Lima, Peru

Olympic Champion Ismael Borrero Molina Seeks Fourth Pan Am Title

Thursday, May 3, 2018 - 22:19 By Taylor Miller

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LIMA, Peru – 2016 Olympic champion Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB) heads to the Pan American Championships finals for the fourth time, looking to claim his fourth Pan Am gold, after a dominant day on Thursday in Lima, Peru.

Borrero, who last competed in the event in 2014, dominated the 67 kg bracket without surrendering a single point. In his first match, he rolled through 2017 Pan Am silver medalist Luis Alfredo DE LEON (DOM) with a 10-0 technical fall. He followed it up with tech falls over Joseph DASHOU (CAN) and 2017 Junior Pan Am winner Joilson DE BRITO RAMOS JUNIOR (BRA).

Borrero will face off against Manuel Alejandro LOPEZ SALCERO (MEX), a two-time Pan American Championships medalist.

Two other Cubans sealed spots in the finals, including Luis Alberto ORTA SANCHEZ (CUB) at 60 kg and 2017 World bronze winner Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) at 130 kg.

Pino, who defeated fellow 2017 World bronze medalist Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI) earlier today, is competing for his third-consecutive Pam Am gold. He’ll face Robert SMITH (USA), who has produced two top-five finishes at the World Championships.

In addition to Smith, three Americans will be fighting for gold tonight, including Max NOWRY, Ryan MANGO and Ravaughn PERKINS. All three were perfect in round-robin action on Thursday morning.

At 55 kg, Nowry, a 2012 University champion, will take on Sargis KHACHATRYAN (BRA), who is a native of Armenia. Khachatryan was also perfect in the morning session. Winner of this matchup takes gold.

Perkins will also face an undefeated opponent in Wuileixis de Jesus RIVAS ESPINOZA (VEN) in the 72 kg finals. Rivas Espinoza is a 2014 Pan Am Championships gold medalist, 2015 Pan Am Games gold medalist and three-time Pan Am bronze winner.

Regardless of the outcome of his match against Adam MACFADYEN (CAN), undefeated Mango will be named the winner at 63 kg based on head-to-head wins.

At 97 kg, Luillys Jose PEREZ MORA (VEN) is heading to the finals for the third year in a row. He owns silver medals form the 2016 and 2017 tournaments. In search of his first title, Perez will face Kevin MEJIA CASTILLO (HON), who won the 2017 Central American and Carribbean Games in both freestyle and Greco-Roman.

The finals are set for 7 p.m. U.S. ET and can be watched live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

FINALS MATCHUPS
55 kg – Round five matches
Sargis KHACHATRYAN (BRA) vs. Max Emiliano NOWRY (USA)
Mauricio David PLAZA SANCHEZ (MEX) vs. Javier Eduardo BARRERA PALACIOS (PER)

60 kg
GOLD - Jancel Miguel PIMENTEL GONZALEZ (DOM) vs. Luis Alberto ORTA SANCHEZ (CUB)
BRONZE - Andres Roberto MONTANO ARROYO (ECU) vs. Dicther Hans TORO CASTANEDA (COL)
BRONZE - Cristhian PARAVECINO NAVARRO (PER) vs. Marat GARIPOV (BRA)

63 kg – Round five matches
Ryan Robert MANGO (USA) vs. Adam Takahashi MACFADYEN (CAN)
Gerardo Francisco OLIVA MONTES (PER) vs. Mauri VICENTE SILVERIO JUNIOR (BRA)

67 kg
GOLD - Manuel Alejandro LOPEZ SALCERO (MEX) vs. Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB)
BRONZE - Luis Alfredo DE LEON (DOM) vs. Joilson DE BRITO RAMOS JUNIOR (BRA)
BRONZE - Jose Alejandro VARELA GARCIA (GUA) vs. Mario Bernardo MOLINA CORTEZ (PER)

72 kg – Round five matches
Ravaughn Richard Ravelle PERKINS (USA) vs. Wuileixis de Jesus RIVAS ESPINOZA (VEN)
David PEREIRA BARBOSA (BRA) vs. Fernando VICENTE GOMEZ (MEX)

97 kg
GOLD - Luillys Jose PEREZ MORA (VEN) vs. Kevin MEJIA CASTILLO (HON)
BRONZE - Charles Zachary MERRILL (PUR) vs. Oscar LOANGO SOLIS (COL)
BRONZE - Lester Josue ENRIQUEZ CALDERON (GUA) vs. Gabriel Alejandro ROSILLO KINDELAN (CUB)

130 kg
GOLD - Robert Timothy David SMITH (USA) vs. Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB)
BRONZE - Edgardo Juan LOPEZ MORELL (PUR) vs. Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI)
BRONZE - Jose Noel ERAZO HENRIQUEZ (ESA) vs. Luis Alberto ROMAN BARRIOS (MEX)

#WrestleZagreb

Motoki leads Japanese trio to Worlds finals

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 - 15:47 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 17) -- After a slightly subdued start to its Women's Wrestling, Japan managed to show up at the World Championships.

