Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! October 29, 2019

By Eric Olanowski

Previewing this week's U23 World Championships and the upcoming Women's Wrestling World Cup. Also reviewing results from the 7th CISM World Military Games and the Ugra Cup. 

1. U23 World Championships Underway in Budapest 
Freestyle wrestling is underway at the U23 World Championships, and Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) and Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) will take the mat on Tuesday night for a shot at winning their second U23 world titles. 

At 57kg, Andreu Ortega will go toe to toe with Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ), and Goleij will square off against Shamil MUSAEV (RUS) in the 97kg finals. 

Women’s wrestling will take over on Wednesday. They'll have a pair of U23 world champs who are looking to repeat their title-winning performances from 2018. Japan's Saki IGARASHI (55kg) and China's Paliha PALIHA (76kg) are the two women’s wrestlers that'll look to win their second consecutive U23 world title. 

Greco-Roman and its five defending gold medalists kick off the championships on Friday. 

The headliner on the Greco-Roman side of the competition is Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO), who last month reached the top of the senior world podium in Nur-Sultan.

His fellow compatriot, Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO), will look to defend his U23 world title from a year ago. In total, the Georgian big man's resume is littered with six age-group world titles. 

Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY) and Katsuaki ENDO (JPN) are both entered at 67kg, which could set up a colossal matchup of returning U23 gold-medal winners from last season. El Sayed is coming off a fifth-place finish in Nur-Sultan, where he qualified Egypt for the 2020 Olympic Games at 67kg. 

The fifth and final Greco-Roman champ from a year ago is Semen NOVIKOV (UKR). He’s entered at 87kg. 

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Tuesday's Freestyle Finals
57kg: Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) vs. Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ)
65kg: Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) vs. Takuma TANIYAMA (JPN)
70kg: Mirza SKHULUKHIA (GEO) vs. Cherman VALIEV (RUS)
79kg: Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO) vs. Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)
97kg: Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) vs. Shamil MUSAEV (RUS)

Riza KAYAALP (TUR) remained undefeated on the season and won the 130kg World Military Games gold medal. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

2. Evloev and Kayaalp Among GR World Military Games Winners
Musa EVLOEV (RUS) and Riza KAYAALP (TUR) remained undefeated in 2019 and closed out their year with gold-medal performances at the 7th CISM World Military Games in Wuhan, China. 

Evloev, the reigning two-time 97kg world champion, went 4-0 on his quest for gold and outscored his opponents 29-1. Evloev grabbed three consecutive technical superiority wins against Udeh JOSEPH (NGR), Michail IOSIFIDIS (GRE) and Oliver HASSLER (GER), before edging Matti KUOSMANEN (FIN), 2-1, in the finals. 

The Russian's undefeated reign of terror now spans over 15 months and nine tournaments. Since Evloev's last loss, he's won gold at the Russian National Championships, European Championships and twice at the World Championships, among many others.

Kayaalp, who is freshly off claiming his Turkish record-breaking fourth world title, avenged his 2018 World Championships loss to Heiki NABI (EST) in the 130kg finals, and won his first CISM World Military Games gold medal with a 3-1 victory.

Meanwhile, Nur-Sultan world finalists Viktor LORINCZ (HUN), Sergei EMELIN (RUS) and Artem SURKOV (RUS) also competed in gold-medal matches in their respective weight classes, but the Hungarian was the only one to reach the top of the podium. 

Lorincz, a 2019 world runner-up, used a three-point second period to sneak past Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE), 4-1, in the 87kg gold-medal bout. 

Emelin and Surkov each dropped their finals matches and settled for second-place finishes. Emelin was shutout by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s Ri Se UNG, 4-0, in the 60kg finals, while Surkov forfeited to Mohamed EL SAYED (EGY) in the 67kg finals. 

The sixth and final Greco-Roman gold medal went to Iran’s Pejman POSHTAM, who edged Hasan ALIYEV (AZE), 2-1, in the 77kg finals. 

Click here for full results from the 7th CISM World Military Games.

Greco-Roman Results

60kg
GOLD: Ri Se UNG (PRK) df. Sergei EMELIN (RUS), 4-0
BRONZE: Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) df. Gyanender (IND), 6-3
BRONZE: Ildar HAFIZOV (USA) df. Tigran MINASYAN (ARM), 8-0

67kg
GOLD: Mohamed IBRAHIM (EGY) df. Artem SURKOV (RUS) by forfeit
BRONZE: Mate NEMES (SRB) df. Jolison JUNIOR (BRA), 9-0
BRONZE: Mikayil RAHMANOV (AZE) df. Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 5-0

77kg
GOLD: Pejman POSHTAM (IRI) df. Hasan ALIYEV (AZE), 2-1 
BRONZE: Viktor NEMES (SRB) df. Dmytro PYSHKOV (UKR), 3-0
BRONZE: Florian NEUMAIER (GER) df. Mariea GEORGE VLAD (ROU), 5-0 

87kg
GOLD: Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) df. Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE), 4-1
BRONZE: Denis KUDLA (GER) df. Metehan BASAR (TUR), 6-0
BRONZE: EvgHYSHMAN (UKR), 2-1

97kg
GOLD: Musa EVLOEV (RUS) df. Matti Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN), 2-1
BRONZE: Oliver Adrian HASSLER (GER) df.  Michail IOIFIDIS (GRE) , via fall 
BRONZE-Aliksandr HRABOVIK (BLR) df. Alimulati DALAWUBAI (CHN), 5-1

130kg
GOLD: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Heiki NABI (EST), 3-1
BRONZE: Abdellatiif AHMED (EGY) df. Berei LEONARD ISTVAN (ROU), 8-0
BRONZE: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) df. Oleksandr CHERNETSKYY (UKR), 2-2

Natalia VOROBIEVA (RUS) bumped up to 76kg and scored the fall over WANG Juan (CHN) in the gold-medal match. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

3. Vorobieva Wins World Military Games Title Up at 76kg 
Natalia VOROBIEVA (RUS) returned to the Olympic weight of 76kg after winning the 72kg world title and reached the top of the podium at the 7th CISM World Military Games. The two-time Olympic finalists and London Olympic champion finished the tournament with three wins but saved the most dramatic win for last. Vorobieva found a way to score the fall over WANG Juan (CHN) after trailing 6-2 in the opening period. 

Vorobieva's  move up a weight is intreaguing because Rio bronze medalist Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS) failed to qualifty the Russian Federation for the Olympic Games at 76kg after a 17th-place finish at the 2019 World Championships. This means Russia could be without one of their Olympic medalists if the pair elect to stay at the same weight class moving into the 2020 calendar year. 

Meanwhile, the host nation was successful in claiming a trio of women’s wrestling gold medals. Their three champions were LI Yuyan, LI Hui and ZHOU Feng, who won the 50kg, 57kg and 68kg gold medals, respectively.

The Democratic People’s Republic finished with the second-most gold medals after they collected titled from Jo Hwa YON and Mun Hyon GYONG won gold at 53kg and 62kg, respectively. 

Click here for full results from the 7th CISM World Military Games.

Women’s Wrestling Results 

50kg 
GOLD: Yuyan LI (CHN) df. Whitney CONDER (USA), 6-5
BRONZE: kseniya STANKEVICH (BLR) df. Nada ASHOUR (EGY), via fall 
BRONZE: Kim Su JONG (PRK) df. Iwona MATKOWSKA (POL), 5-2

53kg
GOLD:  Jo Hwa YON (PRK) df. Seicariu SUZANA GEORGIANA (ROU), via fall 
BRONZE: Milana DADASHEVA (RUS) df. Bolorerdene BATORSHIKH (MGL), 12-6
BRONZE: Nina HEMMER (GER) df.Ellada MAKHYADDINOVA (KAZ), 10-0

57kg
GOLD: Hui LI (CHN) df. Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL), 6-3 
BRONZE: Jong Myong SUK (PRK) df. Mathilde RIVIERE (FRA), 8-1
BRONZE: Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) df. Katsiaryna HANCHAR (BLR), 10-0

62kg
GOLD: Mun Hyon GYONG (PRK) df. Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS), 11-1
BRONZE: Lais OLIVEIRA (BRA) df. Olena KREMZER (UKR), 7-0
BRONZE: Anastasiya HUCHOK (BLR) df.  Sushila CHAND (NEP) by forfeit

68kg
GOLD: Feng ZHOU (CHN) df.  Agnieszka WIESZCZEK KORDUS (POL), 6-2
BRONZE: Davaanasan ENKHAMAR (MGL) df. Dailane REIS (BRA), 9-5
BRONZE: Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) df. Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR) by forfeit

