#WrestleBelgrade

Snyderlaev slayer Tazhudinov storms to historic world gold for Bahrain

By Ken Marantz

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 19) -- Having slayed the Snyderlaev beast, Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) completed his historic and mind-boggling run to a world title with one final display of domination.

The 20-year-old Tazhudinov overwhelmed Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) in the freestyle 97kg final at the World Championships on Tuesday, giving Bahrain its first-ever world gold and just its second medal overall.

"On my way to Belgrade, I knew I could become the world champion," Tazhudinov said. "If I didn’t believe in myself, I wouldn’t have even come here."

It was also a historic day for Hungary, as Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) became the Greco-loving nation's first freestyle world champion since 1979 with a victory at 65kg while denying Puerto Rico its first-ever gold medalist.

The United States, with three champions, won the freestyle team title for the second year in a row with 133 points, followed by Iran with 104 and Georgia, with 80 points, was third. Kazakhstan, which got its first-ever freestyle world champion, was fourth with 74 points and Azerbaijan was fifth with 66 points.

Meanwhile, Haruna OKUNO (JPN) started what is expected to be a Japanese women's gold rush by claiming the 55kg title for her third career gold and first since 2018, while China's Qi ZHANG (CHN) captured the other women's crown at stake at 59kg.

The 20-year-old Tazhudinov followed up his stunning victories on Monday over titans Kyle SNYDER (USA) and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) by defeating Magomedov by fall before a shocked and appreciative crowd at Belgrade's Stark Arena.

Tazhudinov started off with a single-leg takedown, then added a 4-point takedown. Magomedov, a bronze medalist last year, showed some life with a stepout, but Tazhudinov responded by securing a cradle and finishing off the Azeri with 11 seconds left in the first period.

Tazhudinov's triumph marked the first time since 2015 that neither Snyder nor Sadulaev made the top of the podium at 97kg at a World Championships or Olympics. Their head-to-head showdowns, dubbed Snyderlaev, became among the sport's most anticipated matches.

The way that Tazhudinov manhandled both may indicate a changing of the guard and definitely puts a target on his back in Paris. Against Snyder, Tazhudinov had a pair of 4-point counter lifts, while he built a 9-2 lead when Sadulaev was forced to default their semifinal with a neck injury.

"I was sure I would win [against Snyder], I’ve been watching his matches almost every day, I’ve studied all his techniques," Tazhudinov said. "We prepared the right technique and I won.

"It was very difficult to prepare for the match [against Sadulaev]. He had a neck injury, I didn’t even wrestle my best, because of that injury. I wish him a quick recovery and I hope we will wrestle each other again when he is ready."

Tazhudinov was born in the wrestling hotbed of Dagestan, and ironically is a product of Sadulaev's wrestling club. He began wrestling for Bahrain last year, and this year won gold at the Asian Championships and the Bishkek Ranking Series tournament.

He joins Adam BATIROV (BRN), who won the freestyle 70kg silver in 2018, as the lone world medalist representing Bahrain.

"Definitely, I feel great, I don’t even know how to explain what I feel, thanks a lot to my coaches and my parents for bringing me up," Tazhudinov said. "If they weren’t there for me, I wouldn’t have been here today."

Tazhudinov credited his coach Shamil Omarov, who is also personal coach of Sadulaev, in particular for his success. "He’s been training with me every day, he’s been going to every single training camp with me. He spent more time with me than with his own kids."

Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN)Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) captured the 65kg gold medal over Sebastian RIVERA (PUR). (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Muszukajev also took his share of big scalps before crushing Sebastian RIVERA (PUR) by a 10-0 technical fall in the 65kg final to capture an elusive gold after finishing third in both 2019 and 2022.

"I’ve been going for this gold for so long," Muszukajev said. "I was the third at two World Championships and finally, I’ve won this belt. I’ve been dreaming to try it on for so long. It’s been very difficult. My side of the bracket was really tough."

En route to the final, Muszukajev defeated Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN), albeit the Japanese was hampered by a foot injury, and defending world champion Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) in a semifinal thriller.

