#WrestleRome

LIVE BLOG: Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series, Day One

Thursday, March 4, 2021 - 08:55 By United World Wrestling Press

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Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series Day 1

The first day of the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series event is in the books. Musa EVLOEV (RUS) won his third RS gold medal while Istvan TAKACS (HUN) stopped fellow countryman Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) from claiming a record-extending seventh RS gold medal. Riza Kayaalp dominated the 130kg category and was crowned the champion. Kazakhstan once against showed their dominance in Greco-Roman and claimed six medals including two golds.

Friday, will be another action filled day with three more Greco-Roman categories and four women's freestyle weight categories in action.

The recap of all the action from Greco Roman

WATCH: Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series

FINALS' RESULTS

55kg Viktor VEDERNIKOV (RUS) df Khorlan ZHAKANSHA (KAZ) 9-1
60kg Emin SEFERSHAEV (RUS) df Ahmet UYAR (TUR) via inj. def.
63kg Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) df Sultan ASSETULY (KAZ) via inj. def.
67kg Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ) df Mate KRASZNAI (HUN) 12-2
87kg Istvan TAKACS (HUN) df David LOSONCZI (HUN) 4-1
97kg Musa EVLOEV (RUS) df Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) 8-0
130kg Riza Kayaalp (TUR) df Abdellatif Mohamed Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY) 7-0

2020 hrs: GOLD MEDAL! Riza KAYAALP (TUR) completes a 7-0 shutout victory over Abdellatif Mohamed Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY) and is crowed the champion at 130kg. That will close out the first day of action in Rome

2015 hrs: Abdellatif Mohamed thought he has two points against Kayaalp but Turkey challenge the call and the scores are 0-0. Mohamed is then warned for passivity. Opening for Kayaalp and he doesn't waste any time. He gets three exposures and is up 7-0 in the 130kg gold medal bout

2011 hrs: Final bout of the day and it's four-time world champion Riza KAYAALP (TUR) taking on Abdellatif Mohamed Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY)

2010 hrs: Bronze medals for  Zurabi GEDEKHAURI (RUS) and NAVEEN (IND). The Russian completes a 3-1 win while Naveen hangs on for 1-1 criteria win over David STEPHAN (CZE) 

2000 hrs: Final three medal bouts coming up in Rome. On Mat B, Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI) is wrestling Zurabi GEDEKHAURI (RUS) while on Mat A, Stepan DAVID (CZE) is up against NAVEEN (IND)

1955 hrs: GOLD MEDAL! Musa EVLOEV (RUS) with a big four-point throw and then comes back to claim the victory with a pushout! Technical superiority finish for him. A third Ranking Series gold medal for EVLOEV

 

#WrestleRome 97kg GR Medal Match Results
?Musa EVLOEV ??df. Erik SZILVASSY ??, 8-0
?Olzhas SYRLYBAY ?? df. Ondrej DADAK ??, 9-0
?Cenk ILDEM ?? df. Luca SVAICARI ??, 7-1

— United World Wrestling (@wrestling) March 4, 2021

 

1950 hrs: 97kg final! Two-time defending world champion Musa EVLOEV (RUS) takes on Erik SZILVASSY (HUN). This will be his third Ranking Series gold medal if he can finish in Rome

1947 hrs: Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ) with a pushout and the win! He wins the bronze medal by a technical superiority win. Cenk ILDEM (TUR) also pockets the bronze medal with a 7-1 win

1945 hrs: Both bouts are the 30-second break point. Coincidentally, Syrlybay is leading by 7-0 on Mat B, same as Ildem on Mat A

1940 hrs: Bronze medal bouts in the 97kg weight category. On Mat B, Ondrej DADAK (CZE) is taking on Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ) and on Mat A, it's Rio Olympics bronze medalist Cenk ILDEM (TUR) against Luca SVAICARI (ITA)

