Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! February 26, 2018

Monday, February 26, 2018 - 11:49 By Eric Olanowski

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Reviewing Chamizo's recent move to 74kg, the Ukranian Memorial results, the return of Taha Akgul, Thursday's world rankings and the Cuban Women dominating the Cerro Pelado. 

1. Chamizo to 74kg Rumors Proven True
The rumors that 2017 70kg world champion Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) is bumping up to 74kg to try to dethrone four-time world and Olympic champion, Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) have been proven true. For over a month, these two giants have had a highly publicized social media war-of-words going over a possible super match-up.

Chamizo made his 74kg debut at the XXII Outstanding Ukrainian Wrestlers and Coaches Memorial in Kiev, Ukraine this past weekend where he snagged the gold medal by going 5-0, beating 2011 world silver medalist, Franklin GOMEZ (PUR) in the gold medal bout, 4-0.

After the tournament, Chamzio took to Instagram to post a podium photo titled “The king is back…74kg.”

2. Akgul Captures Gold in Return
Taha Akgul (TUR), the two-time world and Olympic champion returned to competition after suffering a loss to Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) in the finals of the 2017 World Championships. 

Akgul, who had been training in Columbus, Ohio with the two-time world and Olympic champion, Kyle SNYDER (USA) made the journey down to Havana, Cuba to compete in the Cerro Pelado.

Taha, who departed Cuba with the 125kg gold medal went 3-0 over the two-day competition, outscoring his opponents 32-0, including an 11-0 victory over Ben DURBIN (USA) in the finals.

RESULTS: http://uww.io/LbtgH

3. Azerbaijan leaves Ukraine with Four gold medals
Azerbaijan, on the heels of Olympic bronze medalist Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) and 2016 world bronze medalist, Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov (AZE) left Kiev, Ukraine with four Ukranian Memorial gold medals.

A pair of Olympians in Andrey KVIATKOVSKI (UKR) and Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (UKR) won golds medals for the host nation, Ukraine.

In the 125kg final bout, Khotsianivski beat reigning world champion, Geno PETRIASHVILI(GEO), 6-0.

Iran, Italy, Poland and the United States each had a solo gold medalist. 

On his way to the 65kg title, 2017 world runner-up Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) knocked off Olympic champion Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO), 3-2, and three-time world champion Haji ALIEV (AZE), 5-2.

Up from 70kg, Chamzio gave Italy their lone champion at 70kg by defeating 2011 world silver medalist, Franklin GOMEZ (PUR), 4-0 in the gold medal bout.

The 79kg title went to American, Alex DIERINGER (USA) as he defeated Olympic bronze medalist, Yabrail HASANOV (AZE), 7-4.

At 86kg, Iran’s Kamran GHASEMPOUR beat Dave Schultz Memorial International runner-up, Richard PERRY (USA), 4-1.

RESULTS: http://uww.io/OU0TY

4. Second Set of World Rankings to Be Release Thursday, March, 1
United World Wrestling will be releasing the second set of world rankings on Thursday, March 1.

The rankings will reflect the results from the first women’s ranking event of the season, the Klippan Lady Open and the second Greco-Roman ranking event, the Granma y Cerro Pelado.

The next three rankings events will all take place in June. They are the Tbilisi GP (GEO) (Freestyle), Mongolia Open (MGL) (Women's Wrestling) and the Hungarian GP (HUN) (Greco-Roman).               

FEBRUARY RANKINGS

5. Cuban Women Claim Six Golds Cerro Pelado Golds
Cuban women, led by junior world silver medalist and U23 world bronze medalist, Yudari SANCHEZ (CUB) captured an impressive six out of eight possible gold medals at the Cerro Pelado. There were not participants entered at 65kg or 62kg.

Betzabeth angelica ARGUELLO VILLEGAS (VEN) and Alejandra ROMERO (MEX) were the two wrestlers who captured gold medals that did not hail from Cuba.

RESULTS: http://uww.io/ckjQ6

Weekly FIVE in Social Media

Big Move Monday! 

Fan reactions of Khotsianivski's routing of reigning world champion, Geno Petriashvili. 

