World Club Cup

Kashan Wins World Clubs Cup

Friday, December 8, 2017 - 21:26 By Ali Feizasa

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The fourth edition of World Clubs Cup finished today in Tehran City, Iran. In a close finals match, Easy Pipe Kashan (IRI) edged Titan Mercury (USA), 6-4. In the third place bout, Setaregan Sari (IRI) downed Khimori (MGL).

Final Match: Easy Pipe Kashan (IRI) df. Titan Mercury (USA), 6-4

57kg- Reza ATARI (IRI / Easy Pipe) df. Thomas GILMAN (USA / Titan), 6-4
Reza ATARI (IRI) started the match with a double leg, taking the 2-0 lead on 2017 world silver medal winner, Thomas GILMAN (USA). The first period ended with Atari in the lead, 2-0. In second period, Gilman picked up four points off of two takedowns, but Atari earned the decisive takedown, winning the match 6-4.

61kg- Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO / Easy Pipe) df. Alan WATERS (USA / Titan), 7-0
Olympic and world champion Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) nearly picked up a fall twice as he gave the Iranian side their second win, defeating Alan WATERS (USA), 7-0.

 

Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) looks to score on a gut wrench in the World Clubs Cup finals.

65kg- Farzad AMOUZAD KHALILI (Easy Pipe) df.  Bernard FUTRELL (Titan), 6-3
Farzad AMOUZAD KHALILI (IRI) collected three points in each period, giving him the victory over FUTRELL, 6-3. Heading into 70kg, Easy Pipe lead Titan Mercury, 3-0.

70kg- Mohammad NADERI (Easy Pipe) df. Franklin GOMEZ (PUR / Titan), 2-2
Mohammad NADERI (IRI), the two-time world champion in beach wrestling bested 2011 world silver medal winner, Franklin GOMEZ (PUR), 2-2. It was Gomez who scored the first two points, but NADERI earned two points in second period, giving him the 2-2 win. This was the fourth straight victory for the Iranian side, Easy Pipe Kashan.

74kg- Nazariy KULCHYTSKYY (USA / Titan) df. Hossein ELYASI (IRI / Easy Pipe), 5-4
KULCHYTSKYY (USA) gave the USA side hope as defeated Hossein ELYASI (IRI), 5-4. KULCHYTSKYY’s two points with seconds left gave Titan Mercury their first victory of the finals.

79kg- Kyle DAKE (USA / Titan) TF. Reza AFZALI (IRI / Easy Pipe), 12-0
Kyle DAKE (USA) showed his dominance, picking up four points at the beginning of the match. Dake’s 12-0 victory gave Titan Mercury their second win of the finals, as they trailed 4-2.

 

Kyle DAKE (USA) in a single leg during the finals of the 2017 World Clubs Cup finals. 

86kg- David TAYLOR (USA / Titan) df. Alireza KARIMI (IRI / Easy Pipe), 3-1
David TAYLOR proved he knows how to beat Iranian stars. After defeating Hassan YAZDANI in the 2017 World Cup, Taylor won the tough match against 2015 world bronze medal winner Alireza KARIMI 3-2. After seven matches, Easy Pipe (IRI) was ahead 4-3.

92kg- Hossein SHAHBAZI (IRI / Easy Pipe) df. Nickolas HEFLIN (USA / Titan), 4-2
2016 junior world champion Hossein SHAHBAZI (IRI) defeated Nickolas HEFLIN(USA), 4-2 to achieve the fifth victory for Easy Pipe.

97kg- Kyle SNYDER (USA / Titan) TF. Vladislav BAITSAEV (RUS / Easy Pipe), 11-0
Olympic and world champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) had an important win for Titan Mercury as he defeated Russian Vladislav BAITSAEV by technical superiority, 11-0.  Heading into the heavy weight bout, Titan Mercury trailed by one match. The winning of the 125kg bout would determine the champion of World Clubs Cup.

