#WrestleBelgrade

Taylor wins latest duel against Yazdani; Burroughs claims sixth gold

By Ken Marantz

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 16) -- With military-like precision and power, David TAYLOR (USA) came out on top in the latest edition of the top-gun rivalry that currently has the wrestling world abuzz.

Taylor avenged a loss to Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) at last year's World Championships with a well-earned 7-1 victory in the 86kg final, giving the American his second world title in one of four freestyle finals on Friday in Belgrade.

"This is the first time I've really gone into wrestling Yazdani with super strict intentions," Taylor said. "And I followed that. He's burning that fire for me to continue going. He's that barrier to me and a gold medal in Paris."

Earlier, Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) captured the 79kg title to tie Adeline GRAY (USA) for the most-ever world golds by an American with six, while an unheralded and unorthodox Japanese shed some rain on the American victory parade with a surprisingly one-sided win over Zain RETHERFORD (USA) in the 70kg final.

Taha AKGUL (TUR) captured the final title at stake on the seventh day of competition with a victory at 125kg, giving him a third world title and first since 2015.

David TAYLOR (USA)David TAYLOR (USA) never let off the pressure against Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) in the 86kg final. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Taylor's victory over Yazdani was his fourth in five career meetings between the two superstars, the last three of which have come in global finals. Last year, Taylor came out on top 4-3 in the final of the Tokyo Olympics, an outcome Yazdani reversed three months later with a 6-2 win for the gold in Oslo.

"Going there and losing, it was hard," said Taylor, who said he at one time considered retiring.

In every previous match, Yazdani took the initial lead, and Friday night's clash was no exception. Yazdani received an activity point, but few could have foreseen that that would be the limit to his scoring.

After Yazdani tip-toed out of a takedown attempt, Taylor came right back at him and gained a single-leg takedown to lead 2-1 going into the second period. A sweeping tackle and a stepout off a single-leg attempt put the American up 5-1.

Yazdani looked like he was going to cut the lead to a manageable margin when he very nearly got behind for a takedown in the final minute, but Taylor reached back and prevented the Iranian from completing the move. Yazdani still had a shot when moved to the side for a crotch lift, but Taylor resisted that for a stalemate.

With Yazdani putting the pressure on to score, it was Taylor who came up with a final takedown to put the victory on ice.

Taylor said that for some time, he lost his desire to continue the sport, and only relit the flame through the support of his family and others around him.

"I tell you why this year has been so hard for me," he said. "I contemplated retiring multiple times. I just didn't know if I wanted to do it anymore. I've been at the top of what I want to do since I was a little kid. Olympic champion. I believe if I didn't go the World Championships, eight weeks later, I'd probably be done."

Taylor and Yazdani are both Olympic champions with the latter winning at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but became rivals when Yazdani made the move from 74kg up to Taylor's domain at 86kg.

In their first two encounters, Taylor won by fall at the 2017 World Cup, then 11-6 in the first round at the 2018 World Championships, which he won for his first senior world crown.

"We're the number one rivalry in the world for a reason," Taylor said. "You know, we're putting it on the line for wrestling. We're dog-tired out there. You know, it's just like, listen, that's what we're here for, you know. I mean, you gotta be a little bit showman, you know I am the Magic Man for a reason. I was able to be on top today and it feels pretty good."

Yazdani, a three-time champion, now has six world medals. Combined with his two from the Olympics, the 28-year-old has the most global medals in Iranian's storied history, with certainly more on the way in the years ahead.

"We'll go down to two greatest wrestlers of all time, we'll be battling to push each other the entire time so thankful for him," Taylor said. "But it feels good to be a champ."

Asked what he would tell Yazdani, Taylor replied, "Losing sucks. You're gonna get better, I'm gonna get better. And next year, we're gonna put it on the line again. I know you'll be there. I'll be there. And let's put another show for the fans. Give them something else to remember. That and the record books. I'll be there. I know you will, too. Let's go battle."

Jordan BURROUGHS (USA)Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) is now a six-time world champion, the best record for a male USA wrestler. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

For Burroughs, his hard-fought 4-2 victory over Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) in the 79kg final -- a repeat of 2021 final which the American won 5-1 -- made him the most decorated wrestler in American history when taking into consideration both world and Olympic golds.

