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Wrestling 2025 Season Preview

Monday, February 3, 2025 - 08:02 By Vinay Siwach

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​CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (February 3) -- As the memories of the 2024 Paris Olympics and the World Championships in Tirana linger in the minds of wrestling fans, the 2025 season is already here. And it brings new hopes and a few challenges.

With the spotlight turning toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, this season promises to be a crucial stepping stone in winning a medal in LA 2028.

DOWNLOAD THE 2025 SEASON PREVIEW HERE

The four Ranking Series events in 2025 and the continental championships will serve as vital platforms for athletes preparing for the World Championships in September.

Freestyle (Click here to read full Freestyle preview)

At the 2024 World Championships, Masanosuke ONO (JPN) and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) stood out. Sadulaev will return to 97kg to reclaim the gold medal he lost to Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) in 2023. The 97kg weight class is highly competitive, with Tazhudinov’s Olympic win further elevating the stakes.

Kyle SNYDER (USA), once a dominant force at 97kg, now faces a crucial year after missing the Paris Olympics podium. In the 86kg category, Iran's Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), who narrowly missed a second Olympic gold due to injury, will decide which weight class is best for him in 2025.

The season kicks off in Zagreb in February and moves to Tirana for the first two Ranking Series. The continental championships will follow and Iran’s dominance in Asia is likely to continue with top wrestlers like Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) and Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) expected to compete in the Asian Championships in Amman.

The European Championships will be key to gauging team strengths, with Azerbaijan looking to build on a successful 2024. The form of neutral athletes will also be under the scanner in Slovakia. The Pan-American Championships in May will see the United States dominate.

The World Championships will feature fierce competition, with new faces emerging in the U.S. and Iran, and Japan announcing themselves in style at the Olympics. Add to the mix the neutral athletes and we have a blockbuster.

Japan will be challenged at the World Championships by Iran, U.S., AINs and dark horses like Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Mongolia.

Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI)Iran won two gold medals at the Paris Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Greco-Roman (Click here to reach full Greco-Roman preview)

Can Iran be topped as the best Greco-Roman country? This will be the big question of 2025 as Iran, which had an outstanding Olympics and age-group World Championships, tries to bring more talented wrestlers in its line-up.

Iran excels in the heavier weight classes, with champions like Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) at 82kg, Alireza MOHAMMADI (IRI) at 87kg, Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) at 97kg, and Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) at 130kg. It will try new faces in the lower weight classes with Olympic champion Saied ESMAEILI (IRI) staying at 67kg.

Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN)Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN), blue, and Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) have dominated the 60kg weight class in recent past. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Japan and Kyrgyzstan had successful Olympics. However, the latter is still searching for a gold medal. The rivalry between Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) and and Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) is likely to continue in 2025 along with Nao KUSAKA (JPN) and Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) at 77kg.

Europe will have more competition with Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Armenia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Georgia, Hungary and the neutral athletes in contention. The 77kg and 87kg weight class will be the most contested and it will be interesting to see who will be the new stars of 97kg and 130kg.

Greco-Roman is unpredictable at the World Championships. There is not one weight class that his a favorite. However, one can expect Azerbaijan, Iran, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cuba, Armenia, Hungary and a few AINs to be on the podium.

JapanJapan won eight gold medals at the Paris Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Women's Wrestling (Click here to read full Women's Wrestling preview)

Japan remains the dominant force in women’s wrestling, securing four of the six gold medals at the Paris Olympics, including their first-ever win at 76kg.

The United States, which claimed the remaining two golds, stands as Japan’s primary challenger. Amit ELOR (USA) and Kennedy BLADES (USA) will lead the U.S. charge in the build-up to the 2028 LA Games, with both nations having strong domestic qualifying systems.

China has had success at the Olympics and World Championships but struggles to challenge Japan at the senior level. In Asia, China faces increasing competition from India and Kyrgyzstan.

