#WestleAcapulco

Pan-American Championships Preview

Tuesday, February 20, 2024 - 12:21 By Gaurav Bhatt

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ACAPULCO, Mexico (February 20) --- The sun-soaked city of Acapulco, Mexico, gears up to host the Pan-American Wrestling Championships from February 21st to 24th, drawing the region's elite grapplers across Freestyle, Greco-Roman, and Women's Wrestling. 

The tournament precedes the Pan-American Olympic Qualifiers, which can have only those countries participating in the Pam-American Championships.

Let's delve deeper into each style and highlight some of the most anticipated clashes. 

Freestyle Wrestling

All eyes will be on world champions Kyle DAKE (74 kg) and Kyle SNYDER (97 kg), who will take the mat on Friday and Saturday. 

Dake can expect to run into four-time World medallist Geandry GARZON (CUB). Dake won the last contest between the two during his run for the repechage bronze at the Tokyo Olympics. The 74kg field also features two-time medallists Hernan GUZMAN (COL) and Cesar ALVAN (BRA).

In the 97kg category, Snyder can run into familiar foe Arturo TORRES (CUB). The 2016 Olympic champion Snyder is looking for his sixth gold at the Pan American Championships. Torres, meanwhile, will look to avenge his three defeats in the finals against Snyder — including in the gold-medal clash last year in Buenos Aires. 

The 74kg category will feature five-time medallist at the event Pedro MEJIAS (VEN), Pan-Am Games bronze medallist Osmany MARTINEZ (CUB), and Spencer LEE (USA) who makes his international debut as a three-time age group world champion.

Cuban Alejandro VALDES TOBIER will bring his experience to the mat in the 65kg category. The reigning Pan-Am Games champion and two-time world medallist — who lost last year’s final to John Michael DIAKOMIHALIS (USA) — will take on contenders such as three-time bronze medallist Agustín DESTRIBATS (ARG) and US senior world team member Nicholas LEE (USA). 

Elsewhere, Yurieski TORREBLANCA (CUB) will look to double up on his 86kg gold from last year.

CUBDefending champion Oscar PINO (CUB) is set to compete in Acapulco, with his sights set on winning a sixth Pan-Am title. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Greco Roman

Oscar PINO (CUB) will be out to defend his Greco-Roman 130kg title in Acapulco. The 30-year-old is hunting for his sixth gold medal at the event to add to his four World medals. Cohlton Schultz (USA), who finished runner-up at the PanAm Games last November, would aim to halt the Cuban juggernaut.

Also on the quest for back-to-back golds are Americans Spencer WOODS and Kamal BEY, and Daniel HECHAVARRIA (CUB). 

Bey can expect to fight his 77kg nemesis, Yosvanys PENA FLORES  (CUB). In 2019, the Cuban defeated Bey in the Pan-Am Championships final before Bey edged Pena Flores for the 77kg crown in Buenos Aires last year. At the Pan-Am Games in November, Bey settled the score with a win over Pena Flores en route to the continental gold.

Woods, who took home the 82kg gold last year, has moved up a division to set up a potential clash with reigning 87kg gold medallist Hechavarria.

usaOlympic champion Helen MAROULIS (USA) headlines the women's wrestling entries. She'll wrestle at 57kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Women’s wrestling

The women’s competition will be highlighted by world medallists from the U.S.: Helen MAROULIS (57 kg), Kayla MIRACLE (62 kg), Macey KILTY (65 kg), and Adeline GRAY (76 kg).

Six-time world champion Gray returns to the Pan American Championships looking to add to her collection of three gold medals at the event.

Maroulis, three-time world and 2016 Olympic champion, can run into some resistance from last year’s bronze medallist Angela Alvarez (CUB).

Kilty’s 65 kg opponents will include 2022 silver medallist Miki ROWBOTTOM(CAN), while Miracle can run into Maria SANTANA (CUB), who finished runner-up at the Pan Am Games. 

World medallist Diana WEICKER (CAN) will return to defend her 55kg title. 

Catch all the action from the Pan-American Championships live on UWW+.

#Grappling

Grappling World Championships 2025 Entries

Tuesday, September 30, 2025 - 11:55 By United World Wrestling Press

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (September 30) -- The Grappling World Championships are set to be held in Novi Sad, Serbia from October 14 to 16 at the SPENS Arena.

