#WrestleZagreb

Rzazade, Aliyev lead Azerbaijan charge at European Championships

Tuesday, April 18, 2023 - 21:52 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (April 18) -- Since the turn of the century, Azerbaijan has been struggling to find a world-beating lightweight.

Barring Olympic champion Namik ABDULLAEV (AZE), no wrestler has been able to stamp his authority in the 55kg-57kg weight class. Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE) did win the European Championships twice in 2017 and 2018, but he was well past his prime by then and never looked threatening at the world level. Haji ALIYEV (AZE) won a bronze medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics but has spent most of his career at 61kg or above.

Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE) may change that now. Having won the U23 world title in 2021, the 25-year-old reached the final of the European Championships last year and taking a step further, became the champion on Tuesday, beating two-time European champion Suleyman ATLI (TUR).

Rzazade led Azerbaijan's charge on day two of the European Championships in Zagreb as the nation took a comfortable seat at the top of the team rankings. Aliyev added a fourth European title and his first since 2019 to make it two golds for the night for his country.

For day two semifinal results, click here: Akgul vs Petriashvili, Round 11

Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR) ended the country's 10-year wait for a European champion as he defeated Georgios KOUGIOUMTISDIS (GRE) to capture the 79kg gold medal while Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) scored a late takedown to deny Magomedkhan MAGOMED (AZE) a repeat at 97kg.

Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) added a senior European title to his U17, U20 and U23 titles as he defeated Mikyay NAIM (BUL) in the 65kg final.

Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE)Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE) throws Suleyman ATLI (TUR) in the final move of the bout. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

But it was Rzazade who came out all guns blazing and etched his name in history as he won the 25th gold medal for Azerbaijan at the European Championships.

Atli was looking for his third after suffering three losses in the finals in the last five years but little did he know that Rzazade will hit an arm throw five seconds into the final.

And as Atli was settling down after that throw, Rzazade dropped to his knees to which Atli reacted by throwing himself backward. Rzazade made it look like he was going for a leg attack but hit another arm throw, this time earning himself two points.

A 6-0 was always difficult to cover. Atli did try and cut it to 6-2 at the break but Rzazade came out even more aggressive in the second period. Atli tried tipping him but Rzazade was solid and threw Atli to his back for four and turned for a 12-2 win. Rzazade was off for the celebrations.

Turkiye challenged the call claiming it was only two points on the throw and won. The wrestlers had to restart with the score at 10-2. But it just delaying the inevitable.

Rzazade and Atli body-locked each other but it was the former who managed to get the throw. This time, there was no one stopping the Azerbaijan wrestler from celebrating his first European title.

"I came here to be a champion," Rzazade said. "I was very ambitious coming here. It's a great feeling and I am proud that I was able to raise the Azerbaijan flag. This is one of the best days of my life."

For the 17 years he has been wrestling, beginning in the town of Astara in south Azerbaijan, walking distance from the border of Iran which also has an Astara bordering Azerbaijan, the first senior title could feel that way.

Tuesday's final was in contrast to the one he had last year when Vladimir EGOROV (MKD) defeated him 8-6. Rzazade fell behind 8-0 but rallied to score six points and as he was about to get a turn for the win, the time ran out. He did not leave anything to chance this year and captured the gold medal.

"Last year in the final, I lost a very close bout," he said. "Today I was able to win gold and it's a very different feeling than the previous one. I am very happy that I was able to win the gold.”

That loss allowed Rzazade to put things into perspective and grow as a wrestler moving forward.

"Now I am an ambitious athlete," he said. "This is my year and this is my day. I think I am not that weak and everyone sees me as a tough opponent. It won't be easy as good and strong opponents are waiting for me.”

His opponents too will have to work hard to beat the newly minted European champion. A lethal underhook and strong gut wrench make him a threat. Add to that a solid defense, both in par terre and standing.

“I am looking forward to the next championships -- the World Championships in Serbia,” he said. “As we can obtain the license for the Olympic Games, I will like to get one in Serbia. I want to be an Olympic champion.”

Haji ALIYEV (AZE)Haji ALIYEV (AZE) became the first male wrestler from Azerbaijan to win four European gold medals. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Aliyev made it two for Azerbaijan as he won the 70kg gold after beating Ramazan RAMAZANOV (BUL) in the gold medal bout. With him turning 32 years old on April 21, Aliyev gifted him an early birthday present.