IndiaIndia has shown rapid rise in Women's Wrestling. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

India's growing success in age-group wrestling shows promise, but its performance at the senior level, especially at the World Championships, remains inconsistent. Wrestlers like ANTIM (IND), ANSHU (IND), NISHA (IND), and REETIKA (IND) have potential but must maintain consistency.

Kyrgyzstan, with two Olympic medalists in Paris, is aiming for gold next cycle. Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) still has more to give, while Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) and Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) will lead the new generation.

European countries struggled in Paris, winning only four medals out 24, failing to secure medals in 50kg, 53kg, and 76kg.

One team that is gives hope is Ukraine, led by with Paris medalist Iryna KOLIDENKO (UKR), and boosted by return of Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) and rise of Iryna BONDAR (UKR).

Despite emerging challenges, Japan continues to be the team to beat in women’s wrestling.

'I was destroyed, couldn't sleep': Ghasempour recalls painful loss to Sadulaev

Monday, March 10, 2025 - 10:53 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (March 10) -- "I've thought about it a lot. Of course, it's in the past and thinking about it won't change anything. But I've thought a lot about why I made a mistake in those four seconds and I could have managed the wrestling differently and finished it very easily."

Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) stares at the empty walls of the interview room as he recalls the heartbreaking and shocking 5-3 loss to Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) in the semifinal of the World Championships last October.

The images of Ghasempour holding his head in hands after the loss went viral on social media. Sadulaev was praised for his champion mindset and his ability to script a remarkable late turnaround. Ghasempour was consoled by his fans, who urged him to not lose heart.

Those comforting words felt hollow at that point and Ghasempour felt 'lost'.

"The reality is that the fighting spirit and the feeling I had on the first day of the competition caused all those feelings to disappear and I was destroyed. I couldn't control myself and I just wanted the competition to end and go back," Ghasmepour says, with his voice breaking as he recollects his thoughts.

For 5 minutes and 55 seconds, Ghasempour controlled the 92kg semifinal against Sadulaev, a two-time Olympic champion known for his must-win attitude. A loss would have reinforced the belief that the Sauldaev aura was fading. A win for Ghasempour, a two-time world champion at 92kg, would make him only the third wrestler to beat Sadulaev.

But with five seconds remaining, Sadulaev snapped the Iranian down, spun behind, then managed to fling him to the mat for a 4-point takedown.

Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI)Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW), behind, hits the match-winning takedown on Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

"It was also very difficult for me to come to terms with the loss," Ghasempour recalls. "After the match, I felt very bad and didn't sleep all night. I was awake from the intensity of thought and pressure, and it was very difficult for me. Due to the pressure I was under, I took four painkillers after the match."

A few hours of sleep was never going to be enough for Ghasempour to return for his bronze-medal bout against David TAYLOR (USA), which he lost 6-2.

Four months have passed since that day in Tirana, a city Ghasempour returned for the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series last week and captured the gold medal. Though not the World Championships and there was no Sadulaev in the field, Ghasempour managed to bring a smile on his face as he stood on the podium.

However, memories flashed back.

"When I was going up to the podium [after winning gold], I thought again that I could have been standing on the Worlds podium a few months ago, not this tournament," he said. "But that's how sports is, and if a professional athlete wants to continue their path, they must know that winning and losing are part of sports."

Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI)Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) won the 92kg gold medal at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series in February. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Ghasempour did take comfort from the messages he received. Yet, he is unable to move on from those five seconds of lapse in concentration.

"People gave me a lot of good energy and praised me constantly, which shows the kindness of the people," he says. "But what I wanted didn't happen and the result wasn't as I wanted. It would have been better if it ended with a good result."

As the new Olympic cycle begins, Ghasempour wants to make amends. There will be many pit stops before he can be at his first Olympics and he wants to capture every gold medal that comes his way.

"There are three more World Championships left before the Olympics [in 2028]," he says. "The World Championships are very important to me, and after that, it's the Olympic medal that I want to have in my medal showcase. In the year leading up to the Olympics, I will make the decision and compete in a weight class so that I can participate in the Olympics."