#WrestleOslo

#WrestleOslo: Vlasov Back to Familiar Territory by Reaching 77kg Final

Thursday, October 7, 2021 - 22:58 By Vinay Siwach

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OSLO, Norway (October 7) -- Roman VLASOV (RWF) let out a loud cry after winning his semifinal bout. Three years after he last became a world champion, the two-time Olympic champion was once again back in familiar territory as he reached the final of 77kg weight class at the senior World Championships in Oslo, Norway.

Vlasov lost in the pre-quarterfinals of the 2019 World Championships and then failed to earn a spot on the Russian Wrestling Federation team for the Tokyo Olympics. But soon after the Olympics, he announced that he wants to win a third Olympic gold and will run for the Paris cycle.

Leading a young Russian Wrestling Federation in Oslo, Vlasov destroyed the competition in Oslo as he began with a 11-0 crushing of Tamerlan SHADUKAYEV (KAZ) in the opening bout, won 10-3 against Dmytro PYSHKOV (UKR) and then manhandled World bronze medalist Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) 10-1 in the quarterfinals.

A tough task in the semifinals awaited him as a young Tamas LEVAI (HUN) had made it to the semifinals from the other side. Levai had an indirect hand in keeping Vlasov out of the Tokyo team by beating him at the Poland Open ranking series event. That event was being treated as the selection trial by the Russian Wrestling Federation and Vlasov lost in the semifinal against Levai.

But he avenged that loss Thursday as he beat Levai 7-0 and did not let the Hungarian take control of the bout. One of the strategies that Levai had in Warsaw was to not let Vlasov open up for attacks. But Vlasov did not let Levai settle down Thursday and began early with scoring. All seven points were scored in the first period.

Levai's loss also ended the tournament for world champion Viktor NEMES (SRB) as he had suffered a 1-1 loss to the Hungary wrestler. The two points were awarded for passivity but Levai was awarded in the second period, giving him the criteria of last point scored.

Vlasov will now face Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) in the final as he defeated Tsimur BERDYIEU (BLR) 5-4 in the other semifinal. After being awarded a point for passivity and then a four-point throw, Suleymanov had to concede a four-point throw but managed to survive any further attacks.

At 82kg, Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Rafiq HUSEYNOV (AZE) had to overcome a world medalist and an European medalist to reach his second straight Worlds final. In the semifinal, he defeated Adlan AKIEV (RWF), the 2021 European champion, 2-1 to advance to the final. He was awarded a point for passivity but he failed to benefit from the par terre position. But he added a point for pushout to make it 2-0. A point was awarded against him for passivity but Akiev failed to do much after that.

Earlier, he rallied from 6-0 down to win 7-6 against Alex KESSIDIS (SWE). He went for with his arms around Kessidis' waist but the Sweden wrestler used the momentum to throw Huseynov for four. He then added a gut wrench to be within two points of victory.

But Huseynov got unreal with a throw and point for passivity. A takedown made it 7-6 and he stuck to that score until the end of the bout.

He will now face Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) who managed to beat Pejman POSHTAM (IRI) 5-2. The match was decided in the first period when Akbudak scored a four point throw and Poshtam could never recover from that.

Japan had a finalist Thursday after Ken MATSUI (JPN) pinned former world champion Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE). Matsui was toying around with Azizli who was looking for his second world title. Matsui went for an underhook and Azizli made it very easy to pin once he was on his hips. Matsui will now have Individual World Cup winner Emin SEFERSHAEV (RWF) in the final. He defeated Norayr HAKHOYAN (ARM) 3-2.

In the fourth category -- 72kg -- Russian Wrestling Federation had another finalist as Sergei KUTUZOV (RWF) blasted Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR) 10-0 in the semifinal and advanced. Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) will be his opponent in the final as he denied another Iran wrestler, Mohammad MOKHTARI (IRI), a spot in the final two. Amoyan beat Mokhtari 10-6

Greco-Roman will continue on day seven of the World Championships in Oslo, Norway.

#WrestleTirana

Defending champ Azizli among 3 Azerbaijan wrestlers to make finals

Monday, October 28, 2024 - 20:45 By Ken Marantz

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TIRANA, Albania (October 28) -- Olympics or not, the intensity is still the same as Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) drives for a third consecutive world title and fourth overall.

Azizli advanced to the final at Greco 55kg, one of three Azerbaijani wrestlers to make it to the four gold-medal matches on the opening day of the Non-Olympic Weight Categories World Championships on Monday in Tirana.

Joining Azizli in Tuesday's Greco finals will be Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) at 63kg and Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE) at 72kg, the latter of whom will be facing defending champion Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA).

At 82kg, Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) earned a shot at winning his first world gold to go with three bronzes he previously won at 71kg or 77kg. But younger brother and Tokyo Olympic champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) was dealt a stunning loss at 72kg, while reigning 63kg champion Leri ABULADZE (GEO) was knocked out in the quarterfinals. Neither one was pulled into the repechage and will leave Tirana empty-handed.

Azizli was virtually untouchable in storming into the 55kg final, easily putting away two-time European bronze medalist Denis MIHAI (ROU) 9-0 in the semifinals for his third technical fall of the day without conceding a point.

