#WrestleBudapest

Live Blog: #WrestleBudapest European Championships Day 1

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (March 28) -- The European Championships return to the historic city of Budapest, Hungary and we kick off the tournament with freestyle wrestling.

The five weight classes that will be in action Monday are 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg, and 97kg and some of the big names in wrestling are competing including some Tokyo Olympics and Oslo World Championships medalists.

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE

2:00: Azerbaijan with a successful morning session. They get all five wrestlers into the semifinals. Huge evening session coming up

1:42: Zurabi IAKOBASHVILI (GEO) moves into the 70kg semifinal. A win by technical superiority for him over Ramazan RAMAZANOV (BUL) in the quarterfinal 

1:37: Vladislav BAITSAEV (HUN) scores six points in the second period to Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD)'s two and wins the 97kg quarterfinal 6-4.

1:32: Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD) and Vladislav BAITSAEV (HUN) are wrestling in the other 97kg quarterfinal. Nurov leads Baitsaev 2-0 at the break 

1:30 Odikadze made the lead 8-6 but cannot finish the bout. He goes down 14-7 against Magomedov in the 97kg quarterfinals. Big result for the former junior world silver medalist.

1:24: Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) wrestling Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) in the 97kg quarterfinal. The Azerbaijan wrestler has scored three takedowns to take a 6-0 lead. Odikadze struggling to get going here

1:14: Sacultan and Lomtadze were in a close match over on Mat C but the Moldovan just snatched 11 consecutive points to move into the semifinals, 13-5. He'll wrestle two-time Olympic medalist Haji Aliyev for a spot in the 65kg finals.

1:11: Aliyev picked up a 12-6 quarterfinals win over Munir Recep AKTAS (TUR) and will wrestle the winner of Maxim SACULTAN (MDA) and  Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) for a spot in tonight's finals.

12:52: The quarterfinals on day one of the European Championships are beginning now. Haji ALIYEV (AZE), Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) and other stars will wrestle now

12:45: Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) was thrown for four points by Daniel ANTAL (HUN) and trailed by 6-4 at the break but the U23 European champion comes back to win 10-6 

12:20: Vladislav BAITSAEV (HUN) with a takedown and one stepout point to beat Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) 3-1 at 97kg. He will wrestle Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD) in the quarterfinals

12:17: U23 world champion Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE) has three takedowns in a 7-0 win over Levan METREVELI VARTANOV (ESP) in the opening round of 57kg

12:10: Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM) scores a takedown with five seconds remaining to win 5-4 against Stevan MICIC (SRB). The Serbian team challenged the call as Micic had locked Tadevosyan's knee from inside but the jury thinks the Armenian had full control. He wins 6-4 

12:03: Former 61kg world champion Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) begins his tournament with a 10-0 win Stefan COMAN (ROU) at 65kg. 

12:00: Tokyo Olympian Stevan MICIC (SRB) is up at 65kg for the European Championships. He is a two-time European bronze medalist. He leads 2-1 at the break. But both Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM) and Micic trade takedown and the Serbian leads 4-3 with a minute remaining.

11:48:  Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL) will make his debut up at 97kg against  Alejandro CANADA PANCORBO (ESP) (Mat A / Bout 6). The Polish wrestler was a European runner-up at 92kg in 2019.

11:45: Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) gets the first win of the day. He beats local wrestler Csaba VIDA (HUN) in a thrilling 9-8 bout. 

11:30: The three mats have wrestlers ready for their bouts. The officials are ready and so are the fans. Wrestling begins now

11:00: Welcome to the European Championships. The first-ever edition of the tournament was held 111 years ago in the same city. Wrestling begins in 30 minutes.

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open 2025 Day 2: Iran continues domination

By United World Wrestling Press

ZAGREB, Croatia (February 6) -- Zagreb Open day two with four Freestyle weight classes and Women's Wrestling in two weight classes. Day one saw six Freestyle classes with the United States and Iran winning two gold medals each. Azerbaijan and Slovakia won the remaining two.