"I feel amazing," Burroughs said. "All I can say is, God is good. My family, my coaches, and my training partners. I just think about all of the people who put so much work into helping me get to this platform. You guys get to see the championships, the hard double-legs, and the commitment here, but you rarely get to see the definition of what makes a champion behind the scenes."

Burroughs now has seven combined golds, breaking a tie with the legendary John SMITH (USA), and 10 medals overall. "I thank John for pushing me indirectly," he said.

While Nokhodi received an activity point for the lone point of the first period, Burroughs was far and away the aggressor in the second, launching a succession of takedown attempts that bore fruit with one stepout and a trademark blast double-leg tackle for a takedown.

"The refs hadn't been giving me favorable calls throughout the week, so I knew I had to do something extra," Burroughs said. "But honestly, I just wanted a takedown. I knew he couldn't get to my legs."

An activity point for Burroughs and a late stepout by Nokhodi completed the scoring.

Burroughs won his first four world golds in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017 at 74kg, the same weight he won his lone Olympic title in London in 2012. He moved up to 79kg in 2021 and won gold No. 5. He also has bronze medals from 2014, 2018 and 2019.

For now, Burroughs said he has no thoughts of retiring, despite the demands of being one of the elites of the sport.

"Before every match, I always remind myself that I chose this," he said. "This is chosen suffering. It's difficult, it's hard, it's scary as heck, but I know that God equipped me with the right tools to be the person to go out there and do this repeatedly. I'm 34 years old, I'm the father of four, been married for almost a decade, and I'm still at the top of my game."

Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN)Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN) won the 70kg gold medal with a quick win over Zain RETHERFORD (USA) in the final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Earlier, Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN) had dealt the U.S. a shock when he powered to a 10-0 technical fall over Retherford in the 70kg final.

"I can't put it into words," the 24-year-old Narikuni said of his stunning win. "I really went through a lot. I finally made it to this point."

Narikuni, who first appeared on the world radar when he won the Asian title in April in his first major senior competition, scored a takedown on a counter, then added two points with an exposure in which he put his head between Retherford's legs, lifted up and rotated. He then transitioned to a lace lock.

"I thought I probably wouldn't get that chance again, so I wanted to end it there in one shot," he said. "If the match continued and gone longer, the match might have gone at his pace and I might have lost."

Reeling off three rolls, Narikuni ended the match in 2:10 for gold that he said he will not be defending next year. And not because he will be moving to an Olympic weight class. In fact, he won't even be wrestling freestyle.

"I'm planning to get away from freestyle for a while," Narikuni said. "Without having doubts, I think I can make it in Greco at 67kg. My thinking is to become a world champion in both styles. I won't concede to anyone. This had been my objective before I came here and I definitely think I can achieve it."

All of his life, Narikuni has felt like he was living in the shadow of a two-time world champion. And literally, he was, as it was his mother who won two world golds under her maiden name of Akiko IIJIMA in the 1990s.

She runs Gold Kids, the Tokyo wrestling club where he, Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) and a number of other top Japanese got their start in the sport, and where he is now a coach (he also works part-time at a karaoke parlor). Growing up, he developed a complex about being compared to his mother, and winning the gold in Belgrade puts him halfway to redeeming himself in his own eyes.

But equaling her with two golds is not enough. He will try to outdo her by winning the second title in Greco-Roman. He is no stranger to the style, having finished seventh at the world juniors 2017.

In fact, he might have already been wrestling that style, but the tournament he was going to enter to qualify in Greco for last year's national championships got canceled due to the pandemic.

"She won two titles, and I've only won one," Narikuni said. "I've closed the gap a little. If I win at Greco, no one can deny what I have done. If I don't win at Greco, I will never feel in my heart that I've caught up to her."

Narikuni is also an anomaly in that he spends little time actually wrestling in his training, preferring to mainly hit the weight room. The techniques that he has been learning as a toddler and the power he has built up have served him well.

Taha AKGUL (TUR)Taha AKGUL (TUR) won the world title for the third time and first since 2015. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

In the last match of the night, Akgul won a clash of 2021 bronze medalists, scoring a single-leg takedown and a gut wrench in the second period to rally to a 6-2 win over Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL).

"It was very difficult," Akgul said. "The exhaustion from yesterday was very noticeable, but it's important that I won, to finally become world champion again after seven years and to show the world that I can still be the best."

