Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! March 12, 2018

By Eric Olanowski

Reviewing the March installment of United World Wrestling’s world rankings, this week's Women's World Cup and the President Cup of Buryatia Republic
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1. This Week's Women’s World Cup 
United World Wrestling has released the schedule for Women’s Wrestling World Cup which kicks off March 17-18. The dual-meet based events is an annual highlight of the international wrestling calendar, being held in Takasaki, Japan.

The eight participating teams have been separated into two pools with Japan and Belarus leading groups A and B. After tying for second place at the 2017 World Championships with the United States, Belarus has been awarded the Group B tiebreaker. Pool A will consist of Canada, Japan, Sweden and the United States and Pool B will consist of Belarus, China, Mongolia, and Romania.

Japan, who won last year’s World Cup in Russia, will be without 2017 World Champion Yui SUSAKI (48kg) who lost in a recent wrestle-off against rival Yuki IRIE (JPN). Otherwise, the Japanese side is scheduled to start a number of world and Olympic champions in Takasaki, including RIO 2016 titlist Risako KAWAI (63kg) and Sara DOSHO (69kg).

Saturday, March 17 (Local Time)
9:00 am: Canada v. United States (Mat A) // Mongolia v. China (Mat B)
10:15 am: Japan v. Sweden  (Mat A) // Belarus  v. Romania (Mat B)
11:30 am: Sweden v. United States  (Mat A) // Romania v. China (Mat B)
12:45 pm: Japan v. Canada (Mat A) // Belarus  v. Mongolia (Mat B)
4:30 pm: Opening Ceremonies
5:00 pm: Sweden v. Canada (Mat A) // Romania v. Belarus  (Mat B)
6:15 pm: Japan v. United States (Mat A) // Belarus v. China (Mat B)

Sunday, March 18 (Local Time)
9:00 am: Seventh Place Match
10:30 am: Fifth Place Match
1:00 pm: Bronze Medal Match
2:30 pm: Gold Medal Match

2. Russians Nearly Sweep President Cup of Buryatia Republic
Headed by six-time President Cup of Buryatia Republic champion, Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) and Ivan Yarygin silver medalist Anzor URISHEV (RUS), Russians wrestlers captured nine out of ten gold medals at the President Cup of Buryatia Republic.

Photo: BEKHBAYAR Erdenebat (MGL)

Takhti Cup champion BEKHBAYAR Erdenebat (MGL) was the lone non-Russian wrestler to seize a gold medal when he defeated Khuresh-Ool DONDUK (RUS), 2-1 for the 57kg crown.

Also of note, 2016 Olympic silver medalist A. GEDUEV (RUS) pulled out of the tournament after winning his first bout, 10-0. Geduev has yet to finish a full individual competition since being upended in the finals of the 2016 Olympic Games by Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), 6-6 on criteria.

Since the Olympics, Geduev’s last full tournament was the 2017 Clubs World Cup where he suffered a 10-7 loss to Omid HASSANTABAR (Setaregan Sari) while competing for Bimeh Razi.

FINAL RESUTLS:
57kg: BEKHBAYAR Erdenebat (MGL) df. Khuresh-Ool DONDUK (RUS), 2-1
61kg: Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) df. Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (RUS), 3-1
65kg: Bayar TSYENOV (RUS) df. Eduard GRIGORIEV (RUS), 11-0
70kg: Evgeni ZHERBAEV (RUS) df. Alibek AKBAEV( (RUS), 5-1
74kg: Arslan BUDOZHAPOV (RUS) df. GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL), 10-0
79kg: Radik VALIEV (RUS) df. Khusey SUYUNCHEV (RUS) via forfeit
86kg: Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) df. PUREJAV Unurbat (MGL), 3-0
92kg: Anzor URISHEV (RUS) df. Timur BATOROV (RUS), 10-0
97kg: Igor ОVSIANNIKOV (RUS) df. ULZISAIKHAN Batsul (MGL), 2-0

125kg: Tsibik MAKSAKOV (RUS) df. Alan HUGAEV (RUS) via forfeit

3. Freestyle Rankings
The March installment of United World Wrestling’s freestyle world rankings were released and are based on results from the Ivan Yarygin and the African and Asian Championships. The next ranking series events are the European and Pan-American Championships which will both be held in the first week of May.

Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, and Iran each have at least one wrestler ranked atop of March’s rankings.

The Mongolian quartet of top-ranked wrestlers are Asian and President Cup of Buryatia Republic medalist GANZORIG Mandakhnaran and NATSAGSUREN Zolboo, Ivan Yarygin bronze medalist LUVSANDORJ Turtogtokh and TSEVEENSUREN Tsogbadrakh.

Uzbekistan’s threesome of wrestlers receiving the top-ranking is Asian champion Magomed IBRAGIMOV and Asian medalists Abbos RAKHMONOV and Rashid KURBANOV.

After outscoring the competition 32-2 on his way to winning his first Asian Championships, Hassan Aliazam YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) gets the nod as the first ranked wrestler at 86kg.

The remaining first ranked wrestlers are Asian champion Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ), and Nigeria’s African Champion Ogbonna Emmanuel JOHN (NGR).

FULL RANKINGS

4. Greco-Roman Rankings
In the March edition of United World Wrestling’s Greco-Roman rankings, four front-runners held onto their previous rankings after the Takhti Cup (IRI), Granma y Cerro Pelado (CUB) and the African and Asian Championships. 

The four wrestlers holding onto their No. 1 rankings were Asian champion Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) and Asian medalists Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) and K. ZHOLCHUBEKOV (KGZ).

New to the No. 1 spot was the pair of Asian champions in Askhat DILMUKHAMEDOV (KAZ) and Seyedmostafa SALEHIZADEH (IRI). Also new to the top-spot was Takhti medalists Khussein MUTSOLGOV (KAZ), Reza KHEDRI (IRI) and U. AMATOV (KGZ).

The next ranking series events will be the European and Pan-American Championships which will both be held the first week of May.

FULL RANKINGS

5. Women’s Wrestling Rankings
After an impressive showing at the Klippan Lady Open and Asian Championships, China dominates the latest edition of United World Wrestling’s women's rankings with six top-ranked wrestlers.

Three of the four remaining leading ranked wrestlers in PAK Yongmi (PRK), Saki IGARASHI (JPN) and 2018 Yarygin champion PUREVDORJ Orkhon (MGL) are all coming off Asian gold medal performances.

Coming off her fifth Klippan Lady Open championship, Petra OLLI (FIN) claims the last top-spot.

The next two ranking series events are the European and Pan-American Championships which will be held the first week of May.

FULL RANKINGS

Weekly FIVE In Social Media
1. #LunesDeMotivacion the last promise. Here is the story of the Stig-Andre Berge fighter from #Noruega ?? in those @JuegosOlimpicos of @Rio2016. #idrett #wrestling #lucha
2. @Ivan_FSWrestling reacts to Geduev dropping out of the President Cup of Buryatia Republic

3. Big Move Monday! 
4. Flag Friday 
5. Score That Saturday: Who scored on this exchange? 

#WrestleNoviSad

U23 Worlds 2025: Forrest wins epic final to hand U.S. team title

By Vinay Siwach

NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 27) — For a second time this year, the United States and Iran were involved in a thrilling team title race in Freestyle at a World Championships with the U.S. eventually winning the title.

After being tied at 102 points each at the U23 World Championships in Novi Sad, the U.S. needed one win and Iran needed to win all three bouts on the final day of the competition.

The U.S. sealed the team title as soon as Jaxen FORREST (USA) won the 61kg final, giving his country an unassailable lead of 137 points over Iran, which finished second with 127 points. Japan was third with 85 points.