76kg
GOLD: Natalia VOROBIEVA (RUS) df. Juan WANG (CHN), via fall 
BRONZE: Alla BELINSKA (UKR) df. Ariunjargal GANBAT (MGL), 6-2
BRONZE: Gulmaral YERKEBAYEVA (KAZ) df. Greta CEPONYTE (LTU), 10-0

Israil KASUMOV (RUS) took down an Olympic champion and a two-time world medalist en route to winning the 70kg title at the Ugra Cup. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

4. Russia Wins Eight Golds at Ugra Cup
Israil KASUMOV (RUS) knocked off Alan GOGAEV (RUS) and Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) as Russian wrestlers claimed eight of ten gold medals at the Grand Prix of Vladimir Semenov "Ugra Cup" in Russia’s wintery city of Nefteyugansk.

Kasumov won the 70kg gold medal, but his biggest win came in the semifinals when he downed Rio Olympic champion Soslan RAMONOV (RUS), 9-7. Kasumov followed up his huge semifinals win with a 5-3 victory over Alan Gogaev, who is a two-time world medalist.  

Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER) and Danylo KARTAVYI (UKR) were the two non-Russian wrestlers who won gold medals at the Ugra Cup. The German used a 4-2 victory over Znaur KOTSIEV (RUS) to seize the 97kg title, while the Ukranian wrestler pinned Magomedamin DIBIROV (RUS) in the 125kg finals. 

After three consecutive weekends of high-level competitions, the Russian calendar takes a few weeks off before the Grand Prix Moscow Alrosa Cup (November 29-30) and the Alans International Tournament (December 5-8). 

Ugra Cup Results
57kg – Khasankhusein BADRUDINOV (RUS) df. Artur CHEBODAEV (RUS) , 7-2 
61kg – Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (RUS) df. Efim KORMILTSEV (RUS), 5-2 
65kg – Lulian GREGENOV (RUS) df. Aleksandr BOGOMOEV (RUS), via injury default 
70kg – Israil KASUMOV (RUS) df. Alan GOGAEV (RUS), 5-3 
74kg – Timur BIZHOEV (RUS) df. Magomed KHIZRIEV (RUS), 5-2 
79kg – Kakhaber KHUBEZHTY (RUS) df. Malik SHAVAEV (RUS), via fall ­
86kg – Arsen-Ali MUSALALIEV (RUS) df. Tamerlan TAPSIEV (RUS), 3-2 
92kg – Magomed KURBANOV (RUS) df. Alikhan ZHABRAILOV (RUS), 6-1 
97kg – Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER) df. Znaur KOTSIEV (RUS), 4-2
125kg – Danylo KARTAVYI (UKR) df. Magomedamin DIBIROV (RUS), via fall 

Adeline Gray is one of five world champions that'll wrestle at the Women's Wrestling World Cup. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

5. Women’s World Cup Schedule to be Released this Week
Later this week, United World Wrestling will announce the schedule for the 2019 Women's Wrestling World Cup, which will take place at the Nakadai Sports & Recreation Park Gymnasium in Narita, Japan, from November 16-17.

The can't-miss competition is set to feature an impressive list of wrestlers who have world and Olympic medals on their resumes. As the entries sit, five of the ten women’s wrestling world champions from Nur-Sultan will make the trip to Japan for the 18th installment of the annual dual meet event. Furthermore, the tournament will also feature at least three additional wrestlers that have a world gold on their resume -- bringing the grand total of past and reigning world champions to eight.

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media

1. Big Move Monday -- Nasibov P. (UKR)
2. Who is ready to watch Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) defend his U23 and SR level world title?!
3. Back and forth match between IBRAGIMOV (AZE) and PANTALEO (USA) with IBRAGIMOV grabbing the 9-8 win ?? ? ?
4. Some behind the scenes photos from day one at the 2019 U23 World Championships. .
5. The #best10from day 1 at #wrestlebudapest 

Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! May 7, 2019

By Eric Olanowski

Discussing results from Beat the Streets and the 50th Annual Ali Aliyev. Also looking at the latest world rankings and David Taylor suffering a right knee injury. 

1. Burroughs Bullies Askren at Beat the Streets 
A star-studded crowd that featured Kelly Rippa and Neil deGrasse Tyson, among many others, showed up to see Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) bully Ben ASKREN, 11-0 in Beat the Streets’ featured bout of the night at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater in New York City. 

