#WrestleBudapest

#WrestleBudapest: Aliyev, Muszukajev to clash for European gold

Monday, March 28, 2022 - 17:25 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (March 28) -- Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Haji ALIYEV (AZE) marked his return to the mat by reaching the final of the European Championships in Budapest. In that process, he set an exciting final against fellow Tokyo Olympian Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN).

The Azerbaijan star led four wrestlers from his country into the final, making it the most successful nation on the first day of the competition.

DAY 1 PHOTO GALLERY 

Aliyev wrestled Maxim SACULTAN (MDA) in the semifinal, and after giving up the initial takedown, he came back to secure a comfortable 12-2 win. He used a big five-point suplex to end the bout.

In his two Monday bouts, Aliyev looked rusty due to the seventh-month break after the Tokyo Games. But if the three-time European champion wants to win his fourth gold, he will have to step up against a familiar foe in Muszukajev in Tuesday night's final.

Iszmail MUSZAKAJEVIszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) made it to his first-ever European Championships final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The two met in the final of the 2020 Individual World Cup in Belgrade, Serbia, in which the Hungarian wrestler stunned the three-time world champion to win the gold.

Muszukajev began with a 10-0 technical superiority win which included a double-leg throw that earned him five points. In the semifinal, he wrestled Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL) and managed to close off that bout with a suplex to win, 11-0.

He led 1-0 at the break, ironically for a point for inactivity. In the second period, he began with a double leg and got two laces, grabbing the 7-0 lead before the big four-point move.

The rematch Tuesday can be another thriller as the two looked in control of their game. Aliyev's defense will be put to test once again against the sneaky attacks of the Hungarian world bronze medalist from 2019.

Aliabbas RZAZADEAliabbas RZAZADE (AZE) throws Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO) for four points. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

At 57kg, U23 world champion Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE) stunned Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO) in the semifinal by finishing the bout in just two minutes. The 10-0 win marked his entry to his first-ever European Championships final.

He will face Vladimir EGOROV (MKD) in the gold-medal bout, in what will be a historic match. North Macedonia has never had a wrestler reach the final of a European Championships since 1999, but Egorov did that by beating Manvel KHNDZRTSYAN (ARM), 10-0. He got an arm trap to finish it quickly.

The two other Azerbaijan wrestlers who reached the final were Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE) and Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE). They will wrestle for gold at 79kg and 97kg, respectively.

Ashirov faced Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) in the semifinal, and after a couple of hiccups, managed to secure a spot in the final. Gamkrelidze scored a takedown and then scored two more via gut-wrench. Ashirov answered with a single leg takedown and cut the lead to 4-2.

In the second period, Ashirov body locked the Georgian for four points to take the lead 6-4. The two traded step-outs and Gamkrelidze scored a takedown to make it 7-7 with Ashirov leading on criteria.

Gamkrelidze tried two desperate attempts in the final 17 seconds and gave up six points on those. He lost the semifinal, 13-7.

Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) became the first-ever wrestler from Greece to enter a European final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Ashirov will face U23 European champion Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE), as he beat Muhammet AKDENIZ (TUR) 15-10 in the other semifinal. The Greek wrestler took a 2-0 lead before Akdeniz managed to score two but also gave up two in the scramble.

The second period began with another scramble with Akdeniz scoring via crotch-lift but he lost control gave up two before an exposure add two more for Kougioumtsidis. A reversal gave Akdeniz one point.

A four-point throw at this point gave a comfortable 12-5 lead to Kougioumtsidis, and in the end, he won 15-10 to become the first wrestler from his country to reach the final in 19 years.

In the first 97kg semifinal, Magomedov scored two takedowns in the first period to lead 4-0 at the break against Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL), but the Polish wrestler managed to start the second period with a takedown before Magomedov scored for himself.

Baranowski managed another takedown in the final five seconds but it was too little too late, as Magomedov reached the final with a 6-4 win.

Earlier in the day, the Azerbaijan junior world silver medalist handed a beating to World bronze medalist Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO), 14-7.

Vladislav BAITSAEVVladislav BAITSAEV (HUN), red, reached the final of the European Championships at 97kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Hungary had its second finalist in Vladislav BAITSAEV (HUN). He comfortably made it past Erik THIELE (GER) in the second semifinal, 8-1. He also made it to the semifinal after beating a World medalist in Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD), 6-4.

The only wrestler who managed to stop Azerbaijan from making it a perfect evening was Zurabi IAKOBASHVILI (GEO) who won a thrilling semifinal at 70kg against U23 European champion Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE).

Bayramov and Iakobashvili left it all on the mat as the latter led 3-0 at the break. But Bayramov came back strong in the second period with a takedown to cut the lead to 3-2. A passivity call against the Georgian made it 3-3 giving Bayramov the lead on criteria.

