#WrestleAcapulco

Sunday Night's Pan-American Finals Set

Sunday, May 8, 2022 - 14:20 By Eric Olanowski & Vinay Siwach

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ACAPULCO, Mexico (May 8) -- The final day of the Pan-Am Championships is here. Eight freestyle weight classes will be in action after two were played out Saturday. Both the 79kg and 92kg gold medals were won by the USA.

After winning the Greco-Roman and women's wrestling team titles, the USA will be looking to clinch the freestyle team title as the tournament nears its close Sunday. (Day three recap: Hildebrandt helps USA win team title)

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE

Finals matches:
57kg: Thomas Patrick GILMAN (USA) vs. Darian Toi CRUZ (PUR) 
61kg: Nordic-style bracket 
65kg: Sebastian C RIVERA (PUR) vs. Joseph Christopher MC KENNA (USA) 
70kg: Vinicius DA SILVA JOAQUIM (BRA)  vs.  Emmanuel Olufemi OLAPADE (CAN) 
74kg: Kyle Douglas DAKE (USA) vs. Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) 
86kg: Lazaro Daniel HERNANDEZ LUIS (CUB) vs. Zahid VALENCIA (USA) 
97kg: Kyle Frederick SNYDER (USA) vs. Arturo SILOT TORRES (CUB)
125kg: Nicholas Edward GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) vs. Amarveer DHESI (CAN) 

1:56: That'll do it for this session. I would say it's time for lunch, but it's time for our sit-down interview with Jordan BURROUGHS (USA)! Lunch can wait. We'll see you back here at 17:00 (local time) for the closing session at the 2022 Pan-American Championships. 

1:51: The swag is real. Arturo SILOT TORRES (CUB) ​​is one of my new favorite guys to watch. He ​has some style and attitude to his wrestling. He'll need to bring it tonight when he takes on world and Olympic champ Kyle Snyder in the 97kg finals.

1:49: That was a fun one to way. Vinicius DA SILVA JOAQUIM (BRA) and Alexis OLVERA MAGALLANES (MEX) just put up 24 points on the board, with the Brazilian scoring a late four to win the match. He'll wrestle the winner of Emmanuel Olufemi OLAPADE (CAN) vs. Jhon Wilmer CHUNGA CARRENO (PER) tonight for 70kg gold.

 
1:44: I feel like there's no break in the action. It's one match ending early after another. Kyle Frederick SNYDER (USA) stormed to an 11-0  Nishan Preet Singh RANDHAWA (CAN) 

1:41: Gomez grabs a finals spot at 74kg with an 11-0 shutout win against Rego.
 
1:34: That was short-lived! Dake demolished Maren Castillo in 40 seconds. He'll wrestle the winner of Cesar BORDEAUX REGO ALVAN (BRA) vs. Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) in tonight's 74kg finals.

1:33: It's Dake time on Mat A! The two-time world champ and Olympic bronze medalist is wrestling Cuba's world bronze medalist Maren Castillo.

1:26: That was the most intense match I've seen here at the Pan-American Championships. Valencia pulled away in the second period and punched his ticket to the 86kg finals. He'll wrestle Cuba's Lazaro Daniel HERNANDEZ LUIS (CUB).

1:15: What a battle! Zahid VALENCIA (USA) and two-time Olympian Carlos Arturo IZQUIERDO MENDEZ (COL) are going toe-to-toe on Mat B. 

1:05: I'm back! We just shot a sit-down interview with two-time world champion J'den COX (USA), so be on the lookout for that over on our Youtube in the next few weeks.

11:55: Wrestling now: Thomas GILMAN (USA) is up on Mat A and Joey MCKENNA (USA) is up on Mat B.

11:45: We had a real tight one over on Mat B. Jacob Tizoc ALEXANDER TORRES (CAN) trailed Cristian Bernardo SANTIAGO PEREZ (MEX) but scored a takedown with 18 seconds left and hung on to the 5-5 criteria win.

11:35: Despite picking up the W, Sebastian C RIVERA (PUR) limped off the match after his win via fall over Albaro RUDECINDO CAMACHO (DOM).

11:13: This just in: Zain RETHERFORD (USA) has pulled out of the 2022 Pan-American Championships due to an illness. He did weigh in this morning, qualifying the United States for the Belgrade World Championships at 70kg.

11:03: The 35-year-old world bronze medalist Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB) is heading to Mat A to take on Sergio Peter GODOY VITE (ECU) at 74kg. He's looking for a second career Pan-American title and first since the 2017 Pan-Ams.

11:01: Interesting note: Pablo Dario VERA INSFRAN (PAR) is wrestling Angel Eduardo CORTES BONILLA (PAN) over on Mat A. He's looking to become the second wrestler ever from Paraguay to win a Pan-American medal.

10:54: The Americans won both freestyle golds last night and will be heavily favored in a lot of the weights today. But it'll be a while until any of them are up. The first guy that fans will see will be reigning world champion Thomas GILMAN (USA), who will be up on Mat A/ bout 254.

10:53: This is Eric Olanowski, taking back over on the live blog. We just wrapped up shooting some fun content with Sarah Hildebrant, which will come out on our Youtube over the next few weeks. 

10:45: Darian CRUZ (PUR) decided to sit on his 7-0 lead and was cautioned for fleeing But he manages to beat Oscar TIGREROS (COL) 7-2 at 57kg.

10:30: Tokyo Olympian Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG) had to scrape hard for his win against Wber CUERO MUNOZ (COL) at 65kg. He was leading 4-0 but Cuero scored a step out. He added another and Destribats was cautioned for fleeing. It became 4-4 with seven seconds left. Cuero tried hard but failed to get the win.