The London Olympic champion Burroughs was up 9-0 after the opening period and used a second-period takedown to close out the match against the 2008 Olympian and current UFC fighter Ben Askren. 

In the co-main event of the night, American youngster Yianni DIAKOMIHALIS (USA) pulled off the shocking upset over India’s No. 1-ranked Bajrang PUNIA (IND), 10-8. 

The pair traded takedowns in the opening period, but it was Bajrang who led 2-2 on criteria heading into the second period. In the closing three minutes, the American scored eight points from two takedowns off his own shots, and a pair of counter-offensive maneuvers to stun the reigning world silver medalist by two points.

Another young wrestler who picked up a win over a returning world medalist was Nick SURIANO (USA). Suriano, the third year college student, scored a second-period takedown and grabbed the 3-1 upset victory over Budapest world bronze medalist Joe COLON (USA). 

Other stars that were victorious on the night were J'den COX (USA), James GREEN (USA), Nick GWIAZDOWSKI (USA), and Kyle SNYDER (USA). 

RESULTS
57kg - Jack MUELLER (USA) df. Nick PICCININNI (USA), 11-0
62kg (WW) - Mallory VELTE (USA) df. Linda MORAIS (CAN), 10-0
70kg - James GREEN (USA) df. Anthony ASHNAULT (USA), 8-4 
97kg - Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Nishan RANDHAWA (CAN), 15-1
125kg - Nick GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) df. Derek WHITE( USA), 9-0
57kg (WW) - Becka LEATHERS (USA) df. Diana WEICKER (CAN), 10-6
61kg - Nick SURIANO (USA) df. Joe COLON (USA), 3-1
86kg - Drew FOSTER (USA) df. David TAYLOR (USA), via injury default (0:31)
92kg - J'den COX (USA) df. Patrick BRUCKI (USA), 10-0
65kg - Yianni DIAKOMIHALIS (USA) df. Bajrang PUNIA (IND), 10-8
74kg - Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) df. Ben ASKREN (USA), 11-0

Reiniging 57kg world champion Zaur UGUEV (RUS)  made his return to the mat for the first time since his run to a world title and won the 50th Annual Ali Aliyev 57kg gold medal. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

2. 50th Annual Ali Aliyev Wraps up in Dagestan 
The Russian Federation reeled in seven of ten gold medals at the 50th annual Ali Aliyev Memorial tournament - which was held in Kaspiisk, Dagestan at the namesake arena, the Ali Aliyev Palace of Sport and Youth.

The biggest storylines from Russia’s seven-gold-medal performances came at 57kg and 125kg where Zaur UGUEV (RUS) and Vladislav BAITSAEV (RUS) respectively reached the top of the podium. 

Uguev, the reigning 57kg world champion, made his return to the mat for the first time since last October’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, when he went 4-0 and capped off his world title run with a 4-3 win over Kazakhstan’s Nurislam (Artas) SANAYEV (SANAA) (KAZ) in the gold-medal bout. 

In the Ali Aliyev finals, Uguev completed his gold-medal run with a 3-0 win over fellow Russia Azamat TUSKAEV to win his first Ali Aliyev title. His previous highest finish came in 2016 when he finished in fifth place. 

At 125kg, Vladislav Baitsaev easily handled Pavel KRIVTSOV (RUS), 11-1 and also won his first Ali Aliyev title. This was Baitsaev’s first competition up from his normal weight of 97kg. The Russian won the European title last year at 97kg before surrendering his spot to eventual 97kg world champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS).

Instead of trying to upend “The Russian Tank,” Baitsaev will move up to 125kg with hopes of making the Russian World Team for the first time in his career. To represent the Russian Federation in Nur-Sultan, Baitsaev will have to beat two-time world fifth-place finisher Anzor KHIZRIEV, who has held the 125kg spot since 2017. 

The three non-Russian gold medals weight to Bajrang PUNIA (IND), Sharip SHARIPOV (AZE), and Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB). 

Bajrang scored a 13-8 come-from-behind win over Viktor RASSADIN (RUS) in the 65kg finals. 

Azerbaijan’s Olympic champion Sharip Sharipov picked up a 7-4 victory over Alikhan ZHABRAILOV (RUS) in the 92kg finals, and Uzbekistan’s Magomed Ibragimov stuck Cuba’s Reineris SALAS PEREZ to win the 97kg title. 