The Tokyo Olympics silver medalist became the first male from Azerbaijan to win four European titles as he went past Abdullaev who had three titles. Greco-Roman star Rafiq HUSEYNOV (AZE) has three titles as well and will get a chance to make it four in the coming days. Mariya STADNIK (AZE) still leads the way with seven titles.

“This is a very important win for me,” Aliyev said. “In the history of Azerbaijan, I am the first [male] one to win four European golds. This is very good for me.”

On Monday Aliyev had said that he is wrestling at 70kg which has stronger wrestlers than him. But he outsmarts them to win.

Against Ramazanov, he did use various tricks to capture the gold medal. Instead of waning himself out, Aliyev decided to rack up stepouts instead of indulging in scrambles.

He got three stepouts and a takedown to lead 5-1 at the break. He continued to put the pressure on Ramazanov and scored another stepout. Ramazanov scored a stepout and got an extra caution point to cut the lead to 8-3. Aliyev added a late takedown to win 10-3.

“We’ve been preparing a lot,” he said. “We had a lot of training camps this year. We are on the right way. That’s why we are winning.”

For his future plans, Aliyev said he is still chasing that elusive Olympic gold, a medal the 31-year-old missed by a whisker in Tokyo.

“I already have an Olympic bronze and silver, but I need the gold,” he said. “I will try hard. I do my best for this gold. I think it doesn’t matter if I am 32 or 34 years old, it only matters to work hard and become a champion.”

But Aliyev also knows that winning a medal in 65kg will be a herculean task as it is the deepest category in the world.

“This weight class is the toughest,” he said. “There are many good opponents and there are usually around 4-5 world champions. I think I know their wrestling styles. This is my last chance and I have to win the Olympic gold and then retire.”

Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO)Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) scoring a takedown on Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) in the final. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Azerbaijan could have won three gold medals but world bronze medalist Matcharashvili pulled off a late takedown to beat fellow world bronze medalist Magomedov 4-3 in the final at 97kg.

Magomedov, the defending champion, began with a stepout and always looked to attack even as Matcharashvili continued to stall in the first period. He got a takedown on the edge to lead 3-0 at the break.

After five minutes of no action from Matcharashvili, he got going in the final minute, scoring a takedown via single-leg. In the final 20 seconds, Magomedov managed to go behind but slipped, giving Matcharashvili the opportunity to score another takedown as he won 4-3.

It was the first European gold medal for the former U23 world champion who also has a silver medal from European Games.

Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM)Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) celebrates after winning the 65kg gold medal in Zagreb. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Tevanyan, Mykhailov win first titles

Tevanyan waited four years to be back at the European Championships and he made it memorable by winning the gold medal at 65kg.

In 2019, Tevanyan finished 11th but won the U23 world title, wrestled at the Olympics and World Championships and has wins over Aliyev and Izsmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) since.

Though he got the first point of the final, Naim, hoping to become his country's first freestyle European champion in 18 years, failed to challenge a strong Tevanyan.

In the gold medal bout, it was in the second period that Tevanyan scored the first takedown using an arm drag but he failed to get any turns. 

Naim kept coming back at Tevanyan who countered one of those attempts and got a roll to make it 6-1. He added another takedown to extend the lead before a slip-by takedown and gut got him the gold 12-1.

“I am very happy because this is a very long-awaited medal,” he said. “Since 2018 [2019], I could not participate in the European Championships, which is why I am very happy, I have a lot of emotions and I am in an amazing mood.”

Though he has U17, U20 and U23 European titles, his resume lacked the senior title that Tevanyan believes is the most important.

“The senior is very different from other age categories because for me this is the real sport. My plans are to get to the Olympic Games and become the champion of the world. There will be training camps and we will get back in shape. I will do everything to achieve the best physical shape.”

The first opportunity to win a ticket to Paris will be the World Championships in Belgrade in September and Tevanyan will be one of the favorites to win a medal, perhaps a gold. And if he reaches the final, which opponent will he like to wrestle?

“No difference [to me],” he said. “If I'm in the final, it doesn't matter.”

Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR)Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR) won the gold medal at 79kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Mykhailov ended a decade-long wait for Ukraine to have a freestyle European champion as he extended his unbeaten record against Georgis KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) who was the defending champion.

