Greco-Roman Rankings

"Wrestler of the Year" Lorincz in Pursuit of Top Seed at Tokyo 2020

By Eric Olanowski

*The highest number of potential points a wrestler can earn if he/she wins gold in a bracket with 20+ competitors at the continental championships (22 points) and Poland Open (18 points) is 40 points.

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (January 31) -- Viktor LORINCZ (HUN), United World Wrestling’s reigning “Wrestler of the Year” in Greco-Roman, made it clear this month that he’s out to defend his well-earned title and win Olympic gold.

Lorincz improved his Ranking Series tournament record to a perfect 23-0 this month with a one-point victory over 2019 Asian silver medalist Kumar SUNIL (IND) in the finals of the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series event in Rome. With the win, the Hungarian added 16 points to his second ranking leaving him just four points shy of world champion Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) heading into next month’s continental championships. 

But Lorincz is poised to shake up the top spot of the 87kg ranking and gain control of the world's No. 1 spot. Beleniuk elected to sit out of the European Championships, so Lorincz only needs to finish top-eight in Rome to reach the summit of the 87kg rankings.

"I want to win the [European Championships and Poland Open] because it will help my seed for the Olympic Games," said Lorincz, the defending world silver medalist at 87kg. “I will also be in the lead for the Ranking Series again.”

Germany's Denis KUDLA, who is ranked fourth at 87kg, is also expected to miss the European Championships. Without Beleniuk and Kudla, Lorincz needs nine points at the European Championships to ensure a top-four seed in Tokyo.

Mohamed and Muminjon Move into Top-Five at 130kg
Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY) and Muminjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) soared into the top-five of the 130kg rankings and will receive an extra boost as Cuba replaces world silver medalist Oscar PINO HINDS with three-time Olympic champion Mijian LOPEZ (CUB). Mohamed and Abdullaev will benefit because Pino Hinds points aren’t transferable to Lopez and would thus bump the Cubans from the rankings at 130kg.

Mohamed pinned Moises PEREZ HELLBURG (VEN) in the Matteo Pellicone finals and moved up five spots to No. 3 heading into the African Championships. He’ll collect 18 points in Alger if he's able to win the five-man 130kg bracket. Those additional points would propel him into the No. 2 spot by at least 10 points.

The Egyptian big man will then travel to El Jadida, Morocco, for the African and Oceania OG Qualifier (March 13-15) to try to qualify Egypt for the Olympic Games. 

Abdullaev edged Oskar MARVIK (NOR), 3-3, in the bronze-medal bout at the Matteo Pellicone and is ranked No. 4 with 26 points. Abdullaev is expected to wrestle at the Asian OG Qualifier but will sit out of the Asian Championships. Instead, Daler RAKHMATOV will be Uzbekistan's representative at 130kg.

Mélonin NOUMONVI (FRA), at 37-years-old, is looking to make his fourth appearance at the Olympic Games. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Noumonvi Chasing Fourth Olympic Games Appearance
At 37, Mélonin NOUMONVI (FRA) has already competed at the Olympic Games in Athens, Beijing and London. If he can put together a good season, Tokyo might be an opportunity for the French great to wrestle in yet another Games.. 

The 2014 world champion is gearing up to compete in his 14th European Championship in less than two weeks. A month later (March 19-22) he’s scheduled to compete in Budapest at the European OG Qualifier where he'll have to finish in the top two to earn a spot in Tokyo.

If Noumonvi qualifies, he'll be in a position for a top-four seed. He currently sits in the No. 3 spot after earning bronze at the Matteo Pellicone.

Noumonvi's lone loss in Italy came to eventual champion Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA), who appeared in this month's rankings at No. 9 with 18 points. 

Sailike WALIHAN (CHN), the 60kg Matteo Pellicone gold medalist, will wrestle at 63kg the Asian Championships. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

China Inserted No. 13 Tuo at 60kg and bumped Walihan to 63kg
Sailike WALIHAN (CHN) pummeled his biggest in-country rival Erbatu TUO (CHN), 13-4, at the Matteo Pellicone and left no question whether or not he's China's top guy at 60kg. But the entries for the Asian Championships seem to tell a different story.  