Olympic champion, Kevin JACKSON (USA) posts a picture of a young fan with Ukranian Memorial champion, Alex Dieringer and Olympic Bronze medalist, J'den COX (USA). 

#UWWAwards

UWW Most Dominant Wrestlers 2025: Amouzad, Motoki, Esmaeili

Thursday, December 25, 2025 - 11:08 By Eric Olanowski

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 24) -- There were several dominant performances in 2025 on the wrestling mat. But it was three wrestlers who remained at the top of their weight classes and racked up dominant wins one after another. Two were Olympic champions while one was an Olympic silver medalist. All three became world champions in Zagreb.

Freestyle Most Dominant Wrester: Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI)

- 14–0
- Rank 1 at 65kg 
- 58,000 RS points 
- Outscored world and Olympic medalists 42–4
- World Championships, Tirana RS and ISG golds

Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) was about as perfect as you could be in a season, returning to prominence with title-winning efforts at the World Championships, Islamic Solidarity Games and Muhamet Malo Ranking Series event and finishing the season as the No.1 ranked wrestler in the world at 65kg with 58,000 Ranking Series points.

The Paris silver medalist, collected an unblemished 14-0 record in 2025 -- with five of those wins coming against top-level opponents who have world or Olympic medals on their resumes in Olympic champion Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN), Umidjon JALALOV (UZB), Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) and Real WOODS (USA). The craziest part about those five matches against the world’s best, Amouzad outscored 42-4.

But without a doubt, the highlight of Amouzad’s season came in Zagreb when he finally got his long awaited rematch, beating Kotaro KIYOOKA in a revenge match from the Paris 2024 Olympic finals.

The scariest part about Amouzad’s dominance -- he’s only 23 years old and he’s still getting better.

Women's Wrestling Dominant Wrestler: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN)

- 9-0
- Five pins, two technical superiorities
- 45,000 RS points 
- 8/9 bouts finished before regulation
- Completed Golden Grand Slam (U17, U20, U23, Senior World and Olympic gold)

Coming into the 2025 season, Motoki made her goals crystal clear -- become the third wrestler in history of the sport to win wrestling’s Golden Grand Slam -- and for those who don’t know, that is gold medals at the U17, U20, U23, Senior World Championships and the Olympic Games.

The only two missing from the Olympic champ's resume were the U23 and Senior World golds.

At the 2025 U23 and senior World Championships, Motoki showed that she’s in a league of her own, as she went 9-0, with eight  matches finishing before time expired. She scored five falls and two technical superiority wins.

Her win in the final of the World Championships will be one that will be talked about for ages as the most dramatic win of the season. Motoki scored a buzzer-beating takedown against Ok Ju KIM (PRK) with a 10-second flurry that consisted of a head outside single, arm throw, over-under knee pick, before head locking Kim with four tenths of a second left to keep her history making hopes alive.

In the end, Motoki’s heart and courage under fire helped her close out the year as the third wrestler to complete the Golden Grand Slam and she did it with a level of dominance we may not see again for a very long time.

Greco-Roman Dominant Wrestler: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI)

- Rank 1 at 67kg 
- 58,000 RS points  
- 11–0 Record
- World Championships, Asian Championships and  ISG golds

In a 2025 campaign that saw him become a world champion, Esmaeili's season was immaculate, as he cemented his place among the sport’s top pound-for-pound wrestler with a season full of titles, stacking gold-medals at the World Championships, Asian Championships and Islamic Solidarity Games, rounding out the season ranked No. 1 in the world at 67kg.

The Paris Olympic champion remained unbeaten in 2025, winning all 11 bouts of his bouts in dominant fashion -- scoring eight shutout wins, with seven technical falls -- including a pair of 9-0 win against world champions Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) and Sebastian NAD (SRB). The reigning Olympic gold medalist also collected two victories over Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), one in the world final and one in the Islamic Game gold-medal match, where he tossed his Azeri opponent for four as time expired to rob his rival of the title.

His opponents should not ease up because at just 22 years old, Esmaeili is still sharpening his tool set and leveling up his skills.