Otoguro later forfeited his repechage bout due to the foot injury.

Muszukajev said he knew he was in for a challenge when he saw the brackets. "What can I do, I came here to win," he said. "I was ready to wrestle anyone.

 "One of the most emotional matches was against the Iranian wrestler. I took a last-second win, and I felt that weight off my shoulders."

Against the American-raised Rivera, who became the second world medalist in Puerto Rican history, the lightning-quick Muszukajev started out with a takedown and stepout in the first period. In the second, the Hungarian blasted Rivera for a pair of 4-point takedowns, the second of which ended the match at 4:27.

Haruna OKUNO (JPN)Haruna OKUNO (JPN) won her third world title in Belgrade. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Okuno, who failed to displace star Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) for a spot on the Japanese team at the Olympic weight of 53kg, scored two takedowns in the first period and made that hold up in a 4-2 victory over 2019 world champion Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA).

She acknowledged that she would have preferred to compete in an Olympic weight class, but was glad to get the ball rolling for the Japanese women's team by becoming its first champion of the tournament. Earlier, Japan put wrestlers into all four of Wednesday's finals.

"I wanted to get a solid win and get the momentum going for those who will be wrestling [in the finals] tomorrow," Okuno said. "I'm glad I was able to do that."

Okuno, one of only a handful of wrestlers who have won the "Grand Slam" of world titles in all four age groups, won her first senior gold at 55kg in 2017 before moving down to 53kg and triumphing again the following year.

"Five years has passed," she said. "I've realized again how difficult it is to get to the World Championships and how big a thing it is. I will never forget that."

Qi ZHANG (CHN)Qi ZHANG (CHN) won China's first gold medal at the World Championships since 2019. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

In the women's 59kg final, Zhang, a silver medalist on the world junior (U20) and U23 levels, picked up her first senior gold with a 4-1 victory over veteran Yuliia TKACH (UKR).

Zhang, who had three third-place finishes in international tournaments this season, was trailing 1-1 on criteria when she scored the winning takedown with an arm drag with 1:15 left. Tkach got in on a single in the dying seconds, but Zhang kept her from turning it into points. An unsuccessful challenge added the final point.

Tkach, the European silver medalist this year, had been aiming to win her second world gold, nine years after winning the first in 2014 at 63kg. Instead, she can be proud knowing she will be taking home her fifth world medal and first since 2018.

Kyle SNYDER (USA)Kyle SNYDER (USA) defeated Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) in the repechage to reach the bronze-medal bout at 97kg. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Snyder gains bronze by default

In the bronze-medal matches, Snyder claimed his seventh world medal and second bronze without a fight when Sadulaev defaulted their bronze-medal match. Sadulaev had reportedly already flown back to Moscow.

The forfeit also means that the United States gained another quota for the Paris Olympics.

European champion Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) will leave Belgrade with a bronze medal for the second straight year after topping Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR) 6-2 in the other third-place match at 97kg.

Shamil MAMEDOV (AIN) made sure Amouzad would leave Belgrade without a medal after notching an 8-6 win at 57kg in an entertaining bout between two young wrestlers.

After Mamedov went ahead 2-0 with a stepout and a fleeing point tacked on, Amouzad came back with his silky smooth duck-under takedown. But Mamedov came up with the big move, a counter whizzer to the back for 4 to go up 6-2 going into the second period.

Amouzad came back with a stepout, then charged ahead with his underhook for a takedown to cut the lead to 6-5. Mamedov, the 2021 world U20 champion, never wavered and clinched the win and the bronze medal with a takedown with 43 seconds left.

The other 65kg bronze went to European champion Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), who scored two stepouts and a late takedown in the second period to top Maxim SACULTAN (MDA) 5-1.

Both Mamedov and Tevanyan grabbed Paris Olympic quotas with the former winning it as an Individual Neutral Athlete and Tevanyan for Armenia.