The three-day tournament will see Grappling action in both men's and women's on September 14. The second day will have competition in both Grappling and Grappling Gi and only Grappling Gi on third day will finish the tournament.

All action will be live on the UWW website and highlights on UWW Grappling Instagram.

Men's Grappling Gi

58kg
Razmik MISAKYAN (ARM)
Farhad BAGIROV (AZE)
Samir BEN BELKACEM (FRA)
Daviti ZEDGINIDZE (GEO)
Alikhan ALSHINBAY (KAZ)
Nursulton TYNYSHTIKOV (KAZ)
Zhyldyzbek ABYLBEKOV (KGZ)
Jerzy IZDEBSKI (POL)
Bohdan CHORNEI (UKR)
Joseph DIEHL (USA)

62kg
Rafayel KOSTANYAN (ARM)
Emil VERDIYEV (AZE)
Cedrick BISSOUT SIGNANG (CMR)
Lucas AUBRY (FRA)
Levente VARKONDI (HUN)
Mark BODO (HUN)
MANDEEP (IND)
Bekzat KAZTAYEV (KAZ)
Rakhymzhan TURGANBEK (KAZ)
Dmytro BARANOV (UKR)
Vadym SIROSHTAN (UKR)
Andrii TSVYK (UKR)
Asher URBAN HOYER (USA)
Kiryl AHEIKA (UWW)

66kg
Mayis NERSESYAN (ARM)
Cedric EYENGA (CMR)
Giovanni SUAREZ ARTILES (ESP)
Cristofer MARTIN BARRIOS (ESP)
Anthony DE OLIVEIRA (FRA)
Giorgi RAZMADZE (GEO)
Adam VERES KOVACS (HUN)
Milan LUKASZ (HUN)
Adlan ASUEV (KAZ)
Nurassyl TURUSPEKOV (KAZ)
Illia SVIATUN (UKR)
Yurii CHERKALIUK (UKR)
Jesse SOSA (USA)
Angel DIAZ (USA)
Avzal AKHMETOV (UZB)
Renzo MARTINEZ (VEN)

71kg
Shahnur MEHTIYEV (AZE)
Max KAMA (CMR)
Kevin MARTIN TINOCO (ESP)
Francisco ALCALDE TORREBLANCA (ESP)
Samuel CHAGNY (FRA)
Sacha MARGUERITE (FRA)
Dzhimsher RAZMADZE (GEO)
Nico PULVERMUELLER (GER)
Stefanos VAVILIS (GRE)
Michail AKRITIDIS (GRE)
Mark UJVARI (HUN)
Sandor LAKATOS (HUN)
Chandra PRAKASH (IND)
Zhassulan ZHETPISBAY (KAZ)
Nurbek TALBUDIN (KAZ)
Piotr DUDZINSKI (POL)
Kacper GARCZYNSKI (POL)
Milos GAJIC (SRB)
Ivan RIABCHENKO (UKR)
Vadym SKRYNYTSIA (UKR)
Nicolas ARNEL (USA)
Andrei SKOLYSH (UWW)
Feruzbek UROKOV (UZB)

77kg
Kieto PACHECO (ANG)
Salomon MAYENGUE (CMR)
Aron HERNANDEZ MONTERO (ESP)
Hector SEPULVEDA PALMA (ESP)
Loan MOUTHON (FRA)
Arthur DEMONCEAUX (FRA)
Zoltan TOTH (HUN)
Jatin KUMAR (IND)
Nagaraja KAVADI (IND)
Sayyed CHERDEYAN (IRI)
Darkhan TOLYBAYEV (KAZ)
Aziz ALIYEV (KAZ)
Dumitru CEBAN (MDA)
Kamil ROSIAK (POL)
Jakub NAJDEK (POL)
Pavlo MAKSYMCHUK (UKR)
Illia SUKHODIEIEV (UKR)
Sam Eli SCHWARTZAPFEL (USA)
Adolfo SUAREZ ARIAS (VEN)

