Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! January 07, 2019

Monday, January 7, 2019 - 13:37 By Eric Olanowski

Share this article

Reviewing why Sadualev will miss the Ivan Yarygin, and Gadisov's coaching promotion. Also looking at the Indian Pro League roster and the Best Wrestlers of the Year award winners. 

1. Sadulaev to Miss First Ranking Series Event of the Year, Ivan Yarygin
Gaidar GAIDAROV (RUS), the “senior coach of the Dagestan national wrestling team”, has confirmed to United World Wrestling that four-time world and Olympic champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) will sit out of the first Ranking Series event of the year, the Ivan Yarygin. Gaidarov simply told UWW “No, he will not be wrestling in Krasnoyarsk.” He later said, "Russia's head coach freed him from the tounrament in Krasnoyarsk." 

The news of Sadulaev not competing came five days before registration closes, and 20 days before the first whistle at the Ivan Yarygin, which is often referred to as the “Toughest Wrestling Tournament in the World.”

Sadualev not making the trip to Krasnoyarsk eliminates the potential “Round 3” matchup with the three-time world and Olympic champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) after the pair split the 2017 and 2018 world finals. “Captain America” was victorious in 2017, but the “Russian Tank” got his revenge in 2018, pinning Snyder one minute into the 97kg gold-medal bout. 

The duo of superstars have recently gone back and forth on Instagram teasing a potential third match at the Ivan Yarygin. 

First, it was Snyder who tagged Sadulaev in that post that was captioned, “Round 3. Let's do it. Krasnoyarsk, Russia." 

Sadulaev quickly responded, saying, ”Buddy Snyder, I understand your condition, but I advise you to approach the trilogy with a cool head. And then suddenly the psyche will suffer. On the way to Tokyo 2020, we will meet again.”

With the news of Sadulaev sitting out of the Yarygin, it looks like we’ll have to wait until the 2019 World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, for the third match-up. 

The Ivan Yarygin begins on January 24 and is the first Ranking Series for freestyle and women’s wrestling. 


India's brightest young star and 2018 world runner-up, Bajrang PUNIA , will compete for the NCR PUNJAB ROYALS at the 2019 Indian Pro League. 

2. Indian Pro Wrestling League Rosters Announced 
For the fourth straight year, wrestling’s biggest stars will travel to India to compete in arguably the world’s most popular professional wrestling league, the Indian Pro League (IPL). 

Last week, the Indian Pro League announced the rosters for the six teams that feature five men and four women. Each team will have five Indian wrestlers and four international wrestlers.

Last season, the NCR Punjab Royals knocked off the returning champions, Haryana Hammers, 44-35, to win their first Indian Pro League title. This was the third year in a row that the Haryana Hammers made the finals. The three-time finalists won the team title in Season 2, but fell short in the Season 1 and Season 3 finals.

The daily matches from India last three weeks and begin on January 14 and go through January 31.

DELHI SULTANS
Women's Wrestling 
53kg - Pinki PINKI (IND) 
57kg - Katherina ZHYDACHIVSHA (ROM)
62kg - Sakshi MALIK (IND)
76kg - Shustova ANASTASIA (UKR)

Freestyle
57kg - Rahul AWARE (IND)
65kg - Andrey KVIATKOVSKI (UKR)
74kg - Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) 
84kg - Praveen PRAVEEN (IND)
125kg - Sumit Malik (IND) 

HARYANA HAMMERS
Women's Wrestling 
53kg – Seema SEEMA (IND) 
57kg - Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) 
62kg - Tayana OMELCHENKO (AZE) 
76kg – Kiran KIRAN (IND) 

Freestyle
57kg - Ravi KUMAR (IND) 
65kg – Rajneesh RAJNEESH (IND) 
74kg - Parveen RANA (IND) 
86kg - Ali SHABANOV (BLR) 
125kg - Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (UKR) 

MUMBAI MAHARATHI
Women's Wrestling 
53kg - Vinesh PHOGAT (IND)
57kg - Angelica BETZABETH (VEN)
62kg - Shilpi YADAV (IND)
76kg - Zsaneet NEMETH (HUN)

Freestyle
57kg - Ibragim ILYASOV (RUS)
65kg – Harphool HARPOOL (IND)
74kg - Sachin RATHI (IND)
86kg - Deepak PUNIA (IND)
125kg - Vladislav BAITSEEV (RUS) 

NCR PUNJAB ROYALS
Women's Wrestling 
53kg – Anju ANJU (IND)
57kg - Mimi HRISTOVA (BGR)
62kg – Anita ANITA (IND)
76kg – Alina STADNIK(UKR)

Freestyle
57kg - Nitin RATHI (IND)
65kg - Bajrang PUNIA (IND)
74kg - Amit DHANKAR (IND)
86kg - Dato MARSAHISHVILI (GEO)
125kg - Korey JARVIS (CAN) 

UP DANGAL
Women's Wrestling 
53kg - Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR)
57kg – Sarita SARITA (IND)
62kg - Navjot Kaur (IND)
76kg - Epp MAE (EST)

Freestyle
57kg - NaveenNAVEEN (IND)
65kg - Pankaj RANA (IND)
74kg - Jitender JITENDER (IND)
86kg - Irakli Misituri  (GEO)
125kg - Georgi SAKANDELIDZE (QAT)

MP YODHA
Women's Wrestling 
53kg - Ritu PHOGAT (IND) 
57kg - Pooja DHANDA (IND) 
62kg - Elise MANOLOVA (AZE) 
76kg- Andrea CAROLINA (COL) 

Freestyle
57kg - Sandeep TOMAR (IND) 
65kg - Haji ALIYEV (AZE) 
74kg - Vasil MIKHAILOV (URK) 
86kg - Deepak DEEPAK (IND) 
125kg - Akash ANTIL (IND)


Russia's Abdulsalam GADISOV, the 2014 world champion, has been promoted to head coach of the junior freestyle team. (Photo: Martin Gabor)

3. World Champ Gadisov Named Head Coach of Russian Junior Freestyle Team
Dshambulat TEDEEV, the head freestyle coach of the Russian Federation, announced that a pair of world champion wrestlers turned coaches received promotions this weekend. First, Abdulsalam GADISOV, a 2014 world champion and 2015 world runner-up for the Russian Federation, has been named the head coach of Russia’s junior freestyle team, and Magomed AZIZOV (RUS), a 1994 world champion, has been promoted to the 65kg coach for the senior-level team. 

Coach Tedeev made the announcement on Instagram, saying, “There have been small changes in the coaching staff of the Russian national team in freestyle wrestling. Magomed Azizov, who was previously at the position of senior coach of the Russian wrestling team among juniors under 20, was transferred to an adult team, where he will be responsible for the weight category up to 65 kg And Abdusalam Gadisov became the head coach of the junior team. Congratulations to my brother and wish us success in future work!” 

4. Taylor, Olli, and Bacsi Named Best Wrestlers of the Year 
With the 2018 wrestling season officially at a close, United World Wrestling has awarded “Best Wrestler of the Year” honors to David TAYLOR (USA) in freestyle, Petra OLLI (FIN) in women’s wrestling, and Peter BACSI (HUN) in Greco-Roman.

The award was based on the number of ranking points each of the wrestlers attained over the course of the 2018 season. A majority of points were earned at the world and continental championships, with additional points earned at a number of style-specific Ranking Series tournaments around the world.

For their efforts, Taylor, Olli, and Bacsi each received a 10,000 CHF prize from United World Wrestling.

Click here to watch the Best Wrestlers of the Year videos. 


Two-time world champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) has won six world titles across all divisions. (Photo: Martin Gabor)

5. Meet Yui Susaki, Japan's 20-Year-Old Six-Time World Champion
At just 20 years of age, Yui SUSAKI (JPN) has reached the top of the world stage six times across all age-levels. Her international resume remains unblemished and includes a trio of cadet world titles, a junior world championship and a pair of senior-level world gold medals. 

Susaki’s international debut came at the 2014 Cadet World Championships in Snina, Slovakia, where she went undefeated and claimed the 43kg world title. She ultimately went on to win back-to-back-to-back cadet world titles, claiming the 46kg and 49kg world titles in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

Surprisingly, in 2017, the Waseda University freshman (who's studying Sports Science) bypassed the junior-circuit and made her senior-level debut at the “Toughest Wrestling Tournament in the World,” the Ivan Yarygin, where she outscored her five opponents 48-0 and grabbed her first-ever senior-level gold medal. 

Susaki continued her dominance through 2017, winning the Klippan Lady Open and the Asian Championships before heading to Paris, France to make her World Championship debut. In her rookie debut, Susaki went 5-0, finished four of those five matches early with technical superiority victories and outscored her opponents 53-8.

