronze-medal bout. 

Though they’re not returning world medalists, two other dangerous wrestlers to keep an eye on at 57kg are U23 world champion Grace BULLEN (NOR) and 2017 world finalist Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR). 

Bullen’s ranked third in the world with 58 points, and Adekuoroye is ranked fourth with 46 points. 

Mensah Looking for Third Ranking Series Title of the Year 

Tamyra MENSAH (USA) heads into the third Ranking Series event of year undefeated, having won gold medals at the Ivan Yariguin, the Dan Kolov and the Pan-American Championships. Her pair of Ranking Series titles and continental gold medal came after she claimed a bronze medal at last year’s World Championships. She’s the second-ranked wrestler in the world at 68kg with 59 points.

For Mensah to win her third consecutive Ranking Series gold of the year, she’ll have to stop Canada’s title-contender Danielle LAPPAGE. 

Lappage, last year’s world runner-up at 65kg, will be bumping up to 68kg for the second time since her run to the world finals last year. She also competed at the Grand Prix of Germany, where she finished with a silver medal. 

Trio of Other Olympic Medalists Competing 

Outside of the duo of Olympic champions competing at 76kg, three other Olympic medalists will be in action. They are Marwa AMRI (TUN), Jenny FRANSSON (SWE), and Sofia MATTSSON (SWE). 

Amri, who is ranked No. 12 in the world, will compete at 62kg. The Tunisian is coming off winning her tenth African title. 

Fransson, the No.13-ranked wrestler at 68kg, just finished with a bronze medal at the European Championships, But, Fransson will be bumping up and competing at 72kg. 

Mattsson, the tenth-ranked wrestler in the world, will be competing at 55kg. 

The Comeback of Koumba Larroque 

Koumba LARROQUE, France’s four-time age-group world champion, and two-time senior level world medalist, will make her return to the mat for the first time since falling in the Budapest World finals to Ukraine’s Alla CHERKASOVA. Larroque was leading the 68kg gold-medal bout 6-0 before falling into a leg lace that tore ligaments in her knee, forcing her to have surgery and sit out the last six months. 

Larroque will compete at 72kg, where she’s ranked No. 5 in the world with 40 points. 

Other Budapest World Medalist to Watch: 
53kg - Diana WEICKER (CAN) 
62kg - Mallory VELTE (USA) 

The three-day Sassari City Matteo Pellicone Memorial, which starts on May 23, will begin with Greco-Roman. Women's wrestling takes over on the second day, and freestyle closes out the tournament on May 25. All the action can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org. 

#WrestleBelgrade

Freestyle seeds announced for '22 World Championships

Monday, August 22, 2022 - 14:05 By Eric Olanowski

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (August 22) --United World Wrestling has released the tentative top eight seeds for the 2022 World Championships, which take place in Belgrade, Serbia, September 10-18. 

Wrestlers earned points towards their seed through participation and placement at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, 2021 World Championships, 2022 Continental Championships, 2022 Ranking Series events, and selected Regional Games (SEA and Mediterranean Games).

Hypothetically speaking, if the seeds were to hold through the finals in the top-eight seeded system, here's how the bracket will play out leading up to the gold-medal match:

Quarterfinals:
No. 1 vs. No. 8 (top side)
No. 4 vs. No. 5 (top side)
No. 2 vs. No. 7 (bottom side)
No. 3 vs. No. 6 (bottom side)

Semifinals:
No. 1 vs. No. 4 (top side)
No. 2 vs. No. 3 (bottom side)

Finals:
No. 1 vs. No. 2 

If we know one thing, it's impossible to predict how the brackets will play out. But having the seeded systems helps come up with hypothetical matches that fans could potentially see in Belgrade.

*National Federations were required to submit their world entries by last week but can still update them until 24 hours before the draws. This means these seeds and entries are subject to change.