1930 hrs: GOLD MEDAL! Istvan TAKACS (HUN) caps of a stunning day for himself and Hungary with a gold medal in the 87kg final. He beats fellow countryman David LOSONCZI (HUN) 4-1 in the final. He had earlier stopped Lorincz from winning his record seventh gold medal by beating him in the semis

1920 hrs: Lorincz completes a 8-0 win over Fidelbo. His seventh medal at RS events but first which is not gold. In the second bronze medal bout, Bekkhan OZDOEV (RUS) steamrolls against Josef Patrick RAU (USA) for a 8-0 technical superiority win at 87kg

1915 hrs: This may well be an unfamiliar feeling for Viktor LORINCZ (HUN). He had won six gold medal in previous Ranking Series events but he is wrestling for the bronze in Rome. He is up against Simone FIDELBO (ITA)

1910 hrs: GOLD MEDAL! Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ) adds a second Ranking Series gold and fourth medal overall as he completes a technical superiority 12-2 win over Mate KRASZNAI (HUN)

#WrestleRome 67kg GR Medal Match Results
?Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET ??df.
Mate KRASZNAI ??, 12-2
?Almat KEBISPAYEV ??df. Enes BASAR??, 3-2
?Nazir ABDULLAEV ??df. Murat FIRAT ??, 1-1

— United World Wrestling (@wrestling) March 4, 2021

1907 hrs: Final bout at 67kg. Mate KRASZNAI (HUN) is wrestling for the gold medal against Asian Championships silver and former World Championships bonze medallist Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ)

1905 hrs: Challenge won! The score is back 3-1 for Kebispayev. 10 seconds still remaining in the bout. Basar tries a desperate move but only gets a pushout and a point. Kebispayev wins the bronze medal with a 3-2 win

1902 hrs: Nazir Rachidovitch ABDULLAEV (RUS) wins the bronze medal after holding on to a 1-1 win against Murat FIRAT (TUR). On Mat B, Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) was leading 3-1 when Enes BASAR (TUR), went for a big throw. It was scored 4 points for the Kazakhstan wrestler. Turket with the challenge 

1900 hrs: Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) wrestling for bronze at 67kg against Enes BASAR (TUR). On Mat A, Murat FIRAT (TUR) is leading Nazir Rachidovitch ABDULLAEV (RUS) in the second bronze medal bout of the category

#WrestleRome 63kg Medal Match Results
?Aidos SULTANGALI ?? df. Sultan ASSETULY , inj. def.
?Neeraj NEERAJ ?? df. Samuel JONES ??, 6-4
?Mohammad ALAJMI ?? df. Marat GARIPOV ??, via inj. def.

— United World Wrestling (@wrestling) March 4, 2021

1850 hrs: GOLD MEDAL! Two Kazakhstan wrestlers in the final of 63kg and it's Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) winning the gold medal after Sultan ASSETULY (KAZ) withdraws via injury default

1845 hrs: Both Neeraj and Jones exchanges points but it's the former with a 5-4 lead after Jones failed to complete a throw. USA has challenged the call. Challenge lost and Neeraj leads 6-4 with 22 seconds to go. He will hang on to the lead and will take home a bronze medal from Rome

1835 hrs: NEERAJ (IND) and Samuel Lee JONES (USA) are wrestling on Mat B for the bronze medal at the 63kg weight category. In the other bronze medal bout, Mohammad F Kh M J ALAJMI (KUW) is the winner via injury default against Marat Maksumovitch GARIPOV (RUS)

1830 hrs: GOLD MEDAL! Russia's U23 World Championships silver medallist Emin Narimanovitch SEFERSHAEV (RUS) is the champion at 60kg via injury default from Ahmet UYAR (TUR)

1825 hrs: What a finish! Hafizov tried a head-pinch but gives up two of his own. Sarsenbiyev increases his lead by two points. Final six seconds left and Hafizov gets going with head lock exposure for two. He challenges it but it is lost. Zhanserik SARSENBIYEV (KAZ) takes the bronze medal at 60kg.