Akgul had a stepout and received an activity point in the first period, but Munkhtur went ahead by opening the second with a takedown. Munkhtur was attempting to become Mongolia's first world gold medalist in freestyle since 1975.

Akgul was coming off a grueling 4-2 win in the semifinal over defending champion Amir ZARE (IRI), which he won with a takedown in the last second. He said that victory was about more than avenging a loss to Zare in last year's semifinals.

"I prepared well, my opponent beat me last year, but Zare made a "KING" gesture when he won," Akgul said. "Geno [Petrashvili] or I never did that. Respect is very important in sports. This move of mine was for him."

Asked about the difference between his two titles, Akgul replied, "Nothing has changed. I have lost twice in the final in the past, that was very annoying. I would have been world champion five times if that had not happened. If I stay healthy and train well, I can beat everyone."

Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) won a bronze medal with by beating Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ). (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Georgia, Kyrgyzstan take 2 bronzes each

Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), who once dominated the weight class along with Akgul in one of the sport's fiercest rivalries, picked up his seventh world medal when he outclassed Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ) 11-4 to take home one of the bronze medals at 125kg.

Petriashvili, who had a three-peat of world golds from 2017 to 2019, fell behind 4-2 early in the second period, but turned on the jets and reeled off nine unanswered points to give Georgia its second bronze of the night.

Earlier, Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO), a world champion in 2017, picked up his third world bronze and second in a row with a wild 5-5 victory over Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM) at 70kg in a repeat of this year's European final.

Iakobishvili's 4-point takedown early in the second period proved the difference after Andreasyan tied the score at 5-5 with a takedown, but a 2-point title awarded by the referee was taken away when a challenge showed Iakobishvili's back never broke the 90-degree plane.

Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ)Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) countered Naveen MALIK (IND) attacks to win the bronze at 70kg. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ), the 2021 silver medalist and runner-up to Narikuni at the Asian Championships in April, won the other 70kg bronze and the first of two for Kyrgyzstan when he scored all of his points on counters in a 4-1 over Naveen MALIK (IND).

Malik opened the scoring with a stepoout, but that would be all that Akmataliev would concede as he continued to fend off the Indian's attacks, going ahead with a counter to exposure for a 2-1 lead. In the second period, he countered a double-leg attack and went behind to pad his lead to 4-1.

Zare took home the other 125kg bronze when he bounced back from a disappointing loss to Akgul in the semifinals by scoring four takedowns in an 8-0 loss to Amarveer DHESI (CAN), an important win for Iran in the team race with the rival U.S.

At 79kg, Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (KGZ) captured his country's second straight bronze of the night when he scored two takedowns in the second period in a 5-1 victory over Ali UMARPASHAEV (BUL).

The other 79kg bronze when to Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR), who gained a decisive stepout off a scramble with :15 left and edged veteran Olympic bronze medalist Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB), with the final score becoming 5-3 following a subsequent unsuccessful challenge.

Taking home the 86kg bronzes were Asian champion Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) and Boris MAKOEV (SVK).

Dauletbekov, limited to two points in the first period, overwhelmed Ethan RAMOS (PUR) in the second rolling to a 10-0 technical fall in 4:25 for his third career world medal. The loss kept Ramos, now an assistant coach at Duke University in the U.S., from becoming just the second world medalist in Puerto Rican history.

The Russian-born Makoev, a silver medalist in 2017 in his first year competing for Slovakia, was behind on criteria when he scored a takedown with a minute to go to defeat Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL) 3-1.

Thomas GILMAN (USA)Defending world champion Thomas GILMAN (USA) reached the final at 57kg. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor) 

U.S. puts 3 into finals

In the semifinals in three weight classes held earlier in the night session, it was an American trifecta as defending champions Thomas GILMAN (USA) and Kyle DAKE (USA) and 2021 bronze medalist Jden COX (USA) all advanced to Saturday night's finals. For both Dake and Cox, their final will be a rematch from the 2021 World Championships.

Gilman, a bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, got the juggernaut going at 57kg, when he used his snap-down attack to great effect for a comprehensive 8-2 win over 2018 world U23 bronze medalist Wanhao ZOU (CHN).

Keeping the pressure constantly on the Chinese, scored three takedowns from a snap-down setup, which he combined with an activity clock point and a stepout. Defensively, Gilman, who also has a 2017 world bronze, limited Zou to a pair of stepouts.

In the final, he will face Russian-born Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB), who scored a takedown and a counter lift for 2 in defeating American-born and bred Stevan MICIC (SRB) 6-1. Abakarov began competing for Albania this year with limited success, although he did win the Kolov-Petrov tournament in Bulgaria in February at 61kg.

Dake, aiming for his fourth consecutive world title and second straight at 74kg, survived a low-scoring but titanic battle with Asian champion Yones EMAMI (IRI) to eke out a 2-2 win.

Emami controlled the first period, taking a 2-0 lead with an activity point and a stepout from a counter, but it was only Dake's passive defense that prevented the Iranian from scoring more. Twice Dake managed to escape the situation when Emami got in deep on a single.

In the second period, Dake, also an Olympic bronze medalist in Tokyo, drove Emami to the edge and as they went out, then launched a backdrop. The call on the mat was for 4, but the Iranian side challenged. The move was reduced to a stepout, but an additional point was tacked on for fleeing, making it 2-2 with Dake holding the advantage on criteria.

Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK)Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) held off Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) 3-0 in the 74kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Standing between Dake and another world title will be Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK), the same opponent he defeated 7-3 a year ago for the gold in Oslo.

Salkazanov scored a pair of stepouts to defeat two-time former world champion Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) 3-0 in the other semifinal. That was a repeat of this year's European Championships final, which Salkazanov won 7-5 for his second straight crown.

At 92kg, Cox will get a chance to avenge a semifinal loss at the same stage in Oslo that forced him to settle for a bronze medal when he takes on defending champion Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI).

gth

Day 7 Results

Freestyle

57kg (31 entries)
Semifinal - Thomas GILMAN (USA) df. Wanhao ZOU (CHN), 8-2
Semifinal - Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB) df. Stevan MICIC (SRB), 6-1

70kg (28 entries)
Gold - Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN) df. Zain RETHERFORD (USA) by TF, 10-0, 2:20

Bronze - Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) df. Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM), 5-5
Bronze - Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) df. Naveen MALIK (IND), 4-1

74kg (34 entries)
Semifinal - Kyle DAKE (USA) df. Yones EMAMI (IRI), 2-2
Semifinal - Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) df. Frank CHAMIZO (ITA), 3-0

79kg (32 entries)
Gold - Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) df. Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI), 4-2

Bronze - Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (KGZ) df. Ali UMARPASHAEV (BUL), 5-1
Bronze - Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR) df. Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB), 5-3

86kg (30 entries)
Gold - David TAYLOR (USA) df. Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), 7-1

Bronze - Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) df. Ethan RAMOS (PUR) by TF, 10-0, 4:25
Bronze - Boris MAKOEV (SVK) df. Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL), 3-1

92kg (23 entries)
Semifinal - Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) df. Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), 5-0
Semifinal - Jden COX (USA) df. Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), 7-0

125kg (24 entries)
Gold - Taha AKGUL (TUR) df. Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL), 6-2

Bronze - Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) df. Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ), 11-4
Bronze - Amir ZARE (IRI) df. Amarveer DHESI (CAN), 8-0

#WrestleBelgrade

World Championships GR 63kg, 67kg, 87kg semis set

By Vinay Siwach

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 23) -- The final full day of the World Championships, which has been unimaginable, is here. Two more Olympic weight classes in Greco-Roman and one non-Olympic weight class will be in action. The Olympic weight classes are 67kg and 87kg while 63kg is the non-Olympic weight class.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER | DAY 7 RESULTS

14:28: In an entertaining match between the Olympic and world champions that caps the session, Luis ORTA (CUB) gets a stepout in the second period to clinch a 3-2 victory that ends the world reign of Mate NEMES (SRB) at 67kg. Nemes opens the match with a 2-point throw, and Orta responds with a takedown. Noticeably and unusually, there were no passivity points. Orta, the Tokyo Olympic champ at 60kg, is looking for his first world medal.

14:22: Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ) comes up with a pair of big throws -- although one bordered on the dangerous -- to oust Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO) 10-0 in their 67kg quarterfinal. Ismailov, a bronze medalist a year ago, gets a takedown and immediately secures a reverse body lock. He executes a lift-and-dump for 5, then repeats it. But the second doesn't go as well, and Khetsuriani hits chest-first on the mat. Ismailov still gets 2 for it, which the Georgian side challenges and loses.