Japan put three wrestlers in the final out of the four weight classes that were in action on Wednesday in Zagreb. Olympic champion Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) remained on course for her first world title at 62kg while Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN) and Ami ISHII (JPN) will look to add to their world titles at 53kg and 68kg.

Motoki was up against former world champion Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) in the semifinals and she began with a four-pointer. Purevdorj got a reversal but that was all she managed in the match as Motoki kept coming up with different ways to score the takedowns. At 10-1, she scored another four-pointer to win 14-1 and enter her second world final.

For the elusive gold, she will face Ok Ju KIM (PRK) who pinned Amina TANDELOVA (UWW) in the other semifinal after building a 14-3 lead.

Murayama, a three-time world champion, will wrestle for her fourth world title after she won a close semifinal against Hyogyong CHOE (PRK). Both traded activity points but Murayama had a stepout which proved to the be difference as she won 2-1.

On Thursday, she will face Olympic silver medalist Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) in the final after the Ecuadorian defeated world bronze medalist ANTIM (IND), 5-3, majorly with four-pointer in the first period and protecting her lead.

Yepez hit a duck under to throw Antim for four and gave up a reversal to lead 4-1 in the break. The Indian tried to find the opening but she only got one in the final 10 seconds after giving up a takedown. Yepez was happy to give up that final takedown as it did not affect her win and only changed the score to 5-3.

Ecuador, a country which did not have a world finalist till Tuesday, now has two. Yepez is the second on consecutive day after Genesis REASCO (ECU) entered the 76kg final to create history.

World 72kg champion Ishii, who dropped down to 68kg this year, took a step closer to her second world title after she bullied through two Olympic medalist in quarterfinals and semifinals.

Ishii dominated silver medalist from Paris Kennedy BLADES (USA), 12-2, and had a similar match against bronze medalist against Buse TOSUN (TUR) in the semifinals.

Ishii was straight to work in the semifinal with a four-pointer as Tosun landed on her back despite controlling Ishii's legs. Turkiye challenged that scoring but lost it, giving one more point to Ishii.

She scored three different takedowns to finish the match 11-0 inside the first period and enter her second world final.

Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) will look to stop Ishii from winning the gold medal after she upset world 65kg champion Jia LONG (CHN) in the semifinal. Yaneva fell behind 1-1 on criteria but scored a takedown with around one minute and 30 seconds on the clock to lead 3-1.

From there on, Long was on the backfoot and a win seemed further away as she was cautioned for a point for locking fingers. As she tried to trip Yaneva, the Bulgarian blocked her and got the winning takedown for a 6-1 win.

At 72kg, multiple age-group world medalist Nesrin BAS (TUR) managed to reach her first-ever senior world final after she won a thrilling semifinal against Zelu LI (CHN), 9-6.

Bas scored a four-pointer using a whizzer to lead 4-1 at the break. Li scored a takedown to begin the second period but Bas elevated her leg from the front to score two points and lead 6-3. Turkiye challenged the call and the scored for reversed to 8-4. Li tried to mount a comeback from there but she managed only two points while Bas scored a reversal to win 9-6.

For her first world title, she will face Alla BELINSKA (UKR) who used a whizzer to pin Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ) in the other semifinal.

RESULTS

53kg
GOLD: Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) vs. Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN)

SF 1: Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN) df. Hyogyong CHOE (PRK), 2-1
SF 2: Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) df. ANTIM (IND), 5-3

62kg
GOLD: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) vs. Ok Ju KIM (PRK)

SF 1: Ok Ju KIM (PRK) df. Amina TANDELOVA (UWW), via fall
SF 2: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) df. Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL), 14-1

68kg
GOLD: Ami ISHII (JPN) vs. Yuliana YANEVA (BUL)

SF 1: Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) df. Jia LONG (CHN), 6-1
SF 2: Ami ISHII (JPN) df. Buse TOSUN (TUR), 11-0

72kg
GOLD: Nesrin BAS (TUR) vs. Alla BELINSKA (UKR)

SF 1: Nesrin BAS (TUR) df. Zelu LI (CHN), 9-6
SF 2: Alla BELINSKA (UKR) df. Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ), via fall