Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! February 26, 2018

Monday, February 26, 2018 - 11:49 By Eric Olanowski

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Reviewing Chamizo's recent move to 74kg, the Ukranian Memorial results, the return of Taha Akgul, Thursday's world rankings and the Cuban Women dominating the Cerro Pelado. 

1. Chamizo to 74kg Rumors Proven True
The rumors that 2017 70kg world champion Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) is bumping up to 74kg to try to dethrone four-time world and Olympic champion, Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) have been proven true. For over a month, these two giants have had a highly publicized social media war-of-words going over a possible super match-up.

Chamizo made his 74kg debut at the XXII Outstanding Ukrainian Wrestlers and Coaches Memorial in Kiev, Ukraine this past weekend where he snagged the gold medal by going 5-0, beating 2011 world silver medalist, Franklin GOMEZ (PUR) in the gold medal bout, 4-0.

After the tournament, Chamzio took to Instagram to post a podium photo titled “The king is back…74kg.”

2. Akgul Captures Gold in Return
Taha Akgul (TUR), the two-time world and Olympic champion returned to competition after suffering a loss to Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) in the finals of the 2017 World Championships. 

Akgul, who had been training in Columbus, Ohio with the two-time world and Olympic champion, Kyle SNYDER (USA) made the journey down to Havana, Cuba to compete in the Cerro Pelado.

Taha, who departed Cuba with the 125kg gold medal went 3-0 over the two-day competition, outscoring his opponents 32-0, including an 11-0 victory over Ben DURBIN (USA) in the finals.

RESULTS: http://uww.io/LbtgH

3. Azerbaijan leaves Ukraine with Four gold medals
Azerbaijan, on the heels of Olympic bronze medalist Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) and 2016 world bronze medalist, Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov (AZE) left Kiev, Ukraine with four Ukranian Memorial gold medals.

A pair of Olympians in Andrey KVIATKOVSKI (UKR) and Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (UKR) won golds medals for the host nation, Ukraine.

In the 125kg final bout, Khotsianivski beat reigning world champion, Geno PETRIASHVILI(GEO), 6-0.

Iran, Italy, Poland and the United States each had a solo gold medalist. 

On his way to the 65kg title, 2017 world runner-up Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) knocked off Olympic champion Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO), 3-2, and three-time world champion Haji ALIEV (AZE), 5-2.

Up from 70kg, Chamzio gave Italy their lone champion at 70kg by defeating 2011 world silver medalist, Franklin GOMEZ (PUR), 4-0 in the gold medal bout.

The 79kg title went to American, Alex DIERINGER (USA) as he defeated Olympic bronze medalist, Yabrail HASANOV (AZE), 7-4.

At 86kg, Iran’s Kamran GHASEMPOUR beat Dave Schultz Memorial International runner-up, Richard PERRY (USA), 4-1.

RESULTS: http://uww.io/OU0TY

4. Second Set of World Rankings to Be Release Thursday, March, 1
United World Wrestling will be releasing the second set of world rankings on Thursday, March 1.

The rankings will reflect the results from the first women’s ranking event of the season, the Klippan Lady Open and the second Greco-Roman ranking event, the Granma y Cerro Pelado.

The next three rankings events will all take place in June. They are the Tbilisi GP (GEO) (Freestyle), Mongolia Open (MGL) (Women's Wrestling) and the Hungarian GP (HUN) (Greco-Roman).               

FEBRUARY RANKINGS

5. Cuban Women Claim Six Golds Cerro Pelado Golds
Cuban women, led by junior world silver medalist and U23 world bronze medalist, Yudari SANCHEZ (CUB) captured an impressive six out of eight possible gold medals at the Cerro Pelado. There were not participants entered at 65kg or 62kg.

Betzabeth angelica ARGUELLO VILLEGAS (VEN) and Alejandra ROMERO (MEX) were the two wrestlers who captured gold medals that did not hail from Cuba.

RESULTS: http://uww.io/ckjQ6

Weekly FIVE in Social Media

Big Move Monday! 

Fan reactions of Khotsianivski's routing of reigning world champion, Geno Petriashvili. 

Olympic champion, Kevin JACKSON (USA) posts a picture of a young fan with Ukranian Memorial champion, Alex Dieringer and Olympic Bronze medalist, J'den COX (USA). 

Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! August 27, 2019

Tuesday, August 27, 2019 - 13:50 By Eric Olanowski

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Discussing Diakomihalis and Retherford's Wrestle-off next Monday and Khizriev missing the World Championships. Also looking at the top-four world championship seeds for freestyle, Greco-Roman and women's wrestling. 

1. Diakomihalis and Retherford to Wrestle-off Next Monday 
Yianni DIAKOMIHALIS (USA) and Zain RETHERFORD (USA) will wrestle-off next Monday (September 2) to determine the tenth and final spot on the United States’ freestyle world team. 

Retherford initially won the first three-match series, but Diakomihalis challenged the outcome of the Retherford's second victory. Diakomihalis and his coaching staff weren't happy with the timeliness of the challenge from Retherford’s corner which determined the match outcome.

Diakomihalis took his case to arbitration and ended up getting the second match nullified – meaning the pair will re-wrestle the second match, and possibly a third match if need be. 

Retherford heads into the September 6 matchup owning the one match advantage. He’d have to win one match to punch his second ticket to a world championship, while Diakomihalis would have to win two straight matches to cement his spot on his first senior-level world team. 

Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS)  will miss the World Championships due to an arm injury. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

2. Khizriev Out of World Championships
Russia’s starting heavyweight Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS) suffered an arm injury during training and will no longer compete in Nur-Sultan at the World Championships. 