Iakobashvili had 50 seconds to score a point for the win, and with seven seconds remaining he did that with a step-out to win 4-3.

He will now take on Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM) in the final. The bronze medalist from the European Championships last year wrestled Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA) in the semifinal and beat him 6-2.

His superior defense frustrated Grahmez and Andreasyan managed to take a 4-0 lead at the break. But the two exchanged two points each in the second period but it was not enough for Grahmez to reach his first continental final.

Tuesday's medal bouts, along with the second-day semifinals of the remaining five weights; 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg and 125kg begin at 16:45 (local time).

Hungary

RESULTS:

FS Semifinals

57kg
GOLD: Vladimir EGOROV (MKD) vs Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE)

SF 1: Vladimir EGOROV (MKD) df Manvel KHNDZRTSYAN (ARM), 10-0
SF 2: Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE) df Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO), 10-0

65kg
GOLD: Haji ALIYEV (AZE) vs Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN)

SF 1: Haji ALIYEV (AZE) df Maxim SACULTAN (MDA), 12-2
SF 2: Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) df Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL), 11-0

70kg
GOLD: Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) vs Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM)

SF 1: Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) df Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE), 4-3
SF 2: Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM) df Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA), 6-2

79kg
GOLD: Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE) vs Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)

SF 1: Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE) df Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO), 13-7
SF 2: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) df Muhammet AKDENIZ (TUR), 15-10

97kg
GOLD: Vladislav BAITSAEV (HUN) vs Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE)

SF 1: Vladislav BAITSAEV (HUN) df Erik THIELE (GER), 8-1
SF 2: Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) df Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL), 6-4

#WrestleCasablanca

Nigeria perfect in Women's Wrestling; Egypt wins Freestyle title

Monday, May 5, 2025 - 09:08 By Vinay Siwach

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CASABLANCA, Morocco (May 4) -- Nigeria entered nine wrestlers in Women's Wrestling at the 2025 African Championships and all nine are going back home with gold medals.

The country emerged as the top nation in Women's Wrestling and by some distance. It had had 225 points, 109 points more than second-placed Algeria which won one gold -- at 57kg, a weight class that did not feature a Nigerian wrestler. Egypt finished third with 115 points. Hosts Morocco finished a close fourth with 113 points.

After Nigeria won four gold medals on Saturday through Christianah OGUNSANYA (NGR) at 53kg, Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR) at 62kg, Hannah RUEBEN (NGR) at 68kg and Damola OJO (NGR) at 76kg, it added five more on Sunday.

Mercy GENESIS (NGR) defended her 50kg gold medal with a clean 11-0 win over Cheima CHEBILA (ALG) in the final. That was her fourth victory via technical superiority.

Soon after, defending champion Adijat IDRIS (NGR) dominated Achouak TEKOUK (ALG) in the 55kg final, winning the gold 11-1, her fifth technical superiority win similar to Genesis.

Jumoke ADEKOYE (NGR), who won gold medal at 55kg in 2022 and 2023, returned after two years and showed no signs of rust due to the break. She also won five bouts, three via fall and two via superiority. In the final, she defeated Rahma BEDIWY (EGY) via fall after building a 10-0 win.

Ebipatei MUGHENBOFA (NGR) too defended her 65kg gold medal but needed some effort as Cara DU PLESSIS (RSA) posed a threat in the final. But Mughenbofa secured a fall over Du Plessis, denying the South African a historic gold.

South Africa was searching for its first Women's Wrestling gold at the African Championships since 2000 and Du Plessis fell short. However, she became the first South African wrestler to reach the final since 2015.

In a round-robin bracket, Ebi BIOGOS (NGR) clinched the 72kg gold medal to maintain a perfect record for Nigeria which had nine wrestlers participating in the tournament and all nine won gold medals.

Omar MOURAD (EGY)Omar MOURAD (EGY) won the 74kg gold medal at the African Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Egypt maintain Freestyle dominance

After clinching the Greco-Roman team title, Egypt won the Freestyle team title as well. It scored 182 points to finish at the top followed by Morocco with 110 points and Algeria was third with 105 points.

Egypt won four gold medals, two silvers and two bronzes. Two wrestlers did not win any medals but added 12 points to the total to help the country to the title.

The young pair of Omar MOURAD (EGY) and Aabdelrahman SHEYATAN (EGY) won gold medals at 74kg and 97kg respectively. Hassan ELSAYED (EGY) upgraded his bronze to gold at 61kg while Ahmed MAHMOUD (EGY) returned to the African Championships after two years to win the 86kg gold medal.

Cedric ABOSSOLO (CMR)Cedric ABOSSOLO (CMR) celebrates after winning the 92kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

But the story of the tournament was Cedric ABOSSOLO (CMR), who won the 92kg gold medal after a stunning performance with four wins, all without giving up a point. The gold medal was Cameroon's first in Freestyle at the African Championships since 1998.