15:24: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) gets it done! He gets two four-pointers in his big win over Olympic champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) for a 10-0 win in the 67kg quarterfinals. He will take on Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM) who moved on with a 9-0 win over Alejandro SANCHO (USA).

15:16: Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) gets it done with a 5-3 win over Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) and he moves into the 87kg semifinals. He will take on Losonczi.

15:15: David LOSONCZI (HUN) celebrated his 9-1 win as he got a four-pointer against Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN) but on a challenge, it was just two. The score was reversed to 6-1 but Losonczi still got it done to move into the semifinals at 87kg.

15:14: Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) avenges his loss in the final of the Asian Championships in April to Naser ALIZADEH (IRI), nailing a 4-point headlock throw in the second period to clinch a 9-4 win and a place in the semifinals at 87kg.

15:11: 2022 bronze medalist Ali CENGIZ (TUR) makes the most of the point-less second chance at par terre, scoring with a gut wrench to edge two-time world medalist Jalagasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) 3-3 on last-point criteria and grab a place in the 87kg semifinals.

15:00: Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) with some strong defense against Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM) and wins 3-1 in the 63kg quarterfinal. On Mat D, Stefan CLEMENT (FRA) with a victory via superiority against Astemir BIZHOEV (AIN). He will take on Leri ABULADZE (GEO)

15:00: Leri ABULADZE (GEO) gets the second passivity point and that's enough to get by Oleksandr HRUSHYN (UKR) 1-1 on last-point criteria, putting last year's silver medalist into the 63kg semifinals. 

14:58: Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) gives the host country its first semifinalist of the night, hitting a 4-point throw from par terre in the second period to defeat Ivan LIZATOVIV (CRO) 5-2 at 63kg. Tibilov was a European bronze medalist at 60kg who is making his senior world debut. 

We are beginning with the quarterfinals on day eight at 63kg, 67kg and 87kg

14:40: If only wrestling was easy! Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) got a 7-0 lead over Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) in the first period but Geraei began the second with a takedown, big lift for four points which Sogabe reversed and won 16-5. Iran challenged for a foul and on review, the score was reversed to 8-7 Geraei leading. Sogabe is aware of the Geraei's low gas tank. Geraei is penalized for fleeing. He holds 10-10 criteria lead. Geraei with an 11-10 win after Japan's challenge for fleeing but Japan lost the challenge

14:30: Olympic champion Luis ORTA (CUB) makes short work of Mihai MIHUT (ROU) in the 67kg bout and he earns a shot at world champion Mate NEMES (SRB) in the quarterfinals.

14:20: Former world silver medalist Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN) with a 5-3 win over Hannes WAGNER (GER) after he hit a big four-pointer in the second period. He moves into the 87kg quarterfinals

14:06: Mate NEMES (SRB) stays on track toward a second straight title at 67kg with a 5-1 victory over Vinayak PATIL (UWW). Nemes will know in a few minutes if he will be facing Olympic champion Luis ORTA (CUB) in the quarterfinals.

14:03: A classic 5-1 win for returning bronze medalist Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) over Krisztian VANCZA (HUN) as he moves into the quarterfinals at 67kg    

13:57: Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ), a bronze medalist a year ago, launches a 5-point throw to finish off Madamadassa SYLLA (FRA) 8-0 and book a spot in the 67kg quarterfinals.

13:50: Ali CENGIZ (TUR) ends the gold-medal aspirations of Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) with a 3-1 victory at 87kg to advance to the quarterfinals. Cengiz has the criteria after receiving the second passivity point, and he gets 2 when he stops a front-headlock roll attempt by the Olympic champion.

13:48: Lasha GOBADZE (GEO), the 2019 champion at 82kg and a three-time medalist, is out of the gold hunt at 87kg after being dealt a 3-1 loss by Semen NOVIKOV (BUL), who is into the quarterfinals.

13:45: Victor CIOBANU (MDA) tries an arm spin when leading 7-6 in the final 15 seconds but  Liguo CAO (CHN) defends the moves and is awarded two points. Moldova challenges for a slip but loses the challenge and the match 9-7 in the 60kg repechage

13:26: Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB), the silver medalist last year at 82kg who has moved up to the Olympic weight of 87kg, gets into the quarterfinals by the skin of his teeth. Trailing 2-0 against world U23 champion Exauce MUKUBU (NOR), he gets the passivity point. He can't fully complete his throw attempt, but upon challenge, is awarded 1 for a stepout. That gives him a 2-2 win on last-point criteria.