Pavlo OLIYNYK (UKR), who later represented Hungary, was the last European champion as he won the 96kg gold in 2013 in Tbilisi.

Kougioumtsidis, who became Grecee's first-ever champion last year, was hoping to repeat but Mykhailov shut him out completely.

The Ukrainian defeated Kougioumtsidis twice last year and was the favorite. He got a stepout and a takedown against the Greek's stepout. Despite the effort from Kougioumtsidis, Mykhailov remained in control.

He later explained why this win was low-scoring while his previous two were both technically superiorities before adding that this is just the beginning.

“The final is always very important so I didn’t risk a lot,” Mykhailov said. “This is very emotional. I’ve been going for the gold for a long time. But this is not the time to stop. This is the pre-Olympic year, we have to qualify.”

The gold was precious for the Ukrainian as he has been impacted by the war in his country.

“How to say, we train with no electricity,” he said. “There was a time when we trained with no electricity and no light for 6 months. I couldn’t train for about half a year. It was not possible at all. These are really tough moments. Not possible to explain.”

On his plans before the World Championships, Mykhailov didn't reveal much but he did say how he quenches his thirst after a grueling bout and a winner's interview.

“I’ll wrestle at some tournaments, we will make decisions with the coaches,” he said. “For now, I just want to drink some coke.”

sf

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE) df. Suleyman ATLI (TUR), 12-2

BRONZE: Georgi VANGELOV (BUL) df. Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO), 10-0
BRONZE: Horst LEHR (GER) df. Simone PIRODDU (ITA), 2-2

65kg
GOLD: Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) df. Mikyay NAIM (BUL), 12-1

BRONZE: Edemi BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Stefan COMAN (ROU), 2-2
BRONZE: Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR) df. Ali RAHIMZADA (AZE), 7-6

70kg
GOLD: Haji ALIYEV (AZE) df. Ramazan RAMAZANOV (BUL), 10-3

BRONZE: Ihor NYKYFORUK (UKR) df. Patryk OLENCZYN (POL), via fall
BRONZE: Vasile DIACON (MDA) df. Kevin HENKEL (GER), 7-2

79kg
GOLD: Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR) df. Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE), 3-1

BRONZE: Ahmad MAGOMEDOV (MKD) df. Arman AVAGYAN (ARM), 7-4
BRONZE: Hetik CABOLOV (SRB) df. Sabuhi AMIRASLANOV (AZE), via injury default

97kg
GOLD: Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) df. Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE), 4-3

BRONZE: Vladislav BAITCAEV (HUN) df. Benjamin HONIS (ITA), 10-6
BRONZE: Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR) df. Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR), 12-3

#WrestleAmman

Asian Championships 2025 GR day one finals set

Tuesday, March 25, 2025 - 07:58 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

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AMMAN, Jordan (March 25) -- The 2025 Asian Championships begins in Amman with Japan hoping for continental domination after a rich show at the Paris Olympics. Iran, the leader in Greco-Roman and Freestyle, will be challenged by Japan. In Women's Wrestling, Japan has China and DPR Korea.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW

Iran comes out of the sessions with four finalists and Uzbekistan manages three. All three Uzbekistan's gold medal bouts will be against Iran wrestlers.

Kazakhstan, Iraq and Japan with a finalist each. The gold medal bouts will begin at 18:00 hours local time.

130kg gold medal bout: Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) vs Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ)

14:33: In the final semifinal bout of the session, Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ) assures himself of a fourth career Asian medal with a 4-1 win over Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB) in their 130kg semifinal. Nasimov gets the first-period passivity call, but can't turn Syzdykov. In the second period, Syzdykov gains a stepout, then pretty much puts the match away with a gut wrench from par terre as Nasimov can find no way to break through the Kazakh's defenses. Syzdykova has the full collection of medals — a silver in 2021, a gold in 2022 and a bronze in 2023. What color will this year's be?

14:28: U23 world champion Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) makes it to the 130kg final with an 8-0 technical superiority win over Yuta NARA (JPN). Takedown, stepout, takedown and two turns help him win 9-0 in one minute and seven seconds.

87kg gold medal bout: Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) vs Yasin YAZDI (IRI)

14:21: Yasin YAZDI (IRI) is into the final at 87kg in just his second international tournament on the senior level, getting the points in par terre for a correct throw while avoiding giving any away while in bottom in a 3-1 victory over Sunil KUMAR (IND).

14:20: Former Asian champion Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) is into the final at 87kg after a fairly one-sided victory over Shamil OZHAEV (KAZ) in the semifinal. Berdimuratov hit a suplex from par terre to lead 5-0 before defending the par terre position in the second period to win 5-1.

77kg gold medal bout: Aram VARDANYAN (UZB) vs Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI)

14:10: Two-time reigning world U20 champion Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) is into the final at 77kg in his senior Asian debut, outlasting a determined Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) in a lively 4-3 victory. Maksatbek Uulu, winner of the Tirana Ranking Series tournament and a 2023 world U23 bronze medalist, is on top in par terre first, but Abdevali extricates himself from a front headlock. The Iranian then dances out of potential stepouts and, in final seconds of the first period, gets behind for a takedown and a 2-1 lead. Abdevali scores a pair of stepouts, and those points prove vital when Maksatbek Uulu gets behind for a takedown.  

14:05: Aram VARDANYAN (UZB), who has only a bronze medal at the Asian Championships back in 2018, is guaranteed a silver medal as he moves into the 77kg final with a 9-0 win over Amro SADEH (JOR), dashing the hopes of the hosts.  

63kg gold medal bout: Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI) vs Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB)

13:58: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR), the returning bronze medalist at 63kg, hits off a correct throw for two points from par terre to lead Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI) 3-0 at the break. Keshtkar gets the par terre in the second period and he fails to put his hands on Chung twice and is asked to resume in standing. A huge blunder from Keshtkar. Chung leads 3-1. Keshtkar gets the third passivity advantage and par terre. This time he puts his hands correctly and completes a throw outside for a point. Chung is docked two points for an aggressive elbow and asked to restart in par terre. Chung sneaks out. He pressures Keshktar for a stepout but the Iranian hits a chest wrap for four to lead 8-3 with 13 seconds on the clock. Challenge from Korea for stepout. On review, the step is inside and Keshtkar gets four points. He leads 9-3 and will win with hte same score.

13:56: It doesn't get more fast and furious than the 63kg semifinal between Sultan ASSETULY (KAZ) and Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB). Assetuly opens the scoring with a takedown and a 2-point throw, only to see Khalmakhanov come back with a 4-point fireman's carry, to which he added a 4-point throw. But when he tried another throw at the edge, Assetuly shut it down and forced the Uzbek to land on his back to get 2, with an unsuccessful challenge tacking on another point. Assetuly caps the first period with a stepout for a 9-7 lead. The second period is all Khalmakhanov, who finishes off a 16-7 win with a takedown straight to a roll.

55kg gold medal bout: Kohei YAMAGIWA (JPN) vs Sajjad ALBIDHAN (IRQ)

13:45: Defending champion Yu Chol RO (PRK) falls to Kohei YAMAGIWA (JPN) after a tense semifinal at 55kg. Ro built a 5-0 lead in the first period but Yamagiwa answers with a a big four from par terre to lead 5-5 on criteria. Ro tries a arm-throw that is blocked by Yamagiwa who gets a out-of-bounds point. DPR Korea challenge but lost and Yamagiwa leads 7-5. Ro with a front headlock two to make it 7-7 but Yamagiwa leads on criteria. The Japanese brings out a arm-throw to make it 11-7. With five seconds left, Ro manages to hit a body throw which is scored only two points. Yamagiwa is asked to be in par terre but fails to score and Yamagiwa wins 11-9.

13:37: In the 55kg semifinals, Sajjad ALBIDHAN (IRQ) fights back from a five-point deficit to not only take the lead, but finish off Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) with a fall and assured a better medal than the bronze he took home last year. Botirov, a bronze medalist in 2023, makes the most of his first shot at par terre, scoring with a gut wrench and then going top for a headlock roll, although Albidhan squirmed out of that and got behind for a reversal. Trailing 5-1, he then scores a 4-point takedown to the back when Botirov momentarily loses his balance to go ahead 5-5 on criteria. In the second period, Albidhan scores a takedown, gets 2 for an exposure, then holds Botirov down for the fall at 4:27.  

Semifinals in the five weight classes begin now

13:15: Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) gets Sanghyeok PARK (KOR) in par terre and Park is cautioned for fleeing. Berdimuratov finishes the bout 10-0 after Park is asked to restart in par terre. Berdimuratov into the 87kg semifinal.