LIVE MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE | 2025 SEASON PREVIEW

13:25: In the women's wrestling semifinal at 55kg, veteran Sam STEWART (CAN) leg laces Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE) and wins 12-1. She will face world bronze medalist Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA) who got the better of Ekaterina VERVINA (AIN) 5-4.

13:15: Mason PARRIS (USA) holds off Hayden ZILLMER (USA) 4-2 in the 125kg semifinal. But his big test will come in the final against Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) who beats Kamil KOSCIOLEK (POL) 8-0.

13:05: Kyle SNYDER (USA) back in the Zagreb Open final at 97kg. He blanks Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) 10-0 and he like take on Abolfazl BABALOO (IRI) who just about managed to beat Jonathan AIELLO (USA) 6-5 in the other semifinal. Aiello was down 6-3 but added two stepouts and almost got the third but the time ran out.

12:55: Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) may have confirmed his European Championships spot at 92kg as he beats Abubakar ABAKAROV (AZE) in the semifinal. Abakarov built a 3-2 but struggled with his shoulder which needed constantly medical attention. He changed the score to 5-4 with a minute remaining but Nurmagomedov scored a takedown to lead 6-5. Abakarov got hold off Nurmagomedov's leg for a good 10 seconds but failed to get a takedown. Nurmagomedov will wrestle Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) in the final

12:40: Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI) breaks Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) with his pace and wins the 79kg semifinal 4-1. Gamkrelidze got a point for Yousefi's passivity in the first period but the Iranian up the pace in the second period, scoring two stepouts and a takedown on the edge to win 4-1. He will face Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) who defeated Rocco WELSH (USA) 4-2

12:30: Semifinals on day two! Paris Olympian at 86kg Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) is up against U20 world champion Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI) at 79kg and Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) has Rocco WELSH (USA).

11:45: Match of the tournament so far! Abubakar ABAKAROV (AZE) has to come back multiple times as Iuza TSERTSVADZE (GEO) threatened to upset him. Tsertsvadze scored a takedown and two turns using a gut wrench to lead 6-0 before Abakarov began the second period with a stepout. He close the differnce to 6-5. Tsertsvadze was on the verge of extending his lead but Abakarov scored a four-pointer using a cut back to make it 9-7. A takedown and turn later, Tsertsvadze led 11-9 but Abakarov hit a single leg attack with 10 seconds left and score the two points needed to win. He is into the 92kg semifinals.

11:41: Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) wrestle with so much authority on the mat. No missed shots or efforts which can get countered. Just controls his way, like he did in a 5-0 win against Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR) and enter the semifinal at 125kg.

11:35: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) with another controlled win. He gets the better of Michael MACCHIAVELLO (USA) 5-0. He will wrestle in the semifinals

11:25: Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), coached by his uncle and Olympic champion Sharif SHARIPOV (AZE), puts on a great show of defense and counters to beat Uri KALASHNIKOV (ISR) 5-0 at 92kg.

11:22: Paris Olympian Mason PARRIS (USA) faced compatriot Trent HILLGER (USA) in the opening round at 125kg and after a few stutters, he comes out as a 12-3

11:20: Kyle SNYDER (USA) who won a silver medal here in Zagreb last year begins with a 11-0 win over Richard VEGH (HUN) and moves into the semifinal at 97kg.

11:15: World bronze medalist Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) looked rusty to begin with and he got U20 world champion Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI) in the first bout. Yousefi pounced on him and won 10-0 inside four minutes at 79kg.

10:55: Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) holds off former U20 world champion Mohammadmobin AZIMI (IRI). Abakarov led 6-1 before giving up a takedown and turn for four points. He still wins 6-5

10:40: Asian champion Amirhossein FIROZPOUR (IRI) kicks off proceedings in dominant fashion. He scores a 11-0 technical superiority win over Zaur BERADZE (GEO) inside the first period.

10:30: Welcome to day two of the Zagreb Open and we have the remaining four Freestyle weight classes in action along with two in Women's Wrestling.