#WrestleDortmund

U23 World Champ Bayramov Headlines Tuesday’s Finals

By Eric Olanowski

DORTMUND, Germany (June 28) --- U23 world champion Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) blitzed his way to Tuesday’s junior European championship finals, while Russia inserted four of five wrestlers into gold-medal matches.

Bayramov, the reigning senior-level European runner-up, went unscathed en route to the 70kg finals match. The 20-year-old outscored his three opponents on Monday 26-0 and will wrestle Stanislav NOVAC (MDA) tomorrow night for a second junior European title.

Meanwhile, Russian freestylers Said KHUNKEROV (57kg), Turpal Ali KHATUEV (65kg), Rasul ASLUEV (79kg) and Ali ALIEV (97kg) earned finals berths and are one match away from winning a continental title.

Khunkerov, a tenth-place finisher at this year’s prestigious Ivan Yariguin, reached the finals with a pair of technical superiority wins. First, he picked up the convincing 18-8 win over three-time cadet world medalist Giorgi GEGELASHVILI (GEO), then shut out Ahmet KARAVUS (TUR), 10–0, to reach his first European finals.


Said KHUNKEROV (RUS) finishes a shot on Giorgi GEGELASHVILI (GEO) during Monday's opening day of wrestling at the Junior European Championships. (Photo Kadir Caliskan)

Khunkerov and Manvel KHNDZRTSYAN (ARM) will square off tomorrow for the 57kg title. Khndzrtsyan outscored his three opponents 31-0 – including a 10-0 win over cadet European champion Simone Vincenzo PIRODDU (ITA) – and will try to improve on his ’18 cadet European silver-medal finish.

Turpal Khatuev (RUS) was Russia’s second finalist. He punched his ticket to the finals with a two-point victory in a 24-point shootout with ’19 cadet European champion Sabir JAFAROV (AZE). Khatuev will meet Mykyta HONCHAROV (UKR) tomorrow night for gold. The Ukrainian breezed into the finals with a 7-2 win over Hungarian senior-level National runner-up Marcell BUDAI KOVACS (HUN).

Rasul Asluev nearly shut out Otari ADEISHVILI (GEO) in their semifinal meeting, but ultimately walked away with a 5-1 win and a final meeting against ’18 cadet world runner-up Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE). The Greek wrestler, who won U23 European bronze earlier this year, reached the finals with three wins on the day, which was capped off by a 9-2 throttling of Viktor KRUPA (UKR).

The fourth Russian Day 2 finalist was Ali Aliev. He beat Danylo STASIUK (UKR), 6-2, in the semifinals and will wrestle Polat POLATCI (TUR) in the 97kg finals.

Tomorrow’s wrestling resumes at 11:30 (local time) and can be followed on www.uww.org.

RESULTS
57kg
GOLD - Said KHUNKEROV (RUS) vs. Manvel KHNDZRTSYAN (ARM)
SEMIFINAL - Said KHUNKEROV (RUS) df. Ahmet KARAVUS (TUR), 10 - 0
SEMIFINAL - Manvel KHNDZRTSYAN (ARM) df. Thomas EPP (SUI), 10 – 0

65kg
GOLD - Turpal Ali KHATUEV (RUS) vs. Mykyta HONCHAROV (UKR)
SEMIFINAL - Turpal Ali KHATUEV (RUS) df. Sabir JAFAROV (AZE), 13-11
SEMIFINAL - Mykyta HONCHAROV (UKR) df. Marcell BUDAI KOVACS (HUN), 7-2

70kg
GOLD - Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) vs. Stanislav NOVAC (MDA)
SEMIFINAL - Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) df. Davit PATSINASHVILI (GEO), 11-0
SEMIFINAL - Stanislav NOVAC (MDA) df. Mevlut OZDEMIR (TUR), 4-3

79kg
GOLD - Rasul ASLUEV (RUS) vs. Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)
SEMIFINAL - Rasul ASLUEV (RUS) df. Otari ADEISHVILI (GEO), 5-1
SEMIFINAL - Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) df. Viktor KRUPA (UKR), 9-2