13:14: Sunil KUMAR (IND), a silver medalist back in 2019 looking to regain some of his old magic, gives India a presence in the opening-day semifinals with a 10-1 victory over Sukhrob ABDULKHAEV (TJK) at 87kg. Sunil scores all of his points in the second period, getting two gut wrenches from par terre with a 2-point penalty tacked on after the second one; a point for an unsuccessful challenge of the penalty; then a 2-point roll to finish the match at 4:25.

13:04: World U23 and U20 champion Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) emulates his compatriot Yazdi, building up a 7-0 lead in his 130kg quarterfinal before using a stepout to defeat Asian U23 champion Wenhao JIANG (CHN) 8-0.

13:03: Yasin YAZDI (IRI) gives Iran another semifinalist with an 8-0 win over Jiaxin HUANG (CHN). Yazdi scores three rolls in par terre for a 7-0 lead. He needs just 28 seconds of the second period to finish off the victory.

13:00: Seonjae KIM (KOR) with two turns from par terre to lead 5-0 against Yuta NARA (JPN) at the break in the 130kg quarterfinal. But Nara shows up in the second and scores six turns from par terre to win 13-5 and enter the semifinals. But Korea challenge for the last turn and wins the challenge to give a lifeline to Kim. But Nara holds on to win to However, Nara scores a stepout in the final second and a caution for fleeing against Kim. A 13-5 win for Nara.

13:00: Former Asian champion and three-time medalist Alimkhan SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) proves too much for Ali AL SHARIJEE (IRQ), chipping away before posting an 8-0 victory to advance to the 130kg semifinals.

12:56: Russian-born Shamil OZHAEV (KGZ) gets a takedown late in the first period to take a 2-2 lead on criteria over world U23 bronze medalist Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) in their 87kg quarterfinal. in the second period, Ozhaev appears to get a takedown-roll combination at the edge, but on challenge, it is ruled a stepout for Zhanyshov. Just when it looks like he's going to hold on for a win, Ozhaev arm drags him to the mat for the winning takedown in the final seconds. The move is upheld on challenge for a 5-3 win. 

12:49: Sultan ASSETULY (KAZ), the 2023 world U23 champion and 2021 Asian champion at 67kg, cruised into the 63kg semifinals with a 9-0 rout of Doolotbek CHOIBEKOV (KGZ).

12:45: Incredible strength from AYTJAN KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) to throw Chan KIM (PRK) with a underhook setup. He gets the par terre and then scores another four-pointer to win 9-0 in a minute and 43 seconds at 63kg.

12:45: World U23 bronze medalist Kohei YAMAGIWA (JPN) hits a nifty 4-point spinning arm throw in the second period to top off a 6-0 victory Yun LU (CHN) to book his spot in the 55kg semifinals.

12:36: World U20 champion Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) is through to the semifinals at 77kg with an 11-2 victory over Lai Hsing YAO (TPE).

12:35: Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI) gets the par terre advantage in the 63kg bout against Godai MITANI (JPN) and he fails to score. Iran quickly challenge for a fleeing foul against Mitani who is cautioned for fleeing and returned in par terre with Keshtkar leading 2-0. However, he fails to add any points. Keshtkar make it 4-0 with a takedown. In the second period, Keshtkar scores a stepout as Mitani's head touched out of bounds. Mithani gets a lifeline with par terre with 1:55 left on the clock. Mitani's a few tricks but fails to add any points. He later scores a stepout and makes it 5-2. Keshtkar answers with a four-pointer and wins the bout 9-2

12:35: Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB), a bronze medalist two years ago, makes short work of 2024 bronze medalist Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ), scoring four gut wrenches from par terre for a 9-0 victory and a place in the 55kg semifinals.

12:31: In one of the feature bouts of the session, defending champion Yu Chol RO (PRK) gets the first shot at par terre in his 55kg quarterfinal with Poya DAD MARZ (IRI), but the Iranian doesn't budge. In the second period, Dad Marz gets his shot, and he also can't get any points. With 1:16 to go, Ro gets a second chance, and this time he muscles Dad Marz over for 2, then hangs on for hard-fought 3-1 victory. It was a far different result from last year in Bishkek, when Ro scored a 9-0 win for the gold medal.