125kg- Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO / Easy Pipe) df. Nick GWIAZDOWSKI (USA / Titan), 6-5
The key match of the event came in the heavy weight bout, where 2017 world champion Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) defeated world bronze medal winner, Nick GWIAZDOWSKI (USA). Petriashvili struggled through a rib injury to pick up the 6-5 win. This victory ensured the championship for Easy Pipe Kashan, defeating Titan Mercury, 6-4.

 

Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) seals with the victory for Easy Pipe with a win the World Clubs Cup finals. 

Third Place Match: Setaregan Sari (IRI) df. Khimori (MGL), 9-0
57kg- Nader HAJAGHANIA (Setaregan) df.TSEVEENSUREN Tsogbakrakh (Khimori), 4-3
61kg- Mohammadreza RAMEZANPOUR (Setaregan) df. BATCHULUUN Basaniam (Khimori) by forfeit
65kg- TUMUR OCHIR Tulga (Khimori) df. Hassan MORADGHOLI (Setaregan), 9-5
70kg- Magomed KURBANALIEV (Setaregan) TF. LUTBAYAR Batbayar (Khimori), 10-0
74kg- Magomed Rasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (Setaregan) TF. BOLDKHUU Batsukh (Khimori), 10-0
79kg- Omid HASSANTABAR (Setaregan)TF. Turbold GANBOLD (Khimori), 10-0
86kg- Esmaeil MAHMOUDI df. Gankhuyag GANBATAAR (Khimori) by forfeit
92kg- Abazar ESLAMI (Setaregan) TF. Shogai TUMURBAT MUNGUN (Khimori) , 12-2
97kg- Esmaeil NEJATIAN (Setaregan)df. Batsukh ZORIGTBAATAR (Khimori), 6-2
125kg- Jaber SADEGHZADEH (Setaregan) TF. MUNKHTUR Lkhagvegerel (Khimori), 11-0

Fifth place match: Raindi (GEO) df. India Club (IND), 6-4
Seventh place match: Budapest SC (HUN) df. Bimeh Razi (IRI)- Bimeh Razi didn’t compete.
Ninth place match: BS Brothers (KAZ) df. Montreal (CAN), 6-4
Eleventh place match: Tajik Air (TJK) df. Kelechik (KGZ), 6-4

Semifinal 1: Titan Mercury (USA) df. Khimori (MGL), 9-1
57kg- Thomas GILMAN (Titan) df.TSEVEENSUREN Tsogbakrakh (Khimori), 5-2
61kg- Alan WATERS (Titan) Pinned BATCHULUUN Basaniam (Khimori)
65kg- TUMUR OCHIR Tulga (Khimori) TF. Bernard FUTRELL (Titan), 12-2
70kg- Franklin GOMEZ (Titan) df. LUTBAYAR Batbayar (Khimori), 5-3
74kg- Nazariy KULCHYTSKYY (Titan) df. BOLDKHUU Batsukh (Khimori), 10-2
79kg- Kyle DAKE  (Titan)TF. Turbold GANBOLD (Khimori), 10-0
86kg- David TAYLOR (Titan)Pinned. Gankhuyag GANBATAAR (Khimori)
92kg- Nickolas HEFLIN (Titan)TF. Shogai TUMURBAT MUNGUN (Khimori) , 10-0
97kg- Kyle SNYDER (Titan) TF. Batsukh ZORIGTBAATAR (Khimori), 12-2 
125kg- Nick GWIAZDOWSKI (Titan) TF. MUNKHTUR Lkhagvegerel (Khimori), 10-0

