#WrestleBelgrade

#WrestleBelgrade Weight-to-Watch: Freestyle 70kg

Friday, October 29, 2021 - 07:43 By Vinay Siwach

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BELGRADE, Serbia (October 28) -- Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) is returning to the Belexpocentar in Belgrade, Serbia. It was here that he made heads roll with a title-winning performance at the Individual World Cup in December last year.

Now, he is seeking a U23 world title.

Entered in the 70kg weight class that is full of wrestlers of equal pedigree, Tevanyan will take the mat next week, a month after participating in the Senior World Championships in Oslo at 65kg.

Not only the Armenian but a host of other stars are eyeing the gold medal. Oslo World Championships silver medalist at 70kg Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) is one of the favorites and so is 65kg '19 U23 world champion Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE).

All three were in Oslo, and in Tokyo before that, but only Akmataliev was able to win a medal as he reached the final of the 70kg against Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL). He lost a close bout 1-2 and had to be content with a silver medal.

Bayramov lost Gadzhiev after an impressive run to the semifinals but later lost the bronze medal bout as well against Zurabi IAKOBASHVILI (GEO). He returned empty-handed from the tournament, his fifth this year.

Other big names entered in the bracket are U23 Russian champion and Ali Aliev tournament winner Rezuan KAZHAROV (RWF), U23 European silver Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA) and former cadet world medalist Aliakbar FAZLIKHALILI (IRI).

Tevanyan will have fond memories of Belgrade. The World Cup made him a rising star at 65kg as he defeated world medalist Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) 9-1 in the final. His run included victories over Haji ALI (BHN), Nikolai OKHLOPKOV (ROU) and Hor OHANNESIAN (UKR) in the semifinal.

He also has wins over three world champions -- Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO), Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) and Haji ALIYEV (AZE) -- from the European Olympic Qualifiers.

Ernazar AKMATALIEVErnazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) is a silver medalist from Oslo World Championships. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

But it won't be easy this time. Akmataliev was also part of the Individual World Cup but lost to Haji ALIYEV (AZE) in the quarterfinal. But since then, he has won the Asian Olympic Qualifiers, defeating Ilyas BEKBULATOV (UZB) and Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) in the process. He later participated in the Tokyo Olympics but lost to Bajrang PUNIA (IND) in the first round. In Oslo, he became the first freestyle wrestler from his country to reach a senior world final.

The 23-year-old's antics of attacking constantly and countering when on the defensive saw him notch up wins from behind in Oslo and even at the Asian event. He also has some unfinished business after finishing fifth at the Budapest edition in 2019.

But one wrestler who can keep him quiet is Bayramov. A late replacement for the injured Khadzhimurad Gadzhiyev (AZE) in Azerbaijan's Tokyo Olympic lineup, Bayramov makes his opponents work hard for their points even from an advantageous position.

Turan BAYRAMOVTuran BAYRAMOV (AZE) is a U23 world champion at 65kg from 2019. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Bayramov has a 13-5 record this season, but all five of his losses came against wrestlers who have World or European titles to their names. His losses came against Frank CHAMIZO (ITA), Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL), Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO), Keegan OTOOLE (USA) and Israil KASUMOV (RUS).

Russia's Kazharov may not have international experience but his performance at the Ali Aliev was one to watch as he defeated Azamat NURYKAU (BLR) in the final. Kazharov was trailing 3-2 and Nurykau held on to his own defense in the second period until the final 10 seconds.

Kazharov got a single-leg attack and Nurykau tried to throw the Russian over but it was Kazharov who scored four and won 6-3.

Grahmez only makes the field more interesting as he won the silver at '21 U23 Euros and can pull off an upset on the given day.

#WrestleZagreb

Saravi returns to final; Ganizade, Ghanem rematch for 72kg gold

Friday, September 19, 2025 - 16:52 By Ken Marantz

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 19) -- Paris Olympic champion Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) safely negotiated the minefield that was the draw of the stacked 97kg division, advancing to the final to earn a shot at capturing a second world title.

Saravi defeated Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW) 3-1 in the semifinals Friday at the World Championships in Zagreb, putting him in Saturday's gold-medal match against Artur SARGSIAN (UWW) as the finals were set in three Greco weight classes.