Othelie HOEIE (NOR)Othelie HOEIE (NOR) won Norway's second world medal since 2005. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

It was a red-letter day for the Norwegian women's team and its Japanese coach Yurie YONEOKA when young Othelie HOEIE (NOR) defeated Elena BRUGGER (GER) 5-1 for a women's 59kg bronze -- just the Nordic nation's second world medal since 2005.

Othelie, a European bronze medalist, was on the activity clock and about to go behind on criteria in the second period when she nailed Brugger with a pancake to go ahead 3-1. She then added a snapdown takedown to seal the deal.

Yoneoka, who wrestled and coached collegiately in the U.S., was hired by the Norwegian federation to turn around a program that won 11 gold medals in the late 1980s and early 90s -- including three by Hoeie's mother Gudrun -- but has had none since and only one finalist.

Jennifer PAGE (USA) assured she will be taking home a momento of her senior world debut at the ripe age of 30, pancaking Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) to her back and securing a fall in 1:41 to win the other 59kg bronze medal.

At 55kg, Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) avenged a loss to Karla GODINEZ (CAN) in last year's bronze-medal match, securing the winning takedown at the edge with 35 seconds left for a 3-2 victory that put her on a world podium for the first time on any age level.

Godinez had received an activity point in each period but was unable to keep her knee from hitting the mat and make the takedown a stepout instead. The Canadian side made a specious challenge after the buzzer, which added the final point as Dragutan became the fourth Moldovan woman in history to win a world medal.

Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER) added senior world bronze to the U23 one she won last year, scoring a stepout with 22 seconds left to edge teenager Neha SHARMA (UWW) on last-point criteria 2-2 for the other 55kg bronze.

Amouzad gains Paris ticket

In the fifth-place playoff for an Olympic berth held later, Amouzad shrugged off the acrobatic antics of Sacultan and charged to a 10-0 victory in 4:27 at 65kg.

After gaining an activity point, Amouzad got Sacultan's leg in the air and managed to not only hold on when the Moldovan twice executed a spinning back flip, but he finished off the takedown. In the second period, Amouzad scored a 4-point takedown and ended the match with a powerful double-leg takedown.

At 97kg, Turkey received the berth when Ciftci was awarded an injury default over Sadulaev.

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Day 4 Results

Freestyle

65kg (45 entries)
GOLD: Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) df. Sebastian RIVERA (PUR) by TF, 11-0, 4:27

BRONZE: Shamil MAMEDOV (AIN) df. Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI), 8-6
BRONZE: Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) df. Maxim SACULTAN (MDA), 5-1

5th-Place Playoff: Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) df. Maxim SACULTAN (MDA) by TF, 10-0, 4:27

97kg (35 entries)
GOLD: Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) df. Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) by Fall, 2:49 (8-1)

BRONZE: Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) df. Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR), 6-2
BRONZE: Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) by Inj. Def.

5th-Place Playoff: Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR) df. Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) by Inj. Def.

Women's Wrestling

50kg (28 entries)
GOLD: Yui SUSAKI (JPN) vs. Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL)

Semifinal: Yui SUSAKI (JPN) df. Ziqi FENG (CHN), 8-2
Semifinal: Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL) df. Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA), 7-5

55kg (19 entries)
GOLD: Haruna OKUNO (JPN) df. Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA), 4-2

BRONZE: Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) df. Karla GODINEZ (CAN), 3-2
BRONZE: Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER) df. Neha SHARMA (UWW), 2-2

57kg (36 entries)
GOLD: Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) vs. Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN)

Semifinal: Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) df. Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR) by TF 10-0, 4:14
Semifinal: Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) df. Helen MAROULIS (USA), 6-0

59kg (22 entries)
GOLD: Qi ZHANG (CHN) df. Yuliia TKACH (UKR), 4-1

BRONZE: Jennifer PAGE (USA) df. Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) by Fall, 1:40 (4-0)
BRONZE: Othelie HOEIE (NOR) df. Elena BRUGGER (GER), 5-1

65kg (17 entries)
GOLD: Macey KILTY (USA) vs. Nonoka OZAKI (JPN)

