#WrestleTokyo

#WrestleTokyo Olympic Games Preview: 97kg

By Andrew Hipps

TOKYO, Japan (July 22) – One of wrestling's greatest rivalries could be renewed in Tokyo if the seeds hold. Musa EVLOEV (RUS) and Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM), two of Greco-Roman's biggest stars, enter Tokyo Games as the top two seeds at 97kg. They have combined to win every world or Olympic title in this weight category since 2014.

Aleksanyan, seeded No.2, will be looking to claim his second consecutive Olympic gold medal and third Olympic medal. The Armenian wrestling great won world and Olympic titles every year from 2014 to 2017. The tide turned in 2018 when Evloev knocked off Aleksanyan in the semifinals of the World Championships in Budapest on his way to capturing gold. Evloev repeated as world champion in 2019, beating Aleksanyan for the gold medal.

This past December, Evloev and Aleksanyan faced off in the qualification round of the Individual World Cup, with the Russian star coming out on top 5-1. Evloev would go on to win gold at the Individual World Cup, beating Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) in the semifinals before topping Alex SZOKE (HUN) in the finals.

In March, Evloev cruised to a gold medal at the Matteo Pellicone Tournament, a Rankings Series event. It marked his third gold medal of the Series. Evloev had two technical superiority victories in three matches and did not surrender a single point in the competition held in Ostia, Italy. A month later, Evloev earned his second European crown, beating Balasz KISS (HUN) 8-0 in the gold medal match and outscoring his four opponents by a combined score of 28-1. The 28-year-old Evloev enters the Tokyo Games as the top seed and odds-on favorite to win gold at 97kg.

Saravi, a 2020 Asian champion, is seeded third at 97kg. The Iranian won a gold medal at the Asian Olympic Qualifier. In June, Saravi dominated at the Poland Open, beating compatriot Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI) in the finals. That victory earned Saravi a spot on Iran's Olympic team.

The fourth seed is Tadeusz MICHALIK (POL), a bronze medalist at the Grand Prix of Zagreb. He was fifth at the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan.

Cenk ILDEM (TUR) is one of the more accomplished unseeded wrestlers in this weight category. Ildem was a bronze medalist at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. He is also a three-time world bronze medalist, with his most recent one coming in 2019.

Mihail KAJAIA (SRB) won back-to-back bronze medals at the World Championships in 2018 and 2019. He has also been a silver medalist at the Asian Championships.

Giorgi MELIA (GEO) is a past junior world champion and multiple-time U23 world medalist. He won a gold medal this year at the Grand Prix de France Henri Deglane.

Kiril MILOV (BUL), a 2018 world silver medalist, qualified for the Tokyo Olympics at the European Qualification Tournament held in March.

2019 junior world champion Gabriel ROSILLO KINDELAN (CUB) has earned multiple Pan American medals, including a gold medal at the 2019 Pan American Games.

Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) is an accomplished wrestler who won a gold medal at the 2019 Asian Championships and has multiple Asian medals.

97kg
No. 1 Musa EVLOEV (RUS)
No. 2 Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM)
No. 3 Mohammadhadi Abdollah SARAVI (IRI)
No. 4 Tadeusz MICHALIK (POL)
Mihail KAJAIA (SRB)
Cenk ILDEM (TUR)
Giorgi MELIA (GEO)
Adem BOUDJEMLINE (ALG)
Haikel ACHOURI (TUN)
Gabriel Alejandro ROSILLO KINDELAN (CUB)
Tracy Gangelo HANCOCK (USA)
Arvi Martin SAVOLAINEN (FIN)
Kiril Milenov MILOV (BUL)
Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ)
Alex Gergo SZOKE (HUN)
Artur OMAROV (CZE)

#WrestleAmman

Asian Championships 2025 Entries

By United World Wrestling Press

AMMAN, Jordan (March 7) -- The Asian Championships will be held in Amman, Jordan from March 25 to 30 with 378 wrestlers expected to compete.

Olympic champion Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) is returning after his shoulder surgery and is one of the three Paris Olympic champions expected to compete.

There is also DPR Korea returning to the Asian Championships for the first time since 2019.

UWW+ and uww.org will have all the action, highlights and news live from Amman, Jordan.