84kg
Inelton BOMBO (ANG)
Suren KHURDAYAN (ARM)
Hajimurad PURTIYEV (AZE)
Juan SUAREZ MONTESDEOCA (ESP)
Ruslan VALIEV (FRA)
Samy MEZACHE (FRA)
Lukas BRESSMER (GER)
Evangelos BOUKIS (GRE)
Csaba SZABO (HUN)
Soma SOLTESZ (HUN)
Amirali SAYAD (IRI)
Adlan MADAYEV (KAZ)
Magzhan MARATKHAN (KAZ)
Cristian TUGULEA (MDA)
Igor DZIAG (POL)
Kacper ROT (POL)
Tanguy DARBELLAY (SUI)
Mykhailo MUZYCHENKO (UKR)
Giuseppe LAMANNA (USA)
Daniel SHROCK (USA)

92kg
Pablo ESTEPA NIETO (ESP)
Antonio GARCIA CONEJO (ESP)
Wilfried EDMUND (FRA)
Reda MEBTOUCHE (FRA)
Amirani SVIMONISHVILI (GEO)
Leonhard PREIN (GER)
Nikolaos KARAVANOS (GRE)
Konstantinos VAVOURAS (GRE)
Levente LAKY (HUN)
Akos SZEKERES (HUN)
Ruslan ISRAILOV (KAZ)
Ramazan KUSSAINOV (KAZ)
Mantas DAUBLYS (LTU)
Buyannemekh MUNKHSUKH (MGL)
Joris ROOKHUIJZEN (NED)
Mateusz MAZUR (POL)
Aleksandar DUKANOVIC (SRB)
Vladyslav ZENCHENKO (UKR)
Anthony ROBINSON (USA)
Timothy BARR (USA)

100kg
Vasif SAFARBAYOV (AZE)
Pavel SLANINA ANTON (ESP)
Luc ROUSSEAU (FRA)
Herve REDON (FRA)
Ilias BOUKIS (GRE)
Ramazan ABDRAKHIMOV (KAZ)
Bekarys SHYNGGYSBEK (KAZ)
Konstantin LI (KGZ)
Eldar RAFIGAEV (MDA)
Andrzej IWAT (POL)
Yevhenii MURADOV (UKR)
Gilberto AYALA RODRIGUEZ (VEN)

130kg
Nizami GAFAROV (AZE)
Abraham COBY MARTINEZ (ESP)
Niklas KOPICKI (GER)
Ioannis KARGIOTAKIS (GRE)
Amir FARHADPOR (IRI)
Arystan AITMOLDIN (KAZ)
Saulet ABUSSALIKHOV (KAZ)
Alexandr ROMANOV (MDA)
Ivan SNIHUR (UKR)
Oleksandr KOLDOVSKYI (UKR)
John HANSEN (USA)

Women’s Grappling Gi

53kg
Lilit DANIELYAN (ARM)
Pernelle ABOMO (CMR)
Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP)
Madina UVALIYEVA (KAZ)
Zuzanna KOWALSKA (POL)
Viktoriia ISAIEVA (UKR)
Evelina FLORIAK (UKR)

58kg
Minerva MONTERO PEREZ (ESP)
MAMTA (IND)
Pinky SHARMA (IND)
Shynar UZBEKOVA (KAZ)
Nuraiym MUNAITBAS (KAZ)
Daria BRZOZOWSKA (POL)
Magdalena GIEC (POL)
Viktoriia SYNIAVINA SERHIIENKO (UKR)
Tetiana ASTAKHOVA (UKR)
Breanna STIKKELMAN (USA)

64kg
Mia MONTESINOS PERDOMO (ESP)
Ellen OBERBACH (GER)
Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE)
Szabina SZALAY (HUN)
Nikolett KIS (HUN)
Fariza KULYNTAY (KAZ)
Milana MURGUZOVA (KAZ)
Adrianna MAZUR (POL)
Sylwia WIERZBOWSKA (POL)
Andela NESOVANOVIC (SRB)
Snezhana MORAR (UKR)
Sheliah LINDSEY (USA)

71kg
Delfina FRANCISCO (ANG)
Fanny MOUNGOUN (CMR)
Daniella SANTANA FABELO (ESP)
Alycia QUENEE (FRA)
Mendy MACATIS (GER)
Sandra TRIEBEL (GER)
Maja SALAMON (POL)
Anna KOTIUK (UKR)
Sarah PAUL (USA)

