#WrestlePlovdiv

#WrestlePlovdiv: Four Nations Highlight Day 1 with Eight Finalists

Monday, March 7, 2022 - 18:59 By Vinay Siwach

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PLOVDIV, Bulgaria (March 7) -- Four different countries had a pair of finalists each on the first day of the U23 European Championships that got underway in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

Home nation Bulgaria and Denmark managed to put one each as well in Tuesday's final as five Greco-Roman weight classes were in action Monday.

Returning bronze medalist Istvan TAKACS (HUN) and junior European champion Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN) set up the summit clash for the 87kg gold medal. The two stars delivered close to perfect performances throughout the day of the competition.

The Hungarian wrestler began with an 8-0 win over Matej MANDIC (CRO) in the morning session before returning to win the semifinal against Szymon SZYMONOWICZ (POL) 3-1. He was awarded a point for Szymnonowicz's passivity in the first period and he managed to get exposure from par terre.

Some classic defense from Takacs made sure that he only conceded a point when was put in a par terre position in the second period.

Turpan BisultanovTurpan BISULTANOV (DEN) reached the 87kg final in Plovdiv. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Bisultanov wrestled three bouts, outscoring his opponents 28-7 to reach the final. He began with a 10-2 win over Lachin VALIYEV (AZE) before surviving a scare against Muhutdin SARICICEK (TUR) in the quarterfinals. Saricicek managed to throw Bisultanov for a four-pointer but the Denmark wrestler came back and secured the win via fall.

The semifinal was a one-sided affair as returning bronze medalist Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM) had to answer to Bisultanov's pressure. After scoring via a stepout, he went up 2-0 and then scored through a gut-wrench to lead 4-0. Another takedown made it 6-0 at the break before a stepout in the second period gave him a 7-0 win.

Hungary's second wrestler to reach the final was U23 World and European bronze medalist Dariusz VITEK (HUN). He denied Georgia's Giorgi TSOPURASHVILI in the semifinal at 130kg, 5-2. Despite the Georgian's continuous attacks, Vitek managed to keep it under control with some tactical defense.

Fatih BOZKURT

Vitek will face Fatih BOZKURT (TUR) in the final as both try to win the gold which they missed last year. Both the bronze medalists have already confirmed a better result from 2021.

Bozkurt had a 19-point slugfest against Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE) in the semifinal. The Azerbaijan wrestler stunned Bozkurt with a four-point throw and then scored a takedown to lead 6-2. But the Turkey wrestler continued to increase the pressure and scored a four-pointer with an arm spin and then scored via takedown to win 13-6.

Another Turkey wrestler who came from behind to enter the final was Emre MUTLU (TUR). He was trailing 7-0 at the break against Artiom DELEANU (MDA) and had lost all hopes for a win. But a passivity call against Deleanu opened a window of hope for him and then he scored four points via a front headlock. He then added six more points for exposure to change the bout.

He will face home wrestler Denis DEMIROV (BUL) in the 55kg final who needed an overhead jump against Denis MIHAI (ROU) in the final five seconds to win the bout 10-6. Trailing 6-5, he jumped over Mihai and kept his hands locked to get confirmed points. He was initially awarded two points but Romanian corner challenged the call. But it backfired and Demirov was awarded four points for the move.

Azerbaijan and Georgia will compete in the remaining two finals at 63kg and 77kg.

At 63kg, former junior World and European champion Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO) will face Ziya BABASHOV (AZE) with an aim to repeat his junior age-group performances at the U23 level. He defeated Mustafa YILDIRIM (TUR) 6-3 in the semifinal.

Babashov ended local hopes of Ilia MUSTAKOV (BUL) to have a second home finalist when he defeated him 6-1 in the other semifinal at 63kg.

Khasay HASANLI (AZE) will face Davit SOLOGASHVILI (GEO) in the 77kg final after both scored close wins in the semifinals.

The Azerbaijan wrestler overcame Aleksa ILIC (SRB) in the semifinal 5-1 after scoring twice via exposure in par terre. When Ilic had the same opportunity, he failed to convert it into any points.

Like his teammate Shotadze, Sologashvili defeated a Turkey wrestler in the semifinal. Abdurrahman KALKAN (TUR) was 17-0 in the two bouts before running into Sologashvili in the semifinal.

The Georgian wrestler scored four points from par terre while Kalkan managed only two which remained the difference in the bout which Sologashvili won 5-3.

The five remaining Greco-Roman weight classes will be in action Tuesday.

#UWWAwards

UWW Breakout Wrestlers of 2025: Hidlay, Farokhi, Onishi

Monday, December 15, 2025 - 12:24 By Eric Olanowski

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 14) -- The 2025 Breakout Wrestlers of the Year were not the ones anyone circled heading into the season. They weren’t the favorites, or the ones analysts picked to walk away from the season as world medalists.

They were the outsiders, largely unproven and underestimated. But that all changed in a single season when they smashed expectations, catapulting themselves into world-wide stardom with world-title runs that nobody saw coming.

Freestyle Breakout Performer of the Year: Trent HIDLAY (USA)

Before 2025, Hidlay had never climbed to the top of a podium at an international event. His  2025 season even began with more doubt than promise, dropping his second match of the year to rising Azeri phenom Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) at the Zagreb Open. But that loss lit a fuse. From that moment on, the 26-year-old didn’t just improve -- he transformed.

Hidlay unleashed a stunning 13-match win streak and collected gold medals at the Pan-American Championships, the Budapest Ranking Series and the World Championships. Along the way, he knocked off giants -- Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE), Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), and Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), just to name a few.

Then came the finale: a world finals comeback for the ages. Down and all but finished, Hidlay stormed back to defeat Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW). In one year, Hidlay didn’t just win -- he arrived.

Greco-Roman Breakout Performer of the Year: Gholemreza FAROKHI (IRI)

When opportunity knocked, Farokhi wasn’t just there to answer it, he was there to kick the door off its hinges. The 23-year-old stepped into Iran’s senior lineup for the first time in his career and tore through anyone in front of him -- whether it was at 82kg or 87kg.

Farokhi bulldozed his way to gold medals at the two World Championships he participated in. He racked up a perfect 17-0 record, including 11 technical superiority wins and six decisions, sweeping gold at the World Championships, U23 World Championships, the Islamic Solidarity Games, and the Zagreb Open Ranking Series.

Women’s Wrestling Breakout Performer of the Year: Sakura ONISHI (JPN)

At 19 years old, Onishi entered the senior circuit with massive goals but had zero experience and zero fear. In mere months, she became a problem no one had an answer for.

Onishi tore through the season with a flawless 15-0 record, capturing titles at the Senior and U20 World Championships, the Asian Championships, and the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series. Her dominance wasn’t subtle -- it was exactly what you’d expect from a Japanese women’s wrestler -- 11 tech falls, three pins, and a decision, outscoring opponents 158-17.