1820 hrs: Sarsenbiyev gets a two and then exposes Hafizov for two more. 5-3 lead for the Kazak with two minutes left in the bronze medal bout. Hungary's Kecskemeti hangs on for a 2-1 win and the bronze medal

1815 hrs: The two bronze medal bouts at 60kg are underway. On Mat B, Zhanserik SARSENBIYEV (KAZ) had 1-0 lead before Ildar HAFIZOV (USA) got a point for passivity and an exposure to take 3-1 lead. On Mat A, Krisztian KECSKEMETI (HUN) leads Joshua Xavier MEDINA (PUR) 2-1.

1810 hrs: Both Viktor VEDERNIKOV (RUS) and Khorlan Zhakansha (KAZ) exchange passivity points but the former then launches a big four-point throw and three gut-wrenches to claim the gold medal at 55kg with a dominant 11-1 win via technical superiority

1750 hrs: We are just minutes are away from the medal bouts in Rome. The bouts will take place on Mat B and A with Viktor VEDERNIKOV (RUS) and Khorlan ZHAKANSHA (KAZ) battling it out for the 55kg gold on the former and Krisztian KECSKEMETI (HUN) vs Joshua Xavier MEDINA (PUR) fighting for the bronze medal at 60kg on the latter.

In case you missed the first session of the day, below is the recap of some upsets and Kazakhstan and Hungary advancing four wrestlers each to the finals

That'll wrap the first session of the day in Rome. The line-up for the finals is set and the second session will give us seven Greco-Roman champions at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series event. We will be back after a three-hour break

In the warm-up hall in Rome today, two of wrestling's biggest stars sparred. Theo Lowenstien was there to capture this epic moment

1350 hrs: With that, we have our finals set in seven Greco-Roman weight categories

                 55kg Viktor VEDERNIKOV (RUS) vs Khorlan ZHAKANSHA (KAZ)
                 60kg Ahmet UYAR (TUR) vs Emin Narimanovitch SEFERSHAEV (RUS)
                 63kg Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) vs Sultan ASSETULY (KAZ)
                 67kg Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ) vs Mate KRASZNAI (HUN)
                 87kg David LOSONCZI (HUN) vs Istvan TAKACS (HUN)
                 97kg Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) vs Musa Evloev (RUS)
                 130kg Riza KAYAALP (TUR) vs Abdellatif Mohamed Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY)

1335 hrs: Defending world champion Musa EVLOEV (RUS) storms into the final of 97kg. He beats Rio Olympics bronze medallist Cenk Ildem (TUR) 6-0 and will wrestle Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) in the final

1330 hrs: Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) is wrestling his countryman Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ). He gets tossed early in the bout and down 0-6. He had a very good run so far but now in deep trouble 

1315 hrs: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) with a fall! The four-time world champion secures a place in the 130kg final against Abdellatif Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed (EYG), who defeated Naveen NAVEEN (IND) 3-1

1312 hrs: Give it to Istvan TAKACS (HUN)! He hands Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) his first defeat ever in Ranking Series events. He shuts out the defending champ 3-1. He moves into the 87kg final

1310 hrs: Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) is staring at his first defeat in Ranking Series events. He trains compatriot Istvan TAKACS (HUN) 1-3

