#UWWAwards

Gray and Adar, Otoguro and Punia Among Match of the Year Award Winners

By Eric Olanowski

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 27) -- United World Wrestling designated a freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women’s wrestling match for the 2018 Matches of the Year.

The 25-point shootout in the 65kg gold-medal bout at the World Championships between Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) and Bajrang PUNIA (IND) was voted the Freestyle Match of the Year. 

The two wrestlers went back-and-forth in a high-scoring affair that was filled with tons of action. 

The first period saw several wild exchanges, which resulted in four takedowns, a four-point throw, and a step out, giving Otoguro the 7-6 lead heading into the second and final period.

The pair of rising stars remained offensive after their 13 point opening period and tacked on 12 addition points in the second period for a match total of 25 points. 

Otoguro, at just 19 years old, was not going to be denied a gold medal and pulled away for a 16-9 victory, becoming Japan’s youngest freestyle world champion ever. 

The Greco-Roman Match of the Year was the 72kg Asian Championship finals between Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) and Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ). 

Makhmudov, a two-time junior world medalist, introduced himself to the senior level by forging an 8-6 win over 2017 world runner-up Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) in the 72kg finals of Greco-Roman Asian finals in his home country of Kyrgyzstan. 

"The biggest help for me was that the Kyrgyz people screamed for me to be strong and also to do better," Makhmudov told the Kyrgyz media of the thunderous roar from the crowd. "When I heard it, I thought, 'I can die here on the floor but I will still win. This win will be for them.'"

The women’s wrestling Match of the Year was the 2018 Klippan Lady Open 76kg finals between four-time world champion Adeline GRAY (USA) and then-reigning world champion Yasmin ADAR (TUR). 

Gray struck early with a head outside single and grabbed the 2-0 advantage after the first 20 seconds of the bout. Adar rebounded with her patented arm spin and took the 4-2 lead into the closing period. 

The American came out firing in the final period and scored her second takedown of the match, but still trailed 4-4 on criteria. Adar regained the 6-5 outright lead with 90 seconds remaining, stepping over a Gray gut wrench attempt for the two-point exposure. 

Gray closed out the Klippan Lady Open finals with a takedown with less than a minute remaining to steal the match, 7-6. More importantly, Gray regained supremacy of the 76kg weight class after sitting out the entire 2017 season. 

#WrestleLima

Pan-American U20 Championships 2025 Entries

By United World Wrestling Press

LIMA, Peru (July 7) -- The Pan-American U20 Championships begins in Lima, Peru from July 10 close to 200 wrestlers participating. All weight classes of Greco-Roman will be held on July 10, followed by all weight classes of Women's Wrestling on July 11 and all 10 weight classes of Freestyle on July 12.

For full schedule of the Pan-American U20 Championships, click here.

Note: The entries are preliminary and subject to change 72 hours before the respective draws of each style. For final entries and brackets, refer to UWW Arena.

Freestyle

57kg
Caio DUARTE  (BRA)
Javier TONITA (CAN)
Mario ACOSTA (ESA)
Irie JACKSON (JAM)
Ricardo PENA (MEX)
Jose ANDRADE (PAN)
Abel SANCHEZ (PER)
Ethan RIVERA (PUR)
Antonio MILLS (USA)

61kg
Luiz ANGELO (BRA)
Karson BROWN (CAN)
Ricardo GONZALEZ (CHI)
Angel YONG (ECU)
David MARTINEZ (MEX)
Sabdier PALACIOS (PAN)
Omar AYOUB (PUR)
Kyler LARKIN (USA)

65kg
Benjamin SOUZA (BRA)
Khalin RADEV (CAN)
Vicente CHACON (CHI)
Erick VERA (ECU)
Diego PERAZA  (MEX)
Tony MOCK (PAN)
Joao MONTESINOS (PER)
Yandro SOTO (PUR)
Luke STANICH (USA)

70kg
Kade BROWN (CAN)
Tristan FORSMAN (CRC)
Brandon HERNANDEZ (GUA)
Jazziel BALAM (MEX)
Masquiel CORDOBA (PAN)
Anthony MOLINA (PER)
Josuel MEDINA (PUR)
Jaxon JOY (USA)

74kg
Joao REIS (BRA)
Nicholas HOOPER (CAN)
Sixto GARCIA (ECU)
Kevin ALEMAN (ESA)
Diego HERNANDEZ (GUA)
Jorge GARCIA (MEX)
Victor SOTO (PUR)
William DENNY (USA)

79kg
Leandro ARAUJO (BRA)
Bryce ROONEY (CAN)
Santiago VALENZUELA (CHI)
Axel NAVA (MEX)
Dario CUBAS (PER)
Vincent ECHAVARRY (PUR)
William HENCKEL (USA)

86kg
Max FRANCA (BRA)
Rohit BAL (CAN)
Angel FLORES (MEX)
Bryan CAMPOS (PER)
Christopher SANCHEZ (PUR)
Adam WATERS (USA)