In 2018, Susaki failed to make Japan’s Asian Games and Asian Championship teams and decided to circle back and compete at the 2018 Junior World Championships in Trnava, Slovakia. The Japanese superstar won her first junior world title and fifth overall world championship with a quartet of 10-0 wins before booking her trip to Budapest, Hungary, to defend her senior-level world title. 

Susaki proved that she belongs in the discussion as one of the most dominant wrestlers across all styles, in all divisions after successfully defending her world title in Budapest. To win back-to-back senior-level world titles, Susaki shutout reigning world finalist Emilia VUC (ROU), world bronze medalist Oksana LIVACH (UKR), and the eight-time world and Olympic medalist Mariya STADNIK (AZE). 

After winning her second straight world title, Susaki was forced to withdraw from Japan's Emperor's Cup due to a dislocated elbow suffered at the national team training camp last month. This means that Susaki will have to win the All-Japan Invitational Championships, also known as the Meiji Cup, next spring, then defeat the winner of this tournament (known as the Emperor’s Cup) in a playoff. 

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media

1. There’s only one more day until the weekend! Why not throw everything you have into it?
2. The pain of defeat.
3. How do you spend the winter?? А как ты проводишь эту зиму? Video from Kazakhstan @daniyarkaisanov
4. “Hayatımın en unutulmaz günlerinden biriydi..#Kareografi#Teşekkürler #Sivasspor #Yiğidolar#YiğidoGençlik @yigido.genclik @sivasspor@sivassporsk” “It was one of the most memorable days of my life.” - @tahakgul
5. Doesn’t get much cooler than this! Here’s three-time Olympic champion @saori___yoshida rolling with Rio Olympic champion @eri_tosaka!

#WrestleZagreb

Amouzad avenges Paris loss to Kiyooka, claims 65kg gold

Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - 22:02 By Ken Marantz

Share this article

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 16) -- Revenge was the theme of the night on Tuesday at the Zagreb World Championships, with Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) playing the starring role.

Amouzad not only avenged his loss to Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) from the Paris Olympics, he did it in overwhelming fashion, blitzing his way to a 10-0 victory in the 65kg final on the final day of the freestyle competition at Arena Zagreb.

"I worked really hard and had been waiting for this moment for almost a year, and I’m happy this championship is mine," Amouzad said. "I put in a lot of effort physically, mentally, and with analysis."

The other freestyle gold at stake went to Kyle SNYDER (USA), who likewise avenged a loss in Paris -- albeit for the bronze -- with a nail-biting 4-2 win at 97kg over Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) to capture his fourth world title.

Iran, which was already assured of winning the team title for the first time since 2013 before the night began, finished with 145 points, 11 ahead of the United States in second place. Japan placed third with 111 points.

"I’m also really happy that Iran’s team became the champion," Amouzad said. "This title was well deserved. For the past 12 years we couldn’t win but now, with seven medals, it finally happened. I’m glad the people of Iran are happy, and that makes me even happier."

It was just over a year ago that Kiyooka came seemingly out of nowhere and snatched the 65kg gold in Paris with an inspired 10-3 victory over Amouzad.

But on Tuesday, the outcome could not have been more different. From the outset, it was all Amouzad, the 2022 world champion who won three straight Asian titles from 2022 to 2024.

Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI)Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) counters Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) in the 65kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

The Iranian deftly countered a single-leg attack from Kiyooka with a back lift for two, then added a two-point exposure. And he wasn't finished with the sequence, transitioning to a cradle at the edge and wedging Kiyooka over for two more and a 6-0 lead.

Amouzad kept the pressure on a shell-shocked Kiyooka, scoring a stepout that had a fleeing point tacked on. A final takedown and the match was over with eight seconds to spare in the first period.

"I have more plans and bigger goals ahead," Amouzad said. "This is just the beginning for me, and my work isn’t finished yet. In two months, I’ll compete in the Islamic Games and I’ll participate in any tournament the coaching staff believe I should."

Kyle SNYDER (USA)Kyle SNYDER (USA) celebrates after beating Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) in the 97kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

The 97kg final was a much closer but no less dramatic affair, as Snyder picked up his eighth medal in eight trips to the World Championships to go along with an Olympic gold from Rio 2016 and a silver at Tokyo 2021.

The 29-year-old Snyder received an activity point in a tenuous first period, but Azarpira broke the logjam by getting behind for a takedown early in the second. A penalty point against Azarpira for finger-grabbing tied the score at 2-2, but with the Iranian holding the criteria advantage.

With the atmosphere growing intense, Snyder put the pressure on and scored a stepout with 8.5 seconds left, then held on as the match ended with him defending against a single-leg attack. As has become ritual, Iran made a futile challenge at the end, which did nothing but change the final score.

"We just had a little bit of a game plan for him, making sure the match is tight because in a match like that, I can always get things going near the end and find a way to score," Snyder said. "I thought I was close and I felt like he was kind of stumbling. I over-pursued a little bit and he's pretty savvy on the edge and I gave him a takedown. But honestly, that was good because it made me bring my pace even more.

"I think the timing of that was perfect, just made the match a matter of the heart, like I wasn't as much about technique as it was about the heart."

Kyle SNYDER (USA)Kyle SNYDER (USA) scores the match-winning stepouts against Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) during the 97kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

It was in Zagreb back in February 2023 that Snyder and Azarpira first met on the mat, with the American winning 3-0 in the final of the Zagreb Open. But a year later in the final of the same tournament, Azarpira came out a 6-3 winner, then defeated Snyder 4-1 eight months later in a bronze-medal match at the Paris Olympics.

"He's a tough and good hand fighter," Snyder said. "At the Olympics, I felt like I got him tired, but there were a lot of stops because of the blood. I felt that broke up the match a little bit. It came down to the last couple of seconds in this one, too. Just keeping inside a little bit better and faking and snapping and finding a way to win."

Snyder credits his dedication to consistently hard training for his continued success. "I know every time I come in, it's going to be hard. Even making the team in America is hard. So I think the most important quality for consistency over time is just humility and being willing to keep learning and keep working.

"You got to keep working hard. I think I trained harder this year than I ever have in my entire life. You got to be willing to keep doing that year after year after year."

Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN)Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN), left, and Arash YOSHIDA (JPN), the two bronze medalists at 97kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Tazhudinov cuts it close, but leaves Zagreb with bronze

Paris Olympic champion Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN), whose reign as world champion ended with a loss in the semifinals by Azarpira, assured he won't be leaving Zagreb empty-handed, but he had to work hard to earn his consolation bronze medal.

Tazhudinov, who has looked out of sorts all tournament, had to survive a late scramble that, when the video was studied and the points sorted out, gave him a 13-10 come-from-behind victory over Akhmed MAGAMAEV (BUL).

It didn't look good for Tazhudinov when he was thrown for four at the outset of the match, but he managed to come back with a pair of takedowns. The two traded two-point exposures when Tazhudinov secured a cradle, but was stopped on his own back, leaving him trailing 6-6 on criteria.

Tazhudinov finally went ahead with a takedown with 1:23 left, but a wild scramble from Magamaev's counter-lift ended up with Tazhudinov being awarded five points and Magamaev four on challenge, giving the Bahrain wrestler the win.

Meanwhile, two-time Asian champion Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) made Japanese history when he became the country's heaviest world medalist ever by outmuscling Zbigniew BARANOWSKI  (POL) 6-0 for the other 97kg bronze.

Yoshida, whose father is Iranian and runs the kids club where he and his siblings started the sport, combined two stepouts, two activity points and a takedown to earn the historic bronze.

"I am thankful to Japan," Yoshida said. "But inside, I'm not completely satisfied. From now, I will work hard with the aim of becoming the champion."

Japan's previous heaviest medal winner was Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN), who won a bronze at 92kg in Budapest in 2018. In fact, Matsumoto is one of only two Japanese who had won a medal in a weight classes 90kg or above.

As a footnote, Akira OTA (JPN) won silver medals at 90kg at both the 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Olympics.

At 65kg, Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) earned his first world medal with a solid 7-1 victory over European champion Ibragim IBRAGIMOV (UWW), scoring a takedown in the first period and two in the second along with a stepout.

The victory avenged a loss from two years ago from the semifinals at the World U23 Championships, which Ibragimov won 3-0 en route to a second straight gold in the age group.

Real WOODS (USA) added the other 65kg bronze medal to the U.S. tally with a 3-1 win over Peiman BIABANI (CAN) that saw no technical points.

In making his first world podium, Woods received two activity points to Biabani's one, with a point for an unsuccessful challenge at match end padding the final score.

Day 4 Results

Freestyle

65kg (34 entries)
GOLD: Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) df. Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) by TF, 10-0, 2:52

BRONZE: Real WOODS (USA) df. Peiman BIABANI (CAN), 3-1
BRONZE: Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) df. Ibragim IBRAGIMOV (UWW), 7-3

97kg (29 entries)
GOLD: Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI), 4-2

BRONZE: Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) df. Akhmed MAGAMAEV (BUL), 13-10
BRONZE: Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) df. Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL), 6-0