#WrestleBudapest

Takahashi marks return from injury with Ranking Series gold

Friday, July 18, 2025 - 20:08 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 18) -- The last memories of Kota TAKHASHI (JPN) on the mat were painful. He had a heavily strapped right knee and was wrestling at the Non-Olympic World Championships in Tirana last year. He was torn.

A surgery and nine months later, Takahashi returned to international wrestling at the Budapest Ranking Series on Friday and captured the 74kg gold medal.

The world U23 champion was the third gold medalist from Japan in Budapest after Takara SUDA (JPN) and Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) won at 61kg and 70kg, respectively.

In the other two weight classes that were in action on Friday, Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) and Trent HIDLAY (USA) captured the gold medal at 86kg and 92kg as Freestyle came to a close at the Ranking Series.

Takahashi, who won the Asian Championships gold in 2024, made himself a gold-medal threat for the World Championships in Zagreb with an impressive performance that saw him score wins over Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) and David CARR (USA).

"This was my first international competition since my right knee surgery, and I wanted to show my true abilities," Takahashi said. "I'm very happy that I was able to win by thoroughly executing my tackles and aggressive wrestling style."

Takahashi was up against Salkazanov in his first match and began by blasting two double-leg attacks to race to a 4-0 lead. But the second period was not the same as he was put on the activity clock and Salkazanov cut the lead with a takedown during that.

Just when it seemed that Salkazanov can take the lead, Takahashi hit a low leg-attack and converted it into takedown to make the gap 6-3. Salkazanov did not let it go and scored a stepout with nine seconds left.

Takahashi was happy to not engage in those nine seconds, and happily gave a stepout and a caution. He won 6-6 and set up a quarterfinal against Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN). He did not need any of those attacks as he managed a 3-0 win.

The semifinal against Carr was a challenging one as Takahashi struggled to keep his conditioning for six minutes. He opened with a stepout and Carr was called for fleeing. As Carr used a chest wrap to stop Takahashi's double-leg attack, he fell on his back with hand opens. Only Takahashi was awarded two points which made his lead 4-0. Two stepouts later, it was 6-0.

Carr got going in the final two minutes as he scored two takedowns inside 20 seconds to make it 6-4. So far, Takahashi had remained low in his stance and cancelled Carr's long reach. However, his defense began to break up.

As Carr tried to turn Takahashi after the second takedown, Takahashi blocked the turn and got two points. Carr scored a reversal to make it 8-5. He then made it 8-7 with 10 seconds remaining but that was the final scoring action of the bout.

"Car is very aggressive, and I am also good at aggressive wrestling, but in the second half, my opponent's attacks were superior to mine. I ended up conceding points," he said. "I think that was my mistake. In the second period, I tried to attack, but the opponent kept attacking repeatedly. I ended up just defending, and that was the reason I lost points. I need to be more aggressive and attack more."

Takahashi's aggressive wrestling was once again on show in the final against another former world U23 champion Magomed KHANIEV (AZE). He scored two takedowns and defending so well that Khaniev was not able to score a point and Takahashi won gold medal, 4-0.

But the Japanese accepted the chinks in his armor and has decided to work on them before the World Championships where he knows that the competition will be even tougher.

"Similar story against Salkazanov. I want to review my stamina to maintain an aggressive attack throughout the six minutes without breaking my stance, and keep solid stance," he said. "In the second half, my desire to attack weakened, and I ended up being attacked by the opponent, leading to them scoring points. I need to improve on that."

Carr returned for the bronze medal bout and defeated Salkazanov 4-4, avenging his previous to the Slovak from Zagreb.

Trent HIDLAY (USA)Trent HIDLAY (USA) defeated Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) 7-2 in the 92kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Trent HIDLAY (USA), a 86kg silver medalist last year in Budapest, upgraded to gold medal after beating world silver medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), 7-4, in the 92kg final.

Hidlay was in red-hot form the whole day as he began with a win over Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)  and then posted a 10-0 win over Krizstian ANGYAL (HUN) in the quarterfinal. He began the semifinal against Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) with a powerful double-leg takedown.

As Kurugliev fell, he landed on his knee and suffered an injury so bad that he was unable to walk off the mat. Hidlay reached the final after the injury forced Kurugliev to stop.

It was Maisuradze who opened the scoring in the final with a snapdown to takedown for two points but Hidlay answered with two stepouts and the Georgian led 2-2 on criteria at the break.