Note: These are preliminary entries and subject to change. For final entries, refer to UWW Arena

57kg
Muqibullah NEZAMI (AFG)
Weiyu LI (CHN)
Zainal ABIDIN (INA)
CHIRAG (IND)
Milad VALIZADEH (IRI)
Husein ALBEHADILALBORS (IRQ)
Rin SAKAMOTO (JPN)
Merey BAZARBAYEV (KAZ)
Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ)
Sunggwon KIM (KOR)
Munkh BATKHUYAG (MGL)
Chong Song HAN (PRK)
Gayan EKANAYAKA (SRI)
Aiaal BELOLYUBSKII (TJK)
Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB)

61kg
Wanhao ZOU (CHN)
UDIT (IND)
Ahmad JAVAN (IRI)
Suhib ALMARAFI (JOR)
Takara SUDA (JPN)
Meirambek KARTBAY (KAZ)
Bekbolot MYRZANAZAR UULU (KGZ)
Hyeonsik SONG (KOR)
Tuvshintulga TUMENBILEG (MGL)
Kum Chol RI (PRK)
Dzhamshed SHARIFOV (TJK)
Behruzbey TURANMURATOV (UZB)

65kg
Alibeg ALIBEGOV (BRN)
Baowen WEI (CHN)
Hamka HAMKA (INA)
SUJEET (IND)
Abbas EBRAHIMZADEH (IRI)
Kaisei TANABE (JPN)
Nursultan SADYK (KAZ)
Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ)
Junsik YUN (KOR)
Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL)
Abdullah ASSAF (PLE)
Kwang Jin KIM (PRK)
Yan LEE (SGP)
Divoshan CHARLES FERNANDO (SRI)
Gurbanmuhammet CHARYYEV (TKM)
Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)

70kg
Tao WEI (CHN)
VISHAL (IND)
Sina KHALILI (IRI)
Mohammed KAREEM (IRQ)
Zaid MESLAH (JOR)
Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN)
Nachyn KUULAR (KAZ)
Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ)
Seonho YOO (KOR)
Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL)
Viktor RASSADIN (TJK)
Shirmuhammet BEKIYEV (TKM)
Begijon KULDASHEV (UZB)

74kg
Zaid SALIHI (AFG)
Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN)
Tu Erxun AHEIYOU (CHN)
Gilang ILHAZA (INA)
JAIDEEP (IND)
Mohammad Reza SHAKERI (IRI)
Ali AL OBAIDI (IRQ)
Orts ISAKOV (JOR)
Hikaru TAKATA (JPN)
Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ)
Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ)
Daegil HAN (KOR)
Batbayar BATSUKH (MGL)
Ok Chol HAN (PRK)
Madushanka LAKMAL (SRI)
Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK)
Perman HOMMADOV (TKM)
Fazliddin NASRITDINOV (UZB)

79kg
Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN)
Feng LU (CHN)
CHANDERMOHAN (IND)
Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI)
Erzo ISAKOV (JOR)
Ryunosuke KAMIYA (JPN)
Daulet YERGESH (KAZ)
Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (KGZ)
Bumgue SEO (KOR)
Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL)
Magomet EVLOEV (TJK)
Asadbek KARIMOV (UZB)

86kg
Nan CAO (CHN)
FAHRIANSYAH (INA)
Mukul DAHIYA (IND)
Abolfazl RAHMANI (IRI)
Mustafa AL AZZAWI (IRQ)
Abdallah MAKOON (JOR)
Tatsuya SHIRAI (JPN)
Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ)
Mukhammad ABDULLAEV (KGZ)
Gyeongyeon LEE (KOR)
Batbilguun NAADAMBAT (MGL)
Weng CHOW (SGP)
Salimzhoni KHALIMZODA (TJK)
Dovletgeldi MYRADOV (TKM)
Bobur ISLOMOV (UZB)

92kg
Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN)
Zushen LIN (CHN)
Deepak PUNIA (IND)
Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI)
Abdul ABUIDAIJ (JOR)
Takashi ISHIGURO (JPN)
Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ)
Bekzat RAKHIMOV (KGZ)
Gwanuk KIM (KOR)
Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL)
Soltan BEGENJOV (TKM)
Sherzod POYONOV (UZB)

97kg
Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN)
Awusayiman HABILA (CHN)
Muhamad RUDIANSYAH (INA)
JOINTY (IND)
Mohammadmobin AZIMI (IRI)
Abdullah SAMEER (IRQ)
Arash YOSHIDA (JPN)
Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ)
Kanybek ABDULKHAIROV (KGZ)
Jeongwoo PARK (KOR)
Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL)
Shatlyk HEMELYAYEV (TKM)
Makhsud VEYSALOV (UZB)

