Emperor's Cup

Tosaka's Shocking Withdrawal Puts Showdown with Susaki on Hold; Mukaida Takes 55kg Title

By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (Dec. 22) - The highly anticipated clash of the lightweight titans, Rio 2016 gold medalist Eri TOSAKA and reigning world champion Yui SUSAKI, will have to wait for another day. 

Tosaka won her opening match in the women's 50kg class at the All Japan  championships on Friday, but then in a shocking development, suddenly pulled out of the tournament due to lingering knee and ankle injuries suffered in October.

Tosaka, who underwent foot surgery after the Rio Olympics and only returned to competition in September, struggled to defeat Miho IGARASHI 6-4 in their quarterfinal match on day three of the four-day tournament at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym.

The win, in which Tosaka scored four points in the final minute, put her into the semifinals. But while speaking to the press after her match, her coach and national technical director Kazuhito SAKAE came by and urged her to pull out, saying it was not worth the risk of worsening the injuries. 

"I think you should stop," Sakae said. "I'm stopping you. You might want to still go out there, but it will be a problem if you make things worse."

Tosaka tearfully agreed it was the right decision.

Tosaka made a victorious return at the Japan Women's Open in September, where she won the 53kg title while admittedly looking rusty. She was working out the kinks at a national team training camp when, while sparring with rival Susaki, Tosaka suffered injuries to her left knee and ankle during a lift attempt.

"She was looking good, and I thought she would be able to beat the world champion Susaki," Sakae said. He added that after the injury, "We didn't know until up to the weigh-in here whether or not she would wrestle."

In Tosaka's absense, the 19-year-old Susaki has emerged as the premier lightweight in the world, capturing the 48kg world title that Tosaka had held since 2012. 

Susaki was as surprised as anyone to hear of Tosaka's withdrawal, and disappointed as well. Susuki won her first national title in 2016 while Tosaka was sidelined, and she was determined to defeat the star and prove she was the "true national champion."

"Now I want to win the tournament, and I'll take on Tosaka the next time," Susaki said.

Susaki advanced safely with a 10-0 technical fall in 4:22 over Miyu NAKAMURA, setting up a semifinal against 2015 national champion Yuki IRIE. The winner will take on Miho IGARASHI, who will receive the default from Tosaka.

The semifinals in the 10 remaining weight classes will be held on the final day Saturday morning, with the nationally televised finals in the afternoon. Dec. 23 is a national holiday for the Emperor's birthday, which is why the tournament is also referred to as the Emperor's Cup. 

In other action, world 53kg silver medalist Miyu MUKAIDA withstood a back injury and a late charge by Saki IGARASHI to notch a 4-2 victory in the women's 55kg final and win a second national title in a row. 

Mukaida picked up four early points with a takedown and a roll, but soon after felt pain in her right lower back. It was all she could do to hold off Igarashi, who scored a takedown with :05 left. 

Still feeling the sting of her stunning loss in the final at Paris 2017, when she blew a 6-0 lead and lost the gold to Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR), Mukaida has made it her mission to fight to the finish of every match. 

"After I scored to take the lead, I injured my back," Mukaida said. "I couldn't attack, so I have regrets about that. One issue I've been dealing with is not staying on the attack until the end, so it's disappointing that I couldn't work on that."

Mukaida said she moved up to 55kg, the division in which she won the world gold in 2016, because the two-day format for each weight class means having to weigh in each day. It meant having to deal with cutting less weight.

"For this tournament, I entered 55kg, which isn't my usual weight class. But no matter what weight class I enter, I always aim to win the title. In the end, I won so I'm happy."

Mukaida, who won all four of her matches at 53kg in helping Japan win the Women's World Cup, said she will consult with her coaches and others on whether to aim for Tokyo 2020 at 53k or 57kg. 

High schooler Naruha MATSUYUKI beat her more heralded twin sister Yasuha  to the title of "national champion" when she broke open a close match with four points in the last minute to defeat Masako FURUICHI, 6-1, in the women's 72kg final.

The victory by Matsuyuki, who usually wrestles at 69kg, came a day after Yasuha lost 2-0 in the 76kg final to world silver medalist Hiroe SUZUKI. 