Men’s Grappling No-Gi

58kg
Razmik MISAKYAN (ARM)
Farhad BAGIROV (AZE)
Samir BEN BELKACEM (FRA)
Daviti ZEDGINIDZE (GEO)
Alikhan ALSHINBAY (KAZ)
Rakhymzhan TURGANBEK (KAZ)
Zhyldyzbek ABYLBEKOV (KGZ)
Jerzy IZDEBSKI (POL)
Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR)
Bohdan CHORNEI (UKR)
Joseph DIEHL (USA)
Erik LUKER (USA)
Jaden SOSA (USA)

62kg
Rafayel KOSTANYAN (ARM)
Emil VERDIYEV (AZE)
Lucas AUBRY (FRA)
Mark BODO (HUN)
Laszlo KOCSIS (HUN)
MANDEEP (IND)
Talgat ZHUMAGALIYEV (KAZ)
Adlan ASUEV (KAZ)
Dmytro BARANOV (UKR)
Vadym SIROSHTAN (UKR)
Andrii TSVYK (UKR)
Asher URBAN HOYER (USA)
Kiryl AHEIKA (UWW)

66kg
Mayis NERSESYAN (ARM)
Giovanni SUAREZ ARTILES (ESP)
Cristofer MARTIN BARRIOS (ESP)
Anthony DE OLIVEIRA (FRA)
Giorgi RAZMADZE (GEO)
Adam VERES KOVACS (HUN)
Milan LUKASZ (HUN)
Bekzat KAPASHOV (KAZ)
Nurassyl TURUSPEKOV (KAZ)
Illia SVIATUN (UKR)
Yurii CHERKALIUK (UKR)
Jesse SOSA (USA)
Angel DIAZ (USA)
Avzal AKHMETOV (UZB)
Renzo MARTINEZ BARAZARTE (VEN)

71kg
Shahnur MEHTIYEV (AZE)
Kevin MARTIN TINOCO (ESP)
Francisco ALCALDE TORREBLANCA (ESP)
Samuel CHAGNY (FRA)
Sacha MARGUERITE (FRA)
Dzhimsher RAZMADZE (GEO)
Nico PULVERMUELLER (GER)
Stefanos VAVILIS (GRE)
Michail AKRITIDIS (GRE)
Mark UJVARI (HUN)
Sandor LAKATOS (HUN)
Chandra PRAKASH (IND)
Zhassulan ZHETPISBAY (KAZ)
Nurbek TALBUDIN (KAZ)
Kenzo BIYONG (NED)
Piotr DUDZINSKI (POL)
Kacper GARCZYNSKI (POL)
Milos GAJIC (SRB)
Ivan RIABCHENKO (UKR)
Vadym SKRYNYTSIA (UKR)
Nicolas ARNEL (USA)
Andrei SKOLYSH (UWW)
Feruzbek UROKOV (UZB)

77kg
Kieto PACHECO (ANG)
Aron HERNANDEZ MONTERO (ESP)
Hector SEPULVEDA PALMA (ESP)
Loan MOUTHON (FRA)
Arthur DEMONCEAUX (FRA)
Beka KARTVELISHVILI (GEO)
Angelos NIKOLOPOULOS (GRE)
Zoltan TOTH (HUN)
Jatin KUMAR (IND)
Nagaraja KAVADI (IND)
Sayyed CHERDEYAN (IRI)
Darkhan TOLYBAYEV (KAZ)
Adlan MADAYEV (KAZ)
Dumitru CEBAN (MDA)
Kamil ROSIAK (POL)
Jakub NAJDEK (POL)
Fazli ERYILMAZ (TUR)
Pavlo MAKSYMCHUK (UKR)
Illia SUKHODIEIEV (UKR)
Sam SCHWARTZAPFEL (USA)
Adolfo SUAREZ ARIAS (VEN)

84kg
Inelton BOMBO (ANG)
Suren KHURDAYAN (ARM)
Hajimurad PURTIYEV (AZE)
Juan SUAREZ MONTESDEOCA (ESP)
Ruslan VALIEV (FRA)
Samy MEZACHE (FRA)
Nika MUSHKUDIANI (GEO)
Lukas BRESSMER (GER)
Leonhard PREIN (GER)
Evangelos BOUKIS (GRE)
Georgios PREVOLARAKIS (GRE)
Lorinc NAGY (HUN)
Csaba SZABO (HUN)
Amirali SAYAD (IRI)
Maxat TOLENDI (KAZ)
Rauan ZHAKENULY (KAZ)
Cristian TUGULEA (MDA)
Igor DZIAG (POL)
Kacper ROT (POL)
Tanguy DARBELLAY (SUI)
Mykhailo MUZYCHENKO (UKR)
Dmytrii TKACHENKO (UKR)
Giuseppe LAMANNA (USA)

92kg
Pablo ESTEPA NIETO (ESP)
Antonio GARCIA CONEJO (ESP)
Wilfried EDMUND (FRA)
Reda MEBTOUCHE (FRA)
Amirani SVIMONISHVILI (GEO)
Givi KARTVELISHVILI (GEO)
Nikolaos KARAVANOS (GRE)
Theocharis KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)
Levente LAKY (HUN)
Akos SZEKERES (HUN)
Ruslan ISRAILOV (KAZ)
Ramazan KUSSAINOV (KAZ)
Mantas DAUBLYS (LTU)
Buyannemekh MUNKHSUKH (MGL)
Joris ROOKHUIJZEN (NED)
Mateusz MAZUR (POL)
Aleksandar DUKANOVIC (SRB)
Vladyslav ZENCHENKO (UKR)
Anthony ROBINSON (USA)

100kg
Vasif SAFARBAYOV (AZE)
Pavel SLANINA ANTON (ESP)
Luc ROUSSEAU (FRA)
Aleksandre TEVZADZE (GEO)
Ilias BOUKIS (GRE)
Georgios APOSTOLOU (GRE)
Karoly FOCZENY (HUN)
Ramazan ABDRAKHIMOV (KAZ)
Yerulan TOLEUBEKOV (KAZ)
Konstantin LI (KGZ)
Eldar RAFIGAEV (MDA)
Armin DOUZALI (NOR)
Andrzej IWAT (POL)
Yevhenii MURADOV (UKR)

130kg
Nizami GAFAROV (AZE)
Abraham COBY MARTINEZ (ESP)
Niklas KOPICKI (GER)
Ioannis KARGIOTAKIS (GRE)
Amir Ali FARHADPOR (IRI)
Arystan AITMOLDIN (KAZ)
Genrikh BAGDASSARYAN (KAZ)
Alexandr ROMANOV (MDA)
Ivan SNIHUR (UKR)
Oleksandr KOLDOVSKYI (UKR)
John HANSEN (USA)

Women’s Grappling No-Gi

53kg
Lilit DANIELYAN (ARM)
Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP)
Madina UVALIYEVA (KAZ)
Zuzanna KOWALSKA (POL)
Viktoriia ISAIEVA (UKR)
Evelina FLORIAK (UKR)

58kg
Minerva MONTERO PEREZ (ESP)
Ellen OBERBACH (GER)
Lili RACZ (HUN)
Naima NASSRI (HUN)
MAMTA (IND)
Pinky SHARMA (IND)
Shynar UZBEKOVA (KAZ)
Nuraiym MUNAITBAS (KAZ)
Daria BRZOZOWSKA (POL)
Magdalena GIEC (POL)
Viktoriia SYNIAVINA SERHIIENKO (UKR)
Tetiana ASTAKHOVA (UKR)
Breanna STIKKELMAN (USA)
Rachel GUTIERREZ (USA)

64kg
Mia MONTESINOS PERDOMO (ESP)
Mendy MACATIS (GER)
Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE)
Szabina SZALAY (HUN)
Nikolett KIS (HUN)
Fariza KULYNTAY (KAZ)
Milana MURGUZOVA (KAZ)
Adrianna MAZUR (POL)
Sylwia WIERZBOWSKA (POL)
Andela NESOVANOVIC (SRB)
Snezhana MORAR (UKR)
Sheliah LINDSEY (USA)

71kg
Delfina FRANCISCO (ANG)
Daniella SANTANA FABELO (ESP)
Alycia QUENEE (FRA)
Sandra TRIEBEL (GER)
Nikoleta BARMPA (GRE)
Maja SALAMON (POL)
Anna KOTIUK (UKR)
Sarah PAUL (USA)