Semifinal 2: Easy Pipe Kashan (IRI) df. Setaregan Sari (IRI), 6-4
57kg- Reza ATARI (Easy Pipe) df. Nader HAJAGHANIA (Setaregan), 11-4
61kg- Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (Easy Pipe) df. Mohammad RAMEZANPOUR (Setaregan), 8-0 (Ramezanpour disqualified for receiving three passive cautions)  
65kg- Haji ALIEV (Setaregan) df. Farzad Amouzad KHALILI (Easy Pipe) , 4-3
70kg- Magomed KURBANALIEV (Setaregan) TF. Mohammad NADERI (Easy Pipe), 12-1
74kg- Hossein ELYASI (Easy Pipe) pinned Magomed Rasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (Setaregan), 2-9
79kg- Omid HASANTABAR (Setaregan) df.  Reza AFZALI (Easy Pipe), 4-3
86kg- Alireza KARIMI (Easy Pipe) df. Esmaeil MAHMOUDI (Setaregan), 5-0
92kg- Hossein SHAHBAZI (Easy Pipe)df. Abazar ESLAMI (Setaregan), 4-3
97kg- Vladislav BAITSAEV (Easy Pipe)df. Esmaeil NEJATIAN (Setaregan), 8-0
125kg- Jaber SADEGHZADEH  (Setaregan) df. Geno PETRIASHVILI (Easy Pipe)by forfeit

 

 

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open Flashback: Iran, U.S. opened season with success

Monday, January 19, 2026 - 10:21 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (January 18) -- United World Wrestling's 2026 season will kick off with the Ranking Series in Zagreb February 4. The recent memories of Zagreb may be the September World Championships but the 2025 season also kicked off with the Ranking Series in the Croatian capital.

Iran and the United States had strong performances in the first of the four stops of the Ranking Series, a theme which continued throughout the 2025 season as the U.S. dominated Freestyle while Iran dominated Greco-Roman.

Women's Wrestling participants were less in numbers but still saw U.S. and UWW wrestlers share gold medals.

Here's a trip down memory lane of the 2025 Zagreb Open Ranking Series before the 2026 season kicks off:

WATCH ZAGREB OPEN 2025 TOP BOUTS HERE

Freestyle

A young Iranian team snapped four gold medals in Zagreb with Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) winning gold at 61kg, Abbas EBRAHIM (IRI) winning at 65kg, Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) became champion at 92kg and Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) winning the 125kg gold.

For the U.S., Spencer LEE (USA) kicked off the season with 57kg with gold, Zahid VALENCIA (USA) won at 86kg and Kyle SNYDER (USA) at 97kg. Both Valencia and Snyder went on to win gold at the World Championships later in the season.

Azerbaijan, Slovakia and France won one gold each, with Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) winning at 70kg for Azerbaijan, Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) winning gold at 74kg, and Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) winning at 79kg for France.

Iran dominance began when Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) won gold at 61kg, beating the likes of Nuraddin NUVROZOV (AZE), Nashon GARRETT (USA), Giorgi GONIASHVILI (GEO) and Ebrahim KHARI (IRI). Javan would later win a silver medal at the World Championships. At 65kg, Ebrahim held his own in a thrilling final against Joseph MCKENNA (USA) to grab the second gold for Iran.

Young superstars Firouzpour and Masoumi put up a show to win gold medals at 92kg and 125kg respectively.

Lee was making a returning to competition six months after winning the silver medal at the Paris Olympics. He won the Zagreb Open gold with rather ease. For the U.S., Valencia saw himself win gold at 86kg outscoring his opponents 35-4 in four bouts. In the final, Valencia defeated world bronze medalist Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE), 8-0.

Snyder opened his season with a 33-1 scoring run in three bouts at 97kg in Zagreb. In the final, he easily defeated Abolfazl BABALOO (IRI).

Heybatov gave early warnings to the 70kg field by winning gold in Zagreb, a run which included wins over Austin GOMEZ (MEX), two back-to-back wins over Iranian wrestlers including a 12-1 one again Sina KHALILI (IRI) in the final. The two would wrestle again towards the end of the year at the U23 World Championships. Heybatov won that final with a 9-4 score.

Two veterans, Salkazanov and Khadjiev, were at their best in the opening Ranking Series tournament. Salkazanov blanked everyone, including winning 4-0 against David CARR (USA) in the final, to win 74kg gold.

Khadjiev had a tougher bat but managed to win the 79kg gold with a 5-3 win over Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI) in the final. The French wrestler would later win silver at the European Championships.