"Always, in matches up to now, I was told that the reason I lost was in my head," Matsuyuki said. "From the beginning, I wanted to make sure I didn't lose mentally. That's what I was able to do."

The sisters, Aichi Prefecture natives who both attend wrestling powerhouse Shigakukan High School, are being touted as future prospects for Japan in the heavyweight divisions. 

Of the two, Yasuha has had the better results. At the world under-23 in November, Yasuha took the 75kg gold, while Naruha settled for silver at 69kg; at the world juniors, Yasuha was a silver medalist, while Naruha was fifth.

"Yasu has had better results, and the coaches and others have said she would win the All Japan first," Matsuyuki said. "But I was able to make the most of this chance, so I'm really happy."

Both sisters are being tapped for Tokyo 2020, but it is not year clear how they will fit into the picture. 

"This is not an Olympic weight class, so to go the Olympics, I will have to change," Matsuyuki said. "I will talk it over with our coaches and Yasu, and we'll try to work out a way that both of us can make it."

As for the touranment at the wrestling venue for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, the family is not yet finished. Older brother Taisei MATSUYUKI has been assured of at least a bronze medal after advancing to the semifinals of the freestyle 86kg class.

In the other women's final Friday, Katsuki SAKAGAMI overwhelmed former world champion Chiho HAMADA at 57kg with a 12-2 technical fall in 5:35.

Among the other wrestlers who found success at a heavier weight class were world 70kg bronze medalist Yuji FUJINAMI and former world 74kg silver medalist Sosuke TAKATANI.

Fujinami built up a big lead in the 74kg final against Ken HOSAKA, then in a flurry of action caught him on his back and recorded a fall in 1:53 for his first national crown. 

"My body is still light [for 74kg]," Fujinami said. "Even if I win at 74kg in Japan, the world level is very high. Right now my ability is not enough, my strength is not enough. I'll work hard to be competitive on that level."

Takatani, who won six consecutive Japan titles at 74kg, picked up No. 7 overall with a victory in the 79kg division, which for him is a stepping stone to the Olympic weight class of 86kg.

Takatani showed he could handle the extra weight by forging a 10-0 technical fall in 5:59 over Tsubasa ASAI, a student at Takatani's alma mater of Takushoku University and with whom he often trains.

Takatani, who celebrated his victory with a dance and some preening of his chiseled physique for the matside cameras, said he has started an intense program to add weight through muscle mass. 

"To get the body I need, I've cut down on my running and focused mostly on weight training," he said. "Right now, my normal weight is 85, 86kg. To wrestle at 86kg, my aim is to gain weight up to 90kg by building up muscle.

"In general, I've put on one or two kilos every three months. It's been a good pace. Now I want to build strength that will allow me to compete overseas."

The other freestyle gold at stake went to Takeshi YAMAGUCHI at 97kg. He picked up his first title since winning four straight from 2012 to 2015 by edging Taira SONODA, 3-2. 

Sonoda's loss kept him and older brother Arata from becoming the first siblings since 2011 to win titles at the same All Japan championships.  

In the previous match, Arata SONODA capped the most dominating performance to date of the tournament when he needed just 1:49 to notch an 8-0 technical fall victory over Masahiro TANITA in the Greco-Roman 130kg final.

Sonoda had scored lightning-quick technical falls in his first two matches, winning in :28 and :31. 
 
In other Greco finals, Tomohiro INOUE claimed his first title in two years and fourth overall when he rallied to a 7-3 win over Kazuhiro HANAYAMA at 72kg.

Inoue spotted Hanayama a 3-0 lead in the first period, but came back in the second, knotting the score before going ahead with a pair of rolls from the par-terre position. 

In a tight battle between former champions for the 87kg gold, Masato SUMI edged Taichi OKA, 2-1, with all points scored for passivity. 

Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA, winner at the Dave Schultz Memorial in November, overcame a 5-0 deficit with a second-period rampage that included a big 5-point throw to defeat Katsuyoshi KAWASE, 10-5, at 67kg.

While fans have been deprived of a Tosaka-Susaki duel, there is still the possibility of another installment of the long-running feud between Greco-Roman stars Kenichiro FUMITA and Shinobu OTA.

