Live Blog: Asian Championship day six

Sunday, April 24, 2022 - 03:11 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (April 24) -- The final of the Asian Championships is here. After 10 champions in Greco-Roman and women's wrestling each, the freestyle will get the 10 champions as well.

Five of the 10 were decided Saturday and the remaining five will be on Sunday. Rio Olympics silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) is wrestling at 61kg and is the favorite to win the gold.

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13:40: The morning session is over. The 10 finalists in 5 weight classes are set and the medal bouts will begin 1800 hours local time.

13:36: Yergali did give up a takedown but did not let Jung get a turn. He wins 9-6 by countering Jung's final attack. Yergali will face Yadollah MOHEBI (IRI) in the 125kg final. Mohebi had to stepouts and a takedown against Batmagnai ENKHTUVSHIN (MGL) in the first period before Ekhtuvshin scored a takedown of his own in the second. But all his other attacks were easily countered by Mohebi as he secured a 12-2 win.

13:33: Alisher YERGALI (KAZ), the Asian champion at 97kg, leads Yeihyun JUNG (KOR) 7-0 in the 125kg semifinal. Yergali lost his concentration for a moment and now Jung has scored a four-pointer. Can Jung score 4 more with 40 seconds remaining?

13:27: Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) once again leads a series of leg laces to lead 5-0 against Islambek OROZBEKOV (KGZ) at the break in the 74kg semifinal. Orozbekov gets a takedown in the second period but gives up one as well. He then gets a duck under and gut to make it 9-6. Kaipanov counters with a single leg and leads 11-6. Orozbekov's attack is countered with a double to four-pointer exposure from Kaipanov as he wins 15-8.

13:22: Higuchi starts out the second period with a low single-leg attack, and stops Zholdoshbekov's attempt to counter to gain a takedown for an 8-4 lead. He repeats it and how he's up 10-4. With 1:24 left, it's the same move for another takedown, and this time he pops a gut wrench for a 14-4 technical fall at 4:50. A short time earlier, Darioush HAZRATCGHOLIZADEH (IRI) fought back from a 5-0 deficit against Akbar KURBANOV (KAZ) in the other semifinal, scoring the winning takedown with :12 left to win 6-5.

13:21: Deepak PUNIA (IND) hits a four with a whizzer in the second period to lead 5-0 against Gwanuk KIM (KOR). The underhook defense of Punia keeps giving him the advantage over his opponents.

13:19: Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) with a strong performance as he stuns Saiakbai USUPOV (KGZ) with a series of gut wrenches to make it to the 86kg final in which he will face the winner of Deepak PUNIA (IND) vs Gwanuk KIM (KOR)

13:16: In the featured match of the session in the 61kg semifinals, Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) comes out with a takedown, but Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ) responds with a 4-point counter lift. Higuchi ties the score with a roll from an attack, but he's trailing on criteria. With :04 left in the first period, the Rio Olympic silver medalist bulls his way to a takedown and a 6-4 lead.

13:10: 2021 world junior champion Amirhossein FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI) easily puts away Takuma OTSU (JPN) with a 10-0 technical fall to make the final at 92kg. The other semifinal was equally one-sided, as Orgilokh DAGVADORJ (MGL) gains a spin-behind takedown to top Viky CHAHAR (IND) 11-0.

13:03: Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI) has Byambadorj BAT ERDENE (MGL) in the semifinal and he begins with a takedown and roll to lead 4-0. A series of takedowns and he wins 10-0 to reach the 74kg final

12:57: Two 125kg quarterfinals and Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) beats Shatlyk HEMELYAYEV (TKM) 14-4 while home favorite Batmagnai ENKHTUVSHIN (MGL) beats Taiki YAMAMOTO (JPN) 5-1

12:50: In another 86kg quarterfinal, Muhammad INAM (PAK) trailed 5-0 against Saiakbai USUPOV (KGZ) but then scored a takedown before getting a point for passivity. He got an exposure to lead 5-5 with 6 seconds remaining but Usupov scores the reversal to win 6-5

12:45: Anirudh KUMAR (IND) had made it 4-4 after Yeihyun JUNG (KOR) had hit an early four-point throw. But Jung scored a takedown with 30 seconds remaining and adds another as he counters an attack to make it 8-4 and win the bout.

12:42: At 86kg, world silver medalist Deepak PUNIA (IND) is wrestling against Mohsen MOSTAFAVI (IRI). He gets the first point for Mostafavi's inactivity before giving a takedown on edge. Punia leads 3-0. A lost challenge gives him 4-0 in the second period. None of Mostafavi's attacked worked and Punia wins 6-0

12:40: Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) is in real form at 74kg. He gets a takedown and then locks Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB) in lace to win 11-0 inside the first minute.

12:35: The semifinal in the bottom half of the bracket at 61kg has been set. It will be Akbar KURBANOV (KAZ), who ousted 2021 world U23 bronze medalist Narankhuu NARMANDAKH (MGL) by a 10-0 technical fall, and Darioush HAZRATCGHOLIZADEH (IRI), who took advantage of a clearly winded 2021 world junior bronze medalist Alibeg ALIBEKOV (BRN) to rally from an 11-4 deficit with 2 minutes to a 14-11 win.

12:30: A thrilling quarterfinal at 74kg. Byambadorj BAT-ERDENE (MGL) was leading 5-2 with 20 seconds remaining and a scramble resulted in Seungbong LEE (KOR) scoring a takedown. He tried to get a roll but could not. Baterdene wins 5-4

12:22: Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ) sets up a semifinal clash at 61kg with Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) after breaking open a close match late in the second period and defeating defending champion Jahongirmirza TUROBOV (UZB ) 6-2.

12:17: Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI) has countered Diachi TAKATANI (JPN) every time the Japanese has tried to attack. Emamichoghaei now leads 6-2 as they battle it out in the 74kg quarterfinal. Takatani with a leg attack and converts that into a takedown. The final 20 seconds had Emamichoghaei being passive which the Japanese corner challenges, asking for a caution and passivity point. However, the jury rules it out. Emamichogaei wins 7-5

12:15: Viky CHAHAR (IND) pulled a rabbit off his hat to defeat Mirian CHYNYBEKOV (KGZ) and advance to the semifinals at 82kg. Just seconds after giving up an exposure that put the Kyrgyz ahead 3-2, Charhar somehow reversed the situation with :05 left for a 4-3 win. The 92kg semifinals are now set: Takuma OTSU (JPN) vs Amirhossein FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI), and Charhar vs Orgilokh DAGVADORJ (MGL)

12:08: Rei HIGUCHI (JPN), perhaps still smarting from missing out on the Tokyo Olympics and the chance to get the gold he was denied in Rio, looked like a man on a mission in handily putting away Mangal KADYAN (IND) by 10-0 technical fall. Higuchi started with a pair of takedown-gut wrench combinations, then ended the match with an exposure off a tackle attempt.

12:07: Shota SHIRAI (JPN) works hard to beat Temuujin MENDBILEG (MGL) 6-0 at 86kg. Shirai with a strong counter game and puts Mendbileg's conditioning to test

12:03: Yeihyun JUNG (KOR) exposes Rustam ISKANDARI (TJK) and then holds him to the back to secure the fall in the second period at 125kg.

12:02: Orgilokh DAVADORJ (MGL) gets the home crowd charged up with a 10-0 technical fall over Ajiniyaz SAPARNIYAZOV (UZB ) to advance to the semifinals at 92kg.

11:59: 2020 silver medalist and top seed Takuma OTSU (JPN) turns Jinmyeong KIM (KOR) over on a takedown counter for a 5-0 lead, and looks to be content with just running out the last 80 seconds in their quarterfinal clash at 92kg. But he manages to lever the Korean over enough to record a fall with :13 left.

11:55: Navruzov takes a stepout and leads 11-4. He is cautioned for headbutting Tushir who adds three takedwons to make it 11-10 but the time runs out. Navuroz moves into the quarterfinals.

11:50: Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB) begins his 74kg qualification with two big arm throws to be up 8-0 against Yash TUSHIR (IND). He then gets countered for a takedown before Navruzov adds two stepouts to lead 10-2. Tushir gets a takedown to make it 10-4 at the break.

11:45: At 74kg, Atamyrat CHARLYYEV (TKM) with a clinical 11-0 win over HONG YEOW LOU (SGP) and Seungbong LEE (KOR) beats Lakmal Wijesooriya (SRI) via technical superiority as well

11:41: Diachi TAKATANI (JPN) is up at 74kg and he has a quick fall over Abdullah ABDALKAREEM (TKM) in the opening round.

