#WrestleBudapest19

Novikov and Pataridze on Track to Repeat as U23 World Champions

By Taylor Miller

Photo of Semen NOVIKOV (UKR) by Sachiko Hotaka.

BUDAPEST, HungarySaturday’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)

#WrestleAthens

Wrestling U17 World Championships: Day 6 Freestyle Live

By Vinay Siwach

ATHENS, Greece (August 2) -- The final full day of the U17 World Championships will see the final five weight classes in Freestyle. Wrestling will continue in 45kg, 51kg, 60kg, 71kg and 92kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 5 RESULTS

The semifinals of these weight classes will begin at 17:00 hours local time and medal bouts in 48kg, 55kg, 65kg, 80kg and 110kg will begin at 18:00 hours local time.

14:45: Samuel SANCHEZ (USA) is back in the semifinals, at 51kg, after taking out Temuri TUTARASHVILI (GEO) 12-1. Sanchez is chasing his second straight world title.

14:40: Mirjalol MUKAMMILOV (UZB), down 1-1 on criteria, spins behind and gets Riku FURUSAWA (JPN) down for a two-point takedown and a 3-1 win at 45kg. He will wrestle in the semifinals.

14:35: Keegan BASSETT (USA) breaks Bakdaulet AGABEK (KAZ) and gut wrenches Agabek for 15-4. He celebrates like he is breaking a stick with his knee

14:25: Yeghishe MOSESYAN (ARM) hits a front headlock in the final second to beat Omer GUL (TUR) 9-8 and enter the 71kg semifinals. Mosesyan never gave up attacking and got his win.

14:10: SITENDER (IND) with a counter attack for four and sends Arian MEHRALIZADEH (IRI) flying for four points and wins his 60kg bout 5-5. Mehralizadeh is devasted and runs off the mat.

13:30: Ulugbek RASHIDOV (UZB) is into the quarterfinals at 51kg! He blanks Ramal MIRHUSEYNOV (AZE) 11-0 using a lace. Comfortable win for the world champion!

13:20: Samuel SANCHEZ (USA) is looking extremely good at 51kg. The world 45kg champion gets past Bugra KAVAK (TUR) 9-3 and is now into the quarterfinals.

13:00: Yeghishe MOSESYAN (ARM) stuns Zubair BAGILOV (UWW) at 71kg, 8-3! Bagilov could never finish his shots and Mossyan had a huge four-pointer in the second period which changed the momentum of the match. 

12:45: In a battle of European silver medalist and bronze medalist, Omer GUL (TUR) takes out silver medalist Ihor OLIINYK (UKR) at 71kg. Gul was trailing 4-0 but front headlock for four and later another headpinch for four to win 9-4. 

12:40: Not to be for European silver medalist Hasan HASANOV (AZE) at 60kg. Rihito HIURA (JPN) blanks him 7-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. Hiura looks the one to beat at this weight class.

12:25: Nathan NASH (CAN) is absolutely ecstatic after getting a fall over Hamlet ANTONYAN (ARM) at 60kg! Nash is a Pan-Am bronze medalist this year.

11:45: European U17 champion Said PASHAYEV (AZE) must have been struggling off the mat otherwise there is no reason to explain his 5-4 win against Abderrahmane MEZITI (ALG) at 92kg. He was down 4-3 with five seconds remaining but manages to get a takedown on the edge to win 5-4.

11:30: Two world champions and two dominating wins! World 45kg champion Samuel SANCHEZ (USA) smashes Georgi SPASOV (BUL), 10-0 and then Ulugbek RASHIDOV (UZB) gut-wrenches Dhanraj JAMNIK (IND), 10-0, as well. Both Sanchez and Rashidov are at 51kg.

11:15: Hasan HASANOV (AZE), European silver medalist, keeps Fakhriddin NASRIDDINOV (UZB) at bay and wins his 51kg bout 6-2. Nasriddinov made several attempts to score points but Hasanov was solid in defense.

11:00: Arian MEHRALIZADEH (IRI) takes out returning silver medalist Frederick BACHMANN (PUR) at 51kg, 8-4. Bachmann got two takedowns in the match but Mehralizadeh was never looked in trouble.

10:50: Bekassyl ASSAMBEK (KAZ), Asian U17 champion, uses the gut-wrench and wins his 60kg bout Ashton BESMER (USA)

10:30: Welcome to another day of U17 World Championships in Athens, Greece. The five Freestyle weight class in action are 45kg, 51kg, 60kg, 71kg and 92kg.