Hidlay opened the second period with a takedown to take a 4-2 lead and then continued to put pressure on Maisuradze. It paid off as he scored another takedown on the edge to lead 6-2. Georgia challenged that both wrestlers were already out of the zone and it should be one point. But the challenge was lost, making it 7-2 for Hidlay with 1:47 left on the clock.

That was all in the bout as Hidlay captured the gold and put his name in contention for the gold medal at the upcoming World Championships.

At 86kg, Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) was the gold medalist after European silver medalist Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW) pulled out of the final injured.

Kadzimahamedau suffered a knee injury in the semifinal against Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI) as the Iranian did not let go off his knee despite it turning more than 90 degrees.

RESULTS

74kg
GOLD: Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) df. Magomed KHANIEV (AZE), 4-0

BRONZE: David CARR (USA) df. Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK), 4-4
BRONZE: Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN) df. Yeldos KUANYSHBAY (KAZ), 8-2

86kg
GOLD:  Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) df. Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Osman GOCEN (TUR) df. Boris MAKOEV (SVK), 3-2
BRONZE: Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI) df. Nurzhan ISSAGALIYEV (KAZ), 3-0 

92kg
GOLD: Trent HIDLAY (USA) df. Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), 7-4

BRONZE: Benjamin HONIS (ITA) df. Musza ARSUNKAEV (HUN), via fall (5-5)
BRONZE: Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) df. Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE), via inj. def.

#WrestleBudapest

Sharshenbekov Cuts Down, Rises to Win Gold in Budapest Ranking Series

Sunday, July 19, 2026 - 20:27 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 19) -- Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) appears to be rounding into form just in time for the World Championships.

After almost two years away from the mat, the Paris 2024 bronze medalist won the 63kg title at the Ulaanbaatar Open. On Sunday in Budapest he returned to his original Olympic weight of 60kg and rolled to another gold medal with a dominant run.

"It has been two years since I was at 60kg," Sharshenbekov said. "There was a break after the Olympics. I feel like I am just beginning to feel it again."

Sharshenbekov did not wrestle in the final after his opponent, Yernur FIDAKHMETOV (KAZ), forfeited because of an injury. Before that, however, Sharshenbekov was in dominant form.

He opened the day against Dalton ROBERTS (USA) and secured a fall in one minute, throwing Roberts on the mat using underhook. It set the tone for the rest of the day.

In his second bout, Elmir ALIYEV (AZE) offered little resistance in a 10-0 loss. Sharshenbekov earned the first par terre opportunity, turned Aliyev for two points and followed with a four-point throw. In the second period, he added a takedown that Azerbaijan challenged. The call stood, and the unsuccessful challenge gave Sharshenbekov another point.

Against Mahmoud SAAD (EGY) in the quarterfinals, Sharshenbekov built a 2-0 lead with a chasing takedown before extending it to 5-0 with a par terre turn. Just before the break, he circled behind Saad for another takedown to make it 7-0.

He needed only 25 seconds of the second period to complete another technical superiority victory and book a semifinal against world silver medalist Alisher GANIEV (UZB).

Asian champion Alisher GANIEV (UZB), wrestling with a heavily taped left knee, came out aggressively from the opening whistle but could not break through Sharshenbekov's defense. Sharshenbekov countered with ease and scored the opening takedown just 15 seconds into the bout.

Ganiev then limited the damage in par terre, defending Sharshenbekov's turn attempts to keep the deficit at 3-0 heading into the break.

The second period opened with both wrestlers battling for position as Ganiev searched for a takedown. But the relentless pace began to take its toll and after a minute of high-intensity wrestling, a tiring Ganiev surrendered a go-behind to fall further behind.

Ganiev threw everything at Sharshenbekov, working from body locks and underhooks to headlocks and two-on-one ties, but he could not move the Kyrgyzstan wrestler. Sharshenbekov eventually pull his arm out of Ganiev's hold and control Ganiev for another takedown to lead 5-0.

During a late scramble, Ganiev managed two exposure points, but Sharshenbekov immediately spun and came on top, brought Ganiev the mat and secured the fall.

As he prepares for the World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, in September, Sharshenbekov's dominant return to 60kg sent a message to the rest of the field.

"This isn't my peak," he said. "It is merely the beginning. I have plans and goals to prepare even better for the Asian Games, the World Championships and the Olympics. I need to reach an even higher level of fitness for those events."

