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Olympic Silver Medalist Higuchi Rallies to Make U23 World Finals

Friday, November 16, 2018 - 16:41 By Taylor Miller

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Photo of Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) by Martin Gabor. 

BUCHAREST, Romania – Friday night’s U23 World Championships semifinals provided a lot of excitement as it determined the first five gold-medal matches in men’s freestyle in Bucharest, Romania.

At 65kg, 2016 Olympic silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) scored a takedown with 14 seconds left in the match to defeat Morteza GHIASI CHEKA (IRI) to advance to the finals.

Waiting for him in tomorrow’s gold match is 2018 Yasar Dogu runner-up Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE), who took out Roman ASHARIN (HUN), 5-3.

For 97 kg gold, 2017 Junior World silver medalist Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) will take on 2017 Junior World bronze medalist Kollin MOORE (USA). The two last met up in the 2017 Junior World semifinals, with Matcharashvili taking a 16-4 win.

In the semifinals, Matcharashvili made work of Ali SHABANIBENGAR (IRI), producing a 10-0 technical fall, while on the side of the bracket, Moore battled back from an 8-2 deficit to defeat Magamed ZAKARIIEV (UKR), 10-8.

At 70 kg, 2017 Junior World champion and 2014 Cadet World champion David BAEV (RUS) edged out 2016 Junior World champion Enes USLU (TUR) on a caution-and-one call that was made after time ran out in the 70 kg semifinals. At the end of the match, the scoreboard read in favor of Uslu on criteria, but Russia’s corner challenged, asking for a caution and one for fleeing. The challenge ruled in favor of Baev and he advanced to the finals with a 7-6 win.

In the 70 kg gold-medal bout, Baev will take on Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK), who dominated 2017 World Military runner-up Oleksii BORUTA (UKR), 9-0, in the other semifinal.

The 79 kg semifinals featured a couple of shutout wins as Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO) defeated 2014 Youth Olympic Games champion Yajuro YAMASAKI (JPN), 4-0, and 2015 Junior World champion Gadzhi NABIEV (RUS) blanked 2017 Junior World runner-up Isa SHAPIEV (UZB), 5-0, making tomorrow’s 79 kg gold-medal match a battle of Junior World medalists.

Tomorrow’s finals at 57 kg will feature 2013 Cadet World bronze medalist Toshihiro HASEGAWA (JPN) and Kumar RAVI (IND).

Ravi tallied a 10-8 win over 2017 Junior Asian champion Jahongirmirza TUROBOV (UZB) to advance to the finals, while Hasegawa had a come-from-behind win over Wahnhao ZOU (CHN), 5-2.

Saturday’s finals are set for 6 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET) live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Finals matchups
57 kg: Toshihiro HASEGAWA (JPN) vs. Kumar RAVI (IND)
65 kg: Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE) vs. Rei HIGUCHI (JPN)
70 kg: David BAEV (RUS) vs. Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK)
79 kg: Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO) vs. Gadzhi NABIEV (RUS)
97 kg: Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) vs. Kollin MOORE (USA)

Semifinals results

57 kg
Toshihiro HASEGAWA (JPN) df. Wanhao ZOU (CHN) 5-2
Kumar RAVI (IND) df. Jahongirmirza TUROBOV (UZB), 10-8

65 kg
Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE) df. Roman ASHARIN (HUN), 5-3
Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) df. Morteza GHIASI CHEKA (IRI), 4-4

70 kg
David BAEV (RUS) df. Enes USLU (TUR), 7-6
Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) df. Oleksii BORUTA (UKR), 9-0

79 kg
Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO) df. Yajuro YAMASAKI (JPN), 4-0
Gadzhi NABIEV (RUS) df. Isa SHAPIEV (UZB), 5-0

97 kg
Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) df. Ali SHABANIBENGAR (IRI), 10-0
Kollin MOORE (USA) df. Magamed ZAKARIIEV (UKR), 10-8

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U20 World Championships Day 6 Greco-Roman Highlights

Friday, August 22, 2025 - 06:56 By Vinay Siwach

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U20 World Championships Live: The sixth day of the U20 World Championships will see only Greco-Roman action in the morning session. The weight classes in action are 55kg, 67kg, 72kg and 97kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 6 RESULTS

14:20: Payam AHMADI BALOOTAKI (IRI) wins a thrilling 6-4 win over Ivan SOLOMIN (UWW) in the 55kg quarterfinals. Solomin was leading 4-4 on criteria but Ahmadi Balootaki get his head under Solomin's arm and gets the takedown in the final 10 seconds to win.