12:30: Back and forth match at 55kg between Sajjad ALBIDHAN (IRQ) and Yerbol KAMALIYEV (KAZ). Albidhan races to a 7-0 lead but Kamaliyev adds a takedown from scramble to cut it to 7-2 at the start of the second period. Kamaliyev keeps the pressue and as Albidhan tries to evade, he called for a foul and par terre with a 7-3 lead. He reverses the position and scores two turns to win 12-3.

12:22: Amro SADEH (JOR) gives the home crowd another impressive victory, capping a 10-0 victory over Sagar THAKRAN (IND) with a 4-point throw from par terre to book a place in the semifinals at 77kg.

12:20: Hekim GURBANMYRADOV (TKM) got two points on Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) at 77kg but Maksatbek Uulu, who recently won gold in Tirana Ranking Series, scores 10 to win 10-2

12:17: Kim CHAN (PRK), a bronze medalist at 63kg a year ago, has a scary moment when he was stopped on his back during a roll by Suhib ALHASANAT (JOR), but otherwise has no trouble scoring a 13-2 victory.

12:10: Paris Olympics fifth placer Aram VARDANYAN (UZB) needs one par terre advantage to sprint to a 9-0 technical superiority victory over 2022 Asian champion Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) at 77kg

12:08: Two-time Asian U23 champion Haodong TAN (CHN) pulls off a miracle victory over Iranian-born Aref MOHAMMADI (QAT), scoring 4 points in the final seconds for a 6-3 win. Mohammadi had gone ahead 3-2 with a second-period takedown and appeared to have the victory well in hand. Qatar has had just one Asian medalist in its history, a freestyle silver in 2018 from Georgian-born Giorgi Sakandelidze.

12:07: Ali AL SHARUEE (IRQ) with a big 9-0 win over PREM (IND) at 130kg. Al Sharuee with a stepout and caution to lead 2-0. He gets the par terre advantage to lead 3-0. Three turns from par terre and he wins 9-0

12:03: Takedown and three turns will do it for multiple time Asian medalist Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) against Ganbayar NAMSRAI (MGL) at 63kg. Chung is chasing the elusive gold he fell short in 2023

12:00: Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) with a takedown and gut-wrench for a 4-0 lead over Abduvali RAHIMBAYEV (TKM). Botirov blocks an attempted takedown from Rahimbayev which is scored two. Turkmenistan challenges but lost. The restart is in par terre and Botirov gets the turn for a 9-0 win

11:59: Can Mostafa ALQADE (JOR) make it 2-for-2 for the hosts? He gets the roll from par terre against Asian U23 champion Yerbol KAMALIYEV (KAZ), but Kamaliyev reverses him to his back. A foul, puts Kamaliyev on top and he adds a gut wrench for a 6-3 lead. In the second period, Kamaliyev gets the passivity call, and from par terre bulls Alqade over for 2 before ending the match by fall.

11:50: Defending 55kg champion Yu Chol RO (PRK) advances to the quarterfinals with a 9-0 victory over NITIN (IND), setting up a rematch of the 2024 final with Poya DAD MARZ (IRI). 

11:55: Kohei YAMAGIWA (JPN) has to do it twice but he beats Junsik YU (KOR) 11-1 at 55kg. Yamagiwa with a reverse lift and then a front headlock throw to  lead 7-1. He then gets a four-pointer for the win.

11:45: Another fall on Mat A. Hekim GURBANMYRADOV (TKM) needs only a minute to pin Orgil NYAM ERDENE (MGL) at 77kg. 55kg weight class matches on Mat A now.

11:42: Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ), the 2022 gold medalist at 72kg, gets three rolls from par terre, then gives up nothing from the bottom for a 7-1 victory over Dowon LEE  (KOR) at 77kg. 

11:42: Amro SADEH (JOR) gets off to a good start at 77kg for the host nation, which hasn't had an Asian medalist since 2013. He scores a 4-point throw in the first period, then hangs for a 6-6 victory on criteria over Jixin YU (CHN).    

11:30: Not the ideal start for Japan here. Kodai SAKURABA (JPN) gives an injury walkover to U20 world champion Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) at 77kg. Next match on Mat A, Sagar THAKARAN (IND) gets a quick fall over Aryan BIN AZMAN (SGP) at 77kg in the first 30 seconds.

11:15: Welcome to Amman! The Asian Championships is here with Greco-Roman on day one. Wrestling in 55kg, 63kg, 77kg, 87kg and 130kg will wrestle today.