#WrestleAlmaty

Bolat Turlykhanov Cup day four finals set with Yazdani vs Makoev

By Vinay Siwach

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (June 5) -- The final day of the Bolat Turlykhanov Cup Ranking Series event is here. Eight freestyle weights will be in action with multiple World and Olympic medalists taking the mat in Almaty.

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE

13:45: The finals are set for the night

61kg: Zhassulan TASKUL (KAZ) vs Bekbolot MYRZANAZAR UULU (KGZ)
65kg: Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) vs Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB)
70kg:Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) vs Rodion ANCHUGIN (KAZ)
74kg: Byambadorj BAT ERDENE (MGL) vs Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK)
79kg: Saiakbai USUPOV (KGZ) vs Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ)
86kg: Boris MAKOEV (SVK) vs Hassan YAZDANI (IRI)
92kg: Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) vs Adilet DAVLUMBAYEV (KAZ)
 

13:35: Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) has dominated his way to the 92kg final. At 57kg, Aman SEHRAWAT (IND) and Merey BAZARBAYEV (KAZ) are putting up a show. Sehrawat comes back from 6-0 down against a tiring Bazarbayev to win 10-9. He also wins the gold medal after winning all his four bouts.

13:10: Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) and Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) on Mat B. The Mongolian leads 1-0 at the break after Jalolov's passivity. But he is hit with passivity as well and Jalolov takes the lead on criteria. Tumur-Ochir with his trademark underhook for four and he wins 5-1 against Jalolov.

13:00: Yazdani gives up a point for stepout but answers that with a takedown and lace. He leads 6-1 at the break. He begins with another takedown and then a stepout to extend his lead to 10-1. A double leg takedown finishes the bout 12-1

12:55: Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) is up against Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) in the 86kg semifinal on Mat C while at 74kg, Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) is wrestling on Mat B

12:30: Tulga TUMUR-OCHIR (MGL) has set up a semifinal bout against Jalolov at 65kg after beating Komron KHOLOV (TJK) via technical superiority.

12:10: World silver medalist at 70kg Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) has a huge fan base in Kazakhstan and that showed even as he beat Meirzhan ASHIROV (KAZ) 5-3 at 70kg. He moves into the semifinal

11:55: Bajrang PUNIA (IND) faces a familiar opponent in Abbos RAKHMANOV (UZB). He gets two points for Rakhmanov's blocking. The Uzbek also has two cautions against him. But he gets a takedown and leads 2-2 at the break. Punia gets a point for Rakhmanov's passivity. But the Indian gives up a takedown in the final seconds to beat Punia 5-3

11:45: European champion Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) has to work hard against Ikhtiyor NUVROZOV (UZB) at 74kg. Three stepout points for his 3-0 win against the Uzbek veteran.

11:40: Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), in a very Yazdani-way, breaks Fatih ERDIN (TUR) to start his day with a 12-0 win at 86kg. He will wrestle the Asian champion Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) in the semifinals

11:30: Some absolute hammers wrestling at 86kg. Former world silver medalist Boris MAKOEV (SVK) with a dominating win over Nurzhan ISSAGALIYEV (KAZ) in the quarterfinals. On Mat B, Asian champion Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) hands Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB) a 8-0 defeat as the Uzbekistan wrestler continues to struggle at 86kg

11:15: Daulet YERGESH (KAZ) trailed Asian silver medalist Gourav BALIYAN (IND) 5-3 at the break but catches the Indian in a leg lace and finishes the bout 15-5 

10:50: Former U17 world champion Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) looks in good touch. He picks up a technical superiority win over Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ) who is moving up to 65kg. Jalolov had a four-point move then got exposures to win 13-2 

10:45: What a great start for world champion Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI). He wins via technical superiority against Viky CHAHAR (IND) in two minutes. 

10:30: Welcome to day four of the Ranking Series event in Almaty. Are you excited to see the return of Hassan YAZDANI (IRI).

#WrestleZagreb

Maroulis returns to Worlds final after three years

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 16) -- Helen MAROULIS (USA) wrestled three bout on Tuesday at the World Championships and secured three pins. She spent only 6 minutes and 28 seconds in those three pins to reach the 57kg final at the World Championships on Tuesday in Zagreb.

Maroulis, a two-time world champion, will now wrestle for gold against Il Sim SON (PRK), one of the two wrestlers from the DPR Korea to make it to the final on Tuesday.

In all three of her pins, Maroulis used the iconic foot-sweep to get the fall. The first victim was Emine CAKMAK (TUR) who was pinned in a minute. Japan's world U23 champion Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) held her fort for some time but Tokuhara missed a shot and Maroulis got the two-on-one before sweeping her for the fall in 2 minutes and 17 seconds.

In the semifinals, Maroulis wrestled European champion Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW) and took a 1-0 lead for the latter's inactivity. But as soon as the second period began, Maroulis went straight to work and hit the sweep to get the fall and a place in the final.

She will face an unfamiliar challenge in the final as  Il Sim SON (PRK) who defeated Olympic bronze medalist Kexin HONG (CHN), 12-2, in the other semifinal. Son was one of the two finalist for the DPR Korea, a country which won its gold at 55kg on Tuesday.

The other wrestler from the DPR Korea to reach the final was Asian bronze medalist Myonggyong WON (PRK) who handed 2021 world champion Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) her first international loss.

Yoshimoto, Asian champion in 2025, had it under control for the most the match before conceding a takedown with just 23 seconds left on the clock. Won was relentless in her attacks to break Yoshimoto in the final 20 seconds.

For the gold, she will face 2024 world U20 champion Yu ZHANG (CHN) who secured a fall over Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL) after taking a 9-0 lead.

At 65kg, former world champion Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) defeated another world champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) in the semifinal, 10-0. Morikawa impressed with her attacks and scored five different takedowns to finish the match via technical superiority.

World U23 silver medalist Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) will look to stop Morikawa from winning her second world title after a dream run to the final at 65kg. She defeated two-time world bronze medalist Macey KILTY (USA) in the morning session and completed a 13-3 technical superiority Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL) in the semifinals.

Asian champion Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) booked a final against Genesis REASCO (ECU) after she handed a 10-5 defeat to European champion Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) in the semifinals.

In an all South American semifinal, Reasco scored a takedown in the last minute to stun Milaimy MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), 5-3. Potrille was leading 3-3 on criteria with a minute left but Reasco scored the two-point takedown and held on to her lead for the win, becoming the first Ecuadorian wrestler to reach a World Championships final.

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Myonggyong WON (PRK) vs. Yu ZHANG (CHN)

SF 1: Yu ZHANG (CHN) df. Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL), via fall (9-0)
SF 2: Myonggyong WON (PRK) df. Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN), 3-2

57kg
GOLD: Helen MAROULIS (USA) vs. Il Sim SON (PRK)

SF 1: Il Sim SON (PRK) df. Kexin HONG (CHN), 12-2
SF 2: Helen MAROULIS (USA) df. Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW), via fall (5-0)

65kg
GOLD: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) vs. Alina KASABIEVA (UWW)

SF 1: Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) df. Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL), 13-3
SF 2: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Irina RINGACI (MDA), 10-0

76kg
GOLD: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) vs. Genesis REASCO (ECU)

SF 1: Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) df. Milaimy MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), 5-3
SF 2: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR), 10-5