14:15: Mate VEGH (HUN) had a decent 5-2 lead over Arionas KOLITSOPOULOS (GRE) but falls 6-5 in the 72kg quarterfinals. Kolitsopoulos with a bodylock and throw for four. Hungary challenge for the points but clear four-pointer. Kolitsopoulos with the sword celebrations.  

14:05: Turan DASHDAMIROV (AZE) with two big four pointers from par terre in each period to beat Nazarii BABINSKYI (UKR) 10-0 and advance to the 55kg semifinals.

13:50: Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) with a fall over Sebastian WARCHOL (POL) at 97kg after building a 9-0 lead. Yakushenko now faces Darius KIEFER (GER) in the semifinals. Yakushenko has a 2-1 head-to-head lead against Kiefer but lost their latest bout in the European U20 final

13:30: Erzu ZAKRIEV (UWW) is on a mission. He beats Mingun JEONG (KOR) via technical superiority and enters the 67kg final, chasing a second straight world U20 title.

13:12: 2024 world U17 champion Turan DASHDAMIROV (AZE) hangs on for a 9-9 criteria victory over Anil MOR (IND) in a wild 55kg bout. Dashdamirov scored a big four and then got two points for Mor's leg foul. Mor scored three takedowns and a turn to make it 9-8 and then got a par terre position to make it 9-9. But he can't break the criteria despite more than a minute remaining. Dashdamirov wins 9-9.

13:05: Ilia KOMAROV (UWW) has not trouble in turning Gor AYVAZYAN (ARM) three times from par terre and win his 97kg bout 8-0. Ayvazyan is injured and had to be carried off the mat.

12:55: Darius KIEFER (GER) with a four-pointer in his 10-0 win against Nurassyl AMANALY (KAZ) and enter the quarterfinal at 97kg.

12:30: Joel ADAMS (USA) can't repeat his heroics from his first match and drops his 1/8 final against Arionas KOLITSOPOULOS (GER), 4-1, at 72kg. Kolitsopoulos is looking to add a U20 world title to his U17 one.

12:25: Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) drops his 67kg 1/8 final against Gholamreza ABDOVALI (IRI) after a challenge costs him point. Khozrevanidze got the first par terre and Abdovali got the second. According to the new rule in Greco, Khozrevanidze had the criteria. However, Georgia challenged and lost and lost the criteria as well. Abdovali defended his 2-1 lead to win.

12:15: Erzu ZAKRIEV (UWW) with a headlock throw for four and then takedowns in the second period as he beats Takaku SUZUKI (JPN), 10-2, and advance to the quarterfinal at 67kg.

11:45: Anil MOR (IND), gold medal from the Ulaanbaatar Open Ranking Series, starts with an 8-0 win over Yordan TOPALOV (BUL). After a 4-0 lead, Mor hit a bodylock throw for four points to win at 55kg.

11:30: Defending 97kg champion at Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) has no problem is seeing off Pavel SAVITSKI (UWW), 8-0, with three turns. He can face Darius KIEFER (GER) in the semifinals

11:15: Returning silver medalist and European U20 champion Darius KIEFER (GER) starts his 97kg campaign with 9-0 technical superiority victory over Salakhidin AKNAZAROV (KGZ). Kiefer lost to Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) in the final last year.

11:10: Joel ADAMS (USA), a 2022 world U17 champion, mounts a comeback in the second period and beats Rabil ASKEROV (UWW), 12-4, and book a bout against 2023 world U17 champion at 71kg Arionas KOLITSOPOULOS (GRE) after the Greece wrestler beats Ahmadreza MOHAMADIAN (IRI), 3-1.

10:55: Zhantoro MIRZALIEV (KGZ), Asian U20 champion at 67kg, smashes Ihar ZVARYKIN (UWW), 9-0, and reaches the 1/8 final.

10:45: European U23 champion Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) hits a suplex from par terre and then a takedown in the second period to win 8-0 against Martin CICHY (CZE) and advance at 67kg.

10:35: World U20 champion at 63kg Erzu ZARIEV (UWW) starts his campaign at 67kg with a technical superiority win over Pavel ALEXE (ROU).

10:30: Faraim MUSTAFAYEV (AZE) breaks down Narek GRIGORIAN (AZE) and scores a takedown in the second period to win 3-1 at 67kg.

10:20: Takaku SUZUKI (JPN) did not get any  par terre position as Otto BLACK (USA) was awarded both. However, Suzuki, down 4-0, blocked a turn attempt from Black and then scored three trap-arm guts to win 8-4 at 67kg.