125kg
Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN)
BUHEEERDUN (CHN)
DINESH (IND)
Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI)
Ahmed AL JAMIE (IRQ)
Taiki YAMAMOTO (JPN)
Nursultan AZOV (KAZ)
Gyeongmin KIM (KOR)
Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL)
Zyyamuhammet SAPAROV (TKM)
Sardorbek KHOLMATOV (UZB)

Jin ZHANG (CHN)Zhang twins -- Yu and Jin -- are competing at the Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Women's Wrestling

50kg
Yu ZHANG (CHN)
ANKUSH (IND)
Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN)
Svetlana ANKICHEVA (KAZ)
Miran CHEON (KOR)
Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL)
Jiah PINGOT (PHI)
Myonggyong WON (PRK)
Nipuni WASANA (SRI)
Gozel KURBANOVA (TKM)
Yi Hui LIN (TPE)
Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB)
Thi Nga DUONG (VIE)

53kg
Jin ZHANG (CHN)
ANTIM (IND)
Noura TAAIBIN (JOR)
Moe KIYOOKA (JPN)
Zeinep BAYANOVA (KAZ)
Seoyoung PARK (KOR)
Otgontuya CHINBOLD (MGL)
Aliah GAVALEZ (PHI)
Hyo Gyong CHOE (PRK)
Meng Hsuan HSIEH (TPE)
Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB)

55kg
Yuxuan LI (CHN)
NISHU (IND)
Layal SUKKAR (JOR)
Haruna MURAYAMA OKUNO (JPN)
Zulfiya YAKHYAROVA (KAZ)
Aruuke KADYRBEK KYZY (KGZ)
Hyerim LEE (KOR)
Otgontuya BAYANMUNKH (MGL)
Kyong Ryong OH (PRK)
Dilshoda MATNAZAROVA (UZB)
Thi My Trang NGUYEN (VIE)

57kg
Kexin HONG (CHN)
Neha SHARMA (IND)
Sara NATAMI (JPN)
Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ)
Sezim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)
Youngjin KWON (KOR)
Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL)
Il Sim SON (PRK)
Danielle LIM (SGP)
Nethmi AHINSA (SRI)
Pei Ying LIAO (TPE)
Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB)
Thi Hien DANG (VIE)

59kg
Mengyu XIE (CHN)
MUSKAN (IND)
Sakura ONISHI (JPN)
Guldana BEKESH (KAZ)
Tancholpon KYBALBEKOVA (KGZ)
Hyeonju KWON (KOR)
Altjin TOGTOKH (MGL)
Arian CARPIO (PHI)
Pyol HONG (PRK)
Sarbinaz JIENBAEVA (UZB)

62kg
LILI (CHN)
MANISHA (IND)
Tala ABUKHEIT (JOR)
Nonoka OZAKI (JPN)
Tynys DUBEK (KAZ)
Kalmira BILIMBEKOVA (KGZ)
Hanbit LEE (KOR)
Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL)
Ok Ju KIM (PRK)
Miyasar KUSHMURATOVA (UZB)

65kg
Qi ZHANG (CHN)
MONIKA (IND)
Balqis TAAIBIN (JOR)
Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN)
Yelena SHALYGINA (KAZ)
Dilnaz SAZANOVA (KGZ)
Jeongae BARK (KOR)
Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL)
Aylah Mohammed MAYALI (PLE)
Maysa YUSUPJANOVA (TKM)
Shakhzoda ALLANIYAZOVA (UZB)
Dieu Thuong LAI (VIE)

68kg
Zelu LI (CHN)
Mansi LATHAR (IND)
Ami ISHII (JPN)
Irina KAZYULINA (KAZ)
Gulnura TASHTANBEKOVA (KGZ)
Miju KIM (KOR)
Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL)
Sol Gum PAK (PRK)
Sheng Fang CAI (TPE)
Nabira ESENBAEVA (UZB)

72kg
Yuqi LIU (CHN)
Jyoti BERWAL (IND)
Masako FURUICHI (JPN)
Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)
Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ)
Sehee KIM (KOR)
Bolortungalag ZORIGT (MGL)
Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB)

76kg
YANGLA (CHN)
Reetika HOODA (IND)
Nodoka YAMAMOTO (JPN)
Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ)
Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)
Seoyeon JEONG (KOR)
Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL)
Mi Hyang KIM (PRK)
Yan Ju JIANG (TPE)
Ozoda ZARIPBOEVA (UZB)

Saied ESMAEILI (IRI)Paris Olympic champion at 67kg Saied ESMAEILI (IRI) will be competing in Amman. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan) 