Szoke Wins 97kg

Alex SZOKE (HUN) gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about, defeating Ilia ERMOLENKO (RUS), 5-1, in the 97kg final. In one of the standout performances of the tournament, Szoke combined patience, strength and tactical awareness, scoring from par terre before sealing the victory with a counter takedown.

The final began at a high pace, with both wrestlers battling to secure the first par terre advantage. It was the Hungarian who received the activity point in the opening period to take a 1-0 lead. Szoke then capitalized from par terre with a turn to extend the lead to 3-0.

The second period saw Ermolenko on top but Szoke was at his best defense and did not allow the Russian to score any points. But there was a heart stopping moment for Szoke late in the match when Ermolenko locked Szoke and dragged him towards the zone. But Szoke showed exceptional skills and broke the lock.

Ermolenko earned the par terre advantage in the second period, but Szoke's defense held firm, denying the Russian any scoring opportunity. The home crowd was briefly on edge late in the match when Ermolenko locked up Szoke and drove him toward the edge of the mat. Szoke, however, showed exceptional composure, breaking the lock to escape the danger.

Moments later, Szoke circled behind Ermolenko for a takedown to stretch the lead to 5-1, effectively putting the match out of reach. Ermolenko slammed the mat in frustration as the Hungarian closed out the victory.

Russia Wins 3 Golds

It was not all disappointment for Russia, as its experienced wrestlers claimed three of the six Greco-Roman gold medals on offer Sunday.

European champion Sergey EMELIN (RUS) once again showcased the qualities that have made him one of the world's best at 63kg. Whether winning on criteria, scoring when an opening appears or protecting a lead, Emelin has an answer for almost every situation. He displayed all three in a 5-2 victory over Kerem KAMAL (TUR).

Emelin and Kamal were locked in a thrilling contest, with the Russian taking a 2-2 criteria lead. Kamal maintained the pressure and looked set to force a stepout, but Emelin circled behind for a takedown to move ahead 4-2. A stepout in the final minute extended the lead to 5-2, allowing Emelin to close out another Ranking Series title.

The 82kg final was a tactical affair as Gamzat GADZHIEV (RUS) edged Asian champion Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT), 1-1 on criteria, to secure Russia's second gold medal.

Russia's third title came at 130kg, where Marat KAMPAROV (RUS) held on for a 1-1 criteria victory over U20 world champion Laszlo DARABOS (HUN), quieting the vocal home crowd.

Asian champion Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) added a Ranking Series title to his growing résumé with a comfortable 5-1 win over Brady KOONTZ (USA) in the 55kg final. Botirov set the tone from the opening whistle, earning the first par terre opportunity and scoring two gut-wrench turns for a 5-0 lead.

Koontz received the par terre opportunity in the second period, but Botirov defended it comfortably to seal the victory.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) df. Brady KOONTZ (USA), 5-1

BRONZE: Iskhar KURBAYEV (KAZ) df. LALIT (IND), 18-10
BRONZE: Artiom DELEANU (MDA) df. Max NOWRY (USA), 3-0

60kg
GOLD: Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) df. Yernur FIDAKHMETOV (KAZ), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) df. Mahmoud SAAD (EGY), 14-2
BRONZE: Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (RUS) df. Yerbol KAMALIYEV (KAZ), 5-3

63kg
GOLD: Sergey EMELIN (RUS) df. Kerem KAMAL (TUR), 5-2

BRONZE: Aref MOHAMMADI (QAT) df. Murad MAMMADOV (AZE), 7-0
BRONZE: Zhambolat LOKYAEV (RUS) df. Sunny KUMAR (IND), 3-1

82kg
GOLD: Gamzat GADZHIEV (RUS) df Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT), 1-1

BRONZE: Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO) df. Azimjon SOATULLAEV (UZB), 3-1
BRONZE: Mihail BRADU (MDA) df. Ognjen JAKOVLJEVIC (SRB), 3-1

97kg
GOLD: Alex SZOKE (HUN) df. Ilia ERMOLENKO (RUS), 5-1

BRONZE: Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) df. Arif NIFTULLAYEV (AZE), 1-1
BRONZE: Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM) df. Musa EVLOEV (RUS), via inj. def.

130kg
GOLD: Marat KAMPAROV (RUS) df. Laszlo DARABOS (HUN), 1-1

BRONZE: Wenhao JIANG (CHN) df. Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ), 2-2
BRONZE: Konsta MAEENPAEAE (FIN) df. Aden ATTAO (USA), 3-1