#WrestleBuenosAires

USA earns four titles, Cuba two in opening day of Pan Ams

By Taylor GREGORIO

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (May 3) -– The 2023 Pan American Championships kicked off today in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with six Greco-Roman weight classes contested — 55kg, 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 97kg and 130kg. 

Seven weights were scheduled for today; however, no entries were registered at 63kg. 

At 55kg, it was a round-robin tournament with Dalton DUFFIELD (USA) taking the gold with a pair of wins over Jose RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ (MEX) and Axel ROLON (ARG), who earned silver and bronze, respectively. 

The USA also added gold medals at 60kg, 72kg and 97kg. 

Dalton ROBERTS (USA) registered a 9-0 technical fall in the 60kg finals over Jeremy PERALTA GONZALEZ (ECU). Roberts opened scoring with a step out for a 1-0 lead and was later awarded a four-point throw, which was overturned after Peralta’s corner challenged the call. Shortly after, Roberts got on top with a takedown and immediately went into a trapped-arm gut for three turns to end the bout. 

For gold at 72kg, Justus SCOTT (USA) outlasted Kenedy MORAES PEDROSA (BRA). The score was knotted, 1-1, at the break, but Scott gained momentum with a passivity call for a chance on top, leading to a pair of turns. Moraes earned a late step out, but it was not enough, and Scott emerged with a 6-2 victory. 

The 97kg finals was a win by injury default for Josef RAU (USA), who was slated to face two-time defending Pan Am champ Kevin MEJIA CASTILLO (HON). The win marks Rau’s third Pan Am title with golds coming in 2015 and 2020. 

There were also injury defaults in the finals at 67kg and 130kg. Both victors in those matches hail from Cuba. Taking the crown at 67kg was Tokyo Olympic champion Luis ORTA SANCHEZ (CUB). It’s his third Pan Am gold. At 130kg, three-time World medalist Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) collected his fifth Pan Am title. 

The tournament continues tomorrow with the conclusion of Greco-Roman (77kg, 82kg, 87kg) and the start of women’s freestyle (55kg, 59kg, 65kg, 72kg). Fans can catch all the action live on UWW.org. 

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD – Dalton DUFFIELD (USA)
SILVER – Jose RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ (MEX)
BRONZE – Axel ROLON (ARG) 

60kg
GOLD – Dalton ROBERTS (USA) df. Jeremy PERALTA GONZALEZ (ECU), 9-0 

BRONZE – Kevin DE ARMAS RODRIGUEZ (CUB) df. Ditcher TORO CASTANEDA (COL), win by injury default
BRONZE – Raiber RODRIGUEZ OROZCO (VEN) df. Alexis RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ (MEX), 7-2 

67kg
GOLD – Luis ORTA SANCHEZ (CUB) df. Nestor ALMANZA TRUYOL (CHI), win by injury default
BRONZE – Julian HORTA ACEVEDO (COL) df. Enyer FELICIANO (DOM), 9-2
BRONZE – Andres MONTANO ARROYO (ECU) df. Edisson OLMOS GUTIERREZ (MEX), 6-1 

72kg
GOLD – Justus SCOTT (USA) df. Kenedy MORAES PEDROSA (BRA), 6-2
BRONZE – Jose VARELA GARCIA (GUA) df. Jesus GUZMAN DAVILA (PER), 3-1 

97kg
GOLD – Josef RAU (USA) df. Kevin MEJIA CASTILLO (HON), win by injury default
BRONZE – Igor ALVES DE QUEIROZ (BRA) df. Ricardo GOMEZ (ARG), 9-0
BRONZE – Carlos ADAMES PALMER (DOM) df. Luillys PEREZ MORA (VEN), 9-0 

130kg
GOLD – Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) df. Gino AVILA DILBERT (HON), win by injury default
BRONZE – Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI) df. Donald LONGENDYKE (USA), 8-0
BRONZE – Eduard SOGHOMONYAN (BRA) df. Moises PEREZ HELLBURG (VEN), 5-3

#WrestleTirana

European Championships Day 2 Greco-Roman Results & Highlights

By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (April 21) -- The European Championships 2026 enters day two with five Greco-Roman weight classes - 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg and 97kg. All five weight classes have their defending champions in action in Tirana on Tuesday.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | KAYAALP REACHES FINAL

14:27: Oleksandr HRUSHYN (UKR) ends Erzu ZAKRIEV (UWW) debut at the European Championships with a 7-1 defeat. Hrushyn, a former silver medalist at 63kg, scored two turns from par terre in the second period to lead 5-1. Zakriev tries some desperate throws but ends up giving a takedown.

14:22: In another rematch of the final from last year, Kiril MILOV (BUL) beats Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER), this year 8-1 to enter the semifinal at 97kg. Milov with two turns from par terre before starting the second period with a takedown and lead 7-1. Germany challenges but that's lost which gave one more point to Milov.

14:20: Artur SARGSIAN (UWW) will wrestle for a European medal for the first time. He beats world bronze medalist Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE) 4-0 in the 97kg quarterfinals. Given both par terre positions in the match, Sargsian scores step out in first but fails to do much int eh second. He also gets a point for lost challenge from Azerbaijan to win 4-0.

14:11: Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO), who began this season with two silver medals at the Ranking Series events, is into the semifinals at 67kg after a 6-1 victory over Dominik ETLINGER (CRO).

14:10: In a rematch of last year's final which Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) won, the defending champion once again beats Abu Muslim AMAEV (BUL), this year in the semifinals. Jafarov got two turns from par terre in the first period to lead 5-0. In the second period, he caught Amaev from behind and pinned him to enter the final

14:00: Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) defends with all might to beat Mihail BRADU (MDA) 5-4 at 82kg as he moves into the semifinals of his title defense. Leading 3-0, he got par terre and used a front head roll exposure for two points but lost control and gave up two points as well. Gurbanov, leading 5-2, challenged the call but lost it. He was then called passive which gave one more point to Bradu but Gurbanov held on for the win. 

13:40: Defending champion at 60kg, Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) makes no mistake in a 5-0 victory over Vladyslav KUZKO (UKR). He did not let Kuzko take any par terre while being active enough to get it twice in the match.

13:30: Georgij TIBILOV (SRB), returning silver medalist, moves into the semifinals with a 9-0 technical superiority win over Denis MIHAI (ROU) at 60kg. All points scored from par terre

13:20: Returning silver medalist at 97kg Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER) gets a turn from par terre and beats Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA), 3-1, after the Italian wrestler failed to score points.

13:05: Anti-climatic between defending champion Kiril MILOV (BUL) and world bronze medalist Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW) as Milov wins 10-0 at 97kg. He begins with an arm throw for two points before getting the par terre from which he gets Maskevich in danger. When the referee asks them for neutral, Milov leads 7-0. Maskevich tries a big throw using body lock but Milov blocks him for two points. A lost challenges adds one more point to his score.

12:55: Artur SARGSIAN (UWW), world silver medalist but never won a medal at the European Championships, begins with an explosive 9-0 victory over Mindaugas VENCKAITIS (LTU). He lifts the Lithuanian for a body throw for four before turning him twice for two points for each turn.

12:50: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), defending champion at 67kg, scores two two-point takedown against Jan OEHLEN (SWE) to secure a 5-1 victory and moves into the quarterfinals.

12:48: Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM) gets four turns from par terre to beat Andreas VETSCH (SUI), 9-0 and advance to the quarterfinal at 67kg against Murat FIRAT (TUR).  

12:40: Erzu ZAKRIEV (UWW) continues his good form and gets a win over world champion Sebastian NAD (SRB) at 67kg. Zakriev gets the first par terre but cannot score from there. He gets the par terre in the second period as well, making his lead 2-0, before he hits a throw for four points. Serbia challenge the decision but lose it. A takedown to finish the bout 9-0.

12:20: World bronze medalist Karlo KODRIC (CRO) turns Ruslan ABDIIEV (UKR) once from par terre and then holds the Ukrainian off to win 3-1 to advance at 82kg.

11:45: Defending champion at 82kg Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) needed a big front headlock throw for four to break the 3-3 criteria and beat Svetoslav NIKOLOV (BUL) in his opening bout.

11:25: Erzu ZAKRIEV (UWW), a U20 world silver medalist, starts his senior European Championships debut with an clinical 8-0 win over Mateusz SZEWCZUK (POL) at 67kg. Two big four-point throws for Zakriev

11:05: Defending champion Kiril MILOV (BUL) kicks off his 97kg gold medal defense with a dominant 9-0 technical superiority win over Gerard KURNICZAK (POL). Next up is the big match against world bronze medalist Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW).

10:50: Returning silver medalist at 67kg Abu Muslim AMAEV (BUL) keeps it simple in his first bout and beats Andrea SETTI (ITA), 4-0, and advances. 

10:30: Welcome to day two of the European Championships! After a dramatic day one to kick off the tournament, five more Greco weight classes in action in Tirana.