Now, the question heading into the Asian Championships is how much of a looming factor in China's decision was Walihan's eleventh place finish in Nur-Sultan? Especially after he collected solid wins over Tuo, Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB) and Kerem KAMAL (TUR) and debuted in the latest ranking at No. 9.

Either way, the good news for China is Walihan and Tuo are both ranked in the Top 20 and are within distance of earning a top-four seed. That is, of course, if they perform well in New Delhi then qualify the weight at the Asian OG Qualifier.

Please go to UnitedWorldWrestling.org for the updated competition calendar and guidelines for accumulating points during the Ranking Series.

Top-Ten Greco-Roman Rankings

55kg
1. Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) - 58
2. Khorlan ZHAKANSHA (KAZ) - 38
3. Max Emiliano NOWRY (USA) - 30
4. Shota OGAWA (JPN) - 23
5. Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) - 23
6. Liguo CAO (CHN) - 18
7. Vitalii KABALOEV (RUS) - 16
8. Davaabandi MUNKH ERDENE (MGL) - 14
9. Dogus AYAZCI (TUR) - 14
10. Ilkhom BAKHROMOV (UZB) - 12

60kg
1. Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) - 60
2. Sergey EMELIN (RUS) - 40
3. Ali Reza Ayat Ollah NEJATI (IRI) - 25
4. Mirambek AINAGULOV (KAZ) - 25
5. Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) - 20
6. Lenur TEMIROV (UKR) - 20
7. Ivo Serafimov ANGELOV (BUL) - 18
8. Ivan LIZATOVIC (CRO) - 16
9. Sailike WALIHAN (CHN) - 16
10. Victor CIOBANU (MDA) - 14

63kg
1. Shinobu OTA (JPN) - 58
2. Stepan MARYANYAN (RUS) - 38
3. Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) - 23
4. Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM) - 23
5. Tynar SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) - 18
6. Meysam Karamali DALKHANI (IRI) - 18
7. Ryan Robert MANGO (USA) - 16
8. Jinwoong JUNG (KOR) - 14
9. Andres Roberto MONTANO ARROYO (ECU) - 14
10. Rahman BILICI (TUR) - 12

67kg
1. Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB) - 60
2. Artem SURKOV (RUS) - 40
3. Frank STAEBLER (GER) - 25
4. Mate NEMES (SRB) - 25
5. Mohamed Ibrahim Elsayed Ibrahi ELSAYED (EGY) - 20
6. Fredrik Holmquist BJERREHUUS (DEN) - 20
7. Gevorg SAHAKYAN (POL) - 18
8. Hansu RYU (KOR) - 16
9. Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB) - 16
10. Deyvid Tihomirov DIMITROV (BUL) - 14

72kg
1. Abuiazid MANTSIGOV (RUS) - 60
2. Aram VARDANYAN (UZB) - 40
3. Balint KORPASI (HUN) - 25
4. Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL) - 25
5. Michael Felix WIDMAYER (GER) - 20
6. Jiyeon LEE (KOR) - 20
7. Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) - 18
8. Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) - 16
9. Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) - 14
10. Mohamed Ibrahim Elsayed Ibrahi ELSAYED (EGY) - 14

77kg
1. Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) - 60
2. Alex Michel BJURBERG KESSIDIS (SWE) - 40
3. Mohammadali Abdolhamid GERAEI (IRI) - 25
4. Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) - 25
5. Karapet CHALYAN (ARM) - 20
6. Askhat DILMUKHAMEDOV (KAZ) - 20
7. Paulius GALKINAS (LTU) - 18
8. Roman VLASOV (RUS) - 16
9. Zotlan LEVAI (HUN) - 16
10. Pavel LIAKH (BLR) - 14

82kg
1. Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) - 60
2. Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) - 40
3. Haitao QIAN (CHN) - 25
4. Saeid Morad ABDVALI (IRI) - 25
5. Iurii SHKRIUBA (UKR) - 20
6. Nurbek KHASHIMBEKOV (UZB) - 20
7. Adlan AKIEV (RUS) - 18
8. Maxat YEREZHEPOV (KAZ) - 16
9. Zotlan LEVAI (HUN) - 14
10. Singh GURPREET (IND) - 14
 
87kg
1. Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) - 60
2. Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) - 56
3. Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB) - 25
4. Denis Maksymilian KUDLA (GER) - 25
5. Mikalai STADUB (BLR) - 20
6. Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ) - 20
7. Daniel GREGORICH HECHAVARRIA (CUB) - 18
8. Ivan HUKLEK (CRO) - 16
9. Azamat KUSTUBAYEV (KAZ) - 14
10. Kumar SUNIL (IND) - 14

97kg
1. Musa EVLOEV (RUS) - 60
2. Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) - 40
3. Mélonin NOUMONVI (FRA) - 26
4. Mihail KAJAIA (SRB) - 25
5. Cenk ILDEM (TUR) - 25
6. Giorgi MELIA (GEO) - 20
7. Tadeusz MICHALIK (POL) - 20
8. Mohammadhadi Abdollah SARAVI (IRI) - 18
9. Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) - 18
10. Artur OMAROV (CZE) - 16

130kg
1. Riza KAYAALP (TUR) - 60
2. Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) - 40
3. Abdellatif mohamed ahmed MOHAMED (EGY) - 32
4. Muminjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) - 26
5. Heiki NABI (EST) - 25
6. Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) - 25
7. Eduard POPP (GER) - 20
8. Amir Mohammadali GHASEMIMONJEZI (IRI) - 20
9. Murat RAMONOV (KGZ) - 18
10. Moises Salvador PEREZ HELLBURG (VEN) - 14

#WrestleAthens

U17 World Wrestling Championships 2025: Day 1 Highlights

By Vinay Siwach

ATHENS, Greece (July 28) -- The World U17 Championships kicks off in Athens, Greece with five Greco-Roman weight classes. Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia will be in contention to win the team title.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | FULL PREVIEW

READ THE REPORT OF ALL SEMIFINALS HERE

18:00: Welcome back to the World U17 Championships coverage! The semifinals in 48kg, 55kg, 65kg, 80kg and 110kg will begin now!

15:00: The semifinals will begin at 18:00 hours local time! The opening ceremony will be at 17:00 hours. Stay tuned!

14:45: Asian domination at 55kg! Alkham ABDIRASULOV (KGZ) will face Aditya GUPTA (IND) and Makhdi BAROTOV (TJK) will take on Nurali ASKAR (KAZ) in the semifinals.

14:35: Asian champion HARDEEP (IND) beats European bronze medalist Anatolii NOVACHENKO (UKR), 9-0, with turns from par terre and enters the semifinals at 110kg.

14:30: Yazdan DELROUZ (IRI) holds his positions good and gets both par terre points in the match against Hu Anshi NUERLEBIEKE (CHN) and makes it to the 110kg semifinal.

14:20: Aditya GUPTA (IND) with a takedown in the final second of the bout to beat Rakhman GAMIDOV (UKR) 4-2. He was down 2-2 on criteria but manages to wrap his arm around Gamidov to score a takedown. Ukraine challenges for time but it was inside the last second.

14:02: Madness on Mat A! Luka MARTIASHVILI (GEO) was trying to stop a pin from Nijat YEYLAGALIYEV (AZE) and turns it around and manages to pin the Azerbaijan wrestlers for the win at 80kg!

13:50: Makhdi BAROTOV (TJK) continues his good show at 55kg as he pins Osman OZDEMIR (TUR) and advances to the quarterfinals.

13:45: Asian silver medalist Sadriddin TULKINBOEV (UZB) drops his 55kg 1/8 final to Aditya GUPTA (IND), 4-1. Gupta did not get any turn from par terre but Tulkinvoev scored a stepuot in the second period and made it 1-1. But due to a new rule currently being tested by UWW, a 1-1 scoring in Greco-Roman will see the wrestler who scored the first point, win on criteria. Gupta keeps his attacks and there is no par terre for Tulkinboev. Uzbekistan throw a challenge for "nothing", as the review team said. Gupta wins 4-1

13:25: Rakhman GAMIDOV (UKR) digs deep and pulls off a four-pointer later in the match to win 5-2 against Naru SEMBA (JPN) at 55kg. He was down 2-1 with just 30 seconds left.

13:15: Big win for ANUJ (IND) at 65kg as he beats Asian bronze medalist Xusan GIEZIDINOV (UZB) 8-0. High pace match from Anuj to block Geizidinov.

13:05: Janes NAZARYAN (ARM), European silver medalists, reaches the quarterfinal at 65kg, after a technical superiority 9-1 win over Huseyn ISGANDAROV (AZE).

12:50: Nijat YEYLAGALIYEV (AZE) bounces back from 5-0 down by blocking a throw from Mardanbek MAKHKAMBAYEV (KAZ) and gut wrenches his way to a 13-5 win at 80kg.

12:46: Ismail BEREKET (TUR) continues his big-throwing streak as he beats Stepan DANHEL (CZE) 9-0 in a minute 50 seconds at 80kg. The European bronze medalist is looking better with every win.

12:45: How do you win with one second remaining?! Kaisei YAMAMOTO (JPN) hits a four-pointer in the final second after getting thrown by Martin MANJIKYAN (ARM) and wins 6-6. He can't believe it as well

12:40: Zhanarbek SEIITOV (KGZ) uses the gut-wrench to great effect and wins his 48kg bout against Fuhua KANG (CHN) 10-2. He gets Asian bronze medalist Bunyod HASANOV (UZB) in the next round after Hsanov pulled off a late throw against Amirmohammad HAJIVAND (IRI) and win 4-3.

12:35: HARDEEP (IND), Asian champ at 110kg, gets both the par terre points and beats Baktur SOVETKHAN (KAZ), 2-0, in the opening round.

12:30: Quick work from Sayidamir NEMATOV (UZB) at 110kg as he beats European champ Rihad IBRAHIMLI (AZE) 10-0 in the first period.

12:20: Hu Anshi NUERLEBIEKE (CHN) was so calm despite being down 8-1 against Vasileios BOUNTOULIS (GRE) at 110kg. Nuerlebieke locked Bountoulis in bodylocks twice in last 15 seconds and threw him for two four-pointers to win 9-8. He was thrown for two four-pointers in the first period by Bountoulis.

12:15: A 2024 Asian U15 champ Makhdi BAROTOV (TJK) stops European silver medalist Giorgi CHACHUA (GEO) 4-2 in their 55kg bout.

11:50: Alkham ABDIRASULOV (KGZ) pulls off a stunning win over Amirreza  TAHMASBPOUR (IRI) 5-3 at 55kg. Abdirasulov scores a correct throw to lead 3-3 on criteria but Iran challenges for no points. The challenge is won but on review, it's four points for Abdirasulov wins the bout

11:20: Pan-Am champion Arseni KIKINIOU (USA) has a hard time against Janes NAZARYAN (ARM), who is an European silver medalist, as he cannot get a turn but Nazaryan manages to score. Nazaryan wins 4-1

11:05: Big match between Asian champion Abdulaziz KHOLMIRZAEV (UZB) and European silver medalist Benediktas BUBELEVICIUS (LTU). Kholmirzaev and Bubelevicius go back-and-forth but Kholmirzaev manages to hang on for an 11-6 win.

10:45: Luka MARTIASHVILI (GEO), who finished 5th at 92kg at the European Championships, is back at 80kg and finishes with two front headlocks to win 9-0 in just 21 seconds against David VILK (CRO).

10:40: Big throws right from the start in Athens! European bronze medalist Ismail BEREKER (TUR) launches Samarth GOVEKAR (IND) for big throws and wins the opening bout at 80kg 11-0 in just a minute and 28 seconds.

10:30: Welcome to the World U17 Championships in Athens. It is being held at the iconic Ano Liosia Olympic Hall, the venue where wrestling competition during the 2004 Olympics was held.