#WrestleSamokov

U20 World Championships 2025 Women's Wrestling Live Blog

Wednesday, August 20, 2025 - 06:49 By Vinay Siwach

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SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (August 19) -- The U20 World Championships enter day five with all Women's Wrestling action. The four weight classes in action are 55kg, 62kg, 65kg and 76kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 3 RESULTS

13:00: Everest LEYDECKER (USA) with her second 10-0 win of the day and this time it's at the expense of So TSUTSUI (JPN). Three takedowns and two lace turns for Leydecker in her technical superiority win. She will face Tuba DEMIR (TUR) in the 55kg semifinals.

12:50: YANGZHEN (CHN) with that strong Chinese gut-wrench to end Neevis  RODRIGUEZ (MEX) journey with a 10-0 win and reach semifinals at 62kg. She will face Shirin TAKEMOTO (JPN) who held on to a 5-2 win over Ekaterina RADYSHEVA (UWW).

12:45: Daniella NUGENT (USA) pulls off another close win! After trailing 6-5 and less than a minute left, Nugent scores takedown and then pins Saga SVENSSON (SRB) reach the semifinals at 65kg.

12:40: A huge double-leg and throw from Tuba DEMIR (TUR) for five points and as destroys Lilya COHEN (FRA) and wins her quarterfinals 11-0

12:35: Serbia has semifinalist in Women's Wrestling! Evelin UJHELJI (SRB) pins Sevinchoy POLVONOVA (UZB) and reaches the semifinals at 76kg.

12:30: Gerda TEREK (HUN), the European U20 champion at 55kg, has no answers to REENA (IND) who uses her power to score three takedowns in a 8-2 win and advance to the semifinals at 55kg.

12:22: PRIYA (IND) has no trouble in seeing off Diana TITOVA (UWW) with a 4-0 victory. A couple of takedowns in that win for the Indian.

12:08: Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR), the champion at European U20s, posted a controlled 5-2 win over European bronze medalist Elmira YASIN (TUR) and advance at 76kg.

11:50: Daniella NUGENT (USA) with one of those surviving wins. Mukhayyo NARZILLOEVA (UZB) scored a takedown and turn to lead but Nugent manages to keep the score 12-10 and win at 65kg.

11:35: REENA (IND), the Asian U20 and U23 champion, brings down returning silver medalist Khaliun BYAMBASUREN (MGL) 11-6 and advance to the quarterfinals at 55kg. Byambasuren did score a big four-pointer but Reena just more solid in her takedown finishes

11:25: Gerda TEREK (HUN), European U20 champion, with a first-period 11-0 technical superiority win over Amelia TOMALA (POL) at 55kg

11:15: Former world U20 champion Ayano MORO (JPN) is left in tears as she has a back injury in her bout against Diana TITOVA (UWW) who gets a 4-3 victory to book a quarterfinals against PRIYA (JPN)

11:00: Momoko KITADE (JPN) scores a stepout to lead 3-2 against Beyza AKKUS (TUR) in a bout which had only stepouts. Akkus can't find one more to win the bout and Kitade advances at 65kg

10:40: Tuba DEMIR (TUR) pins Jing HONG (CHN) and then Neevis RODRIGUEZ (MEX) gets the fall over ANJLI (IND) and win at 65kg.

10:35: Returning bronze medalist Naomi SIMON (USA) gets the fall over Rupinder JOHAL (CAN) at 76kg. Simon over powering Johal in that bout.

10:25: European U20 champion Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR) with a quick fall over Cancan LIU (CHN) at 76kg. In next match, former world U20 champion PRIYA (IND) leg laces Veronika NYIKOS (HUN) to win 10-0.

10:00: It will be all Women's Wrestling morning session in Samokov. 55kg, 62kg, 65kg and 76kg in action.

Esmaeili survives Jafarov shock to win ISG 2025 gold

Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - 18:51 By Vinay Siwach

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (November 18) -- He needed some strong defense to win the world title and on Tuesday, Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) needed some clutch offense to beat Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) for the second time in two one month.

