world wrestling month, BTS, Beat the streets, May, Hamada, Maroulis

United World Wrestling Designates May as “World Wrestling Month”

By Tim Foley

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (April 28) – United World Wrestling has announced that May will be “World Wrestling Month.” The month will be highlighted by a series of tournaments, special events, and social media interactions with fans and athletes around the world.

The designation started during the 2013 Save Olympic Wrestling campaign when wrestlers, coaches and fans from around the world celebrated the sport with a number of promotional events in that May.

May is also one of the most active months of the 2017 wrestling season, featuring three of United World Wrestling's premier senior-level continental championships; the European Championships (May 2-7), the Pan-Am Championships (May 5-7) and the Asian Championships (May 10-14). The events will help give fans, athletes, coaches and national federations the opportunity to share their experiences on and off the mat.

“Wrestling fans will have a lot of opportunity this month to watch their favorite sport,” said United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic. “We want them to enjoy the competitions, but also share their stories online with other fans and athletes. We want to see and hear about their life in the sport”

United World Wrestling will focus its social media campaign around two wrestling hashtags for the month of May. #WrestlingMonth is a chance for users share their wrestling photos, stories, and goals for their athletic and coaching career. #WhereITrain will be an entertaining peek inside the wrestling halls, gyms and homes where wrestlers from all levels train in the hopes of becoming a world and Olympic champions.

The month will also be an opportunity for national federations and wrestling-based non-profits to hold events. Beat the Streets-New York will be holding their annual fundraising event in Times Square featuring a dual meet between the stars of USA Wrestling and the Japanese Wrestling Federation, including a much-anticipated rematch between 2016 Olympic champion Helen MAROULIS (USA) and 2014 world champion Chiho HAMADA (JPN). 

Wrestling month will also include new media content from United World Wrestling including video interviews with wrestlers, highlight films from action around the world and short docu-follows on some of the sport’s biggest personalities.

#WrestleTirana

European Championships 2026, Day 5 Freestyle Highlights

By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (April 24) -- European Championships 2026 will enter day five with five Freestyle weight classes -- 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg and 97kg. Friday will also mark the return of Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) to European Championships after six years.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | SADULAEV's RETURN

UWW Plus

13:15: Azamat TUSKAEV (SRB), the returning silver medalist at 57kg, is clueless against Musa MEKHTIKHANOV (UWW) who beats the Serbian 5-0. Tuskaev got on a few attacks but could never finish them while Mekhtikhanov used a strong grip to either finish a takedown or a stepout. 

13:00: U20 world champion Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA) will face Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) in the semifinals at 70kg after he made it to the last four with a 12-2 win over Patryk OLENCZYN (POL)

12:50:  Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) is not giving any space to anyone on the mat. In his quarterfinals, Sadulaev blanks Radu LEFTER (MDA), 10-0 and is now in the semifinals.

12:45: Iszmail MUSZUKAEV (HUN) with all the moves you can imagine as he wins with a 10-0 technical superiority against Remzi TEMUR (TUR) and advances to the semifinals at 70kg.

12:36: Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) takes out Shamil MAMEDOV (BUL) in a low scoring bout at 65kg. Both wrestlers exchanged passivity points but Tevanyan got a point for lost challenge to make it 2-1. He was anyway leading 1-1 on criteria. Mamedov is disheartened as Tevanyan helps him to

his feet

12:25: Islam DUDAEV (ALB) puts hosts Albania in the semifinals at 65kg! He beats Nika ZAKASHVILI (GEO), 3-1, and will now take on Islam GUSEINOV (UWW) who blanked Gamzatgadzhi KHALIDOV (HUN), 4-0.

12:15: Match of the morning as Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW) and Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO) leave it all on the mat in their 79kg bout. Kadzimahamedau lead 5-0 when Gaphrindashvili scored a scored a double-leg four pointer to make it 5-4. Kadzimahamedau challenged and was awarded two points to go with a reversal for Gaphrindashvili, making the score 7-5 for Kadzhimahamedau. After a scramble and stepout, the scores read 10-9 for Gaphrindashvili with 11 seconds left. Kadzimahamedau snuck out a takedown with 3 seconds left to win 11-10.

11:50: Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) went on a defensive in the second period against Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) in their 97kg bout. After taking a 3-0 lead, Matcharashvili did not try much in the second period. He was put on the activity clock, gave up the point and then cautioned for fleeing for one more point but he held his 3-2 lead for the victory.  

11:40: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) seems fast on the mat! He works to an easy 10-0 victory over Benjamin GREIL (AUT) at 97kg. Sadulaev is hoping to win his sixth European title and first in six years.

11:32: Returning silver medalist Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) needs a takedown in the last 30 seconds to break the 8-8 criteria lead of Okan TAHTACI (TUR) and lead 10-8. He then survives a flurry of attacks from Tahtaci in the final 18 seconds to win at 79kg

11:20: Akhmed USMANOV (UWW) blanks Hrayr ALIKHANYAN (ARM), 5-0, at 79kg as he begins his quest for a European title. Usmanov, who missed out on a world medal in Zagreb, seemed in better control of his bout here.

11:10: Former European champion Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), hoping to navigate through a tough 65kg field in Tirana, starts well beating Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA), 5-2, in the opening round bout. 

11:00: Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), down at 79kg after last year's silver-medal run at 86kg, begins with a 4-1 victory over Rasul SHAPIEV (MKD).

10:50: Shamil MAMEDOV (BUL) makes his European Championships debut with a win. He scores a takedown Mykyta HONCHAROV (UKR) before falling behind 3-2. But that was all Honcharov was scoring as Mamedov worked on five different takedowns and win 12-3 at 65kg.

10:30: It's not just Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) on the mat on Friday in Tirana, but also Shamil MAMEDOV (BUL), David BAEV (UWW), Akhmed USMANOV (UWW), Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) and Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO)