#BudaWrestle2018

Secretary General Michel Dusson Headlines Wrestling’s 2018 Hall of Fame Class

By Tim Foley

BUDAPEST (October 20) – United World Wrestling Secretary General Michel DUSSON (FRA) has been inducted into the organization’s 2018 Hall of Fame Class. Dusson, along with two dozen other officials, athletes, and referees received their recognition Friday night at the Budapest Marriott on the eve of the 2018 Wrestling World Championships.

Dusson, whose career in wrestling has spanned sixty years (1958-2018), is a stalwart of the organization having served several presidents while as Secretary General and traveled the world to work on behalf of the sport.

“There are few words that can express the wrestling community’s gratitude to Michel,” said United World Wrestling president Nenad LALOVIC. “He has been a source of strength in the organization and has been a leader on our sport for more than half a century. The Hall of Fame award is in recognition of his unique contributions.”

Dusson has been a Bureau member since 1980 and Secretary General since 1982.  Prior to becoming Secretary General, he was an international referee from 1958 to 1980, officiating the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. Dusson previously served as the president of the French Wrestling Federation and later as a CAS Arbitrator (1984-1992).  

“Mr. Dusson has contributed so much to the sport it’s impossible to choose one thing, but he was responsible for initiating the recognition of women wrestling by the IF, which is a very fine legacy,” said bureau member and Hall of Fame Commission chairman Stan DZIEDZIC.

The night included inductees in several categories with careers spanning back to the 1940’s and with numerous Olympic and world championships to their names.

A full ist of entries can be found below, with photos available, here.

 

LEADER

Michel DUSSON (FRA) – Secretary General, United World Wrestling (1982-); Referee, (1958-1980)
Rolle Fernandez GUSTAVO (CUB) – National Team Coach, National Federation President, Bureau Member

REFEREE

Karri TOIVOLA (FIN) – Five Olympic Games, Every world championship 1990-2004; President United World Wrestling Referee Commission ’88-’14; Golden Whistle ‘95

COACH

Bayram SIT (TUR) Freestyle wrestler and coach for Turkish national team
Gannady SAPUNOV (RUS) Greco-Roman head coach from 1979-1990

ORDER OF MERIT

The Order of Merit is a new Hall of Fame category meant to honor those whose extraordinary service advanced the sport of wrestling. The first recipient was Dr. Harold TUNNEMAN (GER) who received the award at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Bernard J FELDMAN, M.D. (USA) Longtime doctor for United World Wrestling at numerous world championships and Olympic Games.

LEGEND

Sagalov ABDULBEKOV (RUS) -- First Olympic champion from the Russian Republic of Dagestan, one of the most prolific wrestling regions in the world. 2x world champion ‘71, ‘73 and ‘69 bronze medalist

WOMEN’S WRESTLING

Ayaka SHODA (JPN) -- 4x world champion
Stanka Zlateva HRISTOVA (BUL) -- 5x world champion 2x Olympic silver medalist
Silvia VAN GUCHT (FRA) -- 3x world champion

GRECO-ROMAN

Lajos KERESTZES (HUN) – Olympic champion, Olympic silver (posthumous)
Kazimierz LIPIEN (POL) Olympic champion1972; 2x world champion ‘73-‘74, 4x silver
Vitelav MACHA (CZE) Olympic champion 1972, Olympic silver ’76 2x World champion 74,77
Sergey MARTINOV (RUS) -- Four-time world champion, Olympic silver ‘92
Gustav FREIJ (SWE) – Olympic gold ’48, silver 1052, bronze ’60; world champion ’53, silver ’50 and bronze ’55 (posthumous)

 

Kenny Monday (USA) is a 1988 Olympic gold medalist and 1992 silver medalist (Photo: Gabor Martin)

FREESTYLE

Istvan KOVACS (HUN) – World champion 79, World bronze 77, Olympic bronze 80
Prodgan GARDZHEV (BUL) – Olympic Gold ‘64, bronze ’68; World Champion ‘63 ‘66, bronze 65
Roman DIMITRIEV (RUS) – Olympic gold ’72, silver ’76; World champion ‘763, Silver ’69, bronze ’70 & ’74 (posthumous)
Kenneth MONDAY (USA) – Gold ’88, Silver ’92; World champion ’89, ‘91
Shigeo NAKATA (JPN) – Olympic champion ’68, World champion ‘67
Monsoor MEHDIZADEH (IRI) – 3x world champion ’61,’62, ’65; Bronze ‘63

#WrestleBudapest

Budapest Ranking Series 2025 Entries: Greco-Roman

By United World Wrestling Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 27) -- The Greco-Roman competition at the Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial Ranking Series will see around 200 wrestlers participate in 10 weight classes.

It will be a highly competitive style with numerous Olympic and world medalists entered in what will be the final Ranking Series event of the year.

Greco-Roman will be held on July 19 and 20, the last two days of the tournament. For full schedule of the Budapest Ranking Series 2025, click here.

FREESTYLE ENTRIES | WOMEN'S WRESTLING ENTRIES

Note: The entries are preliminary and subject to change 72 hours before the draw of respective styles. For final brackets and entries, please click here.

World Championships Tickets

Greco-Roman

55kg
Peter TOTOK (HUN)
Anil MOR (IND)
Alpamys DASTANBEK (KAZ)
Marlan MUKASHEV (KAZ)
Artiom DELEANU (MDA)
Denis MIHAI (ROU)
Jayden RANEY (USA)
Brady KOONTZ (USA)
Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW)
Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB)
Jasurbek ORTIKBOEV (UZB)

60kg
Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE)
Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE)
Ilkin GURBANOV (AZE)
Marat GARIPOV (BRA)
Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO)
Pridon ABULADZE (GEO)
Levente FIGE (HUN)
SUMIT (IND)
Galym KABDUNASSAROV (KAZ)
Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ)
Seunghak KIM (KOR)
Dahyun KIM (KOR)
Victor CIOBANU (MDA)
Georgij TIBILOV (SRB)
Maxwell BLACK (USA)
Dylan KOONTZ (USA)
Sadyk LALAEV (UWW)
Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (UWW)
Mehroj BAKHRAMOV (UZB)
Alisher GANIEV (UZB)

63kg
Karen ASLANYAN (ARM)
Ziya BABASHOV (AZE)
Ivan LIZATOVIC (CRO)
Yerkebulan ARDAKOV (KAZ)
Yerzhet ZHARLYKASSYN (KAZ)
Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA)
Aref MOHAMMADI (QAT)
Kerem KAMAL (TUR)
Ellis E COLEMAN (USA)
Dinislam BAMMATOV (UWW)
Sergey EMELIN (UWW)
Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB)
AYTJAN KHALMAKHANOV (UZB)

67kg
Farid KHALILOV (AZE)
Dominik ETLINGER (CRO)
Leri ABULADZE (GEO)
Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO)
Attila JOZSA (HUN)
David MANYIK (HUN)
NEERAJ (IND)
Damir IBRASHOV (KAZ)
Sultan ASSETULY (KAZ)
Din  KOSHKAR (KAZ)
Yeongwoo JEONG (KOR)
Minseong KWON (KOR)
Byeonggi SEO (KOR)
Valentin PETIC (MDA)
Morten THORESEN (NOR)
Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR)
Sebastian NAD (SRB)
Murat FIRAT (TUR)
Alston NUTTER (USA)
Otto BLACK (USA)
Ruslan BICHURIN (UWW)
Daniial AGAEV (UWW)
Maksim NOVICHIKHIN (UWW)
Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB)

72kg
Ruslan NURULLAYEV (AZE)
Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)
Petar GORNYASHKI (BUL)
Pavel PUKLAVEC (CRO)
Iuri LOMADZE (GEO)
Otar ABULADZE (GEO)
Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO)
Krisztian Istvan VANCZA (HUN)
Ankit GULIA (IND)
Daniyar KALENOV (KAZ)
Madiyar MAULITKANOV (KAZ)
Juan AAK (NOR)
Ali ARSALAN (SRB)
Mustafa SAHIN (TUR)
Furkan YILDIZ (TUR)
Aliaksandr KIKINIOU (USA)
Danil GRIGOREV (UWW)
Narek OGANIAN (UWW)
Abdullo ALIEV (UZB)
Abror ATABAEV (UZB)

77kg
Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE)
Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE)
Calebe CORREA (BRA)
Stoyan KUBATOV (BUL)
Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO)
Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO)
Robert FRITSCH (HUN)
Levente LEVAI (HUN)
Attila TOESMAGI (HUN)
Nishant PHOGAT (IND)
Yeldos KAMELOV (KAZ)
Bakdaulet AKIMZHAN (KAZ)
Boseong KANG (KOR)
Hyeonjin KANG (KOR)
Alexandrin GUTU (MDA)
Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA)
Aleksa ILIC (SRB)
Albin OLOFSSON (SWE)
Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR)
Yunus BASAR (TUR)
Kamal BEY (USA)
Sergei STEPANOV (UWW)
Sergei KUTUZOV (UWW)
Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB)
Aram VARDANYAN (UZB)

82kg
Samvel GRIGORYAN (ARM)
Gurban GURBANOV (AZE)
Deyvid DIMITROV (BUL)
Filip SACIC (CRO)
Karlo KODRIC (CRO)
Waltteri LATVALA (FIN)
Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Zoltan LEVAI (HUN)
Szabolcs SZINAY (HUN)
Erik SZILVASSY (HUN)
Dias KALEN (KAZ)
Shamil OZHAEV (KAZ)
Almir TOLEBAYEV (KAZ)
Jihyeok SONG (KOR)
Mihail BRADU (MDA)
Shahin BADAGHI (QAT)
Uros LECIC (SRB)
Antal VAMOS (SRB)
Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR)
Beka MELELASHVILI (USA)
Adlet TIULIUBAEV (UWW)
Islam ALIEV (UWW)
Rafael IUNUSOV (UWW)
Samandar BOBONAZAROV (UZB)
Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB)

87kg
Bachir SID AZARA (ALG)
Islam ABBASOV (AZE)
Kauan FERREIRA (BRA)
Yoan DIMITROV (BUL)
Ivan HUKLEK (CRO)
Matej MANDIC (CRO)
Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN)
Tamas LEVAI (HUN)
Istvan TAKACS (HUN)
David LOSONCZI (HUN)
Karan KAMBOJ (IND)
Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ)
Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ)
Shamil OZHAEV (KAZ)
Sanghyeok PARK (KOR)
Seunghwan LEE (KOR)
Marcel STERKENBURG (NED)
Exauce MUKUBU (NOR)
Patrik GORDAN (ROU)
Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB)
Milos PEROVIC (SRB)
Andrija MIHAJLOVIC (SRB)
Payton JACOBSON (USA)
Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW)
Alan OSTAEV (UWW)
Aues GONIBOV (UWW)
Mukhammadkodir RASULOV (UZB)

97kg
Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM)
Markus RAGGINGER (AUT)
Arif NIFTULLAYEV (AZE)
Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE)
Filip SMETKO (CRO)
Kristian LUKAC (CRO)
Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN)
Giorgi MELIA (GEO)
Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO)
Vendel VITAI (HUN)
Alex SZOKE (HUN)
NITESH (IND)
Iussuf MATSIYEV (KAZ)
Seungjun KIM (KOR)
Minho LEE (KOR)
Luka KATIC (SRB)
Uros KRSTIN (SRB)
Abdul CEBI (TUR)
Michial FOY (USA)
Artur SARGSIAN (UWW)
Adlan AMRIEV (UWW)
Magomed MURTAZALIEV (UWW)
Abdikodir JALILOV (UZB)

130kg
Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE)
Beka KANDELAKI (AZE)
Heiki NABI (EST)
Matti KUOSMANEN (FIN)
Darius VITEK (HUN)
Laszlo DARABOS (HUN)
Koppany LASZLO (HUN)
Assylbek ABDIKALYK (KAZ)
Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ)
Seungchan LEE (KOR)
Oskar MARVIK (NOR)
Mihail KAJAIA (SRB)
Hamza BAKIR (TUR)
Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA)
Aden ATTAO (USA)
Courtney FREEMAN (USA)
Marat KAMPAROV (UWW)