Fumita, the reigning world champion, and Ota, the silver medalist at Rio 2016, both made the semifinals at 60kg. 

Japan's other male world champion, Yuki TAKAHASHI, had no trouble making the semifinals in freestyle 57kg, although Rei HIGUCHI, the Rio 2016 silver medalist in that division, was an early casualty at 65kg as his struggles continue with the added weight.

Higuchi rallied from a 5-1 deficit to tie his second-round match with Takuto OTOGURO, only to allow a tilt with :10 left and fall 8-5. 

Higuchi's slump started with a semifinal loss at 61kg at the Asian Championships in May, and continued when he lost to Rinya NAKAMURA in the final at the national invitational championships in June, then again to Nakamura in a playoff for a spot on the team to Paris 2017.   

"I have to fundamentally change my style of wrestling," Higuchi said. "At 65kg, power is not the problem, but my size (163cm) is a minus. After the Rio Olympics, everyone has studied my single-leg tackles and I can't do anything."

Results of Day 3 Finals

Freestyle

74kg (14 entries)
Yuhi FUJINAMI def. Ken HOSAKA by Fall, 1:53
Bronze medals: Momojiro NAKAMURA and Mao OKUI

79kg (11 entries)
Sosuke TAKATANI def. Tsubasa ASAI by TF, 10-0, 5:59 
Bronze medals: Yuta ABE and Hayato ISHIGURO

97 kg (13 entries)
Takeshi YAMAGUCHI def. Taira SONODA, 3-2 
Bronze medals: Naoya AKAGUMA and Hiroto NINOMIYA

Greco-Roman

67kg (15 entries)
Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA def. Katsuyoshi KAWASE, 10-5
Bronze medals: Shogo TAKAHASHI and Taiki KOBAYASHI

72kg (19 entries)
Tomohiro INOUE def. Kazuhiro HANAYAMA, 7-3
Bronze medals: Muuto SAWADA and Takahiro YAMAMOTO

87kg (12 entries)
Masato SUMI def. Taichi OKA, 2-1 
Bronze medals: Atsushi MATSUMOTO and Kanta SHIOKAWA 

130kg (13 entries)
Arata SONODA def. Masahiro TANITA by TF, 8-0, 1:49
Bronze medals: Naoto YAMAGUCHI and Yuya FUJITA

Women

55kg (6 entries)
Mayu MUKAIDA def. Saki IGARASHI, 4-2
Bronze medals: Arisa TANAKA and Momoka KADOYA

57kg (7 entries)
Katsuki SAKAGAMI def. Chiho HAMADA by TF, 12-2, 5:35
Bronze medals: Akie HANAI and Sae NANJO

72kg (4 entries)
Naruha MATSUYUKI def. Masako FURUICHI, 6-1
Bronze medals: Mei SHINDO and Rin MIYAJI

Pairings for Day 4 Semifinals

Freestyle

57kg (23 entries)
Yuki TAKAHASHI vs Kaiki YAMAGUCHI
Yasuhiro MORITA vs Toshihiro HASEGAWA

65kg (22 entries)
Shoya SHIMAE vs Daichi TAKATANI
Kiryu KINJO vs Kei YONEZAWA

86kg (8 entries)
Masao MATSUSAKA vs Taisei MATSUYUKI
Takahiro MURAYAMA vs Shota SHIRAI

Greco-Roman

60kg (11 entries)
Kenichiro FUMITA vs Kiyoshi KAWAGUCHI
Hayanobu SHIMIZU vs Shinobu OTA

77kg (15 entries)
Shohei YABIKU vs Kenryu KUZUYA
Ryosho KAMEI vs Takeshi IZUMI

82kg (16 entries)
Yuya MAETA vs Tatsuya FUJII
Yuya OKAJIMA vs Nobuaki TESHIGAWARA

Women

50kg (13 entries)
Yui SUSAKI vs Yuki IRIE
Miho IGARASHI vs Eri TOSAKA

53kg (8 entries)
Haruna OKUNO vs Kana HIGASHIKAWA
Yuka YAGO vs Yu MIYAHARA

62kg (7 entries)
Risako KAWAI vs Honoka IMAGAWA
Aika YAGO vs Yurika ITO

68kg (4 entries)
Sara DOSHO vs Umi FUKUSHIMA
Mai HAYAKAWA vs Chiaki IIJIMA

#WrestleZagreb

Olympic champ Kusaka falls to Amoyan as Mirzazadeh repeats at 130kg

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 19) -- The Zagreb World Championships has seen a number of Paris Olympic medalists humbled over the last six days.

