Russia blew past all four of their opponents Thursday night at the Hafte-Tir Hall in Tehran, en route to an unblemished team record and earning an appearance in Friday night’s gold medal match against host Iran.

The defending World Cup champions routed teams from Hungary, Kazakhstan, Turkey and the United States winning 27 of 32 bouts. It was an impressive performance only bested by the Iranian squad.

Buoyed by a raucous cheering section the Iranian wrestlers were spectacular in opening action, taking home a perfect 3-0 record. Lead by six-time world medalist and 2012 Olympic champion Hamid SORYAN the Iranians were nearly flawless in disposing of Azerbaijan, Korea and Finland winning an improbable 23 of 24 bouts.

“Russia is a tough rival for us in final match,” said Soryan. “It will be close in some weight categories, but having the support of the fans and a little luck, I hope we win the final match and take revenge for last year’s defeat.”

PHOTO GALLERY

Like the wrestling stars they admire, the Iranian fans at the Hafte-Tir Hall were in top form Thursday, unfurling 12-straight hours of chants, songs, drums and horns. According to Iranian head Greco-Roman wrestling coach, Naser NOURBAKHSH, the local team will need extra support come tomorrow afternoon’s finals.

“Our wrestler’s performed well, but we will have a difficult match in the final. Russia is world champion now and we have never have won title in world championships,’ said Nourbakhsh. “It will be a close match, but we hope they wrestle well and will be supported and motivated by our fans.

“We don’t want let the others to achieve the title inside Iran.”

World Cup group action resumes tomorrow morning at 10am BST followed by matches for 5th, 7th and 9th place. The bronze and gold medal matches will begin at 6pm BST.

Group A Standings:
1. Russia: 4-0
2. Hungary: 2-1
3. Turkey: 2-1
4. Kazakhstan: 1-2
5. United States: 0-3

Group B Standings:
1. Iran: 3-0
2. Azerbaijan: 2-1
3. Finland: 1-2
4. Armenia: 1-2
5. Korea 1-3

Session I
A: Russia (RUS) df. Hungary (HUN), 5-3
A: Turkey (TUR) df. United States (USA), 5-3
B: Armenia (ARM) df. Korea (KOR), 5-3
B: Iran (IRI) df. Azerbaijan (AZE), 8-0

Session II
A: Russia (RUS) df. Kazakhstan (KAZ), 8-0
A: Hungary (HUN) df. United States (USA), 8-0
B: Korea (KOR) df. Finland (FIN), 4-4 (Classification Points, 19-16)
B: Azerbaijan (AZE) df. Armenia (ARM), 8-0

Session III
A: Russia (RUS) df. Turkey (TUR), 7-1
A: Hungary (HUN) df. Kazakhstan (KAZ), 4-4 (Classification Points, 16-12)
B: Iran (IRI) df. Korea (KOR), 7-1
B: Finland (FIN) df. Armenia (ARM), 5-3

Session IV
A: Russia (RUS) df. United States (USA), 7-1
A: Turkey (TUR) df. Kazakhstan (KAZ), 4-4 (Classification Points, 21-14)
B: Azerbaijan (AZE) df. Korea (KOR), 5-3
B: Iran (IRI) df. Finland (FIN), 8-0

Group A, Session IV

Russia (RUS) df. United States (USA), 7-1
59kg- Mingiyan SEMENOV (RUS) df. Ryan MANGO (USA) by TF, 8-0
66kg- Artem SURKOV (RUS) df. Ravaughn PERKINS (USA) by TF, 8-0
71kg- Abuyazid MANTSIGOV (RUS) v. Patrik Smith (USA) by TF, 8-0
75kg- Evgeny SALEEV(RUS) df. Andrew BISEK (USA), 3-0
80kg- Evgeny BOGOMOLOV (RUS) v. Geordan SPEILLER (USA) by TF, 8-0
85kg- Davit CHAKVETADZE (RUS) v. Jordan HOLM (USA) by FALL
98kg- Rustam TOTROV (RUS) v. Daren BURNS (USA) by TF, 10-1
130kg- Robert SMITH (USA) df. Vitalii ILNITSKII (RUS), 5-3 

