Lima

Surprises Abound Friday Morning at Pan Ams

Friday, May 4, 2018 - 20:14 By Taylor Miller

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LIMA (May 4) – Friday morning’s session of the 2018 Pan American Championships wrapped up with a few surprises as 2017 Junior World champion Kamal BEY (USA) was knocked out of the competition when he suffered a broken rib in his first round of action at 77 kg.

Bey was going back and forth with two-time Pan American silver medalist Jair CUERO MUNOZ (COL) when the setback occurred. Bey was then forced to medical forfeit out of the tournament.

Cuero moved on to the finals at 77 kg and will do battle with 2018 Central American and Caribbean Championships gold medalist Ariel FIS (CUB).

Other notable happenings from Friday morning included 2017 World bronze medalist Becka LEATHERS (USA) sealing a gold medal at 55 kg after she defeated the other two competitors in the field, Lady MORAN VALENZUELA (ECU) and Cara NANIA (CAN). It is her second-consecutive Pan Am title.

Moran Valenzuela and Nania will wrestle for silver tonight.

Also already securing a gold medal is Luis AVENDANO ROJAS (VEN), who has posted a 3-0 record at 82 kg in Greco, so far. Earlier in the day, he defeated the only 3-1 wrestler in the field, Geordan Speiller, a 2016 Pan Am champion, with an 8-0 tech fall.

At 87 kg, the third Greco weight of the day, past Pan American medalists Yorgen COVA PULIDO (VEN) and Daniel GREGORICH (CUB) sailed to the finals and will face each other tonight for the crown.

Gregorich defeated Ben PROVISOR (USA) in a rematch of last year’s Pan Am finals. Their last meeting ended in a 2-2 decision for Provisor. Not only did Gregorich flip the result but he also widened the gap, picking up a 9-0 technical fall.

On the women’s side, Andribeth RIVERA (PUR) knocked off two-time Pan American champion and 2012 Olympian Kelsey CAMPBELL (USA) with an decisive 10-4 win to put herself in position for gold at 59 kg, which is also a round robin weight.

Rivera will face off against Laurence BEAUREGARD (CAN) for the top prize in tonight’s session.

There were no matches wrestled at 65 kg in women’s freestyle as there are only two competitors in the bracket, counting 2017 Pan Am bronze winner Forrest MOLINARI (USA) and three-time University World medalist Breanne GRAHAM (CAN). The two will go head to head tonight for gold.

The final round of 72 kg competition will be contested tonight with three in the hunt for the top of the podium. Veronica KEEFE (CAN) leads the pack with a 2-0 record so far. She will take on Diana CRUZ ARROYO (PER), who is 1-1, suffering a loss to Josselyn PORTILLO MEJIA (ESA), who is also 1-1 on the day. Portillo Mejia will meet up with Hannah GLADDEN (USA) tonight.

The finals are set for 7 p.m. ET and can be watched live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

FINALS MATCH UPS

GRECO-ROMAN

77 kg
GOLD - Ariel FIS BATISTA (CUB) vs. Jair Alexis CUERO MUNOZ (COL)
BRONZE - Francisco Albano BARRIO (ARG) vs. Angelo Rafael MARQUES MOREIRA (BRA)
BRONZE - Reinier JIMENEZ TERRY (GUA) vs. Johan Antonio BATISTA (DOM)

82 kg
ROUND 5 - Brayden William AMBO (CAN) vs. Luis Eduardo AVENDANO ROJAS (VEN)
ROUND 5 - Carlos Moises ESPINOZA CASTRO (PER) vs. Adil Hendresson BARROS MACHADO (BRA)

87 kg
GOLD - Yorgen Jose COVA PULIDO (VEN) vs. Daniel GREGORICH HECHAVARRIA (CUB)
BRONZE - Alfonso Antonio LEYVA YEPEZ (MEX) vs. Benjamin Errol PROVISOR (USA)
BRONZE - Phillip Raweriio BARREIRO (CAN) vs. Carlos Alberto ADAMES PALMER (DOM)

WOMEN’S FREESTYLE

55 kg
ROUND 3 - Lady Raysa MORAN VALENZUELA (ECU) vs. Cara Gail NANIA (CAN)

59 kg
ROUND 3 - Andribeth RIVERA BELLIARD (PUR) vs. Laurence BEAUREGARD (CAN)
ROUND 3 - Karoline SILVA DE SANTANA (BRA) vs. Kelsey Rene CAMPBELL (USA)

65 kg
GOLD - Breanne Leigh GRAHAM (CAN) vs. Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA)

72 kg
ROUND 3 - Veronica Helen Frances KEEFE (CAN) vs. Diana Luisa Victoria CRUZ ARROYO (PER)
ROUND 3 - Josselyn Tatiana PORTILLO MEJIA (ESA) vs. Hannah La Shae GLADDEN (USA)

#WrestleNoviSad

U23 Worlds 2025: Forrest wins epic final to hand U.S. team title

Tuesday, October 28, 2025 - 00:40 By Vinay Siwach

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 27) — For a second time this year, the United States and Iran were involved in a thrilling team title race in Freestyle at a World Championships with the U.S. eventually winning the title.

After being tied at 102 points each at the U23 World Championships in Novi Sad, the U.S. needed one win and Iran needed to win all three bouts on the final day of the competition.

The U.S. sealed the team title as soon as Jaxen FORREST (USA) won the 61kg final, giving his country an unassailable lead of 137 points over Iran, which finished second with 127 points. Japan was third with 85 points.

With the team title, U.S. won the top spot in Freestyle in all age-group World Championships while Iran won the title in senior Worlds.

Three gold medals already in pocket, the U.S. won a fourth one on Monday through Forrest who had an unforgettable bout against Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ).

Both teenagers, U20 world bronze medalist Forrest and U17 world champion Asan Uulu put on a match that will be remembered for ages. Both wrestlers settled in, Forrest came up with an over-underhook for four but Asan Uulu soon fired back with two takedown to make it 4-4. After a back-and-forth scramble, Asan Uulu managed to score a push out for a 5-4 lead.

But Forrest took a big lead when he threw Asan Uulu from quad pod position for four points. Kyrgyzstan’s lost challenge added one more point to make it 9-5.

Jaxen FORREST (USA)Jaxen FORREST (USA) scores a takedown against Umurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The two were not done yet. As soon as the second period began, Asan Uulu scored a stepout, Forrest got a takedown to make it 11-6. Asan Uulu managed to get a takedown and score via exposure. He took a 12-11 lead with a takedown on edge with 1:30 left.

There was more left in the match as Forrest got on a low single to get a takedown and as the wrestlers returned to standing, he threw Asan Uulu for a big four, the third of the match to make it 17-12. He was happy to give one takedown to Asan Uulu in the final 10 seconds and win the gold medal 17-14, in what was perhaps the match of the year.

SUJEET (IND)SUJEET (IND) scores the match-winning takedown against Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

At 65kg, SUJEET (IND) upgraded his bronze from last year to gold this year after he blanked world bronze medalist Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) in the final, his third 10-0 technical superiority over Jalolov this year.

Sujeet began like favorite underhook and snapdowns and Jalolov was put on the clock. Sujeet scored a takedown during that period to lead 3-0 before a stepout made it 4-0, a lead which Sujeet carried into the break.

The second period was no different as Sujeet did not let Jalolov settle down. He scored using a counter takedown to lead 6-0 with 1:52 remaining. Jalolov tried to hit a far reaching leg attack but Sujeet throws thew himself backward before scoring a takedown. A double leg takedown to make it 10-0 with 1:06 remaining.

Arash YOSHIDA (JPN)Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) celebrates after beating Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO) in the 97kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Japan went past Turkiye in the team race by one point, all thanks to Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) winning the gold medal at 97kg by beating Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO), 12-2, in the final.

For a split second Suleimaniashvili was about to pin Yoshida but apart from that, Yoshida never looked in any kind of trouble. His body frame and power were too much for the Georgian who just folded in the battle.

Yoshida managed to score from various position and used the underhook to perfection to earn his first world title.

One of the most dominant wrestlers in this tournament, Arsen BALAIAN (UWW), capped off his incredible run with a 10-0 victory over Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA), 10-0.

RESULTS

61kg
GOLD: Jaxen FORREST (USA) df. Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ), 17-14

BRONZE: Akito MUKAIDA (JPN) df. Mykyta ABRAMOV (UKR), 10-0
BRONZE: Tolga OZBEK (TUR) df. Erdal GALIP (BUL), 11-1

65kg
GOLD: SUJEET (IND) df. Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB), 10-0

BRONZE: Bilol SHARIP UULU (KGZ) df. Aykhan ABDULLAZADA (AZE), 10-0
BRONZE: Bashir MAGOMEDOV (UWW) df. Yuto NISHIUCHI (JPN), 7-5

86kg
GOLD: Arsen BALAIAN (UWW) df. Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA), 10-0

BRONZE: Ali TCOKAEV (AZE) df. Tornike SAMKHARADZE (GEO), 13-2
BRONZE: Abolfazl RAHMANI (IRI) df. Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA), 7-5

97kg
GOLD: Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) df. Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO), 12-2

BRONZE: Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) df. Abolfazl BABALOO (IRI), 7-1
BRONZE: Soslan DZHAGAEV (UWW) df. David MCHEDLIDZE (UKR), 4-2