92kg
Michealjeet GREWAL (CAN)
Jean ZAMBRANO (ECU)
Rafael ABRAHAMS (PUR)
Connor MIRASOLA (USA)

97kg
Kyle SANTANA (BRA)
Tejvir DHINSA (CAN)
Angel RAMIREZ (MEX)
Sadath ORTEGA (PAN)
Justin RADEMACHER (USA)

125kg
Pedro FERNANDES (BRA)
Chanjot KANG (CAN)
Leonardo GUERRERO (MEX)
Cole MIRASOLA (USA)

Greco-Roman

55kg
Yuri LANDIM (BRA)
Jose CASTANEDA (COL)
Moises PERALTA (ECU)
Erick CHOC (GUA)
Luis HERNANDEZ (MEX)
Jose ANDRADE (PAN)
Abel SANCHEZ (PER)
Caleb NOBLE (USA)

60kg
Pedro DE SOUZA (BRA)
Augusto VARGAS (CHI)
Erick VERA (ECU)
Daniel GUEVARA (MEX)
Tony MOCK (PAN)
Juan CRISTALDO (PER)
Treygen MORIN (USA)

63kg
Clisman CARRACEDO (ECU)
Diego TERRIQUEZ (MEX)
Masquiel CORDOBA (PAN)
Landon DRURY (USA)

67kg
Lucas MARCIEL (BRA)
Sebastian BUSTAMANTE (CHI)
Abisai CAMACHO (MEX)
Joao MONTESINOS (PER)
Henry FIGUEROA (PUR)
Pierson MANVILLE (USA)

72kg
Enzo DOS ANJOS (BRA)
Hector HERNANDEZ (ECU)
Jorge GOMEZ (MEX)
Anthony MOLINA (PER)
Luis ROSA (PUR)
Jude RANDALL (USA)

77kg
Jonata DA SILVA (BRA)
Sixto GARCIA (ECU)
Josue ALVAREZ (GUA)
Mauro RESENDIZ (MEX)
Dario CUBAS (PER)
Vincent ECHAVARRY (PUR)
Leister BOWLING (USA)

82kg
Santiago VALENZUELA (CHI)
John SAENZ (GUA)
Jerson CHANTACA (MEX)
Maycki FLORES (PER)
Gavin RICKETTS (USA)

87kg
Kauan FERREIRA (BRA)
Jean ZAMBRANO (ECU)
Cristhoper PEREZ (GUA)
Cesar VELIZ (MEX)
Christopher SANCHEZ (PUR)
Nicholas NOSLER (USA)

97kg
Kaio MARTINS (BRA)
Dorian TREJO (MEX)
Sadath ORTEGA (PAN)
Mizael LLONTOP (PER)
Quinlan MORGAN (USA)

130kg
Joao SILVA (BRA)
Malcolm NOMEL (CHI)
Ibrack ANGULO (ECU)
Abraham AVALOS (MEX)
Shilo JONES (USA)

Women's Wrestling

50kg
Ana SALES (BRA)
Elizabeth CHAPMAN (CAN)
Vicky LEON (ECU)
Montserrat HERNANDEZ (MEX)
Genesis RAMIREZ (PUR)
Gabriele TEDESCO (USA)

53kg
Kailane ARAUJO (BRA)
Brooklyn GLASGOW (CAN)
Valeria ALVAREZ (ECU)
Ana FLORES (MEX)
Carolina SULCA (PER)
Mayangelie COLON (PUR)
Alexandra WAITSMAN (USA)

55kg
Abby WOLFF (CAN)
Maria GARCIA (MEX)
Tilly KAKUK (PUR)
Aspen BLASKO (USA)

57kg
Thaina ANIBAL (BRA)
Agnia KRAKOVSKA (CAN)
Karla GRUEZO (ECU)
Abril URBAN (MEX)
Cindell CASUSOL (PER)
Aneishka SANTOS (    PUR)
Carissa QURESHI (USA)

59kg
Ella FINDING (CAN)
Allison VALDEZ (GUA)
Cecilia BARRANCO (MEX)
Talita CABALLERO (PER)
Bella WILLIAMS (USA)

62kg
Stefany DOS SANTOS (BRA)
Annika FINES (CAN)
Leonela GRUEZO (ECU)
Neevis RODRIGUEZ (MEX)
Carina GIANGERUSO (PUR)
Lilly LUFT (USA)

65kg
Mackenzie CAYER (CAN)
Martina GODOY (CHI)
Valeria PEREZ (MEX)
Romina GARRO (PER)
Ruth JIMENEZ (PUR)
Cadence DIDUCH (USA)

68kg
Eduarda RODRIGUES (BRA)
Lene MCCRACKIN (CAN)
Elide CASTANON (MEX)
Leyla MALLQUI (PER)
Zoey LINTS (USA)

72kg
Kiki IDOWU (CAN)
Sofia DE LEON (MEX)
Keeley KEHRLI (USA)

76kg
Stefanni DA SILVA (BRA)
Rupinder JOHAL (CAN)
Edna JIMENEZ (MEX)
Aireka STEIGLER (USA)