#WrestleRome

Three-time World Champs Aleksanyan and Staebler Among Wednesday's Euro Finalists

Tuesday, February 11, 2020 - 19:04 By Eric Olanowski

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ROME, Italy (January 11) --- Three-time world champions Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) and Frank STAEBLER (GER) collected semifinal wins and will look to add another European gold to their lengthy resumes.

Aleksanyan picked up three wins on Tuesday and navigated a tough road to the finals. He opened up his day with a 5-1 win over Rio Olympic bronze medalist Cenk ILDEM (TUR). In the quarterfinals, Aleksanyan shutout 2018 world runner-up Kiril MILOV (BUL), 9-0. He followed that match up with an 8-1 semifinal win over Matti KUOSMANEN (FIN) and will wrestle for European gold for the eighth time. He’s 5-2 in European gold-medal matches.

If Aleksanyan, the second-ranked wrestler in the world, wins against tenth-ranked Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) in the finals, he'll tie top-ranked Musa EVLOEV (RUS) for the world's top spot at 97kg.

His Italian finals opponent, Nikoloz Kakhelashvili scored back-to-back 9-0 wins over Anestis ZARIFES (GRE) and Artur OMAROV (CZE), then downed Aleksandr GOLOVIN (RUS), 3-2, and will wrestle in the European finals for the first time in his career. 

Frank STAEBLER (GER) pumps his fist after cementing his spot in the 72kg European finals. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Frank Staebler is the second three-time world champion that’ll wrestle in Wednesday night’s finals. He’ll compete against the red-hot Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) for the 72kg title. 

Staebler, who is wrestling up from his world championship weight of 67kg, defeated Adam KURAK (RUS) to reach the finals. He trailed 1-0 after the first period but blew the match open in the second period with 11 straight points and picked up the 11-1 victory.

Despite having three world titles on his resume, Staebler has only won the European Championships once in his career. That win came back in 2012.

His finals opponent, Luri Lomadze continued his hot streak through the semifinals after he kick-started his day with a 6-4 win over Rio Olympic Davor STEFANEK (SRB). He then outscored Yury KANKOU (BLR), Dominik ETLINGER (CRO) and Selcuk CAN (TUR) 27-0 and will compete for European gold for the first time in his career. 

Reigning world champion Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) will wrestle Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL) in the 82kg finals. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

The Wednesday night finals will also feature reigning world champion Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE), who will square off against Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL) in the 82kg finals. Huseynov topped Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED), Bogdan KOURINNOI (SWE) and Ciro RUSSO (ITA) on his road to the non-Olympic weight finals.

His gold-medal match opponent, Aleksandrov, a three-time European bronze medalist, won three matches on the day and will wrestle in the European finals for the first time in his career. 

Kerem KAMAL (TUR) improved on his 2018 European bronze-medal finish with a scrappy 9-0 semifinals blanking of Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO). He’ll take on Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM) in the finals. Gharibyan also blanked his semifinals opponent en route to the finals. He beat Helary MAEGISALU (EST), 8-0, in less than two minutes.

Morten THORESEN (NOR) will take on Nazir ABDULLAEV (RUS) in the 67kg finals. (Photo: Kadir Calisnan)

Morten THORESEN (NOR) and Nazir ABDULLAEV (RUS) will wrestle in the fifth and final gold-medal match on Wednesday night. The pair scored one-point semifinal wins to reach the finals. Thorsen locked up his finals spot with a 2-1 win over Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR). Abdullaev earned his gold-medal match berth with a 4-3 victory against Karen ASLANYAN (ARM). 

The Wednesday night finals begin at 18:00 and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS 

60kg
GOLD - Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM) vs. Kerem KAMAL (TUR)
SEMIFINAL - Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM) df. Helary MAEGISALU (EST), 8-0 
SEMIFINAL - Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO), 9-0

67kg 
GOLD - Morten THORESEN (NOR) vs. Nazir ABDULLAEV (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Morten THORESEN (NOR) df. Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR), 2-1 
SEMIFINAL - Nazir ABDULLAEV (RUS) df. Karen ASLANYAN (ARM), 

72kg
GOLD - Frank STAEBLER (GER) vs. Iuri LOMADZE (GEO)
SEMIFINAL - Frank STAEBLER (GER) df. Adam KURAK (RUS) 
SEMIFINAL - Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) df. Selcuk CAN (TUR), 7-0 

82kg
GOLD - Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) vs. Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL)
SEMIFINAL - Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) df. Ciro RUSSO (ITA), 7-1
SEMIFINAL - Daniel Tihomirov ALEKSANDROV (BUL) df. Hannes WAGNER (GER), 7-3

97kg
GOLD - Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) vs. Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA)
SEMIFINAL - Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) df. Aleksandr GOLOVIN (RUS), 3-2 
SEMIFINAL - Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) df. Matti Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN), 8-1

#WrestleBudapest

Takahashi marks return from injury with Ranking Series gold

Friday, July 18, 2025 - 20:08 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 18) -- The last memories of Kota TAKHASHI (JPN) on the mat were painful. He had a heavily strapped right knee and was wrestling at the Non-Olympic World Championships in Tirana last year. He was torn.

A surgery and nine months later, Takahashi returned to international wrestling at the Budapest Ranking Series on Friday and captured the 74kg gold medal.