Greco-Roman

55kg
Yunlong HU (CHN)
NITIN (IND)
Poya DAD MARZ (IRI)
Sajjad ALBIDHAN (IRQ)
Mostafa ALQADE (JOR)
Kohei YAMAGIWA (JPN)
Yerbol KAMALIYEV (KAZ)
Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ)
Junsik YU (KOR)
Sumiyabazar MUNKHZAYA (MGL)
Yu Chol RO (PRK)
Alexander CUEVAS (SGP)
Abduvali RAHIMBAYEV (TKM)
Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB)

60kg
Ziyue XI (CHN)
SUMIT (IND)
Pouya NASERPOUR (IRI)
Ali ABUNASEER (JOR)
Kaito INABA (JPN)
Bakytzhan KABDYL (KAZ)
Akyl SULAIMANOV (KGZ)
Minwoo KIM (KOR)
Hassan ALHARTHI (KSA)
Se Ung RI (PRK)
Aslamjon AZIZOV (TJK)
Arslanbek ZAKIRBAYEV (TKM)
Alisher GANIEV (UZB)

63kg
Haodong TAN (CHN)
UMESH (IND)
Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI)
Suhib ALHASANAT (JOR)
Godai MITANI (JPN)
Daulet ASHIRKHANOV (KAZ)
Doolotbek CHOIBEKOV (KGZ)
Hanjae CHUNG (KOR)
Faisal ALDOSSARY (KSA)
Ganbayar NAMSRAI (MGL)
Chan KIM (PRK)
Aref MOHAMMADI (QAT)
Azatjan ACHILOV (TKM)
AYTJAN KHALMAKHANOV (UZB)

67kg
Lei LI (CHN)
NEERAJ (IND)
Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI)
Ali ALBIDHAN (IRQ)
Katsuaki ENDO (JPN)
Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ)
Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ)
Minseong KWON (KOR)
Munthir JANDU (KSA)
Man Gwang SON (PRK)
Saoud ALMEFQAEY (QAT)
Mcclaren MARREN (SGP)
Sunat ABDULLOEV (TJK)
Nozimjon BOYKUZIEV (UZB)

72kg
Ji LENG (CHN)
KULDEEP (IND)
Danial SOHRABI (IRI)
Omar DARAGHMEH (JOR)
Issei HONNA (JPN)
Adilkhan SATAYEV (KAZ)
Yryskeldi KHAMZAEV (KGZ)
Yeonghun NOH (KOR)
Ahmed BARAHMAH (KSA)
Jason BAUCAS (PHI)
Loiqi AMIRKHONZODA (TJK)
Begmyrat NOBATOV (TKM)
Abdullo ALIEV (UZB)

77kg
Jixin YU (CHN)
SAGAR (IND)
Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI)
Amro SADEH (JOR)
Kodai SAKURABA (JPN)
Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ)
Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ)
Dowon LEE (KOR)
Orgil NYAM ERDENE (MGL)
Saad AL SULAITI (QAT)
Aryan BIN AZMAN (SGP)
Muslihiddin UROQOV (TJK)
Hekim GURBANMYRADOV (TKM)
Lai Hsing YAO (TPE)
Aram VARDANYAN (UZB)

82kg
Likui SHI (CHN)
RAHUL (IND)
Mohammad NAGHOUSI (IRI)
Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN)
Omar SATAYEV (KAZ)
Bekzat ORUNKUL UULU (KGZ)
Boseong KANG (KOR)
Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT)
Habibjon ZUHUROV (TJK)
Toyly ORAZOV (TKM)
Mukhammadkodir RASULOV (UZB)

87kg
Jiaxin HUANG (CHN)
Sunil KUMAR (IND)
Yasin YAZDI (IRI)
Soh SAKABE (JPN)
Adilkhan ALBAIULY (KAZ)
Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ)
Sanghyeok PARK (KOR)
Sukhrob ABDULKHAEV (TJK)
Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB)

97kg
Youfang ZHANG (CHN)
NITESH (IND)
Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI)
Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN)
Ilyas GUCHIGOV (KAZ)
Melis AITBEKOV (KGZ)
Jewoo PARK (KOR)
Ibrahim FALLATAH (KSA)
Eduard BABENOSHEV (TJK)
Amanberdi AGAMAMMEDOV (TKM)
Bekhruz BARNOEV (UZB)

130kg
Wenhao JIANG (CHN)
PREM (IND)
Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI)
Ali AL SHARUEE (IRQ)
Almutasem KASASBAH (JOR)
Yuta NARA (JPN)
Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ)
Erlan MANATBEKOV (KGZ)
Minseok KIM (KOR)
Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB)