#Fortaleza2018

USA Wins Greco-Roman Team Title with Six Champions at #Fortaleza2018

By Taylor Miller

FORTALEZA, Brazil – The United States claimed the Greco-Roman team title at the 2018 Junior Pan American Championships, claiming six gold medals on Friday in Fortaleza, Brazil.

Winning titles for the U.S. was 2017 Junior World silver medalist Cevion SEVERADO at 55 kg, Dylan GREGERSON at 63 kg, Lenny MERKIN at 72 kg, Cameron CAFFEY at 87 kg, Austin HARRIS at 97 kg and Anthony CASSIOPPI at 130 kg.

Cassioppi repeated as the 2017 Junior Pan American Greco-Roman champion, defending his 2017 title when he pinned Paul MORALES (MEX) early in the finals.

He was the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler.

Also repeating a gold-medal performance was 2017 Junior Pan Am champion and 2018 Senior Pan Am runner-up Joilson DE BRITO RAMOS (BRA), who won the 67 kg bracket on Friday with a 10-1 finals win over 2017 Junior Pan Am bronze medalist Julian HORTA (COL).

Winning gold for Colombia was 2017 Pan Am bronze winner Andres Cortes, who outlasted Samuel UGALDE (MEX) with a 3-3 decision on criteria.

Mexico claimed multiple champions, striking gold at 77 kg with Hector RODRIGUEZ and at 82 kg with Alfredo DE STEFANO MUNOZ.

Overall, the U.S. won the team title with Mexico taking second and host Brazil finishing third.

Final results

55 kg
GOLD - Cevion SEVERADO (USA)
SILVER - Nestor DELGADO (MEX)
BRONZE- Luis MORALES (ECU)

60 kg
GOLD - Andres CORTES (COL)
SILVER - Samuel UGALDE (MEX)
BRONZE - Ricardo QUINONEZ (ECU)

63 kg
GOLD - Dylan GREGERSON (USA)
SILVER - Irving SALAZAR (MEX)
BRONZE - Jharold DE LA TORRE (ECU)

67 kg
GOLD - Joilson DE BRITO RAMOS (BRA)
SILVER- Julian Horta (COL)
BRONZE - Juan Palma (ECU)
BRONZE- Manuel Herrera (MEX)

72 kg
GOLD - Leonard MERKIN (USA)
SILVER - Evaristo HERNANDEZ (MEX)
BRONZE - Michael Nascimento (BRA)

77 kg
GOLD - Hector RODRIGUEZ (MEX)
SILVER - Jhonny ARIAS (COL)
BRONZE- Anthony MANTANONA (USA)

82 kg
GOLD - Alfredo DE STEFANO MUNOZ (MEX)
SILVER - Carlos ESPINOZA CASTRO (PER)
BRONZE - Jhon CARMONA ALCANTARA (COL)

87 kg
GOLD - Cameron CAFFEY (USA)
SILVER - Fabio CONCEICAO RODRIGUES (BRA)
BRONZE - Nicolas BAEZ (ARG)

97 kg
GOLD - Austin HARRIS (USA)
SILVER - Bryan CRUZ PALACIOS (PER)
BRONZE - Gabriel ROCHA DE LIRA (BRA)

130 kg
GOLD - Anthony CASSIOPPI (USA)
SILVER - Paul MORALES BOJORQUEZ (MEX)
BRONZE - Andrew GUNNING (PER)

 

#BeachWrestling, #BeachWrestlingWorldSeries

With Dakar 2026 Approaching, UWW Ramps Up Beach Wrestling in Africa

By Vinay Siwach

CASABLANCA, Morocco (July 25) -- With Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games less than 500 days away, United World Wrestling is committed to reinforcing wrestling's presence on the African continent.

As a result, for the first time an African city will host the Beach Wrestling World Series. Casablanca, Morocco will see the third leg of the Beach Wrestling World Series from September 6-7, 2025, at the picturesque Ain Diab beach.

There is more in store for Africa. The final of the Beach Wrestling World Series will be held in Alexandria, Egypt on October 18 and 19, 2025.

UWW is calling for participants. REGISTER HERE!

Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)

The World Series participants will be provided with top-class facilities including five-star hotel boarding, food in hotels and transportation to the competition venue. The conditions will therefore be exceptional for a Beach Wrestling event.

Prior to the World Series, the African Championships in U15, U17 and U20 age-groups will also be held in the same venue on September 4 and 5. All wrestlers who are 18 years or older from the African Championships can take part in the World Series as well.

This is not the first time UWW has stepped up its commitment to Beach Wrestling. Along with UWW Africa, UWW provided technical assistance to African wrestlers last year and has now decided to continue that for the U15 and U17 groups.

UWW reminds all countries that the participation in these tournaments is important as the same wrestlers can be considered with priority for the Youth Olympic Games while allotting the decided quotas for Dakar 2026.

UWW's vision is to develop the younger groups who will be part of the Youth Olympics in Dakar. And it was a step in that direction to start U15 competitions in Beach Wrestling from 2025.

Irina RINGACI (MDA)World champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) competes in Beach Wrestling in Porec, Croatia. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

One of the outcomes of its continued efforts was the participation numbers in the U17 Pan-Am Beach Wrestling Championships in Rio de Janeiro and the U17 Asian Beach Wrestling Championships in Vietnam this year.

The local organizing committee in Rio had to add one more ring to accommodate the participants during the event. At the Asian Championships, India, China, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam and other nations participated with full teams.

Similarly, the wrestlers are encouraged to participate in the U17 and U20 World Beach Wrestling Championships in Katerini-Pieria, Greece on September 25 and 26.

Check out beachwrestling.org for all Beach Wrestling News!

UWW's decisions underscore its deep commitment to uplifting and expanding the sport of wrestling across Africa, particularly with the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar on the horizon.

For any queries, wrestlers, NFs or organizers can contact -- sports@uww.org.