On Friday, it was Greco 77kg champion Nao KUSAKA (JPN) who joined that growing list, after he was dealt a one-sided loss in the final by Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM).

Amoyan's thumping 9-1 victory gave him a second world title and the first at 77kg, a goal he had been working on for two years.

"I became a world champion back in 2021 [at 72kg], and it seemed very difficult for me to move up to this weight class," Amoyan said. "I really wanted to become world champion at 77kg.

"But for two years, I struggled with injuries, and nothing was going as it should. Thankfully, at this World Championships I was prepared -- mentally, physically, and functionally -- and by God's grace I managed to triumph and become a two-time world champion."

The win avenged Amoyan's 3-1 loss to Kusaka in the semifinals of the Paris Olympics, where the Armenian wrestler won a bronze medal.

In the three other weight classes contested, Iran had a wrestler in all three finals and came away with two golds, as Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) defended his title at 130kg while debutant Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) made sure that the 82kg title remained in Iranian hands.

The other gold medal went to Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) at 55kg, giving Georgia its second world title in the last six years.

In the 77kg final, Amoyan, after defending from par terre in the first period, broke open the match in the second period from the par terre position. He lifted Kusaka and moved to the zone, loading to perform a suplex. However, he switched and slammed Kusaka to the mat with a reverse throw in front for four points.

Kusaka was also docked two points for a defensive foul while Amoyan was working on the lift, giving the Armenian a 7-1 lead. As the bout restarted in par terre, Amoyan once again lifted Kusaka and completed a correct throw for two points for a 9-1 technical superiority win over the Olympic champion.

Despite the one-sided final, Amoyan said that Kusaka was one of the strongest wrestlers he has ever faced in his weight class.

"Let me say, the Japanese wrestler I faced is one of the strongest in our weight category," he said. "With him, the only way to get through was by wrestling with full strength and giving everything to win. It seems that today was my day to confidently and firmly become the world champion."

The gold medal adds to two bronze medals the 26-year-old previously won at the Olympic weight class of 77kg. But Amoyan said that the real struggle to remain on top begins now.

"It will be very hard for me to keep it -- for that I must be able to train properly, be disciplined, so that I can keep the title," he said. "Honestly, I don't really understand what I'm feeling; I think when I return to my homeland I'll understand it."

Friday's loss was Kusaka's first since January 2024 which incidentally came in Zagreb at the Ranking Series event. But he said it will only serve as a motivation.

"The last time I lost was also in Croatia. Actually, there is no connection. At the very least, I feel that I am not nearly at my strongest," Kusaka said. "Conversely, instead of a close score, I was teched, so all I can do is acknowledge the defeat. I have to continue to make progress. I'm told there is still room for growth. From now, it will be my motivation to be blessed with such a rival. I can train keeping him in the back of my mind and next time, I will definitely win."

One of the areas of improvement which Kusaka has already identified is the par terre defense from which he gave up six points in the final.

"When it comes to ground defense, I'm a bit insecure, it's a weakness of the mind, a part of me that is a weak point," he said. "I always plan to not give up points. But I gave them up. Then I gave him a bonus by touching the leg during the move. That was the worst possible pattern."

Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI)Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) is now a two-time world champion. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Iran doubles up

Defending champion Mirzazadeh made sure there were no more upsets as he defeated Darius VITEK (HUN) 7-2 to win his second gold medal at the World Championships.

A gasp went through Arena Zagreb when Vitek scored a takedown after Mirzazadeh lost his balance after a throw and he quickly gained control. But Mirzazadeh reversed the positions and got one point to make it 2-1.

Mirzazadeh then added two stepouts in the first period to take the lead and go into the break leading 3-2. There were no more surprises in the match as Mirzazadeh scored a takedown soon after the whistle in the second period. Two turns were enough to give him a 7-2 lead which he defended to win the gold medal.