57kg SEEDS:
No. 1 Thomas GILMAN (USA)
No. 2 Ravi KUMAR (IND)
No. 3 Horst LEHR (GER)
No. 4 Alireza SARLAK (IRI)
No. 5 Vladimir EGOROV (MKD)
No. 6 Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO)
No. 7 Oscar TIGREROS URBANO (COL)
No. 8 Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR)

If seeds hold at 57kg:

Quarterfinals:
No. 1 Thomas GILMAN (USA) vs. No. 8 Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR)
No. 4 Alireza SARLAK (IRI) vs. No. 5 Vladimir EGOROV (MKD) 
No. 2 Ravi KUMAR (IND) vs. No. 7 Oscar TIGREROS URBANO (COL)
No. 3 Horst LEHR (GER) vs. No. 6 Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO)

Semifinals:
No. 1 Thomas GILMAN (USA) vs. No. 4 Alireza SARLAK (IRI)
No. 2 Ravi KUMAR (IND) vs. No. 3 Horst LEHR (GER)

Finals:
No. 1 Thomas GILMAN (USA) vs. No. 2 Ravi KUMAR (IND)

Gilman holds top seed; Ravi undefeated at 57kg
On the top side of the bracket at 57kg, world champion Thomas GILMAN (USA) commands the top seed. The American earned his top seed after finishing with a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games and podium-topping finishes at the World Championships, Pan-American Championships, and the Zouhaier Sghaier Ranking Series event. 

To reach his second consecutive world finals, Gilman will have to get through No. 8 Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR) in the quarters before squaring off against the winner of No. 4 Alireza SARLAK (IRI) and No. 5 Vladimir EGOROV (MKD). 

Depending on how things play out, if Gilman and Sarlak reach the semifinals, it would be their third meeting since last October's World Championships. The American was victorious in their world finals and Zouhaier Sghaier Ranking Series semifinal meetings.

On the bottom side of the 57kg chart, Ravi KUMAR (IND) holds the second seed. The Olympic silver medalist's road to the finals will likely go through No. 7 Oscar TIGREROS URBANO (COL) before meeting the winner of No. 3 Horst LEHR (GER) and No. 6 Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO).

61kg Seeds: 
No. 1 Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
No. 2 Georgi Valentinov VANGELOV (BUL)
No. 3 Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ)
No. 4 Suleyman ATLI (TUR)
No. 5 Eduard GRIGOREV (POL)
No. 6 Teimuraz VANISHVILI (GEO)
No. 7 Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE)
No. 8 Rei HIGUCHI (JPN)

If seeds hold at 61kg:

Quarterfinals:
No. 1 Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) vs. No. 8 Rei HIGUCHI (JPN)
No. No. 4 Suleyman ATLI (TUR) vs. 5 Eduard GRIGOREV (POL)
No. 2 Georgi VANGELOV (BUL) vs.No. 7 Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE)
No. 3 Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ) vs. No. 6 Teimuraz VANISHVILI (GEO)

Semifinals:
No. 1 Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) vs. No. 4 Suleyman ATLI (TUR) 
No. 2 Georgi VANGELOV (BUL) vs. No. 3 Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ)  

Finals:
No. 1 Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) vs. No. 2 Georgi VANGELOV (BUL)

Harutyunyan headlines 61kg seeds
Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) headlines the upper half of the bracket as the top guy at 61kg. However, his road will be significantly more challenging than second-seeded Georgi VANGELOV (BUL).

Harutyunyan earned his top billing after a bronze medal finish at last year's World Championships and a gold-medal winning showing at the European Championships. Although it did not count towards his Ranking Series point total, the Armenian sandwiched a U23 world title between the Senior World Championships and the European Championships. 

To improve his bronze-medal finish at the 2021 World Championships, Harutyunyan will have to beat Japan's Rio Olympic runner-up No. 8 Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) in the quarterfinals. Then, he'll share the mat with the winner of No. 4 Suleyman ATLI (TUR) and No. 5 Eduard GRIGOREV (POL).

Vangelov will wrestle No. 7 Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE) in the lower-side quarterfinals. If he wins against Bazarganov, he'll go toe-to-toe with whoever is victorious between No. 3 Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ) and No. 6 Teimuraz VANISHVILI (GEO).