Turkey (TUR) df. Kazakhstan (KAZ), 4-4 (Classification Points, 21-14)
59kg- Daulet ABSALIMOV (KAZ) df. Serif KILIC (TUR) by TF, 9-1
66kg- Askhat ZHABIROV (KAZ) df. Basar ENES (TUR), 3-1 
71kg- Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) df. Yunus OZEL (TUR), 6-2 
75kg- Furkan BAYRAK (TUR) v. Askhat DILMUKHAMEDOV (KAZ) via criteria, 3-3
80kg- Selcu CEBI (TUR) v. Danyal GAJIYV (KAZ), 2-0
85kg- Methan BASAR (TUR) df. Alkhazur OZDIYEV (KAZ) by FALL
98kg- Ilya NASTOCHENKO (KAZ) df. Suleyman DEMIRCI (TUR), 6-2
130kg- Atila GUZEL (TUR) v. Yessenkeidi ZHALGASBAYEV (KAZ) by TF, 8-0

Group B, Session IV
 

Azerbaijan (AZE) df. Korea (KOR), 5-3
59kg – Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE) df. CHOI Gi-uk (KOR), 5-0
66kg – Hasan ALIYEV (AZE) df. RYU Han-Su (KOR), 2-0
71kg – Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) df. JUNG Ji-Hyun (KOR) by FALL
75kg – KIM Hyeon-Woo (KOR) df. Elvin MURSALIYEV (AZE), 10-3
80kg – KIM June- Hyoung (KOR) df. Emin AHMADOV (AZE), 2-0
85kg – Shahriyar MAMMADOV (AZE) v. No wrestler (KOR) via forfeit
98kg – GU Hak-Bon (KOR) df. Saman TAHMASEBI (AZE) via criteria, 2-2  
130kg – Sabah SHARIATI (AZE) v. KIM Yong-Min (KOR), 4-0

Iran (IRI) df. Finland (FIN), 8-0
59kg- Hamid SORYAN (IRI) df. Jussi- Pekka NIEMISTO (FIN) by TF, 8-0
66kg- Omid NOROOZI (IRI) df. Tero VALIMAKI (FIN) by TF, 8-0
71kg- Broomand ASLAN (IRI) v. Henri PALOMAKI (FIN), 6-2
75kg- Farshad ALIZADEH (IRI) v. No wrestler (FIN) via forfeit
80kg- Habibollah AKHLAGHI (IRI) v. Aleksandr KAZAKEVIC (LTU), 6-0
85kg- Davood AKHBARI (IRI) v. Antti HAKALA (FIN), 7-0
98kg- Mehdi ALIYARI (IRI) v. Timo KALLIO (FIN), 3-1
130kg- Behnam MEHDIZADEH (IRI) v. Mindaugas MIZGAITIS (LTU), 6-0

Group A, Session III

Russia (RUS) df. Turkey (TUR), 7-1 
59kg - Mingyan SEMENOV (RUS) df. Serif KILIC (TUR) by TF, 9-0
66kg - Adam KURAK (RUS) df. Basar ENES (TUR) by TF, 9-0 
71kg - Chingiz LABAZANOV (RUS) df. Yunus OZEL (TUR), 7-2 
75kg - Roman VLASOV (RUS) df. Furkan BAYRAK (TUR), 10-0
80kg - Selcuk CEBI (TUR) df. Imil SHARAFETDINOV (RUS) via criteria, 1-1
85kg – Azamat BIKBAEV (RUS) df. Ildem KANSU (TUR), 6-1 
98kg - Nikita MELNIKOV (RUS) df. Suleyman DEMIRCI (TUR) via five-point throw
130kg - Vasily PARSHIN (RUS) df. Atilla GUZEL (TUR), 1-0

Hungary (HUN) df. Kazakhstan (KAZ), 4-4 (16-12)
59kg- Daulet ABSALIMOV (KAZ) df. Csongor KNIPLI (HUN), 6-1
66kg- Askhat ZHABIROV (KAZ) df. Krisztian JAGER (HUN), 2-0
71kg- Balint KORPASI (HUN) df. Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), 3-0 
75kg- Askhat DILMUKHAMEDOV (KAZ) v. Laszlo SZABO (HUN), 4-0
80kg- Danyal GAJIYV (KAZ) v. Gabor MADARAS (HUN), 6-0
85kg- Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) df. Alkhazur OZDIYEV (KAZ) by TF, 9-0
98kg- Balazs KISS (HUN) df. Ilya NASTOCJENKO (KAZ), 4-2
130kg- Balint LAM (HUN) df. Yessenkeidi ZHALGASBAYEV (KAZ), 3-0 