11:39: Defending 61kg champion Jahongirmirza TUROBOV (UZB ) easily handles Sampath WATHTHE GEDARA (SRI) in a 12-0 technical fall. He will next face 2020 champion Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ) in the quarterfinals, with the winner likely getting a semifinal clash with Higuchi who has Mangal KADYAN (IND) in the quarterfinals. Kadyan began with an 11-0 technical fall over Mekan MUHAMMEDOV (TKM).

11:34: Rio Olympic silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) begins his campaign for the first Asian gold medal by overwhelming Ali ALHOHAINI (KUW) in their qualification match at 61kg. A takedown and four straight lace locks and that was all for the Kuwaiti in 26 seconds.

11:30: All ready for the start of the final day at Buyant Ukhaa Sports Palace, with the final five weight classes in freestyle, 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg and 125kg. Let the action begin.

#WrestleZagreb

Amouzad avenges Paris loss to Kiyooka, claims 65kg gold

Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - 22:02 By Ken Marantz

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 16) -- Revenge was the theme of the night on Tuesday at the Zagreb World Championships, with Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) playing the starring role.

Amouzad not only avenged his loss to Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) from the Paris Olympics, he did it in overwhelming fashion, blitzing his way to a 10-0 victory in the 65kg final on the final day of the freestyle competition at Arena Zagreb.

"I worked really hard and had been waiting for this moment for almost a year, and I’m happy this championship is mine," Amouzad said. "I put in a lot of effort physically, mentally, and with analysis."

The other freestyle gold at stake went to Kyle SNYDER (USA), who likewise avenged a loss in Paris -- albeit for the bronze -- with a nail-biting 4-2 win at 97kg over Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) to capture his fourth world title.

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Iran, which was already assured of winning the team title for the first time since 2013 before the night began, finished with 145 points, 11 ahead of the United States in second place. Japan placed third with 111 points.

"I’m also really happy that Iran’s team became the champion," Amouzad said. "This title was well deserved. For the past 12 years we couldn’t win but now, with seven medals, it finally happened. I’m glad the people of Iran are happy, and that makes me even happier."

It was just over a year ago that Kiyooka came seemingly out of nowhere and snatched the 65kg gold in Paris with an inspired 10-3 victory over Amouzad.

But on Tuesday, the outcome could not have been more different. From the outset, it was all Amouzad, the 2022 world champion who won three straight Asian titles from 2022 to 2024.

Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) counters Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) in the 65kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

The Iranian deftly countered a single-leg attack from Kiyooka with a back lift for two, then added a two-point exposure. And he wasn't finished with the sequence, transitioning to a cradle at the edge and wedging Kiyooka over for two more and a 6-0 lead.

Amouzad kept the pressure on a shell-shocked Kiyooka, scoring a stepout that had a fleeing point tacked on. A final takedown and the match was over with eight seconds to spare in the first period.

"I have more plans and bigger goals ahead," Amouzad said. "This is just the beginning for me, and my work isn’t finished yet. In two months, I’ll compete in the Islamic Games and I’ll participate in any tournament the coaching staff believe I should."

Kyle SNYDER (USA) celebrates after beating Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) in the 97kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

The 97kg final was a much closer but no less dramatic affair, as Snyder picked up his eighth medal in eight trips to the World Championships to go along with an Olympic gold from Rio 2016 and a silver at Tokyo 2021.

The 29-year-old Snyder received an activity point in a tenuous first period, but Azarpira broke the logjam by getting behind for a takedown early in the second. A penalty point against Azarpira for finger-grabbing tied the score at 2-2, but with the Iranian holding the criteria advantage.

With the atmosphere growing intense, Snyder put the pressure on and scored a stepout with 8.5 seconds left, then held on as the match ended with him defending against a single-leg attack. As has become ritual, Iran made a futile challenge at the end, which did nothing but change the final score.

"We just had a little bit of a game plan for him, making sure the match is tight because in a match like that, I can always get things going near the end and find a way to score," Snyder said. "I thought I was close and I felt like he was kind of stumbling. I over-pursued a little bit and he's pretty savvy on the edge and I gave him a takedown. But honestly, that was good because it made me bring my pace even more.

"I think the timing of that was perfect, just made the match a matter of the heart, like I wasn't as much about technique as it was about the heart."

Kyle SNYDER (USA) scores the match-winning stepouts against Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) during the 97kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

It was in Zagreb back in February 2023 that Snyder and Azarpira first met on the mat, with the American winning 3-0 in the final of the Zagreb Open. But a year later in the final of the same tournament, Azarpira came out a 6-3 winner, then defeated Snyder 4-1 eight months later in a bronze-medal match at the Paris Olympics.

"He's a tough and good hand fighter," Snyder said. "At the Olympics, I felt like I got him tired, but there were a lot of stops because of the blood. I felt that broke up the match a little bit. It came down to the last couple of seconds in this one, too. Just keeping inside a little bit better and faking and snapping and finding a way to win."

Snyder credits his dedication to consistently hard training for his continued success. "I know every time I come in, it's going to be hard. Even making the team in America is hard. So I think the most important quality for consistency over time is just humility and being willing to keep learning and keep working.

"You got to keep working hard. I think I trained harder this year than I ever have in my entire life. You got to be willing to keep doing that year after year after year."

Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN), left, and Arash YOSHIDA (JPN), the two bronze medalists at 97kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Tazhudinov cuts it close, but leaves Zagreb with bronze

Paris Olympic champion Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN), whose reign as world champion ended with a loss in the semifinals by Azarpira, assured he won't be leaving Zagreb empty-handed, but he had to work hard to earn his consolation bronze medal.

Tazhudinov, who has looked out of sorts all tournament, had to survive a late scramble that, when the video was studied and the points sorted out, gave him a 13-10 come-from-behind victory over Akhmed MAGAMAEV (BUL).

It didn't look good for Tazhudinov when he was thrown for four at the outset of the match, but he managed to come back with a pair of takedowns. The two traded two-point exposures when Tazhudinov secured a cradle, but was stopped on his own back, leaving him trailing 6-6 on criteria.

Tazhudinov finally went ahead with a takedown with 1:23 left, but a wild scramble from Magamaev's counter-lift ended up with Tazhudinov being awarded five points and Magamaev four on challenge, giving the Bahrain wrestler the win.

Meanwhile, two-time Asian champion Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) made Japanese history when he became the country's heaviest world medalist ever by outmuscling Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL) 6-0 for the other 97kg bronze.

Yoshida, whose father is Iranian and runs the kids club where he and his siblings started the sport, combined two stepouts, two activity points and a takedown to earn the historic bronze.

"I am thankful to Japan," Yoshida said. "But inside, I'm not completely satisfied. From now, I will work hard with the aim of becoming the champion."

Japan's previous heaviest medal winner was Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN), who won a bronze at 92kg in Budapest in 2018. In fact, Matsumoto is one of only two Japanese who had won a medal in a weight classes 90kg or above.

As a footnote, Akira OTA (JPN) won silver medals at 90kg at both the 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Olympics.

At 65kg, Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) earned his first world medal with a solid 7-1 victory over European champion Ibragim IBRAGIMOV (UWW), scoring a takedown in the first period and two in the second along with a stepout.

The victory avenged a loss from two years ago from the semifinals at the World U23 Championships, which Ibragimov won 3-0 en route to a second straight gold in the age group.

Real WOODS (USA) added the other 65kg bronze medal to the U.S. tally with a 3-1 win over Peiman BIABANI (CAN) that saw no technical points.

In making his first world podium, Woods received two activity points to Biabani's one, with a point for an unsuccessful challenge at match end padding the final score.

Day 4 Results

Freestyle

65kg (34 entries)
GOLD: Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) df. Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) by TF, 10-0, 2:52

BRONZE: Real WOODS (USA) df. Peiman BIABANI (CAN), 3-1
BRONZE: Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) df. Ibragim IBRAGIMOV (UWW), 7-3

97kg (29 entries)
GOLD: Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI), 4-2

BRONZE: Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) df. Akhmed MAGAMAEV (BUL), 13-10
BRONZE: Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) df. Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL), 6-0

Live Blog: Asian Championship day six

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Amouzad avenges Paris loss to Kiyooka, claims 65kg gold