65kg Seeds: 
No. 1 Haji ALIYEV (AZE)
No. 2 Bajrang BAJRANG (IND)
No. 3 Sebastian C RIVERA (PUR)
No. 4 Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN)
No. 5 Alibek OSMONOV (KGZ)
No. 6 Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL)
No. 7 Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM)
No. 8 Munir Recep AKTAS (TUR)

If seeds hold at 65kg:

Quarterfinals:
No. 1 Haji ALIYEV (AZE) vs. No. 8 Munir Recep AKTAS (TUR)
No. 4 Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) vs. 5 Alibek OSMONOV (KGZ) 
No. 2 Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) vs. No. 7 Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM)
No. 3 Sebastian C RIVERA (PUR) vs. No. 6 Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL)

Semifinals:
No. 1 Haji ALIYEV (AZE) vs. No. 4 Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN)
No. 2 Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) vs. No. 3 Sebastian C RIVERA (PUR)

Finals:
No. 1 Haji ALIYEV (AZE) vs. No. 2 Bajrang BAJRANG (IND)

Aliyev ascends to top of 65kg seeds
Haji ALIYEV (AZE) headlines arguably the most fan-favorite freestyle weight of the Championships. The three-time world champion moved to the top of the seeds with his podium finishes at the Olympic Games, European Championships and Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series event. He finished with silvers at the Olympics and Euros and a bronze at the Italian Ranking Series stop.

To become the first Azeri wrestler to win four world titles, Aliyev will have to take out No. 8 Munir AKTAS (TUR) before clashing with the winner of and No. 4 Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) and No. 5 Alibek OSMONOV (KGZ).

If Aliyev and Muszukajev remain on the winning track through the semifinals, it'd be a third meeting between the superstars since late 2020. The Hungarian has the two matches advantage over the Azeri coming into Belgrade, having won their meetings at the 2020 Individual World Cup and the 2022 European Championships.

On the lower side of the chart, Olympic bronze medalist No. 2 Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) will have to get through the formidable No. 7 Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) before meeting the winner of No. 3 Sebastian C RIVERA (PUR) and No. 6 Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL).

70kg Seeds: 
No. 1 Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ)
No. 2 Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO)
No. 3 Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM)
No. 4 Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ)
No. 5 Amirmohammad Babak YAZDANICHERATI (IRI)
No. 6 Zain Allen RETHERFORD (USA)
No. 7 Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)

If seeds hold at 70kg:

Quarterfinals:
No. 1 Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) vs. No. 8 Bacar NDUM (GBS)
No. 4 Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ) vs. No. 5 Amirmohammad YAZDANICHERATI (IRI) 
No. 2 Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) vs. No. 7 Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)
No. 3 Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM) vs. No. 6 Zain Allen RETHERFORD (USA)

Semifinals:
No. 1 Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) vs. No. 4 Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ)
No. 2 Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO)vs. No. 3 Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM)

Finals:
No. 1 Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) vs. No. 2 Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO)

Akmataliev ascends to top seed at 70kg
After securing second-place finishes at the 2021 World Championships and 2022 Asian Championships, Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) locked up the No. 1 seed at 70kg.

Akmataliev is positioned on the top side of the bracket to take on No. 8 Bacar NDUM (GBS) in the quarters. Then, in the semifinals, he'll likely square off against the winner of No. 4 Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ) and 2021 world runner-up No. 5 Amirmohammad YAZDANICHERATI (IRI).

On the bottom side of the chart, reigning world bronze medalist Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) holds the second seed. He'll compete against No. 7 Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR) for a shot to wrestle the winner of No. 3 Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM) and No. 6 Zain Allen RETHERFORD (USA).

74kg Seeds: 
No. 1 Kyle Douglas DAKE (USA)
No. 2 Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK)
No. 3 Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA)
No. 4 Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE)
No. 5 Yones Aliakbar EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI)
No. 6 Hetik CABOLOV (SRB)
No. 7 Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR)
No. 8 Mitchell Louis FINESILVER (ISR)

If seeds hold at 74kg:

Quarterfinals:
No. 1 Kyle DAKE (USA) vs. No. 8 Mitchell FINESILVER (ISR)
No. No. 4 Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) vs. 5 Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI)
No. 2 Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) vs. No. 7 Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR)
No. 3 Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) vs. No. 6 Hetik CABOLOV (SRB)

Semifinals:
No. 1 Kyle Douglas DAKE (USA) vs. No. 4 Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE)
No. 2 Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) vs No. 3 Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA)

Finals:
No. 1 Kyle Douglas DAKE (USA) vs. No. 2 Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK)

Dake dons top seed at 74kg
Kyle DAKE (USA) dons the top seed at 74kg and heads into Belgrade ready to navigate a seemly easier road to the finals than his two biggest rivals, No. 3 Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) and No. 2 Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK).

Dake earned his top seed by winning bronze at the Tokyo Olympic Games and finishing atop the podium at the World and Pan-American Championships.

The three other seeded guys who Dake will share the upper half of the bracket with are No. 8 Mitchell FINESILVER (ISR), No. 4 Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) and No. 5 Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI). He'll have Finesilver in the quarters and Bayramov or Emamichoghaei for a finals shot. 

On the bottom side, Salkazanov is the on-paper favorite to take on Dake in the world finals, which would be a rematch of last year's Oslo gold-medal bout. But to do so, he'll have to get through Rio Olympic bronze medalist No. 7 Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR), then will square off against the winner of the world champion matchup between No. 3 Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) and No. 6 Hetik CABOLOV (SRB).

If Salkazanov and Chamizo reach the semifinals, it'll be a rematch of the 2021 and 2022 European Championships, where the Slovakian wrestler was victorious in both matches.

79kg Seeds: 
No .1 Jordan Ernest BURROUGHS (USA)
No. 2 Mohammad Ashghar NOKHODILARIMI (IRI)
No. 3 Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)
No. 4 Arman AVAGYAN (ARM)
No. 5 Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO)
No. 6 Muhammet AKDENIZ (TUR)
No. 7 Saifedine ALEKMA (FRA)
No. 8 Baliyan GOURAV (IND)

If seeds hold at 79kg:

Quarterfinals:
No .1 Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) vs. No. 8 Baliyan GOURAV (IND)
No. No. 4 Arman AVAGYAN (ARM) vs. 5 Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) 
No. 2 Mohammad NOKHODILARIMI (IRI) vs. No. 7 Saifedine ALEKMA (FRA)
No. 3 Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) vs. No. 6 Muhammet AKDENIZ (TUR)

Semifinals:
No .1 Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) vs. No. 4 Arman AVAGYAN (ARM)
No. 2 Mohammad NOKHODILARIMI (IRI) vs. No. 3 Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)

Finals:
No .1 Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) vs. No. 2 Mohammad NOKHODILARIMI (IRI)

Burroughs bags top billing at 79kg

Last year's world finals opponents No. 1 Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) and No. 2 Mohammad NOKHODILARIMI (IRI) are positioned on opposite sides of the 79kg chart. Therefore, they wouldn't meet again unless they remained undefeated until the gold-medal bout. 

Looking for his sixth world title, Burroughs earned the top billing after winning gold at the World Championships, Pan-American Championships, and the Yasar Dogu Ranking Series event.

Burroughs will have to get through No. 8 Baliyan GOURAV (IND) in the quarterfinals, and then the winner of the fourth and five matchup between No. 4 Arman AVAGYAN (ARM) and No. 5 Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO). 

Nokholdilarimi's road to the finals will travel first through No. 7 Saifedine ALEKMA (FRA) on the lower side of the bracket. Then, if he beats the French wrestler in the quarterfinals, he'll wrestle reigning European champion No. 3 Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) or No. 6 Muhammet AKDENIZ (TUR).

86kg Seeds: 
No. 1 Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI)
No. 2 David Morris TAYLOR III (USA)
No. 3 Myles Nazem AMINE (SMR)
No. 4 Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)
No. 5 Boris MAKOEV (SVK)
No. 6 Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ)
No. 7 Deepak PUNIA (IND)
No. 8 Ethan Adrian RAMOS (PUR)

If seeds hold at 86kg:

Quarterfinals:
No. 1 Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) vs. No. 8 Ethan RAMOS (PUR)
No. 4 Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) vs. 5 Boris MAKOEV (SVK) 
No. 2 David Morris TAYLOR III (USA) vs. No. 7 Deepak PUNIA (IND)
No. 3 Myles Nazem AMINE (SMR) vs. No. 6 Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ)

Semifinals:
No. 1 Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) vs. No. 4 Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)
No. 2 David Morris TAYLOR III (USA) vs. No. 3 Myles Nazem AMINE (SMR)

Finals:
No. 1 Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) vs. No. 2 David Morris TAYLOR III (USA)

Yazdani and Taylor sit on opposite sides of 86kg bracket

Olympic champions Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) and David TAYLOR III (USA) are seeded first and second, respectively, at 86kg. This means fans must wait until the gold-medal bout to see the potential fifth meeting between the pair of massive superstars.

Yazdani, known by wrestling fans worldwide as "The Greatest," used his Bolat Turlykhanov Cup Ranking Series gold to inch his way past Taylor for the weight's top seed.

After his runner-up finish in Tokyo, Yazdani strung together gold-medal performances at the World Championships and the Bolat Turlykhanov Cup and beat the American out for the top spot by 6,400 points. 

Yazdani's first seeded opponent would come in the quarterfinals, as he'll likely see No. 8 Ethan RAMOS (PUR). Then, Yazdani would wrestle his 2017 world finals opponenet No. 5 Boris MAKOEV (SVK) or world bronze medalist No. 4 Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) for a spot in the semifinals.

Tokyo Olympic champion will have a significantly more challenging road to the finals than his Iranian rival. In the quarterfinals, he'll square off against arguably the weight's best defensive wrestler in Tokyo Olympic fifth-place finisher No. 7 Deepak PUNIA (IND). If he gets past the Indian youngster, he'll have to beat Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist No. 3 Myles Nazem AMINE (SMR) or No. 6 Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ).

92kg Seeds: 
No. 1 Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI)
No. 2 Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE)
No. 3 Jden COX (USA)
No. 4 Andrii VLASOV (UKR)
No. 5 Viky VIKY (IND)
No. 6 Adilet DAVLUMBAYEV (KAZ)
No. 7 Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO)
No. 8 Orgilokh DAGVADORJ (MGL)

If seeds hold at 92kg:

Quarterfinals:
No. 1 Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) vs. No. 8 Orgilokh DAGVADORJ (MGL)
No. 4 Andrii VLASOV (UKR) vs. No. 5 Viky VIKY (IND)
No. 2 Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) vs. No. 7 Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO)
No. 3 Jden COX (USA) No. 6 Adilet DAVLUMBAYEV (KAZ)

Semifinals:
No. 1 Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) vs. No. 4 Andrii VLASOV (UKR)
No. 2 Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) vs. No. 3 Jden COX (USA)

Finals:
No. 1 Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) vs. No. 2 Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE)

Ghasempour grabs top seed at 92kg

Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) headlines the top of the chart at 92kg after winning gold at the World Championships and Bolat Turlykhanov Cup Ranking Series. Dating back to 2018, the Iranian has won 10 consecutive competitions – including a pair of U23 world titles, senior-level world gold, and two Asian championship titles.

Ghasempour sits on opposite sides of the bracket from two-time world champion and Rio Olympic bronze medalist J'den COX (USA) and wouldn't see his rival until the gold-medal match. But to get to Cox, Ghasempour will have to take out No. 8 Orgilokh DAGVADORJ (MGL) in the quarters and either No. 4 Andrii VLASOV (UKR) or No. 5 Viky VIKY (IND) in the semifinals.

On the bottom side, No. 2 Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) will have his hands full on his way to the finals. First, he'll have to beat No. 7 Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), then the winner of third-seeded Cox and No. 6 Adilet DAVLUMBAYEV (KAZ).