Khizriev, who is ranked fifth in the world at 125kg, has established himself as one of the best super heavyweights in the world over the past year. This season, Khizriev took out the two-time world and Olympic champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) to win the prestigious Ivan Yariguin title. He also won the European Games and placed third at the European Championships. His lone loss this season came to the aforementioned Akgul in the European semifinals. 

Khizriev’s replacement hasn’t been named, but there are two suitable candidates who Russia may throw into the World Championships. The first being Russian National champion Alan KHUGAEV (RUS) -- which is the likely decision they'll roll with if the second option isn’t available. Though unlikely, that second option is one of the most versatile big men the sport has ever seen, Bilyal MAKHOV (RUS). 

Makhov last competed at the World Championships in 2015, when he won a bronze medal in both freestyle and Greco-Roman -- bringing his overall world medal count to seven total world medals. He also owns an Olympic bronze medal from the 2012 London Olympic Games. 

Most recently, Makhov returned after a 21-month hiatus in preparation for a run to his third Olympic Games. In his August return, Makhov finished in second place at the Poland Open. 

Makhov’s Resume 
Olympic Games – Bronze (2012)
Freestyle World Championships– Gold (2007, ’09 and ‘10), Silver (2011) and Bronze (2015),
Greco-Roman World Championships – Bronze (2011 and ‘15) 

Bajrang PUNIA (IND) is one of six wrestlers who overthrew a reigning world champion for the top seed in Nur-Sultan. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

3. Freestyle Top-Four Seeds 
After a year of jockeying for position, the top-four freestyle seeds for the 2019 World Championships (September 14-22) are finally locked up. Six non-returning world champions overthrew a Budapest world gold medalist and head into Nur-Sultan garnering a top spot at their respective weight class. 

Of the ten 2018 world champions, Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB), Kyle DAKE (USA), J'Den COX (USA) and Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) were the only wrestlers who held onto their top ranking. 

Click here to see a full breakdown of the top-four seeded wrestlers at each weight. 

Here Are the Freestyle No. 1 Seeds at Each Weight:
57kg - Suleyman ATLI (TUR)
61kg - Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB)
65kg - Bajrang PUNIA (IND)
70kg - Adam BATIROV (BRN)
74kg - Frank CHAMIZO (ITA)
79kg - Kyle DAKE (USA)
86kg - Fatih ERDIN (TUR)
92kg - J'Den COX (USA)
97kg - Kyle SNYDER (USA)
125kg - Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)

Stepan MARYANYAN (RUS) is one of five Russian wrestlers who are seeded first at the World Championships. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

4. Greco-Roman Top-Four Seeds
Nine European wrestlers and Asia's KIM Hyeonwoo (KOR) own a Greco-Roman top seed heading into the World Championships. Of the nine European wrestlers who own a Greco-Roman top seed, five will be wearing a Russian singlet. Furthermore, each of the five top-seeded Russian wrestlers are looking to defend their world title from last year. 

Click here to see a full breakdown of the top-four seeded wrestlers at each weight. 

Here Are the Greco-Roman No. 1 Seeds at Each Weight:
55kg - Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE)
60kg - Sergey EMELIN (RUS)
63kg - Stepan MARYANYAN (RUS) 
67kg - Artem SURKOV (RUS)
72kg - Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL)
77kg - Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR)
82kg - Emrah KUS (TUR)
87kg - Zhan BELENIUK (UKR)
97kg - Musa EVLOEV (RUS)
130kg - Sergey SEMENOV (RUS)

Oksana LIVACH (UKR) gained the No. 1 seed at 50kg after reigning two-time world champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) lost her wrestle-off. (Max Rose-Fyne)

5. Women’s Wrestling Top-Four Seeds 
There is a trio of women's wrestling returning world champions who have cemented their spot as the No. 1 seed at the World Championships. The three top seed returning world champions looking to win back-to-back world titles are RONG Ningning (CHN), Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) and Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR).

Meanwhile, Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA), Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR) and Yasemin ADAR (TUR) each fell in last year's world finals but clawed their way into a women's wrestling top seed. The three world silver medalists head into Kazakhstan with hopes of improving their second-place finish from 2018. 

Click here to see a full breakdown of the top-four seeded wrestlers at each weight. 

Here Are the Women's Wrestling No. 1 Seeds at Each Weight: 
50kg - Oksana LIVACH (UKR)
53kg - Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA)
55kg - Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR) 
57kg - Ningning RONG (CHN)
59kg - Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN)
62kg - Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL)
65kg - Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA)
68kg - Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR)
72kg - Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL)
76kg - Yasemin ADAR (TUR)

*These seeds are based off the current unofficial entries United World Wrestling has received as of August 21. These seeds are subject to change.

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media 
1. Big Move Monday -- Gvarzatilov A. (AZE) -- Senior Worlds 2016
2. Are you coming to support your wrestlers in #WrestleNurSultan? Buy your tickets! Link in Bio.
3. @vlasovroma90, @yui106301susaki, @vladimerkhinchegashvili have both Junior and Senior World Champion titles. Who else? And who is next? Tag three other wrestlers who won or will win both Junior and Senior World Championships!
4. Today is 89th birthday of Iranian legend Pahlavan Gholamreza Takhti. Iranians have named the day as “National Day of Wrestling” in the official calendar of the country.
5. The top-four seeded wrestlers at 76kg combine to have SIX world and an Olympic gold. 
Expected 76kg Top-Four Seeds
1. @yasemin.adar (TUR)
2. @adelinegray (USA)
3. @aline.focken (GER)
4. @eweebz (CAN)