"Winning this gold and standing on top of the world's heavyweight podium makes me really proud," Mirzazadeh said. "I just hope my people are happy, too, because their joy is my joy."

Mirzazadeh brushed aside the opening takedown that Vitek scored on him, saying, "I think that's the nature of wrestling and these things happen. I'm glad I was able to wrestle well and come out on top."

With his second world gold medal, Mirzazadeh has clearly set himself apart from the field at 130kg. The real challenge can come domestically from multiple age-group world champion Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI), but Mirzazadeh is determined to rule the weight class for a long time.

"I'll keep giving it my all to improve every year, to raise my level, and to represent my country again and again," he said.  "My goal is to bring home world and Olympic gold medals and make my people proud."

Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI)Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) celebrates after winning the 82kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

While experienced Mirzazadeh repeated as champion, debutant Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI), who won the Zagreb Open Ranking Series gold in February at the same arena, showed no nerves in blanking Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) to win the 82kg title.

Farokhi went straight to work in the final and was awarded with the first par terre position, from which he scored two points from a correct throw to lead 3-0. A stepout just before the break extended the lead to 4-0.

There were no points or positions in the second period, and Farokhi was happy to defend the four-point lead and claim the gold medal, the first for Iran in Greco at the World Championships.

"Winning a medal in my very first World Championships felt like a dream," Farokhi said. "I had always thought about it and even dreamed of this belt. I was able to put on my best performances and win the gold medal."

Farokhi, who had to beat world champion Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) to make the Iran team, gave up only a single point in five matches at the tournament while scoring 37.

"I managed to win all my matches while giving up only one point," he said. "Geraei is not only one of Iran's greatest champions, but also a close friend of mine. In the qualifiers I was able to beat him. As for the future, it depends on the coaches' decisions, but for now I'll stay at 82kg."

Earlier, Iran missed out on the gold at 55kg when world U20 champion Payam AHMADI (IRI) fell to Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) 9-7 in a thrilling final.

The 18-year-old Lolua, who himself won a bronze medal at 60kg from last month's World U20 Championships, got a turn from par terre in the first period to lead 3-0. But the par terre in the second period saw 10 points scored.

As Ahmadi got the position, it made the score 3-1. He went for the front head lock instead of the preferred gut-wrench and managed to turn Lolua three times to rack up six points, while Lolua blocked him once from the headpinch to earn two points.

When the referees called it neutral, Ahmadi led 7-5 and just 1:52 away from winning a senior world title. However, a third passivity was called by the officials, putting Ahmadi down in par terre.

Lolua made the most of that and used a chestwrap to turn Ahmadi for two points. He then lifted Ahmadi and completed a correct throw for a 9-7 lead with 34 seconds left. Lolua defended the lead without any trouble to win the gold.

"I had prepared well. This was my first time competing at the World Championships, and this year I became a world champion," Lolua said. "The clock never stops, and everyone dreams of becoming a world champion -- now that dream has come true."

The teenager, who has already won a European Championships medal, said he came to Zagreb to fight with all his grit.

"I don't even know what to say -- I feel so many emotions, and it's hard to describe everything," he said. "I came here to fight. Everyone came out to support me. What matters most is that, first of all, you must fight with your own strength and determination."

Karlo KODRIC (CRO)Karlo KODRIC (CRO) celebrates with home fans after winning Croatia's first world medal since 2014. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Host Croatia, Finland end medal droughts

Host Croatia ended a decade-long drought for a World Championships medal when Karlo KODRIC (CRO) won the bronze medal at 82kg with a 5-0 victory over Ramon BETSCHART (SUI).

Kodric became only the third world medalist for Croatia after brothers Neven and Nenad ZUGAJ (CRO). Neven won silver in 2014 and bronze in 2011 while Nenad won bronze in 2010.

Kodric got both par terre positions in the match. While he failed to score in the first period, he scored two points via forward exposure instead of rolling Betschart. The Switzerland corner challenged the call, but it was upheld and Kodric got one more point for the lost challenge to win 5-0.

"It's the best feeling in the world," Kodric said. "Before the match, I felt a lot of pressure. It's the biggest I've ever felt. But I beat him. This is all I do, training and thinking of every medal possible to take. That is all my life."