10:20: Emmanuel OLAPADE (CAN) has a technical superiority win over Vinicius DA SILVA JOAQUIM (BRA) in Round 1 of 70kg

10:15: Brandon ESCOBAR (HON) and Enrique HERRERA (PER) are invovled in absolute scramble. Escobar had built an 8-4 lead before Herrera's comeback who now leads 8-8. Herrera steers clear with three takedowns but Escobar manages one in dying seconds. Herrera wins 14-8

10:09: On Mat B, Olvera takes longer but manages to beat Karlikowski 10-0 in the Round 1 bout at 70kg

10:07: Fix has a great start to the tournament. Silva tried to challenge the USA wrestler but there is a lot of gulf in the class. Fix wins 11-0 inside the first period

10:00: Daton FIX (USA) on Mat A to kickoff proceedings. The World silver medalist is taking on Joseph Andres SILVA (PUR) in Round 1 at 61kg. On Mat B, Alexis OLVERA MAGALLANES (MEX) is up against Cristian KARLIKOWSKI (ARG) at 70kg.

9:45: Welcome to the final day of what has been an exceptional, action-packed Pan-Am Championships so far. For one final time, wrestlers will on the mat in this beautiful town of Acapulco, Mexico.

#WrestleAcapulco

Five talking points from Pan-Am Championships brackets

Thursday, May 5, 2022 - 10:52 By Vinay Siwach

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ACAPULCO, Mexico (May 5) -- As the Pan-Am Championships kick off in the picturesque town of Acapulco, there will be some major talking points from the tournament.

Cuba has returned to the tournament after a break and has entered in all three styles. Apart from that, a few stars from the age-group level would be waiting to make their mark at the senior level and this is a perfect chance to pocket a Pan-Am medal.

Here are the five biggest talking points of the Championships over the next four days. Check all 30 brackets here

Greco-Roman

Oscar PINO (CUB), 130kg

More than two years after he last competed, Pino is returning to the mat. The three-time World Championships medalist at 130kg has to make way for four-time Olympic champion Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) every four years.

It was a similar case when he won the silver medal at the 2019 Worlds but had to vacate the space for Lopez for the Tokyo Games. He last participated in the '20 Pan-Am Championships at 125kg in freestyle and finished with a bronze.

In Mexico, he is pitted against Tanner FARMER (USA) in the opening round match at 130kg and a win will take him to the showdown against Olympian fifth-placer Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI). He wrestles Thursday.

It will be a test for Pino but he would like to add to his three Pan-Am gold, the last of which came in 2018.

TafurNestor TAFUR (COL) will be wrestling Greco-Roman in Mexico. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

Nestor TAFUR (COL), 82kg

Another wrestler who will be competing in his non-favorable style is Nestor TAFUR (COL). But the 30-year-old will be making his debut in Greco-Roman on Friday.

A long-time freestyle wrestler for Colombia, Tafur will be wrestling at 82kg Greco-Roman and has been clubbed with Brayden AMBO (CAN) and Tyler CUNNINGHAM (USA) in Group B of the weight class.

Tafur, who trains in New York, has represented Colombia at the World Championships and has three Pan-Am Championships medals at 74kg and 79kg in freestyle.

But it is yet to be seen how he will take on the challenge of switching styles and winning another medal and first in Greco-Roman.

Lucia YEPEZLucia YEPEZ (ECU) will be eyeing her first senior Pan-Am medal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Women's wrestling

55kg - Karla GODINEZ GONZALEZ (CAN) vs Lucia YEPEZ (ECU)

Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) will enter the Pan-Am Championships as the U23 world champion and has her reputation at stake. She is clubbed in Group B at 55kg with Brenda FERNANDEZ (MEX) and Karla GODINEZ (CAN).

Bout number 102 of the competition could well decide her position in the tournament as she faces Godinez, who was fifth at the U23 World Championships three years ago.

Yepez, a Tokyo Olympian at 50kg, will be making her debut at the senior Pan-Ams and will have to punch above her weight to challenge the likes of Godinez and Fernandez. If she wins the group, she will have to go through former world champion Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) to win the gold.

Milaimys MARINMilaimys MARIN (CUB) is a junior and U23 world champion. (Photo: UWW / Sachiko HOTAKA)

76kg -- Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) vs Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB)

Another bout that will catch the attention of the fans is at 76kg. U23 World silver medalist Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) and former U23 and junior world champion Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) are drawn together in the first round. In action on Saturday, the two are expected to put on a show.

Marin burst into the scene when she won the Youth Olympics in 2018 and followed that by winning the junior and U23 world titles a year later. She was not able to repeat that performance at the senior level in 2020 and 2021.

But still 20, Marin end the year with a junior Pan-Am Games title at 76kg, a run which had a win over junior world champion Kylie WELKER (USA).

Renteria is also looking for her first senior Pan-Am medal. She won the silver at the U23 Worlds last year at 76kg but is still adjusting to the jump in weight class from 68kg.

 

Freestyle

Nishanpreet SINGH RANDHAWA (CAN), 97kg

Canada's freestyle team isn't talked about much but Randhawa can spring a surprise in Pan-Am Championships. After missing the '21 championships, Randhawa is back with the hope of winning a medal in the '22 edition in Mexico.

Back in 2015, Randhawa had secured a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships going 3-1 at the tournament. His only loss came against Iran while he defeated wrestlers from South Africa, Tunisia and India.

He later won the junior Pan-Am title in 2016 and defended that a year later. He finished eighth at the U23 Worlds in 2019.

The British Columbia is now hoping to win his second senior Pan-Am medal, the first came in 2017 when he won the bronze medal in Brazil. He will begin his tournament against Miller MONDRAGON ARBOLEDA (COL) and a win will take him to the likely semifinal against Kyle SNYDER (USA). He will be in action on Sunday.