#Zagreb2018

Gurbanov and Zavertailo to Meet in Semifinals at #Zagreb2018 in Rematch of 2017 World Finals

By Taylor Miller

ZAGREB, Croatia – We’ll see a rematch of last year’s Cadet World finals in the 45 kg World semifinals as 2017 champion Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) will meet up with silver medalist Hennadii ZAVERTAILO (UKR) tonight in Zagreb, Croatia.

The last time those two met, Gurbanov scored in the last four seconds to take a 5-4 win and the 2017 Cadet World title.

In the other semifinal at 45 kg, 2018 European champion Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) will do battle with European bronze medalist Ilias IANDAROV (RUS).

On the top side of the 51 kg bracket, 2018 Cadet continental bronze medalists will go head-to-head as it will feature Asian bronze winner Lazizkhon UZBEKOV (UZB) and European bronze medalist Robert KARAPETYAN (ARM).

On the bottom side, Baktiiar AKBERDIEV (KGZ) will face the other Asian bronze medalist from this year, Laishram MEITEI (IND).

Asian silver medalist Shahin BADAGHI MOFRAD (IRI) moved onto the 60 kg semifinals, where he will face Pravesh PRAVESH (IND).

Opposite of them will be 2017 Balkan champion Serhat KIRIK (TUR) taking on 2018 European bronze medalist Gagik SNJOYAN (FRA).

Highlighting the semifinals at 71 kg is Asian champion Shu YAMADA (JPN). Tonight, Yamada will go against Petar GORNYASHKI (BUL), who took 17th at this year’s European Championships.

Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) and Abdullah ATES (TUR) will go at it at 71 kg. Gutu won a European silver medal earlier this year, while Ates collected a bronze at the same event.

At 92 kg, Asian champion Mohammed NOSRATI (IRI) advanced to tonight’s semifinals and will take on Lasha TVILDIANI (GEO).

The other bout will pit Aleksei MILESHIN (RUS) against 2018 European bronze medalist Richard KARELSON (EST).

Mileshin has already knocked off one European bronze medalist, Davyd SAMSONOV (UKR), who won bronze at continentals in 2017.

The semifinals are set for Saturday evening at 11:30 a.m. ET live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Semifinals pairings

45 kg
Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) vs. Ilias IANDAROV (RUS)
Hennadii ZAVERTAILO (UKR) vs. Gurban GURBANOV (AZE)

51 kg
Lazizkhon UZBEKOV (UZB) vs. Robert KARAPETYAN (ARM)
Baktiiar Akberdiev (KGZ) vs. Laishram MEITEI (IND)

60 kg
Pravesh PRAVESH (IND) vs. Shahin BADAGHI MOFRAD (IRI)
Serhat KIRIK (TUR) vs. Gagik SNJOYAN (FRA)

71 kg
Shu YAMADA (JPN) vs. Petar GORNYASHKI (BUL)
Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) vs. Abdullah ATES (TUR)

92 kg
Aleksei MILESHIN (RUS) vs. Richard KARELSON (EST)
Lasha TVILDIANI (GEO) vs. Mohammed NOSRATI (IRI)

 

#WrestlePontevedra

U20 Worlds: Iran shines, U.S. surprises in Greco-Roman on Day 1

By Vinay Siwach

PONTEVEDRA, Spain (September 2) -- Seven years after it crowned a world champion at U20 level, the United States will have a chance to end that drought on Tuesday.

Two wrestlers, Isaiah CORTEZ (USA) and Otto BLACK (USA), reached the finals of 55kg and 63kg in Greco-Roman at the U20 World Championships which kicked off in Pontevedra, Spain on Monday. Kamal BEY (USA) won the gold medal in 2017 at 74kg and since then the U.S. has been looking for a world champion. It was also the last time the U.S. had two wrestlers in the final.

Cortez had three back-and-forth bouts in the morning session but was at his best in the semifinal against Aibek AITBEKOV (KAZ). He took the par terre position in the first period and finished the bout 9-0 after getting four turns over Aitbekov using the trap-arm.

In his earlier bouts, Cortez pulled off a 9-8 win against Anil MOR (IND), and defeated Peter TOTOK (HUN) 7-4 before going past Maxim SARMANOV (MDA) 9-6.

He will wrestle former U17 world champion Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) for the gold medal. Ahmadi Vafa overcame Alibek AMIROV (AIN), 6-3, in the other semifinal at 55kg.

Black took out Yurik HOVEYAN (ARM) in the semifinal at 63kg after battling hard to keep his 3-2 lead. Hoveyan tried jumping over Black to get a four-pointer but Black defended it and slammed Hoveyan on the mat for four points to win 7-2.

For the gold, he will face Erzu ZAKRIEV (AIN) who had to win the semifinal twice. Zakriev pinned Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) very early in the semifinal but Georgia challenged and won as Khozrevanidze's head was outside the zone when Zakriev was trying to pin him.

Khozrevanidze used his second life in the bout to perform a headlock and got four points. However, Zakriev avoided any fall position and reversed the position and turned Khozrevanidze three times. After a challenge and consultations from referees, Zakriev led the bout 11-4.

He scored four points using a big throw and a lost challenge from Georgia gave him another point as he won 16-4.

Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI)Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) will wrestle for the 77kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Iran had two other finalists, taking the total to three. Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) scored a controlled 3-1 win over Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO) at 77kg and will take on Magomed IARBILOV (AIN) for the gold. Iarbilov defeated Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR), 6-4, in the other semifinal.

At 130kg, Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI) joined a long list of top Iranian super heavyweights in Greco-Roman as he reached the final after beating Aramayis HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) 2-1 in the semifinal. He scored a takedown against Harutyunyan's point for forced par terre.

For the gold medal, he will face former U17 world champion Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) who won 3-1 against Aleksandr MELEKHOV (AIN) in the other semifinal.

Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ)Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) defeated returning champion Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) at 87kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Kyrgyzstan, a country that has grown leaps and bounds in wrestling over the last decade, sent one wrestler in the final. Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) had an epic run at 87kg to reach the final. In the semifinal, he took less than two minutes to beat Patrik GORDAN (ROU) 8-0.

Joju SAMADOV (AZE) will look to stop him from becoming Kyrgyzstan's first U20 world champion in Greco-Roman since 2018. Samadov had a close semifinal against Temirlan TURDAKYN (KAZ) but managed to win 4-2.

df

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Isaiah CORTEZ (USA) vs. Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI)

SF 1: Isaiah CORTEZ (USA) df. Aibek AITBEKOV (KAZ), 9-0
SF 2: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) df. Alibek AMIROV (AIN), 6-3 

63kg
GOLD: Erzu ZAKRIEV (AIN) vs. Otto BLACK (USA)

SF 1: Erzu ZAKRIEV (AIN) df. Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO), 16-4
SF 2: Otto BLACK (USA) df. Yurik HOVEYAN (ARM), 7-2

77kg
GOLD: Magomed IARBILOV (AIN) vs. Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI)

SF 1: Magomed IARBILOV (AIN) df. Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR), 6-4
SF 2: Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) df. Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO), 3-1

87kg
GOLD: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) vs. Joju SAMADOV (AZE)

SF 1: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) df. Patrik GORDAN (ROU), 8-0
SF 2: Joju SAMADOV (AZE) df. Temirlan TURDAKYN (KAZ), 4-2

130kg
GOLD: Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) vs. Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI)

SF 1: Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) df. Aleksandr MELEKHOV (AIN), 3-1
SF 2: Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI) df. Aramayis HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), 2-1