#WrestleBudapest19

Novikov and Pataridze on Track to Repeat as U23 World Champions

Saturday, November 2, 2019 - 11:27 By Taylor Miller

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Photo of Semen NOVIKOV (UKR) by Sachiko Hotaka.

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Saturday’s Greco-Roman finals are set for the U23 World Championships and they feature a pair of reigning U23 World champs, including Semen NOVIKOV (UKR) and Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO).

At 87 kg, Novikov looks for his second-career gold, facing off against Gurami KHETSURIANI (GEO) on Saturday night for the title.

Pataridze cruised to his third-consecutive U23 World finals. This week marks Pataridze’s seventh World Championship appearance. Should he win tonight, he will claim his sixth World gold. He owns three Junior World titles, two Cadet World titles, one U23 World title and one U23 World silver.

For gold, Pataridze will face 2019 Junior World champion and 2018 U23 World bronze medalist Aliakbar Hossein YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI).

The two met last year in the first round of the U23 Worlds with Pataridze recording a 4-1 win.

In addition to Khetsuriani and Pataridze, one other Georgian advanced to Saturday night’s finals as 2013 Cadet World bronze medalist Levani KAVJARADZE (GEO) will battle 2016 Junior World bronze medalist Meysam Karamali DALKHANI (IRI) for the gold at 63 kg.

At 77 kg, Islam OPIEV (RUS) aims for his second World title of the year as he won the Junior World gold earlier this year in Tallinn, Estonia.

In the finals, Opiev will take on Kodai SAKURABA (JPN), who edged out three-time Junior World medalist Sajan SAJAN (IND) in the semifinals.

The title bout at 55 kg will feature 2019 Senior World bronze medalist Shota OGAWA (JPN), who will take on two-time Junior World medalist and 2015 Cadet World medalist Emin Narimanovitch SEFERSHAEV (RUS).

The finals will take place Saturday at 6 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET) live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Semifinals results
55 kg
Shota OGAWA (JPN) df. Ekrem OZTURK (TUR), 9-0
Emin Narimanovitch SEFERSHAEV (RUS) df. Zaur ALIYEV (AZE), 7-0

63 kg
Levani KAVJARADZE (GEO) df. Fadis VALITOV (RUS), fall
Meysam Karamali DALKHANI (IRI) df. Mehmet CEKER (TUR), 4-1       

77 kg   
Islam OPIEV (RUS) df. Tamerlan SHADUKAYEV (KAZ), 4-3
Kodai SAKURABA (JPN) df. Sajan SAJAN (IND), 5-4

87 kg
Gurami KHETSURIANI (GEO) df. Daniel GREGORICH HECHAVARRIA (CUB), 2-2
Semen NOVIKOV (UKR) df. Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR), 6-1

130 kg
Aliakbar Hossein YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI) df. Osman YILDIRIM (TUR), 6-5
Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO) df. David OVASAPYAN (ARM), 4-1

Finals matchups
55 kg: Shota OGAWA (JPN) vs. Emin Narimanovitch SEFERSHAEV (RUS)
63 kg: Levani KAVJARADZE (GEO) vs. Meysam Karamali DALKHANI (IRI)
77 kg: Islam OPIEV (RUS) vs. Kodai SAKURABA (JPN)
87 kg: Gurami KHETSURIANI (GEO) vs. Semen NOVIKOV (UKR)
130 kg: Aliakbar Hossein YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI) vs. Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO)

#WrestleZagreb

Azarpira ends Tazhudinov's two-year dream run in Zagreb

Monday, September 15, 2025 - 16:07 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 15) -- Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) burst on to the wrestling scene with stunning victory over Kyle SNYDER (USA) and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) and eventually becoming world champion in 2023.

He followed that up with gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Unbeaten since 2023, it seemed Tazhudinov will dominate the weight classes for the coming years.

Enter Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI).

The Paris Olympic bronze medalist ended Tazhudinov's two-year dream run with victory in the semifinal of the 2025 World Championships in Zagreb on Monday.

During this two-year reign, Azarpira was the only wrestler who came close to beating Tazhudinov. The two faced each other in the Paris Olympics and the Iranian had a 3-0 lead before giving up four points in the second period to lose 4-3.