Azizli started with a front headlock for 2. Put on top in par terre, he executed a gut wrench, then ended the proceedings in 1:47 with a nifty 4-point throw for his third win in three career meetings with Mihai -- all by technical fall.

In the final, Azizli will face another familiar foe in Asian silver medalist Poya DAD MARZ (IRI), a bronze medalist in Budapest who advanced by defeating Emin SEFERSHAEV (AIN) with his second straight 1-1 victory.

Azizli, a two-time European champion and six-time medalist, is 3-0 in career clashes with Dad Marz, most recently beating him at the Budapest Ranking Series in June and including a 3-2 win in the semifinals at the 2023 worlds.

Mammadli, this year's European champion at 60kg, earned his first-ever berth in a world final when he powered to a 6-1 semifinal victory at 63kg over Tokyo Olympian Karen ASLANYAN (ARM), who knocked off Abuladze 5-2 in the second round.

Mammadli trailed 1-0 on a passivity point going into the second period when he came alive, using the aggressive Aslanyan's momentum to score 4 with a counter pancake, then used underhooks to drop him for 2 more.

Next up for the gold will be Asian champion Yerzhet ZHARLYKASSYN (KAZ), who made short work of Sadyk LALAEV (AIN), scoring a 4-point throw in the first 10 seconds of their semifinal and adding another with an arm throw to finish up an 8-0 win in exactly a minute.

Lalaev had won the final world qualifier for the Paris Olympics at 60kg, but was among those from Russia or Belarus who were either declared ineligible or decided not to participate.

At 72kg, 2022 world silver medalist Ganizade and the Egyptian-born Ghanem set up a rematch of the 2023 European final, which the Azeri won 7-7 in a nail-biter.

Ganizade, this year's European silver medalist, earned a shot at a world gold with a 6-0 victory over Asian bronze medalist Ji LENG (CHN), who had ousted two-time world bronze medalist Selcuk CAN (TUR) 3-1 in the quarterfinals.

After scoring a stepout, Ganizade gained a passivity point and, from par terre, hit a throw that didn't turn Leng but became 4 points when he kept driving and exposed the Chinese's back.

Ghanem came out on top 6-1 of an at-times-tempetous tussle with Iranian-born former world champion Ali ARSALAN (SRB), an opponent with whom he had split two previous encounters.

A pair of stepouts and a passivity point gave Ghanem a 3-0 lead going into the second period. An unsuccessful Serbian challenge when Arsalan was on top of par terre made it 4-1, then Ghanem put the bout on ice by spinning behind for a takedown.

Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI)Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) made it to his World Championships final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

At 82kg, the elder Geraei was on the receiving end of a passivity point in each period for a 2-0 win over European bronze medalist Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO). It was a far cry from his previous two matches when he had a 4-point throw in 7-2 and 14-6 victories.

Geraei, who took home world bronzes in 2017, 2019 and 2021 and finished fifth at the Tokyo Olympics, will face an impressive Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) in his first global final.

Szilvassy, already assured of his first major medal, scored 2 with an arm throw in the first period and held on for a 3-2 victory over Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR). Earlier, he defeated two-time world medalist Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) 6-1 in the quarterfinals.

The biggest shock of the day came three matches into the competition when the younger Geraei was knocked off 11-3 in the qualification round at 72kg by unheralded Benjamin PEAK (USA).

Geraei looked like it would be just another day at the office when the former world champion scored an early takedown. But Peak, whose lone major medal is a bronze from the 2019 Pan Am U20 Championships, came back with a takedown and throw that, with a 2-point leg penalty tacked on, gave him a 6-2 lead. Geraei cut the gap with a stepout just before the break.

Peak kept the pressure on and countered for another takedown, then caught Geraei in a lapse and bulled him backward for a 2-point exposure that ended the match with 30 seconds left.

When Peak fell in the next round to Dominik ETLINGER (CRO), it ended Geraei's hopes of adding to his full collection of world medals -- the 2021 champion also has a silver from 2022 and bronze from 2023, all at 67kg.

Geraei missed out on a chance to defend his Olympic title in Paris when he lost a playoff for Iran's spot at 67kg to Saeid ESMAELI (IRI), who kept the title in Iranian hands.

The tournament continues Monday with the women's competition through the semifinals at 55kg, 59kg, 65kg and 72kg before the Greco finals at night. Among those in action will be two-time Olympic champion Risako KINJO (JPN).

Day 1 Results

Greco-Roman

55kg (16 entries)
SF: Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) df. Denis MIHAI (ROU) by TF, 9-0, 1:47
SF: Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) df. Emin SEFERSHAEV (AIN), 1-1

63kg (21 entries)
SF: Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) df. Karen ASLANYAN (ARM), 6-1
SF: Yerzhet ZHARLYKASSYN (KAZ) df. Sadyk LALAEV (AIN) by TF, 8-0, 1:00

72kg (28 entries)
SF: Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) df. Ali ARSALAN (SRB), 6-1
SF: Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE) df. Ji LENG (CHN), 6-0

82kg (28 entries)
SF: Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) df. Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR), 3-2
SF: Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) df. Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO), 2-0