#Yariguin2019

Yariguin Rewind: Six Yariguin Medalists Eventually Won Budapest World Titles

By Eric Olanowski

KRASNOYARSK, Russian (January 16) – The 30th Annual Ivan Yariguin, United World Wrestling’s first Ranking Series event of the year, begins 8 days from today (on January 24),  in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Seven eventual world champions made the trip to Siberia twelve months ago to compete at the “Toughest Tournament in the World,“ but only six left with a medal.  

The seven Budapest gold medalists who competed at the 2018 Ivan Yariguin were Zaur UGUEV (RUS) (57kg), Yowles BONNE RODRIGUES (CUB) (61kg), Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) (70kg), Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) (74kg), Kyle DAKE (USA) (79kg), David TAYLOR (USA) (86kg), and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) (97kg). 

Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) (65kg), J’den COX (USA) (92kg), and Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)(125kg) were the three world champions who missed last year's Yariguin. 

Uguev, Taylor, and Sadulaev were the only three wrestlers to win gold medals at both the Yariguin and World Championships. Uguev and Taylor won their Yariguin titles at their World Championship weights, while Sadualev won his Yariguin title at 92kg and his world title at 97kg.

Zaurbek Sidakov, Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov, and Kyle Dake were the trio of Yariguin silver medalists who traveled to Budapest and claimed world titles. 

On the flip side, Gadzhimurad Rashidov and Kyle Snyder won titles in Krasnoyarsk but fell short in the Budapest World Championship finals. 

Cuba’s Yolwes Bonnes Rodrigues was the only 2018 world champion to depart the 2018 Yariguin empty-handed. It should be noted that Bonne competed at 65kg, 4kg heavier than his Budapest World Championship weight of 61kg. 

Bonne went 1-1 and lost to Mongolia’s BATCHULUUN Batmagnai, who fell to Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS) and Nachyn KUULAR (RUS) and finished in fifth-place. 

Early registration for the 2019 Ivan Yariguin closed last week but has since reopened. The updated deadline for registrations is January 21.

Results 
57kg - 
 Zavur UGUEV (RUS) df. Azamat TUSKAEV (RUS), 4-1 
61kg - Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS)
df. Ismail MUSUKAEV (RUS), 3-2 
65kg -  Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS)
df. Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS), 3-3 
70kg - Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS)
df. Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS)2 - 2
74kg - Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS)
df. Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS), 3-1
79kg - Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS)
df. Kyle DAKE (USA)8-2 
86kg - 
David TAYLOR III (USA) 
df. Fatih ERDIN (TUR), via fall. 
92kg - 
Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS )
df. Anzor URISHEV (RUS), 6-0 
97kg - Kyle Frederick SNYDER (USA)
df. Rasul Magomedovitch MAGOMEDOV (RUS), 4-1 
125kg - Muradin KUSHKHOV (RUS)
df. Anzor Ruslanovitch KHIZRIEV (RUS), 1-1 

*2018 world champion are in bold.

#UWWAwards2022

Susaki, Abakarov, Makhmudov, Sharshenbekov named UWW's History Makers of the Year

By Eric Olanowski

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 21) -- After their history-making feats in 2022, Yui SUSAKI (JPN), Zelimhan ABAKAROV (ALB), Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) and Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ). have been named UWW History Makers of the year.

Coming into the season, Susaki had already won Olympic gold and world titles at the U17, U20 and senior levels. In October, the Japanese superstar grabbed U23 world gold and became the first-ever wrestler to win wrestling’s Grand Slam.

Abakarov, at 29 years old, capitalized on his first opportunity to wrestle at the world championships with five dominant wins – highlighted by a 7-2 win over defending world champ Thomas GILMAN (USA) en route to becoming Albania’s first-ever world champ.

Heading into Belgrade, Kyrgyzstan was 0-3 in gold medal matches at the senior world championships. But Makhmudov only needed 2:06 to rewrite Kyrgyzstan’s history books with a one-sided 8-0 win over Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) in the 77kg finals.

48 hours later, Sharshenbekov followed in his countryman’s footsteps and used Makhmudov’s gold as motivation to win Kyrgyzstan’s second-ever world title. After falling twice in the world finals, there was no way he would to be denied a third shot to win world gold.

Your 2022 History Makers of the Year, Susaki, Abakarov, Makhmudov and Sharshenbekov.