Semifinal: Macey KILTY (USA) df. Tatsiana PAULAVA (AIN) by TF, 10-0, 2:29
Semifinal: Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) df. Lili LILI (CHN) by TF, 10-0, 1:01

76kg (29 entries)
GOLD: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) vs. Yuka KAGAMI (JPN)

Semifinal: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) by Fall, 2:32 (4-2)
Semifinal: Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) df. Milaimys MARIN (CUB), 5-2

#WrestleBelgrade

World Championships: Taylor continues dominance of Yazdani, bags 3rd gold

By Ken Marantz

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 17) -- After beating rival Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) yet again, and handily at that, David TAYLOR (USA) dropped down to a knee and shook his head seemingly to say that even he doesn't know how he does it.

Taylor maintained the upper hand in one of the sport's great rivalries, capturing his third world title by securing a late fall in their freestyle 86kg final in the feature match on Sunday, the second day of the World Championships in Belgrade.

Taylor's victory was part of a productive day for the U.S. team, which won both of the non-Olympic titles up for grabs and gained another spot at the Paris Olympics when Mason PARRIS (USA) won a bronze medal at 125kg.

Read More: Micic beats Olympic, world champs to set up Higuchi final; Dake takes on Sidakov

This year's championships offers the first five qualifying places for the 2024 Paris Olympics and includes a historic fifth-place playoff between the losers of the bronze-medal matches.

Iran has secured two tickets to Paris, including one when Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) regained the 125kg throne with a one-sided victory over veteran Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO).

In the 86kg final, Taylor, taking advantage of a successful challenge in the first period that changed the tenor of the match, scored a key takedown early in the second period to take a 7-3 lead.

As the two battled for openings, Taylor clamped down when Yazdani attempted a headlock throw to make it 9-3 and secured the fall with two seconds left for his fifth win in six career meetings between the two.

"It's so many micro-adjustments, it's amazing," Taylor said. "I have a plan, he has a plan, then you go out there and your plan works for about 20 seconds. When I wrestle him, it's like organized chaos, there's just so much happening. It becomes, honestly, a lot of instinct. It's what I've been doing for 25 years."

Taylor, who beat Yazdani in the Tokyo Olympic final, said the key to handling the Iranian star was to neutralize his dangerous underhook.

"He's so good in that position, and it's forced me to get better," Taylor said. "For me, the more action always benefits me. I feel like our matches had a lot of action...People will do the best they possibly can to slow me down, my job is to become a dynamic scorer and find ways to continue to score and that was what I was able to do."

Taylor's lone loss to Yazdani was a 6-2 decision in the 2021 final in Oslo, which he said he took to heart.

"He is an aggressive, fearless competitor," Taylor said. "In Oslo, I gave him an inch and he took a mile. I learned my lesson the hard way in that match. Every time I have to try to stay one step ahead."

Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI)Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) celebrates after winning the 125kg final against Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO). (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Zare split a pair of matches with Petriashvili in 2021, but there was no doubt who was the dominant figure in their clash for supremacy at 125kg.

Petrashvili had no answer for the tremendous pressure that Zare applied, as the Iranian had six stepouts in charging to an 11-0 technical fall in 4:48.

Zare, a bronze medalist last year, added to the world gold he won in 2021 as a 19-year-old, while Petrashvili, a two-time Olympic medalist, took home his eighth world medal. He has not won a gold since winning three straight from 2017 to 2019.

Zare knows that even though he secured the Paris berth, he faces tough competition in the battle to fill it himself.

"There are domestic competitors who are young and motivated and I will try to beat [them] and go to the Olympics and get the best result," he said.

Vitali ARUJAU (USA)Vitali ARUJAU (USA) won the 61kg gold medal at the World Championships. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Meanwhile, Vitali ARUJAU (USA) and Zain RETHERFORD (USA) gave the U.S. gold in non-Olympic weight classes for their first world titles. Arujau triumphed at 61kg to join his father as a world champion, while Retherford powered to the 70kg title by beating the other Yazdani in action on Sunday.

Arujau, who won a national collegiate title this year for the Ivy League's Cornell University, prevailed 10-9 in a freewheeling 61kg final over 2021 world champion Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (AIN) that featured lots of points on counter lifts and exposures.

"There were some things that went my way, and some things that didn't," Arujau said. "But when it comes to finding those openings and being able to chain together multiple attacks, that's where I really shine."

Arujau scored first with a stepout, then things really got wild. On a shot by Magomedov, Arujau went to a body lift while on his posterior, with both bodies twisting and swirling in a wild scramble. When the dust cleared and a challenge allowed the scoring to be sorted out, Arujau had a 7-4 lead.

In the second period, Magomedov gained an exposure and a challenge point to tie the match, but his lead on criteria quickly evaporated when Arujau scored a go-behind takedown. Arujau added a stepout to go up 10-7 before Magomedov picked up a stepout and caution point in the final seconds to account for the final score.

Arujau, a silver medalist on both the junior (U20) and cadet (U17) levels, made it to the top step of the senior podium to emulate his father Vugar ORUDIEV, who won two world titles at freestyle 48kg for the former Soviet Union, as well as a bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

"It's been a long time coming," said Arujau, who was born in Belarus but grew up in the state of New York. "I'm 24 years old and this is the first time I can say I'm actually gaining a little ground [on him.]"

Zain RETHERFORD (USA)Zain RETHERFORD (USA) defeated Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) in the 70kg to win his first world title. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Retherford made it to the top of the podium after finishing second last year by putting together a solid 8-5 win over Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) in the 70kg final.

Retherford dictated the pace of the match, using counters and a low single to score three takedowns and two stepouts. Yazdani, last year's world U23 silver medalist, had two slick takedowns, but otherwise offered little resistance in having to settle for the senior silver.

"I'm satisfied with how I felt wrestling, especially in the semifinal and final," Retherford said. "I came out a little nervous in the first round, but in the semifinal and final, I felt like I opened up, I felt like I was myself, battling for every score and had fun doing it."

Myles AMINE (SMR)Myles AMINE (SMR), San Marino's first Olympic medalists, secured a Paris Olympic berth by winning the bronze medal at 86kg. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Akgul, Amine win bronzes, Olympic berths

In the bronze-medal matches, Taha AKGUL (TUR) earned his eighth world medal and the Olympic berth for his country that came with it, with an untroubled 5-0 victory over Daniel LIGETI (HUN) at 125kg.

Akgul, the defending champion who was dethroned in the semifinals by Zare, scored all of his points in the first period with a stepout, a takedown and a gut wrench, then stayed out of danger the rest of the way.

Assuming he fills the berth in Paris himself, Akgul will get a shot at a third Olympic medal, having won a gold in 2016 and a bronze in 2021.

Parris, a late U.S. team replacement after the withdrawal of Olympic champion Gable STEVESON (USA), capped an impressive performance with a 12-2 technical fall over Abdulla KURBANOV (AIN) for the other 125kg bronze and Olympic quota.

Parris, the 2019 world junior (U20) champion, stopped a Kurbanov back-drop for 4 and found four different ways to score takedowns as he established himself as a future force to be reckoned with.

At 86kg, American-bred Myles AMINE (SMR) added another entry into the wrestling history of tiny San Marino by becoming the country's first-ever senior world medalist by defeating Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB) 8-5. Two years ago, Amine gave San Marino its first-ever Olympic wrestling medal when he won a bronze medal in Tokyo.

In the other 86kg match, Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) pulled a rabbit out of his hat to score a buzzer-beating 5-3 win over Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) and earn a bronze for the second year in a row.

Dauletbekov had gone ahead 2-1 with a second activity point when Sharipov used a slick duck under to score a takedown with 20 seconds left.

With the clock ticking down, Dauletbekov hit a last-ditch inside trip that sent Sharipov to the mat at the buzzer. A challenge was denied that the points were scored after time expired.

Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ)Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) won his first world medal, bronze, by beating Kodai OGAWA (JPN) at 61kg. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

In the bronze-medal matches in the non-Olympic weights, Asian champion Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) made sure a single-leg attempt by Kodai OGAWA (JPN) in the second period would only yield a stepout point, allowing him to come away with a 2-1 victory at 61kg.

Zhumashbek Uulu, in repeating his 4-1 victory over Ogawa in the quarterfinals at the Asian Championships in April, went ahead with an activity point in the first period and a stepout in the second.

Shota PHARTENADZE (GEO) added a world bronze to the European he won earlier this year with a dramatic 5-5 win over Valentyn BLIASETSKYI (UKR) in the other 61kg match.

Trailing 2-1, Phartenadze locked up both arms, went for broke and executed a 4-point back trip late in the second period. He would then give up a fleeing point, a stepout and a caution point, but it was not enough to cost him the victory.

At 70kg, European silver medalist Ramazan RAMAZANOV (BUL) denied Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) a third straight world medal, riding a 4-point trip to an 8-6 victory. Akmataliev had finished third last year and second in 2021.

Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM), last year's European silver medalist, chalked up five 2-point tilts after scoring a takedown in the second period, giving him a 12-1 technical fall over Asian U23 bronze medalist ABHIMANYOU (UWW) for the other 70kg bronze.

Shapiev, Kurbanov win first-ever fifth-place playoffs

Shapiev and Kurbanov became answers to a future trivia question when they became the first winners of the newly adopted fifth-place playoff to decide the fifth Olympic berth available at the World Championships.

Shapiev scored a stepout and two activity points to defeat Sharipov at 86kg, while Kurbanov scored three takedowns in an 8-3 victory at 125kg over Ligeti.

The playoff became mandated when the UWW decided to reassign one Olympic qualifying quota from the World Championships, which originally had six, to the final World qualifying tournament, which now will have three.

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Day 2 Results

Freestyle

57kg (33 entries)
GOLD: Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) vs Stevan MICIC (SRB)

Semifinal: Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) df. Meirambek KARTBAY (KAZ) by TF, 11-0, 4:19
Semifinal: Stevan MICIC (SRB) df. Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB), 6-2

61kg (33 entries)
GOLD: Vitali ARUJAU (USA) df. Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (AIN), 10-9

BRONZE: Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) df. Kodai OGAWA (JPN), 2-1
BRONZE: Shota PHARTENADZE (GEO) df. Valentyn BLIASETSKYI (UKR), 5-5

70kg (30 entries)
GOLD: Zain RETHERFORD (USA) df. Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI), 8-5
BRONZE: Ramazan RAMAZANOV (BUL) df. Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ), 8-6
BRONZE: Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM) df. ABHIMANYOU (UWW) by TF, 12-1, 5:01

74kg (45 entries)
GOLD: Zaurbek SIDAKOV (AIN) vs. Kyle DAKE (USA)

Semifinal: Zaurbek SIDAKOV (AIN) df. Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE), 5-1
Semifinal: Kyle DAKE (USA) df. Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE), 4-1

79kg (27 entries)
GOLD: Akhmed USMANOV (AIN) vs. Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO)

Semifinal: Akhmed USMANOV (AIN) df. Orkhan ABASOV (AZE), 3-0
Semifinal: Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) df. Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR), 10-4

86kg (48 entries)
GOLD: David TAYLOR (USA) df. Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) by Fall, 5:58 (9-3)

BRONZE: Myles AMINE (SMR) df. Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB), 8-5
BRONZE: Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) df. Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN), 5-3

5th-Place Playoff: Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB) df. Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN), 3-1

92kg (27 entries)
GOLD: Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) vs. Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE)

Semifinal: Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) df. Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), 8-1
Semifinal: Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) df. Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) by TF, 10-0, 1:23

125kg (33 entries)
GOLD: Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) df. Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) by TF, 11-0, 4:48

BRONZE: Taha AKGUL (TUR) df. Daniel LIGETI (HUN), 5-0
BRONZE: Mason PARRIS (USA) df. Abdulla KURBANOV (AIN) by TF, 12-2, 4:30

5th-Place Playoff: Abdulla KURBANOV (AIN) df. Daniel LIGETI (HUN), 8-3