There were no such comeback in the second period on Monday. Azarpira took a 2-0 lead with two stepouts but Tazhudinov took criteria lead with a takedown. But Azarpira kept his calm and scored a stepout to make it 3-2.  

Tazhudinov tried reaching for Azarpira's legs with his long reach but the Iranian seemed in no trouble at all defending his lead. After one of Tazhudinov's attack, he scored a go-behind and won the bout 5-2.

It is after 12 year that an Iran wrestler has reached the final of the 96/97kg weight class. Reza YAZDANI (IRI) won gold at 96kg at the 2013 World Championships in Budapest.

Azarpira will try to match with Yazdani when he takes on Kyle SNYDER (USA) in the final on Tuesday after the United States wrestler defeated upcoming star Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) in the other semifinal.

Snyder, who had lost to Yoshida at the Tirana Ranking Series, dominated the semifinal, winning 9-1. He scored four different takedowns and looked liked the Snyder of old. Since 2015, Snyder has won a medal at all World Championships including gold in 2015, 2017 and 2022.

Azarpira has two wins over Snyder in the past, the first coming in Zagreb in 2023 at the Ranking Series. The second win came at the Paris Olympics in the bronze-medal bout.

In the other Freestyle weight class -- 65kg -- on Monday, the Olympic final will be replayed after champion Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) and silver medalist Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) made it to the final at the World Championships.

Amouzad saw off Paiman BIABANI (CAN), 5-0, scoring three stepouts and a takedown while Kiyooka managed to score two takedowns in his 5-0 win over Umidjon JALALOV (UZB).

Onishi on track for first gold

A month after winning gold at the U20 World Championships, Sakura ONISHI (JPN) is on the verge of winning her first senior world title after she made it to the final at 59kg.

Like the age-group World Championships, Onishi has not given up a point so far in three bouts in Zagreb. In the semifinals, she wasted no time to secure a fall over Altjin TOGTOKH (MGL).

"While keeping in mind what the opponent would do, I made it clear what I wanted to do," Onishi said. "I was able to execute and that [pin] was the result. I think it creates good momentum going into tomorrow [for final]."

In the final, Onishi will face European U23 silver Maria VYNNYK (UKR) who used a big four-pointer in her 9-5 victory over Laurence BEAUREGARD (CAN).

"From the warmup before the first match, I felt like my legs were moving well," she said. "The way I dictated the flow of the matches also was pretty good, so I think I can do it my own way. I feel peace of mind to make it to the final. I came here to become the senior world champion and tomorrow, I want to win and set off on a winning run (around the mat)."

At 55kg, Asian 53kg champion Kyong Ryong OH (PRK) reached the final after pinning Sowaka UCHIDA (JPN), who was making her senior debut. Oh scored a huge under-over and kept Uchida on the mat until the fall was called.

The DPR Korea is returning to the World Championships after six years; last appearance coming in 2019. The nation had one champion in women's wrestling in Astana.

For a gold medal on Tuesday, Oh will face European champion Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) who survived a late attack from Andreea ANA (ROU) to beat the Romanian 5-3.

RESULTS

Freestyle

65kg
GOLD: Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) vs. Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN)

SF 1: Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) df. Peiman BIABANI (CAN), 5-0
SF 2: Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) df. Umidjon JALALOV (UZB), 5-0

97kg
GOLD: Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) vs. Kyle SNYDER (USA)

SF 1: Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) df. Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN), 5-2
SF 2: Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Arash YOSHIDA (JPN), 9-1 

Women's Wrestling

55kg
GOLD: Kyong Ryong OH (PRK) vs. Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW)

SF 1: Kyong Ryong OH (PRK) df. Sowaka UCHIDA (JPN), via fall
SF 2: Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) df. Andreea ANA (ROU), 5-3

59kg
GOLD: Sakura ONISHI (JPN) vs. Maria VYNNYK (URK)

SF 1: Sakura ONISHI (JPN) df. Altjin TOGTOKH (MGL), via fall
SF 2: Maria VYNNYK (URK) df. Laurence BEAUREGARD (CAN), 10-5