The second bronze at 82kg went to Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN), a month after he won bronze at the World U20 Championships, by rallying to edge Adlet TIULIUBAEV (UWW) 3-3.

Yoshida gave up a turn from par terre and fell 3-0 behind at the break, and was in further trouble when he failed to score from par terre in the second period. But he powered his way to a takedown with 45 seconds left when he dragged Tiuliubaev and quickly got behind for two points, giving him a 3-3 criteria lead to win the bronze medal.

At 19 years 4 months and 24 days, Yoshida became the youngest Japanese male wrestler to win a medal at the World Championships. Before Yoshida, it was Yuji TAKADA (JPN) who won bronze at the 1973 World Championships in Freestyle 52kg at the age of 19 years 6 months and 20 days.

Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN)Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN) wins the bronze medal bout against Wenhao JIANG (CHN). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Another country that ended a medal drought at the World Championships was Finland, as Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN) scored a late stepout to beat Wenhao JIANG (CHN) 3-3. It was Finland's first medal since 2011, when Rami HIETANIEMI (FIN) won bronze at 84kg.

Kousmanen led 1-1 on criteria thanks to an early stepout. His lead became 2-1 when he got the par terre position in the second period. But he failed to completely turn Jiang from par terre and gave up a stepout to fall behind 2-2 on criteria, and then lost the challenge to give one more point to Jiang.

Kousmanen, however, kept the pressure on and managed to get a stepout with 33 seconds left in the match. He defended his 3-3 criteria lead to win bronze, a first for Finland in any weight class above 90kg.

Pavel HLINCHUK (UWW) won a bronze medal at 130kg after he rolled to a 9-1 technical superiority win over Mykola KUCHMII (UKR). Hlinchuk, a world U23 champion at 97kg, jumped to 130kg last year and despite being only 110kg, managed to win a medal in the heaviest weight class.

At 77kg, Robert FRITSCH (HUN) upset Paris silver medalist Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), 6-5, to capture the bronze medal.

Fritsch trailed 5-0 at the break but launched a big four at the start of the second period to make it 5-4. A stepout made it 5-5 with Fritsch leading on criteria before he got the par terre which put him ahead 6-5.

 

Turkiye finally won its first medal of the World Championships from a male wrestler when Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) defeated world U20 champion Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) 6-3 for the the other 77kg bronze.

 

Four-time world champion Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) returned to win a bronze medal at 55kg by beating Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ), 9-0, using turns from par terre to win his seventh world medal overall.

 

The other bronze went to China as Huoying SHI (CHN) used the third passivity to score two turns on Emin CAKIR (TUR) for a 5-1 win.

Day 7 Results

Greco-Roman

55kg (18 entries)
GOLD: Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) df. Payam AHMADI (IRI), 9-7

BRONZE: Huoying SHI (CHN) df. Emin CAKIR (TUR), 5-1
BRONZE: Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) df. Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ) by TF, 9-0, 1:53

60kg (25 entries)
SEMIFINAL: Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) df. Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO) by TF, 10-2, 5:57
SEMIFINAL: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) df. Georgij TIBILOV (SRB), 5-5

72kg (30 entries)
SEMIFINAL: Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) df. Abdullo ALIEV (UZB), 5-0
SEMIFINAL: Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) df. Merey MAULITKANOV (KAZ) by Fall, 5:49 (7-2)

77kg (33 entries)
GOLD: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df. Nao KUSAKA (JPN) by  TF, 10-1, 4:23

BRONZE: Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) df. Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI), 6-3
BRONZE: Robert FRITSCH (HUN) df.  Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), 6-5

82kg (26 entries)
GOLD: Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) df. Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO), 4-0  

BRONZE: Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) df. Adlet TIULIUBAEV (UWW), 3-3
BRONZE: Karlo KODRIC (CRO) df. Ramon BETSCHART (SUI), 5-0

97kg (29 entries)
SEMIFINAL: Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) df. Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW), 3-1
SEMIFINAL: Artur SARGSIAN (UWW) df. Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE), 1-1

130kg (27 entries)
GOLD: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) df. Darius VITEK (HUN), 7-2

BRONZE: Pavel HLINCHUK (UWW) df. Mykola KUCHMII (UKR) by TF, 9-1, 4:09
BRONZE: Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN) df. Wenhao JIANG (CHN), 3-3