13:08: Olympic silver medalist Parviz NASIBOV (UKR) falls at the first hurdle at 67kg to 2022 European champion Murat FIRAT (TUR). Firat scores a pair of rolls from par terre in the first period and never looks back in posting an 8-1 win.

12:57: Olympic champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) is on his way to giving up a stepout when hits a lateral drop for 4 against Asian champion Abror ATABAEV (UZB). Atabaev gets a gut wrench from par terre in the second period, but it's not enough and the Iranian star advances to the 67kg 1/8 finals with a 6-3 win. He will next face the Asian silver medalist, Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN), who annihilated Niklas OEHLEN (SWE) 9-0.

12:44: Defending champion Mate NEMES (SRB) survives a last chance for a throw by Minseong KWON (KOR) and adds a last-second takedown for a 6-2 win at 67kg and a place in the quarterfinals. Nemes got both passivity points, adding a gut wrench after the first one. Kwon scored a takedown in the first period and, trailing 4-2 in the second period, had a chance on top in par terre. He got Nemes off his feet, but could not execute a proper throw for points.

12:30: Luis ORTA (CUB), the Tokyo Olympic champion at 60kg, made quick work of Souleyman NASR (TUN) in his opening match at 67kg, scoring a takedown and reeling off four gut wrenches for an 8-0 win in 1:30. Orta comes into Belgrade coming off a pair of third-place finishes at Ranking Series events in Bishkek and Zagreb.

12:17: It was third-time lucky for three-time Asian champion Naser ALIZADEH (IRI), who twice lost points on challenges until a third one was overruled, giving him the lead with 15 seconds left in a 6-4 victory over Ilias PAGKALIDIS (GRE). Pagkalidis led 4-3 when Alizadeh appeared to score on two occasions, but both times the Greek side successfully challenged. But as time was running out, Pagkalidis was flagged for fleeing. This time, the Greeks lost the challenge, and Alizadeh added a stepout at the end.

12:02: Returning bronze medalist and top seed Ali CENGIZ (TUR) falls behind but hits a 4-point move at the end of the first period to go ahead 4-3 against Toni METSOMAEKI (FIN) at 87kg. He adds a takedown and ends up with a 7-3 win. But he can't relax now: next up is Olympic champion Zhan BELENIUK (UKR).

11:50: Olympic champion Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) returns to the World Championships after four years and wins his first bout over Zachary BRAUNAGEL (USA) 5-1 at 87kg. He turned Braunagel twice from par terre to secure the win

11:47: David LOSONCZI (HUN), a bronze medalist here a year ago, reels off two gut wrenches from par terre in the first period against 2020 Asian silver medalist Azat SALIDINOV (KGZ), then ends it with a takedown at the edge for an 8-0 win at 87kg.

11:29: Enes BASAR (TUR) welcomes world U23 bronze-medalist to the big time, reeling off four rolls from par terre for a 9-0 whitewashing at 63kg. Basar will next face top seed and last year's silver medalist Leri ABULADZE (GEO).

11:19: Masato SUMI (JPN), coming off a 2nd-place finish at the Grand Prix of Germany in August, picks up his first-ever win in his fifth trip to the World Championships when he gets both passivity points in a 2-0 win over Andreas VAELIS (EST) in an 87-kg qualification match.

11:05: Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) breaks Milad ALIRZAEV (AIN) and rolls to a 7-1 win at 87kg, the Olympic weight class he moved up to from 87kg.

11:04: Two-time former world U23 bronze medalist Islam ABBASOV (AZE), looking to join the Azeri medal parade, gets a pair of gut wrenches in par terre and comes out a 5-1 winner in his qualification match at 87kg over Viorel BURDUJA (MDA).

10:52: Ali ARSALAN (SRB) gets the home crowd fired up with some nasty front headlock throws en route to a 12-3 victory over Jamol JUMABAEV (UZB) in the 72kg repechage to earn a place in the bronze-medal match tonight.

10:30: Welcome to yet another full day, though the last, of the World Championships. The insane talent of 67kg will be on display and wrestlers at 87kg also taking the mat. The non-Olympic weight is 63kg.