With the team title, U.S. won the top spot in Freestyle in all age-group World Championships while Iran won the title in senior Worlds.

Three gold medals already in pocket, the U.S. won a fourth one on Monday through Forrest who had an unforgettable bout against Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ).

Both teenagers, U20 world bronze medalist Forrest and U17 world champion Asan Uulu put on a match that will be remembered for ages. Both wrestlers settled in, Forrest came up with an over-underhook for four but Asan Uulu soon fired back with two takedown to make it 4-4. After a back-and-forth scramble, Asan Uulu managed to score a push out for a 5-4 lead.

But Forrest took a big lead when he threw Asan Uulu from quad pod position for four points. Kyrgyzstan’s lost challenge added one more point to make it 9-5.

Jaxen FORREST (USA)Jaxen FORREST (USA) scores a takedown against Umurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The two were not done yet. As soon as the second period began, Asan Uulu scored a stepout, Forrest got a takedown to make it 11-6. Asan Uulu managed to get a takedown and score via exposure. He took a 12-11 lead with a takedown on edge with 1:30 left.

There was more left in the match as Forrest got on a low single to get a takedown and as the wrestlers returned to standing, he threw Asan Uulu for a big four, the third of the match to make it 17-12. He was happy to give one takedown to Asan Uulu in the final 10 seconds and win the gold medal 17-14, in what was perhaps the match of the year.

SUJEET (IND)SUJEET (IND) scores the match-winning takedown against Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

At 65kg, SUJEET (IND) upgraded his bronze from last year to gold this year after he blanked world bronze medalist Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) in the final, his third 10-0 technical superiority over Jalolov this year.

Sujeet began like favorite underhook and snapdowns and Jalolov was put on the clock. Sujeet scored a takedown during that period to lead 3-0 before a stepout made it 4-0, a lead which Sujeet carried into the break.

The second period was no different as Sujeet did not let Jalolov settle down. He scored using a counter takedown to lead 6-0 with 1:52 remaining. Jalolov tried to hit a far reaching leg attack but Sujeet throws thew himself backward before scoring a takedown. A double leg takedown to make it 10-0 with 1:06 remaining.

Arash YOSHIDA (JPN)Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) celebrates after beating Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO) in the 97kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Japan went past Turkiye in the team race by one point, all thanks to Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) winning the gold medal at 97kg by beating Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO), 12-2, in the final.

For a split second Suleimaniashvili was about to pin Yoshida but apart from that, Yoshida never looked in any kind of trouble. His body frame and power were too much for the Georgian who just folded in the battle.

Yoshida managed to score from various position and used the underhook to perfection to earn his first world title.

One of the most dominant wrestlers in this tournament, Arsen BALAIAN (UWW), capped off his incredible run with a 10-0 victory over Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA), 10-0.

RESULTS

61kg
GOLD: Jaxen FORREST (USA) df. Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ), 17-14

BRONZE: Akito MUKAIDA (JPN) df. Mykyta ABRAMOV (UKR), 10-0
BRONZE: Tolga OZBEK (TUR) df. Erdal GALIP (BUL), 11-1

65kg
GOLD: SUJEET (IND) df. Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB), 10-0

BRONZE: Bilol SHARIP UULU (KGZ) df. Aykhan ABDULLAZADA (AZE), 10-0
BRONZE: Bashir MAGOMEDOV (UWW) df. Yuto NISHIUCHI (JPN), 7-5

86kg
GOLD: Arsen BALAIAN (UWW) df. Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA), 10-0

BRONZE: Ali TCOKAEV (AZE) df. Tornike SAMKHARADZE (GEO), 13-2
BRONZE: Abolfazl RAHMANI (IRI) df. Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA), 7-5

97kg
GOLD: Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) df. Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO), 12-2

BRONZE: Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) df. Abolfazl BABALOO (IRI), 7-1
BRONZE: Soslan DZHAGAEV (UWW) df. David MCHEDLIDZE (UKR), 4-2