97kg
GOLD - Ali ALIEV (RUS) vs. Polat POLATCI (TUR)
SEMIFINAL - Polat POLATCI (TUR) df. Danylo STASIUK (UKR), 6-2
SEMIFINAL - Ali ALIEV (RUS) df. Milan KORCSOG (HUN), 4-0

#WrestleBudapest

Budapest Ranking Series golds for Higuchi, Kiyooka, Parris

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (June 6) -- For Rei HIGUCHI (JPN), the Ranking Series in Budapest was a chance to assess his preparation for the Olympics. Things were going on track, but Higuchi caught a fever on the day he was to wrestle.

Struggling with a temperature of 38.2 degrees on a hot day in Budapest, Higuchi struggled on the mat but manager to win the gold medal at 57kg in Budapest with some top-class wrestling. He defeated AMAN (IND) 11-1 in the final.

The run to the gold medal also included an incredible comeback in the semifinal against Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE). The Azerbaijan wrestler scored a takedown and hit a high gut to lead 8-0. Higuchi somehow managed to stop the final turn and give himself a chance to stay in the bout.

Higuchi used a gut wrench of his own and scored 18 points to beat Rzazade 18-8 and enter the final. Rzazade later complained of a shoulder dislocation which may rule him out of the Paris Olympics in August as well.

With the win, Higuchi is now second in the rankings below Stevan MICIC (SRB). Aman, for his silver, jumped to the sixth spot.

Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN)Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) defeated Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) in the group stages of the 65kg bracket. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Another Japanese wrestler who had to come back from an 8-0 deficit was Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) as he won the 65kg gold medal. The field at 65kg included Haji ALIYEV (AZE), world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) and Austin GOMEZ (MEX) among others. But it was Kiyooka who came out on top in the round robin and then clinched the gold medal over Abbas EBRAHIMZADEH (IRI), 12-8.

Like Higuchi, Kiyooka also fell behind 8-0 against Ebrahimzadeh but stopped the final turn. Kiyooka then mounted the comeback and tired Ebrahimzadeh, winning the bout 12-8 in six minutes.

Mason PARRIS (USA)Mason PARRIS (USA) celebrates after pinning Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) in the 125kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At 125kg, world bronze medalist Mason PARRIS (USA) had a stunning campaign, winning the gold medal with ease. While a Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) and Parris rematch was expected, the Georgian got pinned in the semifinal by Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ). Parris pinned BAtirmurzaev in the final.

Petriashvili returned to win the bronze medal and keep his second spot in the rankings at 125kg that he would have lost to Parris if he had not finished on the podium.

df

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) df. AMAN (IND), 11-1

BRONZE: Aryan TSIUTRYN (AIN) df. Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO), 10-0
BRONZE: Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ) df. Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE), via inj. def.

61kg
GOLD: Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) df. Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ), 4-1

BRONZE: Shahdad KHOSRAVI MARDAKHEH (IRI) df. Giorgi GONIASHVILI (GEO), 8-0
BRONZE: Nahshon GARRETT (USA) df. Nika ZAKASHVILI (GEO), 11-3

65kg
GOLD: Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) df. Abbas EBRAHIMZADEH (IRI), 12-8

BRONZE: Haji ALIYEV (AZE) df. Austin Klee GOMEZ (MEX), 12-3

70kg
GOLD: Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM) df. Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Alibek OSMONOV (KGZ) df. Edemi BOLKVADZE (GEO), 3-3
BRONZE: Akaki KEMERTELIDZE (GEO) df. Evan HENDERSON (USA), 14-4

79kg
GOLD: Otari BAGAURI (GEO) df. Adel PANAEIAN (IRI), 6-5

BRONZE: Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) df. Chems FETAIRIA (ALG), via inj. def.

97kg
GOLD: Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) df. Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) df. Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK), 4-2
BRONZE: Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR) df. Abolfazl BABALOO (IRI), 4-3

125kg
GOLD: Mason PARRIS (USA) df. Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ), via fall

BRONZE: Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) df. Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY), 10-0
BRONZE: Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) df. Jonovan SMITH (PUR), 11-0