WATCH: #WrestleBudapest Freestyle Finals

Thursday, March 31, 2022 - 10:11 By Eric Olanowski

BUDAPEST, Hungary (March 31) --- The freestyle portion of the 2022 European Championships lived up to the hype in the Hungarian capital. Taha AKGUL (TUR), one of wrestling's biggest stars, added a ninth European gold medal to his resume, while new stars Georgios Kougioumtsidis (GRE), Magomedkhan Magomedov (AZE) and Myles AMINE (SMR) introduced themselves to the wrestling world en route to winning their first continental titles.

Here are the ten freestyle finals from the #WrestleBudapest European Championships.

57kg: Vladimir EGOROV (MKD) df. Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE), 8-6

Vladimir Egorov (MKD) wins the European gold medal for North Macedonia finishing a 23-year wait by defeating the U23 World Champion Aliabbas Rzazade (AZE) at 57kg.

Egorov began with a takedown. That was the only action in the first period and he led 2-0 at the break. But the second period saw him come out with an arm-trap and he scored six straight points to lead 8-0. Rzazade tried making it interesting with six points in the second period but the bout was not as close as the 8-6 scoreline suggests.

61kg: Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) df. Suleyman ATLI (TUR), 15-3

Arsen Harutyunyan (ARM) won his second European gold medal as he defeated former world silver medalist Suleyman Atli (TUR) in the 61kg final. In a dominating performance, Harutyunyan won, 15-3.

Harutyunyan caught Atli by surprise when he threw him for four and then leg laced to lead 6-0. Another single-leg takedown made it 8-0 but Armenia asked for another exposure and the win. He lost the challenge and Atli scored a takedown to cut the Armenian's lead to 8-3.

The U23 World champion went straight on the offensive in the second period and got the takedown, during which Atli called for a medical timeout. When the bout resumed, Atli was forced in par terre, and Harutyunyan managed to finish the bout 15-3 with two gut wrenches.

65kg: Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) df. Haji ALIYEV (AZE), 12-1

Iszmail Muszukajev (HUN) may have broken his infamous curse of fizzling out in the second period of the bout.

What fans witnessed Tuesday was a different Muszukajev who not only ended Hungary's 19-year wait for a freestyle European champion, he destroyed two-time Olympic medalist Haji Aliyev (AZE) with a 12-1 victory in the 65kg final. "I didn’t expect that score," Muszukajev said.

"The opponent is really good and last time it was really difficult to win. This time I was in a better shape, after the Olympics I got down to training straight away and I was mentally preparing for the European Championships."

Muszukajev has once again put himself in the mix of top wrestlers at the deepest weight category in the world. He is now a European champion in Hungary, ending the 21-year wait for the host nation.

70kg: Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) df. Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM), 2-1

At 70kg, 2017 world champion Zurabi Iakobishvili (GEO) captured his first-ever European title when he defeated Arman Andreasyan (ARM) in the final, 2-1.

"I had the gold medal of the Worlds but not a European gold," Iakobishvili said. "That's why I came here to Hungary and I am happy I’ve won it.

74kg: Tajmuraz Mairbekovic SALKAZANOV (SVK) df. Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA), 7-5

At 74kg, Tajmuraz Salkazanov (SVK) defended his gold medal against two-time world champion Frank Chamizo (ITA) in a thrilling final, winning it 7-6 in the final second. Chamizo was set to win 5-5 on criteria, but Salkazanov managed to score a step-out before the clock expired to take the win.

Despite his back-to-back golds, the Oslo silver medalist was not satisfied with his wrestling and thought he could have won it a little easier.

"I am not satisfied with my wrestling," Salkazanov said. "In the beginning, I made a mistake, but even after that I didn't give up, I believed that I could win till the very end. I saw he stepped out and it seemed to me that I got the point. When I threw the challenge, I was still ready to keep wrestling. I was thinking that even if I get that one point, it doesn't mean anything. I had to do my best on the mat. So, I made it happen. I tried hard to attack and I made it."

"My main goal is to become the world champion," he said. "Last year I was one step away from it. After that, I was so disappointed because I was supposed to win that match. I hope this year I will make it happen."

79kg: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) df. Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE), 7-6

Georgios Kougioumtsidis (GRE) became Greece's first-ever freestyle European champion after he won the 79kg gold.

Two weeks earlier, Kougioumtsidis had won the U23 European Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and was unsure of participating in the senior event. But after the perusal of his father and trainer, he accepted the challenge. "They told me that this experience can help me later in my career," Kougioumtsidis said.