RESULTS 
57kg – Zaur UGUEV (RUS) df. Azamat TUSKAEV (RUS), 3-0
61kg – Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (RUS) df. Magomedrasul IDRISOV (RUS),4-0
65kg – Bajrang PUNIA (IND) df. Viktor RASSADIN (RUS), 13-8
70kg – Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS) df. Gitinomagomed GADZHYEV (AZE), 8-0 
74kg – Darsan DSHAPAROV (RUS) df. Akhmed USMANOV (RUS)5-2
79kg – Magomed RAMAZANOV (RUS) df. Artur BICHENOV (RUS), via fall
86kg – Artur NAIFONOV (RUS) df. Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS), 2-2
92kg Sharip SHARIPOV (AZE) df. Alikhan ZHABRAILOV (RUS),7-4
97kg – Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) df. Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB), via fall
125kg – Vladislav BAITSAEV (RUS) df. Pavel KRIVTSOV (RUS),11-1

3. Punia and Atli Ascend to Top of Freestyle World Rankings After Continental Title Runs
Six European wrestlers own a No. 1-ranking in the latest set of United World Wrestling’s point-based freestyle world rankings. Pan-American countries boast a trio of wrestlers who are ranked No. 1, while Asia has the remaining wrestler sitting atop of the world rankings heading into the final set of freestyle Ranking Series events.

The most significant changes atop this month’s rankings came at 57kg and 65kg where Suleyman ATLI (TUR) and Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) respectively gained control of the world No. 1 ranking with their continental title-winning performances.

Click HERE for a full breakdown of freestyle world rankings. 

4. Nine World Champions Hold onto Top Ranking
In the lastest women’s wrestling rankings nine gold medalists from last year’s Budapest World Championships sit atop of their respective weight classes. Asia has four top-ranked wrestlers, while Europe and Pan-American countries each have three. 

Japan has three of the four top-ranked Asian wrestlers. Their trio of No.1’s are Yui SUSAKI (JPN) (50kg), Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) (55kg), and Risako KAWAI (JPN) (59kg). The fourth Asian wrestler who owns a top ranking is China’s RONG Ningning (CHN)(57kg). 

Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) (62kg), Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) (65kg), and Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) (68kg) are the three European No.1-ranked wrestlers. 

Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) (86 points), Justina DI STASIO (CAN) (72kg), and Adeline GRAY (USA) (76kg), who are all from Pan-American nations, round out the first-ranked wrestlers in this month’s rankings. 

Of the ten wrestlers sitting atop of the rankings, the lone non-returning world champion that owns a No.1-ranking is the United States’ Sarah Hildebrandt. She started the season with 40 points from her world silver medal, then earned 20 points for her Pan-American gold, 14 points for her Ivan Yariguin title, and 12 points for her third-place finish at the Dan Kolov. 

Click HERE for a full breakdown of women's wrestling world rankings. 

5. Taylor Goes Down at Beat the Streets 
The reigning 86kg world champion and one of the pound-for-pound best wrestlers in the world David TAYLOR (USA) injury defaulted out of his Beat the Streets match against Drew FOSTER (USA) after going down with an apparent right knee injury, 31 seconds into the match. 

In the opening sequence of the bout, Foster got to a low-level shot to the right leg of Taylor and came up through the middle. Foster peaked out the back door and isolated the right leg of Taylor. Foster, who was posted on his right hand, threw his left hip to the mat, which is when Taylor stopped wrestling and immediately grabbed his right knee. 

The reigning world champion tried to continue, but his right knee buckled the first time he put his body weight on it, and ultimately forced him to injury default out of the match. 

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media 
1. Big Move Monday -- TASMURADOV E. (UZB) -- 2015 Senior Asian C'ships
2. Reigning world champion @magomedrasul_gazimagomedov70(92 points) has locked up the 70kg No.1 seed at the #WrestleNurSultanWorld Championships after building a commanding 52 point lead over the rest of the weight class. ?: @sachikohotaka
3. @sadulaev_abdulrashid (80 points) and @snyderman45 (78 points) are guaranteed a top-three seed (97kg) at the #WrestleNurSultan World Championships.
4. Bajrang Never Stops Wrestling!
5. Saturday smiles with SUN Yanan ?? during her visit to Switzerland ??for the UWW Athletes Commission. ?: @flo_wrestling_uww