97kg Seeds: 
No. 1 Kyle Frederick SNYDER (USA)
No. 2 Magomedgadji Omardibirovich NUROV (MKD)
No. 3 Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL)
No. 4 Mahamed ZAKARIIEV (UKR)
No. 5 Mohammadhossein Askari MOHAMMADIAN (IRI)
No. 6 Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK)
No. 7 Radu LEFTER (MDA)
No. 8 Mamed IBRAGIMOV (KAZ)

If seeds hold at 97kg:

Quarterfinals:
No. 1 Kyle Frederick SNYDER (USA) vs. No. 8 Mamed IBRAGIMOV (KAZ)
No. 4 Mahamed ZAKARIIEV (UKR) vs. No. 5 Mohammadhossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI) 
No. 2 Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD) vs. No. 7 Radu LEFTER (MDA)
No. 3 Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL) vs. No. 6 Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK)

Semifinals:
No. 1 Kyle SNYDER (USA) vs. No. 4 Mahamed ZAKARIIEV (UKR)
No. 2 Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD) vs. No. 3 Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL)

Finals:
No. 1 Kyle SNYDER (USA) vs. No. 2 Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD)

Snyder snags No. 1 seed at 97kg

In the absence of the Russian Wrestling Federations' Abdulrashid SADULAEV, Kyle SNYDER (USA) seized the top seed at 97kg. After runner-up finishes to Sadulaev at the Olympic Games and World Championships, Snyder won the Ivan Yariguin, Pan-American Championships Zouhaier Sghaier Tournament, the latter of the two being point-earning competitions, and will sit on the top side of the bracket.

Snyder shouldn't have trouble with his potential quarterfinals opponent No. 8 Mamed IBRAGIMOV (KAZ). But "Captian America" will have his hands full if No. 5 Mohammadhossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI) can get past No. 4 Mahamed ZAKARIIEV (UKR) in the other top side quarterfinal.

In Snyder and Mohammadian's last meeting, the Iranian pinned the Olympic champion in the second period after commanding control of the entire first period.

On the bottom side of the chart, No. 2 Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD) will see No. 7 Radu LEFTER (MDA) in the quarterfinals before tussling with either No. 3 Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL) or No. 6 Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) for a spot in the finals.

125kg Seeds: 
No. 1 Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)
No. 2 Taha AKGUL (TUR)
No. 3 Amir Hossein Abbas ZARE (IRI)
No. 4 Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL)
No. 5 Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER)
No. 6 Robert BARAN (POL)
No. 7 Zhiwei DENG (CHN)
No. 8 Amarveer DHESI (CAN)

If seeds hold at 125kg:

Quarterfinals:
No. 1 Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) vs. No. 8 Amarveer DHESI (CAN)
No. 5 Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER) vs. No. 4 Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL)
No. 2 Taha AKGUL (TUR) vs. No. 7 Zhiwei DENG (CHN)
No. 3 Amir Abbas ZARE (IRI) vs. No. 6 Robert BARAN (POL)

Semifinals:
No. 1 Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) vs. No. 4 Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL)
No. 2 Taha AKGUL (TUR) vs. No. 3 Amir Hossein Abbas ZARE (IRI)

Finals:
No. 1 Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) vs. No. 2 Taha AKGUL (TUR)

Petriashvilii picks up top spot at 125kg

Georgian superstar Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) heads to Belgrade as the No. 1 seeded wrestler at 125kg.

Petriashvilii picked up weight's top seed with second-place finishes at the Olympic Games World Championships and European Championships and first-place finishes at the Matteo Pellicone and Zouhaier Sghaier Ranking Series events.

More importantly, Petriashvilii put himself on the opposite side of the bracket from the last two guys who beat him, No. 2 Taha AKGUL (TUR) and No. 3 Amir ZARE (IRI). He now sits on the same side as Commonwealth Games champ No. 8 Amarveer DHESI (CAN), who he'll have in the quarterfinals, and No. 4 Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) and No. 5 Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER). The three-time world champ will have to get through the winner of Munkhtur or Cudinovic to reach his fifth consecutive 125kg world finals.

Olympic champion Akgul earned the second seed at 125kg but will a tough road if he wants to reach the world finals for the fifth time. First, he'll have to get through world bronze-medal winner No. 7 Zhiwei DENG (CHN) before setting up a second meeting with Zare, who defeated Akgul en route to last year's world-title run. 

For the matchup between Akgul and Zare to happen, the Iranian has to remain unbeaten until the quarterfinals, where he'll have to defeat No. 6 Robert BARAN (POL).