The world U23 champion was the third gold medalist from Japan in Budapest after Takara SUDA (JPN) and Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) won at 61kg and 70kg, respectively.

In the other two weight classes that were in action on Friday, Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) and Trent HIDLAY (USA) captured the gold medal at 86kg and 92kg as Freestyle came to a close at the Ranking Series.

Takahashi, who won the Asian Championships gold in 2024, made himself a gold-medal threat for the World Championships in Zagreb with an impressive performance that saw him score wins over Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) and David CARR (USA).

"This was my first international competition since my right knee surgery, and I wanted to show my true abilities," Takahashi said. "I'm very happy that I was able to win by thoroughly executing my tackles and aggressive wrestling style."

Takahashi was up against Salkazanov in his first match and began by blasting two double-leg attacks to race to a 4-0 lead. But the second period was not the same as he was put on the activity clock and Salkazanov cut the lead with a takedown during that.

Just when it seemed that Salkazanov can take the lead, Takahashi hit a low leg-attack and converted it into takedown to make the gap 6-3. Salkazanov did not let it go and scored a stepout with nine seconds left.

Takahashi was happy to not engage in those nine seconds, and happily gave a stepout and a caution. He won 6-6 and set up a quarterfinal against Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN). He did not need any of those attacks as he managed a 3-0 win.

The semifinal against Carr was a challenging one as Takahashi struggled to keep his conditioning for six minutes. He opened with a stepout and Carr was called for fleeing. As Carr used a chest wrap to stop Takahashi's double-leg attack, he fell on his back with hand opens. Only Takahashi was awarded two points which made his lead 4-0. Two stepouts later, it was 6-0.

Carr got going in the final two minutes as he scored two takedowns inside 20 seconds to make it 6-4. So far, Takahashi had remained low in his stance and cancelled Carr's long reach. However, his defense began to break up.

As Carr tried to turn Takahashi after the second takedown, Takahashi blocked the turn and got two points. Carr scored a reversal to make it 8-5. He then made it 8-7 with 10 seconds remaining but that was the final scoring action of the bout.

"Car is very aggressive, and I am also good at aggressive wrestling, but in the second half, my opponent's attacks were superior to mine. I ended up conceding points," he said. "I think that was my mistake. In the second period, I tried to attack, but the opponent kept attacking repeatedly. I ended up just defending, and that was the reason I lost points. I need to be more aggressive and attack more."

Takahashi's aggressive wrestling was once again on show in the final against another former world U23 champion Magomed KHANIEV (AZE). He scored two takedowns and defending so well that Khaniev was not able to score a point and Takahashi won gold medal, 4-0.

But the Japanese accepted the chinks in his armor and has decided to work on them before the World Championships where he knows that the competition will be even tougher.

"Similar story against Salkazanov. I want to review my stamina to maintain an aggressive attack throughout the six minutes without breaking my stance, and keep solid stance," he said. "In the second half, my desire to attack weakened, and I ended up being attacked by the opponent, leading to them scoring points. I need to improve on that."

Carr returned for the bronze medal bout and defeated Salkazanov 4-4, avenging his previous to the Slovak from Zagreb.

Trent HIDLAY (USA)Trent HIDLAY (USA) defeated Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) 7-2 in the 92kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Trent HIDLAY (USA), a 86kg silver medalist last year in Budapest, upgraded to gold medal after beating world silver medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), 7-4, in the 92kg final.

Hidlay was in red-hot form the whole day as he began with a win over Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)  and then posted a 10-0 win over Krizstian ANGYAL (HUN) in the quarterfinal. He began the semifinal against Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) with a powerful double-leg takedown.

As Kurugliev fell, he landed on his knee and suffered an injury so bad that he was unable to walk off the mat. Hidlay reached the final after the injury forced Kurugliev to stop.

It was Maisuradze who opened the scoring in the final with a snapdown to takedown for two points but Hidlay answered with two stepouts and the Georgian led 2-2 on criteria at the break.

Hidlay opened the second period with a takedown to take a 4-2 lead and then continued to put pressure on Maisuradze. It paid off as he scored another takedown on the edge to lead 6-2. Georgia challenged that both wrestlers were already out of the zone and it should be one point. But the challenge was lost, making it 7-2 for Hidlay with 1:47 left on the clock.

That was all in the bout as Hidlay captured the gold and put his name in contention for the gold medal at the upcoming World Championships.

At 86kg, Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) was the gold medalist after European silver medalist Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW) pulled out of the final injured.

Kadzimahamedau suffered a knee injury in the semifinal against Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI) as the Iranian did not let go off his knee despite it turning more than 90 degrees.

RESULTS

74kg
GOLD: Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) df. Magomed KHANIEV (AZE), 4-0

BRONZE: David CARR (USA) df. Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK), 4-4
BRONZE: Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN) df. Yeldos KUANYSHBAY (KAZ), 8-2

86kg
GOLD:  Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) df. Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Osman GOCEN (TUR) df. Boris MAKOEV (SVK), 3-2
BRONZE: Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI) df. Nurzhan ISSAGALIYEV (KAZ), 3-0 

92kg
GOLD: Trent HIDLAY (USA) df. Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), 7-4

BRONZE: Benjamin HONIS (ITA) df. Musza ARSUNKAEV (HUN), via fall (5-5)
BRONZE: Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) df. Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE), via inj. def.