1255 hrs: We are set for the semi-finals on Day 1 in Rome

                 60kg (TUR) Ahmet UYAR vs (PUR) Joshua Xavier MEDINA
                 60kg (USA) Ildar HAFIZOV vs (RUS) Emin Narimanovitch SEFERSHAEV
                 63kg (KAZ) Aidos SULTANGALI vs (RUS) Marat Maksumovitch GARIPOV
                 63kg (USA) Samuel Lee JONES vs (KAZ) Sultan ASSETULY
                 67kg (KAZ) Almat KEBISPAYEV vs (KAZ) Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET
                 67kg (RUS) Nazir Rachidovitch ABDULLAEV vs (HUN) Mate KRASZNAI
                 87kg (RUS) Bekkhan OZDOEV vs (HUN) David LOSONCZI
                 87kg (HUN) Istvan TAKACS vs (HUN) Viktor LORINCZ
                 97kg (RUS) Musa EVLOEV vs (TUR) Cenk ILDEM
                 97kg (KAZ) Olzhas SYRLYBAY vs (HUN) Erik SZILVASSY
                 130kg (IND) Naveen NAVEEN vs (EGY) Abdellatif Mohamed Ahmed MOHAMED
                 130kg (RUS) Zurabi GEDEKHAURI vs (TUR) Riza KAYAALP 

1240 hrs: Nazir ABDULLAEV (RUS) with an upset! He takes out Tokyo Olympian Mohamed ELSAYED (EYG) 6-5 to move into the semi-finals at 67 kg

1230 hrs: Russian Championships runner-up Marat Maksumovitch GARIPOV (RUS) gets two four-point throws in the final 12 seconds to beat Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) and move into the 67kg semi-final

1225 hrs: Almat Kebispayev (KAZ) with a very close win! Trailing 2-4, he got a point for Jamel Rasheed JOHNSON'S (USA) passivity and then gets the exposure to lead 5-4. That remains the final score between the two.

1222 hrs: 2-0 win for Riza KAYAALP (TUR)! He moves into the semi-finals at 130kg. On Mat A, Kebispayev is in trouble as Johnson is leading 4-2 at the break in their 67kg quarter-final 

1217 hrs: Multiple-time world medallist Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) is up on Mat A against Jamel Rasheed JOHNSON (USA). Meanwhile, Kayaalp is controlling the bout against Fernandez with a 2-0 lead

1210 hrs: Four-time world champion Riza KAYAALP (TUR) is wrestling against Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI) on Mat C in the 130kg quarter-final

1201 hrs: A comfortable win to start off his tournament! Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) scores a point for passivity, takedown, and pushout to seal a 4-0 win against Azamat Kustubayev (KAZ)

1200 hrs: Rio Olympics bronze medallist from Turkey Cenk ILDEM leads Yerulan ISKAKOV (KAZ) 3-0 at the break in their 97kg quarter-final on Mat A

1152 hrs: The six-time champion at Ranking Series tournaments Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) makes his way to MAT C for his first-round bout against Azamat KUSTUBAYEV (KAZ). The Hungarian is 23-0 so far in Ranking Series

1150 hrs: Emin Narimanovitch SEFERSHAEV (RUS) gives up a point for passivity but Zhanserik SARSENBIYEV (KAZ) could not capitalize. The Russian plays the clock well and will hold on for a 2-2 victory by criteria and advance to the semi-finals

1145 hrs: World Cup champion Emin Narimanovitch SEFERSHAEV (RUS) leads 2-1 at the break against Zhanserik SARSENBIYEV (KAZ) in their 60kg quarter-final. The Kazak also has a caution warning against him 

1133 hrs: Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) holds on for a win! Kerem KAMAL (TUR), the defending champion from the 60kg weight category, goes down 3-3 in the first round of 67kg in Rome. What a stunning first hour we have had here

1130 hrs: Kerem KAMAL (TUR) gets a pushout and rewarded with two points to take a 4-3 lead but Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) with a challenge to that call. Challenge won! 3-3 with 0:11 to go

1127 hrs: Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) got the advantage after Kerem KAMAL (TUR) was warned for passivity. The Kazak wrestler gets a head pinch and a lead of 3-1 over the Turkish wrestler

1120 hrs: Match of the morning in Rome! Kerem KAMAL (TUR) is facing Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) on Mat C. Kerem KAMAL (TUR) is the defending champion in Rome

1115 hrs: Eypgt's Tokyo Olympian Mohamed Ibrahim Elsayed Ibrahi ELSAYED gets going with a victory by fall in 67kg first round

1045 hrs: Four-time world champion Riza KAYAALP (TUR) begins with a comfortable 4-2 win over Mansur SHADUKAYEV (KAZ)

1030 hrs: All set for the first bouts in Rome! This will be the start of the new ranking cycle for all the wrestlers for 2021

#WrestleTirana

World Championships: Sadulaev caps golden return with 92kg title

Friday, November 1, 2024 - 00:20 By Ken Marantz

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TIRANA, Albania (October 31)--After a long absence from the mat forced by a combination of injuries and extenuating circumstances beyond his control, two-time Olympic champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) returned in triumph.

It wasn't at his usual weight class and he has no plans to remain there, but for now the Russian great can be satisfied with adding yet another global gold medal to his formidable collection.

Sadulaev won his sixth world title in a third different weight class when he defeated Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) 6-0 in the final at freestyle 92kg on Thursday, the final day of the Non-Olympic Weight Categories in Tirana.

"I can’t express what I feel yet," Sadulaev said. "I am very happy to be back on the top place of the podium of the world championships. This time it was a bit more difficult than the previous ones. There were many things that didn’t depend on me. I am glad."

Meanwhile, up-and-coming Masanosuke ONO (JPN), following up on Japan's success in the lightest weights at the Paris Olympics, completed a dominant run to the 61kg gold, while Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) and Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) ended long waits to return to the medal podium by making it to the top step at 70kg and 79kg, respectively.

Sadulaev, wrestling at 92kg for the first time in his career and down from 97kg for the first time since winning the 86kg gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, put up his usual granite wall of defense, while also showing the combination of speed, power and agility on the attack that sets him apart from his peers.

"I was about 98kg when I started the preparation," Sadulaev said. "The weight cut was not so difficult. I stopped eating flour and sweets, and the weight started to go down. Only the last two kilograms were a bit difficult to cut.

"The only problem was that I had the weigh-ins at 8 a.m. in the morning, then we arrived at the venue and I started wrestling in 30 minutes, I didn’t even have any time to rest. All the matches were just happening one by one with no rest. That’s why I got a bit tired in the semifinal match."

In the final, Sadulaev was on the activity clock in the first period when he scored a takedown, then added a pair of gut wrenches to build a 6-0 lead. From there, he held off everything that Maisuradze threw at him to add to the five world titles he won starting in 2014.

The last time the world saw Sadulaev, he suffered a serious neck injury and was beaten in the semifinals at the 2023 World Championships in Belgrade by Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN), a former member of Sadulaev's wrestling school in Dagestan now competing for Bahrain who won the gold in Paris.

Sadulaev was declared ineligible to defend his Olympic 97kg title in Paris as part of sanctions on Russia and Belarus, and skipped what would have been his return at this year's European Championships in February due to injury.

"I found out that I will be wrestling at 92kg at the worlds only at the end of September," Sadulaev said. "I talked to the president of the federation. I was preparing to compete at the Olympic Games, but unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to enter, that’s why I decided to give it a try here...One and a half months was enough for me to prepare."

But as he showed over the two days in Tirana, he could be as competitive as ever. He started by handily defeating fellow superstar David TAYLOR (USA) in a classic matchup in the first round, then showed that his fire for success still burned bright within him when he scraped together a 4-point takedown in the final seconds to edge Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) 5-3 in the semifinals.

"It didn’t really matter if I had to wrestle Taylor in the final match or in the qualification round," Sadulaev said. "It would have been more interesting if it was a final match. It would have been very spectacular if we wrestled in the final.

"In the semifinal match, I missed an attack, and in the end, I had to get a last-second score. I think it made the match even more interesting."

Looking ahead, Sadulaev said he will be heading back up to 97kg. "This was the only one time for me wrestling at 92kg. This is not my weight class, I will be back at 97kg again. I just used this opportunity not to lose another year. I had to make history to win the world championships in three different weight classes."

The dynamic Ono, who won the world U20 gold in September, never let up on the gas in storming to a quick 10-0 victory in the 61kg final over Ahmet DUMAN (TUR).

As he did throughout the tournament, Ono transitioned immediately to a gut wrench from a takedown, scoring six quick points before Duman knew what hit him. Ono then used a snap-down to a low ankle for another takedown, then a gut wrench to finish the rout in 1:22.

Ono, who started his golden run with a 10-2 win over Tokyo Olympic and former two-time world champion Zavur UGUEV (AIN), reeled off 12-0, 11-0 and 12-0 victories to advance to the final.

The senior Asian bronze medalist this year at 65kg, he later revealed that an injury had hampered his preparations. "One month ago, I broke my ankle and I couldn't practice at all," Ono said. "The Uguev match was my first live wrestling after the fracture, and I was very unsure how I would do."

For Ono, currently a student at Yamanashi Gakuin University, the school that produced Tokyo Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN), the question is where does he go from here?

Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN), who followed Otoguro by winning the 65kg gold in Paris, beat Ono in the final at the 2023 All-Japan Championships during the Olympic qualifying process. Going down to 57kg, where Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) won the Paris gold, seems unlikely.

Wherever he ends up, he will go with confidence. "I don't know if I'll go to 65kg and face him [Kiyooka]," Ono said. "If I do, I'm definitely going to win."

As for celebrating his triumph in Tirana, that will have to wait. "In five days, I have the Japan University championships," he said.

In the 70kg final, Kaipanov scored all of his points in the second period to defeat Asian silver medalist Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) 5-3 and add the gold to the world silver he won in 2019 and become just the second world freestyle champion in Kazakhstan history -- and second in two years.

Kaipanov, a two-time former Asian champion, twice scored 2-point exposures by stopping body-lock throw attempts by Aoyagi, a former teammate of Ono's at Yamanashi Gakuin who was coming off a bronze-medal finish at the World U23 Championships held a week ago in the same venue.

Kaipanov's victory came a year after Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) captured the 92kg title in Belgrade to become their country's first-ever freestyle gold medalist.

Kentchadze, a four-time European bronze medalist whose only previous world medal was a 74kg silver won in 2015, scored six takedowns in a 13-4 victory over 2023 world U23 champion Magomed MAGOMAEV (AIN) to take the 79kg gold.

Kentchadze, who was fifth at the 74kg at last year's worlds in Belgrade, gave up an opening takedown, but responded by scoring two himself to go ahead. After the second, however, he got stuffed attempting a roll to go behind 4-4, but righted the ship and added two more takedowns before the break to lead 8-4.

In the second period, Kentchadze sandwiched two more takedowns around a stepout to pull away and emerge victorious in the tournament's most crowded weight class with 33 entries.

Taylor claims emotional bronze

Taylor didn't get the gold that he came out of retirement to get in Tirana, but he did show a bit of his old magic in claiming a bronze medal at 92kg with an impressive 6-2 comeback victory over Ghasempour.

"When you're good for so long, you never know when it's time to be done," said an emotional Taylor, the Tokyo Olympic and three-time world champion at 86kg. "I just got an opportunity to go out the way I wanted to."

Ghasempour, the 2021 and 2022 world champion at 92kg, opened the scoring with a takedown while on the activity clock to lead 2-0 at the break. In the second period, Taylor went on the offensive and scored three takedowns against the tough Iranian, the last coming with two seconds left to preserve the victory.

After the match, Taylor remained on the mat for a short while, drinking in the atmosphere and the applause of the crowd. Later, he smile broadly on the medal podium and posed for photo together with Sadulaev.

The 33-year-old had retired after failing to make the U.S. team to the Paris Olympics and took the head coaching job at powerhouse Oklahoma State University. But the chance to face Sadulaev for the first time and possibly add to his gold medal collection was incentive enough to bring him back to the mat. The luck of the draw saw him face Sadulaev in the first round, where he lost 7-0.

"It was a tough decision to wrestle, but I didn't want it to end the way it did in April," Taylor said. "Going into this, I was hyperfocused on wrestling Sadulaev. The game script didn't go as I thought. I should have wrestled [him] like I did [against Ghasempour]. [The bronze-medal match] was a match of redemption. It was a world-final caliber match."

Although they met just that one time, Sadulaev had kind parting words for Taylor. "I want to congratulate Taylor on an amazing career," he said. "He was one of the best wrestlers of the modern time. I wish him good luck. Sooner or later, I will retire as well. But not now."

In the other 92kg bronze-medal match, Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) gave Slovakia a second bronze of the night when he rode a six-point lead to an 8-6 victory over a spirited Benjamin HONIS (ITA), who had been aiming to become Italy's first world medalist not named Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) since 2018.

Vito ARUJAU (USA), denied the chance to defend his world 61kg title by Ono in the semifinals, came away with a bronze medal by taking one of the biggest scalps of his career, beating Ugaev 8-3.

Arujau, shaking off a painful finger injury that caused him to need treatment during the second period, scored four takedowns in toppling the normally 57kg Uguev, who had obvious trouble handling the extra weight.

The other 61kg bronze went to Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL), who came up with a big move to defeat Nuraddin NOVRUZOV (AZE) by fall. Tseveensuren started with a 4-point pancake that Norvuzov reversed for 2, then countered a takedown attempt by locking the Azeri in a cradle and securing the fall at 2:30.

Russian-born Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK) ended Tajikistan's 17-wait for a second world medal when he broke open a tight match with a 10-point flurry in the second period to defeat Akaki KEMERTELIDZE (GEO) 13-2 in a 70kg bronze-medal match.

Kudiev, a bronze medalist at this year's Antalya Ranking Series at 65kg, followed in the footsteps of another native Russian, Yusup ABDUSALOMOV (TJK), who won a silver at freestyle 84kg in 2007.

European U23 champion Inalbek SHERIEV (AIN), last year's world U23 gold medalist, claimed his first senior world medal with a 10-0 victory in the other 70kg bronze-medal match over Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR). Sheriev scored three takedowns in the second period to end the match with :08 left.

At 79kg, Asian champion Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI), who knocked off six-time world champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) before losing to Kentchadze in the semifinals, overwhelmed young Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) 10-0 to take home a world medal for the third consecutive year.

Takahashi, the world U23 champion at 74kg a week ago in Tirana, did a remarkable job of making it to the bronze-medal match, having come back from massive deficits in both of his repechage matches just a few hours earlier.

Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK), the 2021 European champion, scored a 2-point exposure on a counter in the second period to edge Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL) 2-1 for the other 79kg bronze.

Freestyle Results

61kg (27 entries)
GOLD: Masanosuke ONO (JPN) df. Ahmet DUMAN (TUR) by TF, 10-0, 1:22

BRONZE: Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL) df Nuraddin NOVRUZOV (AZE) by Fall, 2:30 (8-2)
BRONZE: Vito ARUJAU (USA) df. Zavur UGUEV (AIN), 8-3

70kg (25 entries)
GOLD: Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) df. Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN), 5-3

BRONZE: Inalbek SHERIEV (AIN) df. Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) by TF, 10-0, 5:52
BRONZE: Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK) df. Akaki KEMERTELIDZE (GEO) by TF, 13-2, 4:39

79kg (33 entries)
GOLD: Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) df. Magomed MAGOMAEV (AIN), 13-4

BRONZE: Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) df. Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) by TF, 10-0, 3:49
BRONZE: Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) df. Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL), 2-1

92kg (29 entries)
GOLD: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) df. Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), 6-0

BRONZE: David TAYLOR (USA) df. Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI), 6-2
BRONZE: Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) df. Benjamin HONIS (ITA), 8-6