"I am so proud and happy to be my country's first-ever gold medalist."

86kg: Myles Nazem AMINE (SMR) df. Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE), 9-5

Tokyo bronze medalist Myles AMINE (SMR) added another page to San Marino's wrestling history when he won the nation's first-ever European Championships gold by beating Oslo bronze medalist Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE), 9-5, in the final.

"He [Abakarov] is funky," Amine said. "I got in on that first shot and it felt too easy. His left leg is his best defense so I tried to get my attacks on his right leg and that kind of started working and I opened up my attacks. He was a guy that I had to adapt against otherwise I was going to probably lose that match."

Since winning San Marino's first-ever Olympic medal in wrestling, Amine has been improving and looks to continue that.

"Two weeks ago, I had a tough loss in the final of NCAA," he said. "I beat the guy in the final of Big 10 Championships. I was excited to come and compete to put that loss behind me. As much as I say that I have to agree that in the last 10 months, I have been blessed by god."

"I will take a few weeks off and come back again because that worked after Olympics. Go back to the drawing board and see where I can improve. I am sure I need to improve my par terre."

92kg: Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR) df. Ahmed Sultanovich BATAEV (BUL), 6-1

Feyzullah Akturk (TUR) added a senior European title to his U23 title by defeating Ahmed Bataev (BUL), 6-1, in the 92kg final. Akturk scored four step-outs and a takedown in a final, which he called 'exhausting.' "I very proud to win and carry the [Turkey] flag," Akturk said.

"The final was exhausting but with the gold medal, all the burden of the final fight fades away."

97kg: Magomedkhan Magomedovitch MAGOMEDOV (AZE) df. Vladislav BAITSAEV (HUN)

At 97kg, Magomedkhan Magomedov (AZE) wrestled Vladislav Baitsaev (HUN) in the summit clash and used two four-point throws in his 11-5 win. That result gave Azerbaijan its first gold of the night.

"I have wrestled Baitsaev before," Magomedov said. "I understood his wrestling and thankfully I was able to win my first gold."

125kg: Taha AKGUL (TUR) df. Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), 5-2

Akgul, the defending European champion, defeated Petriashvili, 5-2, in the 125kg gold medal bout at the European Championships in Budapest, Hungary. He won his ninth European title and extended his head-to-head record against the Georgian at the Continental Championships to 5-1.

"It was my goal to come here and break my own record of eight European gold," Akgul said.

"It was a great fight against a great wrestler." The mutual admiration between the two was visible at the medal ceremony, where Petriashvili did not hesitate to congratulate Akgul for his ninth title. "It's always dramatic with Geno [Petriashvili]," Akgul said.

"It's crazy that I keep beating him at the Europeans but he has a streak against me at the Worlds. So I will try to keep winning the gold at Euros and will soon break his streak against me at the World Championships."

#JapanWrestling

Otoguro to end long post-Olympic hiatus, enters All-Japan with eyes on Paris

Saturday, December 3, 2022 - 17:13 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (Dec. 3) --- Japan wrestling's missing man, Tokyo Olympic champion Takuto
OTOGURO, will be making his long-awaited return to the mat later this month as he begins the long journey toward defending his Olympic title.

Otoguro, who has not competed since winning the gold medal at the Tokyo Games some 17
months ago, heads the entries at freestyle 65kg for the Emperor's Cup All-Japan
Championships, the Japan Wrestling Federation announced on its website Saturday.

As Japan's Olympians gradually filtered back into action after taking time off following the
Tokyo Games in August 2021, Otoguro was the last holdout. It remains to be seen how much
rust has collected on the 2018 world champion.

For the Japanese wrestlers, the Emperor's Cup, to be held December 22-25 at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym, marks the first step in the process for qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The tournament is the first of the two domestic qualifiers for the 2023 World Championships in Belgrade, where a medal in an Olympic weight class by a Japanese wrestler will secure an
automatic ticket to Paris.

Meanwhile, Yui SUSAKI, who this year completed the first-ever Grand Slam of Olympics and all four world age-group titles, will see a familiar but not-so-welcome face in the field at women's 50kg, while recently crowned world freestyle 70kg champion Taishi NARIKUNI will attempt to accomplish a feat that hasn't been done in nearly 50 years.

Mayu SHIDOCHI (JPN) is an Olympic champion at 53kg. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

With the vast majority of the top wrestlers funneling into the Olympic weight classes, a number of highly anticipated clashes of the titans could be on tap -- none more so than between 2021 world champion Akari FUJINAMI and Tokyo Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI at women's 53kg.