In other finals, Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) and Alisher GANIEV (UZB) will battle it out at 60kg, while the 72kg match will be a rematch of last year's final between defending champion Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) and Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA).

Saravi, who avoided the upset bug that hit the legendary Artur ALEKSANYAN (AZE) and 2023 world champion Gabriel ROSILLO (CUB) earlier in the day, executed a gut wrench from par terre against Maskevich, then hardly budged when he was put on the bottom in the second period.

The victory gives Saravi, who won his third straight Asian title and fourth overall this year, a shot at regaining the world title he won in 2021. He also has an Olympic bronze and world silver and bronze medals to his credit.

Sargsian, a 2021 bronze medalist, earned his place in the final with a 1-1 victory over Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE), prevailing on the criteria of receiving the first of two passivity points.

Following an opening victory by technical superiority, it was Sargsian's third straight victory by a 1-1 scoreline, an aspect that is totally irrelevant to him.

"I don’t care about the score, the important thing is that they raised my hand," Sargsian said. "All my life I tried to win ahead of time, to get 8-0 in every match -- and for what? It didn’t lead to anything good. I’m 27 years old and I still have only world championship medal. So for me, three times 1-1 is the same as three times 8-0."

For Sargsian, the final gives him a chance to avenge a loss to Saravi from the 2021 World Championships, when the Iranian defeated him 6-4 in the first round in Oslo.

"I’m very glad that tomorrow I’ll finally have my long-awaited rematch with Saravi," Sargsian said. "It adds extra excitement that now he is not only a world champion, but also an Olympic champion."

At 60kg, Asian silver medalist Ganiev will get a chance to become just the second Uzbekistan wrestler to win a world Greco title after holding on to win a 5-5 thriller
over European silver medalist Georgij TIBILOV (SRB).

Ganiev was on top in par terre, trailing on criteria because he received the second passivity point, when he lifted Tibilov and executed a nifty cartwheel for a 4-pointer and a 5-4 lead.

But Tibilov, a world bronze medalist at 63kg in 2023, was not going down easily, and he pressured Ganiev at the edge for a takedown, then added a second one. But
that was all he could get, and Ganiev won on big-point criteria.

The victory avenged a 6-4 loss to Tibilov in the final of the Zagreb Open in the same arena back in February.

Uzbekistan's lone title in Greco came back in 2001, when Dilshod ARIPOV (UZB) won the 58kg gold in Patras, Greece.

Sultangali, who has world bronze medals from 2018 and 2022, will get a shot at his first gold after putting on a late surge and defeating Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO)
10-2 in the other semifinal.

Sultangali trailed 2-1 when he bulled Shavadze over for a 4-point takedown with :30 left, then added a gut wrench. An unsuccessful challenge made it 8-2 before Shavadze gave up the fight and allowed a stepout with fleeing penalty point with :03 left.

Kazakhstan has won five Greco world golds through three wrestlers, but hasn't had put one on the top of the medal podium since 1999, when Mkhtar MANUKYAN
(KAZ) won the second of his back-to-back titles at 63kg in Athens.

At 72kg, a second potential Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan match-up failed to come to fruition when both countries' wrestlers lost in the semifinals. Instead, it will be
Ganizade and Ghanem going at it for the second consecutive year.

Ganizade scored all of his points in the first period in a 5-0 victory over Asian silver medalist Abdullo ALIEV (UZB). He slipped behind for a takedown, then added a gut wrench before getting the lone passivity point to cap the first period.

In the other semifinal, Ghanem was leading a close match 3-2 as it was winding down when he countered Merey MAULITKANOV (KAZ) for 4-point throw.

Maulitkanov just remained lying on the mat, officially giving Ghanem a victory by fall in 5:49.

RESULTS

Greco-Roman

60kg (25 entries)
SF 1: Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) df. Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO) by TF, 10-2, 5:57
SF 2: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) df. Georgij TIBILOV (SRB), 5-5

72kg (30 entries)
SF 1: Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) df. Abdullo ALIEV (UZB), 5-0
SF 2: Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) df. Merey MAULITKANOV (KAZ) by Fall, 5:49 (7-2)

97kg (29 entries)
SF 1: Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) df. Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW), 3-1
SF 2: Artur SARGSIAN (UWW) df. Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE), 1-1