Group B, Session III

Iran (IRI) df. Korea (KOR), 7-1
59kg - Mohammad NOURBAKHSH (IRI) df. CHOI Gi-uk (KOR) by TF, 10-1
66kg - Afshin BYABANGARD (IRI) df. RYU Han-Su (KOR), 5-1
71kg - Saeed ABDEVALI (IRI) df. JUNG Ji-Hyun (KOR), 4-0 
75kg - KIM Hyeon-Woo (KOR) df. Hadi ALIZADEH POURNIA (IRI), 9-1
80kg - Habibollah AKHLAGHI (IRI) df. KIM June- Hyoung (KOR), 4-0 
85kg - Taleb NEMATPOUR (IRI) df. No wrestler (KOR) by forfeit
98kg - Davoud ABEDINZADEH (IRI) df. GU Hak-Bon (KOR) by TF, 9-0
130kg - Bashir BABAJANZADEH (IRI) df. KIM Yong-Min (KOR), 8-2

Finland (FIN) df. Armenia (ARM), 5-3
59kg- Jussi- Pekka NIEMISTO (FIN) v. Narek KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 3-0
66kg- Gevorg SAHAKYAN (ARM) df Tero VALIMAKI (FIN), 4-0 
71kg- Rafayel ALEKSANYAN (ARM) df. Henri PALOMAKI (FIN), 9-4 
75kg- Karapet CHALYAN (ARM) df. No wrestler (FIN) via forfeit
80kg- Aleksandr KAZAKEVIC (LTU) df. Rafik MANUKYAN (ARM), 4-0
85kg- Rami HIETANIEMI (FIN) df. Hrach HOVHANNISYAN (ARM), 8-6
98kg- Timo KALLIO (FIN) df. Movses ADAMYAN (ARM) via criteria, 1-1
130kg- Mindaugas MIZGAITIS (LTU) v. Vachik YYEGHIAZARYAN (ARM), 3-1

Group A, Session II

Russia (RUS) df. Kazakhstan (KAZ), 8-0
59kg - Mingiyan SEMENOV (RUS) df. Daulet ABSALIMOV (KAZ), 4-0 
66kg - Artem SURKOV (RUS) df. Askhat ZHABIROV (KAZ), 4-0
71kg - Chingiz LABAZANOV (RUS) df. Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), 5-0
75kg - Evgeny SALEEV (RUS) df. Askhat Dilmukhamedov (KAZ), 9-8 
80kg - Evgeny BOGOMOLOV (RUS) df. Danyal GAJIYEV (KAZ), 3-0 
85kg - Davit CHAKVETADZE (RUS) df. Alkhazur OZDIYEV (KAZ), 4-0 
98kg - Rustam TOTROV (RUS) df. Ilya NASTOCHENKO (KAZ) by TF, 8-0
130kg - Vitalii ILNITSKII (RUS) df. Yessenkeidi ZHALGASBAYEV (KAZ) by FALL
 

Hungary (HUN) df. United States (USA), 8-0
59kg- Csongor KNIPLI (HUN) df. Ryan MANGO (USA), 4-2
66kg- Krisztian JAGER (HUN) df. Ravaughn v. PERKINS (USA), 6-3
71kg- Balint KORPASI (HUN) df. Patrik SMITH (USA), 12-4
75kg- Laszlo SSZABO (HUN) df. Andrew BISEK (USA), 4-3
80kg- Gabor MADARAS (HUN) df. Geordan SPEILLER (USA) by TF, 9-0
85kg- Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) df. Jordan HOLM (USA), 3-1
98kg- Balazs KISS (HUN) v. Daren BURNS (USA) by DQ
130kg- Balint LAM df. Robert SMITH (USA), 5-4

Group B, Session II

Korea (KOR) df. Finland (FIN), 4-4 (Classification Points, 19-16) 
59kg - CHOI Gi-uk (KOR) df. Jani HAAPAMAKI (FIN), 3-0 
66kg - RYU Han-su (KOR) df. Tero VALIMAKI (FIN) by DQ
71kg - Henri PALOMAKI (FIN) v. JUNG Ji-Hyun (KOR) by FALL
75kg - KIM Hyeon-Woo (KOR) df. No wrestler via forfeit 
80kg - Aleksandr KAZAKEVIC (LTU) df. KIM June-Hyoung (KOR), 5-3
85kg - Rami HIETANIEMI (FIN) df. No wrestler (KOR) by forfeit
98kg - GU Hak-Bon (KOR) df. Timo KALLIO (FIN) by FALL
130kg - Mindaugas MIZGAITIS (LTU) v. KIM Yong-Min (KOR), 6-0