Esmaeili and Jafarov clashed in the final of the 67kg weight class at the Islamic Solidarity Games 2025 in Riyad, Saudi Arabi and it seemed that the latter was on his way to upset the Olympic champion and avenge his loss from the World Championships final.

Down 3-3 on criteria, all seemed to be over for Esmaeili as the clock ticked down. In the last 10 seconds, Esmaeili worked on a double-arm lock and then managed to throw Jafarov in danger from standing for four points which changed the result and gave him the win.

Azerbaijan challenged the call but there was no change in the result and Esmaeili defeated Jafarov 8-3, to capture yet another gold medal this year after Asian and World Championships.

Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI)Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) throws Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) during their 67kg bout. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

In Zagreb, Esmaeili was put in par terre for third passivity call. Jafarov, down 2-1, needed a point to turn the result but he failed to score any points as Esmaeili defended the par terre position and captured his first world title.

Jafarov blamed a lapse in concentration in the final seconds that costed him the gold medal in Riyadh.

Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI)Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) won his fourth gold medal this year. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Iran's other world champion from Zagreb, Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) made it seem a little easier as he defeated former world U20 champion Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ), 6-0, winning his third gold in one month.

Farokhi, who won gold at 82kg at the World Championships, moved to 87kg for U23 World Championships and won gold without giving up a point in Novi Sad. Just two weeks later, he now gold at 87kg on Tuesday.

Against Yevloyev in the final, Farokhi was awarded both par terre position which gave him a 2-0 lead. From the second par terre, he managed to score a point as he threw Yevloyev for a stepout. The Kazakhstan wrestler was docked two points for defensive foul making it 5-0.

Kazakhstan challenged the foul call but Yevloyev had clearly blocked Farokhi using his elbow on the Iranian's face. The lost challenged made it 6-0 for Farokhi, giving him the win.

Farokhi had a tough match in semifinals against world bronze medalist Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) and needed a takedown in the final minute to win 7-6, first time he has shown some difficulty winning bouts.

Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ)Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) won the 77kg gold medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Two other gold medals were awarded on Tuesday with former U23 world champion Alisher GANIEV (UZB) winning the 60kg one and two-time Olympic medalist Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) marking his comeback with gold medal at 77kg.

Makhmudov, who has not wrestled in a full tournament since winning bronze in Paris, was in some form as he made no mistake in his run to the gold medal. In the final, he wrestled Amir ABDI (IRI) and performed a reverse lift throw for five points before securing the fall in the second period.

Abdi got the par terre position in the first period but Makhmudov defended the position, giving only a 1-0 lead to the Iranian. When he got the par terre position, he jumped to the front before performing the lift and holding Abdi on the mat for fall.

Ganiev, who defeated European champion Nihad MAMMADLI (AZE) in the quarterfinal, defeated Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) in the semifinal and humbled Ekrem OZTURK (TUR), 8-0, in the final.

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) df. Ekrem OZTURK (TUR), 8-0

BRONZE: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) df. Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE), 3-2
BRONZE: Sajjad ALBIDHAN (IRQ) df. Fergat ABDELKRIM (ALG), 5-1

67kg
GOLD: Saeid ESMAEILI LEIVESI (IRI) df. Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), 8-3

BRONZE: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) df. Aref MOHAMMADI (QAT), 5-2
BRONZE: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) df. Hassan ABDELREHIM (EGY), via fall (9-0)

77kg
GOLD: Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) df. Amir ABDI (IRI), via fall (6-1)

BRONZE: Abdullo ALIEV (UZB) df. Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE), 2-2
BRONZE: Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) df. Sami SLAMA (TUN), via fall (8-1)

87kg
GOLD: Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) df. Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ), 6-0

BRONZE: Sid BACHIR (ALG) df. Sukhrob ABDULKHAEV (TJK), 9-0
BRONZE: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) df. Islam ABBASOV (AZE), 5-1