After the Olympics, Shidochi moved up to 55kg, where she won her third career world title Now she will be gunning for an Olympic repeat in Paris at 53kg, but has the formidable teen Fujinami standing in her way. Fujinami, who was plagued by injuries this fall, currently has a 103-match winning streak dating back to 2017.

Meanwhile, two-time Olympic champion Risako KINJO, who won the Tokyo gold at 57kg under her maiden name of KAWAI, is entered at 59kg, thus delaying her quest for Paris to the second qualifier, the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships in June.

Kinjo gave birth to her first child in May and only returned to competition in October at the second-tier Japan Women's Open, which she won at 59kg.

In the Olympic weight classes, wrestlers who win titles at both the Emperor's Cup and Meiji Cup automatically earn a spot on the team to the Belgrade worlds. If the two are different, a playoff will be held to fill the berth.

In Kinjo's case, she will have to win the 57kg title at the Meiji Cup, then beat the Emperor's Cup champion in the playoff to make the world team and enhance her chances for a third straight Olympic gold in Paris.

Also in the field at 59kg are Himeka TOKUHARA and Yui SAKANO, who will be representing Japan at the women's World Cup next weekend in Coralville, Iowa. The majority of wrestlers, both in women's and freestyle, opted to skip the World Cup because it falls so close to the Emperor's Cup.

Olympic and world champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) will face stiff competition at 50kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Old nemesis in Susaki's path

While Susaki was making history this year by winning both the world senior and U23 titles -- the latter of which completed the set of career age-group crowns -- an old nemesis was quietly returning to the mat after an extended hiatus.

Also entered at 50kg is Yuki TANAKA, who was wrestling under her maiden name of IRIE when she became the only wrestler on the planet to beat Susaki dating back to junior high school. And she did it three times, the most recent in 2019.

Neither Susaki nor Tanaka can ignore Remina YOSHIMOTO, the 2021 world champion in Susaki's absence who has yet to beat the Olympic champion but has always given her a tough fight.

Kinjo's younger sister, Tokyo Olympic champion Yukako KAWAI, will look to gain revenge and regain the 62kg throne that she lost to collegian Nonoka OZAKI, who went on to win the senior world title in that weight class in September.

Another stacked women's weight class will be at 68kg, where world silver medalist Ami ISHII awaits world 65kg champion Miwa MORIKAWA and 2021 world 72kg gold medalist Masako FURUICHI.

In the other Olympic weight classes, world champion Tsugumi SAKURAI is the one to beat at 57kg -- with a clash against Kinjo likely to come at the Meiji Cup -- while 76kg could see a battle between world bronze medalist Yuka KAGAMI and 17-year-old world U20 champion Ayano MORO, who has gone undefeated dating back to 2017.

World champion Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN) is entered in both GR 67kg and FS 70kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Narikuni to attempt rare double

Narikuni, an unorthodox wrestler who finally showed his potential by winning the freestyle 70kg world title in Belgrade, will attempt a historic double by also entering at Greco-Roman 67kg.

The 25-year-old, whose mother was a two-time world champion, has a goal of not just equaling his mother, but going beyond her by winning world titles in both freestyle and Greco.

It marks the first time since 1984 that a wrestler will be competing in both styles at the national championships. The last time a wrestler won titles in both was in 1973, at a time when the styles were wrestled at separate tournaments and more wrestlers competed in the two.

Standing in Narikuni's way at Greco 67kg will be defending champion and Asian bronze medalist Katsuaki ENDO.

Another Greco weight class drawing attention is 60kg, where Tokyo Olympic silver medalist and two-time former world champion Kenichiro FUMITA could meet world 55kg bronze medalist Yu SHIOTANI.

Fireworks can also be expected at freestyle 57kg, as world 61kg champion Rei HIGUCHI has dropped back down to the division in which he won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Former world champion Yuki TAKAHASHI, who beat Higuchi in a playoff for the 57kg spot at the Tokyo Olympics, has returned after an extended hiatus. Those two can expect stiff competition from a number of young opponents, including 2021 world 61kg bronze medalist Toshiro HASEGAWA.

While coronavirus restrictions have been vastly eased in the country, the tournament field has been limited to 16 per weight class.

To simulate the Olympics as much as possible, the Olympic weight classes will be run over two days, with competition up to the semifinals on the first day and the repechage and medal match on the second. Non-Olympic classes will be completed in one day.