Azerbaijan (AZE) df. Armenia (ARM), 8-0
59kg- Orkhan AHMADOV (AZE) df. Narek KHACHATRYAN (ARM) by TF, 8-0 
66kg- Hasan ALIYEV (AZE) df. Gevorg SAHAKYAN (ARM) by TF, 8-0
71kg- Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) df. Rafayel ALEKSANYAN (ARM) by TF, 8-0 
75kg- Elvin MURSALIYEV (AZE) df. Karapet CHALYAN (ARM) via criteria, 1-1
80kg- Emin AHMADOV (AZE) df. Rafik MANUKYAN (ARM), 8-2
85kg- SHAHRIYAR MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Hrach HOVHANNISYAN (ARM) by DQ
98kg- Saman TAHMASEBI (AZE) df. Movses ADAMYAN (ARM), 6-3 
130kg- Sabah SHARIATI (AZE) df. Vachik YEGHIAZARYAN (ARM), 4-1

GROUP A, Sesssion I

Russia (RUS) df. Hungary (HUN), 5-3
59 kg - Mingiyan SEMENOV (RUS) df. Csongor KNIPLI (HUN) by TF, 10-0
66 kg - Adam KURAK (RUS) df. Krisztian JAGER (HUN) by TF, 8-0
71 kg - Balint KORPASI (HUN) df. Abuyazid MANTSIGOV (RUS), 2-1 
75 kg - Roman VLASOV (RUS) v. Laszlo SZABO (HUN) by TF, 8-0
80 kg - Imil SHARAFETINOV (RUS) v. Gabor MADARAS (HUN) by TF, 10-1
85 kg - Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) df. Azamat BIKBAEV (RUS), by DQ
98 kg - Balazas KISS (HUN) df. Nikita MELNIKOV (RUS), 4-0
130 kg - Vasily PARSHIN (RUS) v. Balint LAM (HUN), 3-1

Turkey (TUR) df. United States (USA), 5-3 
59kg - Serif KILIC (TUR) df. Ryan MANGO (USA), 7-0
66kg - Ravaughn PERKINS (USA) df. Basar ENES (TUR) by FALL
71kg - Yunus OZEL (TUR) df. Patrick SMITH (USA), 8-0
75kg - Andrew BISEK (USA) v. Furkan BAYRAK (TUR), 6-0
80kg - Selcuk CEBI (TUR) df. Geordan SPEILLER (USA), 6-0 
85kg - Jordan HOLM (USA) df. Methan BASAR (TUR) by DQ
98kg - Suleyman DEMIRCI (TUR) df. Darren BURNS (USA) by TF, 12-4
130kg - Atilla GUZEL (TUR) df. Robert SMITH (USA), 6-5

GROUP B, Round I

Armenia (ARM) df. Korea (KOR), 5-3
59kg - CHOI Gi-uk (KOR) df. Narek KHACHATRYAN (ARM) by TF, 9-0
66kg - RYU Han-Su (KOR) df. Gevorg SAHAKYAN (ARM) by TF, 10-0
71kg - Rafayel ALEKSANYAN (ARM) df. JUNG Ji-Hyun (KOR) by TF, 12-3
75kg - KIM Hyeon-Woo (KOR) v. Karapet CHALYAN (ARM) by TF, 8-0
80kg - Rafik MANUKYAN (ARM) df KIM June- Hyoung (KOR), 2-1 
85kg - Hrach HOVANNISYAN (ARM) df. No wrestler (KOR) via forfeit 
98kg - Movses ADAMYAN (ARM) df. GU Hak-Bon (KOR), 6-4
130kg - Vachik YEGHIAZARYA (ARM) df. KIM Yong-Min (KOR) by TF, 8-0 

Iran (IRI) df. Azerbaijan (AZE), 8-0 
59kg - Hamid SORYAN (IRI) df. Taleh Mammadov (AZE) by criteria, 1-1 
66kg - Omid Noroozi (IRI) df. Azad Aliyev (AZE), 7-6
71kg - Saeed ABDEVALI (IRI) df. Rustam ALIYEV (AZE) by TF, 9-0 
75kg - Farshad ALIZADEH (IRI) df. Elvin MURSALIYEV (AZE), 7-1 
80kg - Habibollah AKHLAGHI (IRI) df. Emin AHMADOV (AZE), 5-0
85kg - Taleb NEMATPOUR (IRI) df. Shahriyar MAMMADOV (AZE), 3-1 
98kg - Mehdi ALIYARI (IRI) df. Araz HASANOV (AZE), 2-0 
130kg - Bashir BABAJANZADEH (IRI) df. Valera RODRIGUEZ (AZE), 2-0