Abossolo, who had not won a medal at the African Championships in his past three attempts, defeated Ebikeme NEWLIFE (NGR) via fall in the final after building a 9-0 lead.

The 25-year-old Abossolo scored  takedown and turn while Newlife was on activity clock to lead 5-0. He hit an arm throw for four points and then held Newlife on the mat for a fall with 2 minutes remaining on the clock.

In other weight classes, Oussama ASSAD (MAR) gave hosts Morocco the lone gold medal in Freestyle at 125kg. His win ended Egypt's 11-year golden streak at the African Championships as the last time a non-Egyptian wrestler won gold at 125kg was in 2014 when Slim TRABELSI (TUN) won gold.

Paris Olympian Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS) completed a hat-trick of gold medals at 57kg after he sneaked through a thrilling 10-8 win over Salah KATEB (ALG) in the final. 

Kateb opened the scoring with a arm-throw for four points but Iuna Fafe recovered to block Kateb for a pin which he survived and scored a reversal for a 5-2 lead. A point was awarded to Kateb as Iuna Fafe headbutted, a reaction to open hand hitting from Kateb. A second into the restart, Kateb was docked a point for open hands.

Iuna Fafe got going soon after and scored two step outs to reduce Kateb's lead to 6-5 with 1:25 remaining on the clock. But Kateb made it 10-5 as he countered a forward pressure from Iuna Fafe with a underhook sidethrow for four points.

Iuna Fafe challenged the four-point call and on review it was scored only two points as his knees were still on the mat when he got thrown. He had 31 seconds to recover from 8-5 to win the final.

A moment of brilliance from Iuna Fafe with 20 seconds on the clock saw him score a takedown and then a turn using figure 4 to win 10-8. He broke out into a dance celebration making his hands as tiger claws, symbolizing a hunt on the mat.

Algeria did win a gold medal through Abdelkader IKKAL (ALG) who blanked Mohammed BOUAZOUNI (MAR), 10-0, in the 79kg final.

At 65kg, Stephen IZOLO (NGR) defeated Farouk JELASSI (TUN), 5-1, to give Nigeria a gold medal, the country's first in Freestyle at African Championships in five years.

The 70kg gold medal went to Tunisia after Khairiddine BEN TLILI (TUN) defeated Mohamed AHMED (EGY), 10-0, in the final, his third technical superiority win in three bouts.

Photo

RESULTS

Women's Wrestling

50kg
GOLD: Mercy GENESIS (NGR) df. Cheima CHEBILA (ALG), 11-0

BRONZE: Malak AHMED (EGY) df. Chloe BREWIS (RSA), via inj. def.

55kg
GOLD: Adijat IDRIS (NGR) df. Achouak TEKOUK (ALG), 11-1

BRONZE: Lobna ICHAOUI (TUN) df. Sara ETTAKI (MAR), 3-1

59kg
GOLD: Jumoke ADEKOYE (NGR) df. Rahma BEDIWY (EGY), via fall (10-0)

BRONZE: Chahd JELJELI (TUN) df. Rayane HOUFAF (ALG), via fall (10-0)

65kg
GOLD: Ebipatei MUGHENBOFA (NGR) df. Cara DU PLESSIS (RSA), via fall (8-2)

BRONZE: Mouda HAMDOUN (EGY) df. Kawiyatou ISSIFOU (BEN), 12-2
BRONZE: Lec ANDE (CAF) df. Vihanshy KANAPETRADU (MRI), 8-2

72kg
GOLD: Ebi BIOGOS (NGR)
SILVER: Yasmine BOUREGBA (ALG)
BRONZE: Rosie TABORA (COD)

Freestyle

57kg
GOLD: Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS) df. Salah KATEB (ALG), 10-8

BRONZE: Roland TAMBI NFORSONG (CMR) df. Lenerd VAN SCHALKWYK (RSA), 7-2
BRONZE: Omar FAYE (SEN) df. Ben TARIK (MAR), 10-7

61kg
GOLD: Hassan ELSAYED (EGY) df. Didier DIATTA (SEN), 8-6

BRONZE: Radouane SISSAOUI (ALG) df. Rabby KILANDI (COD), 9-8
BRONZE: Khalil BARKOUTI (TUN) df. Ndjidda BOUBA (CMR), via fall (10-0)

65kg
GOLD: Stephen IZOLO (NGR) df. Farouk JELASSI (TUN), 5-1

BRONZE: Wotna NDOC (GBS) df. Godefroid KALUBI (COD), 13-1
BRONZE: Said ELGAHSH (EGY) df. Rida DJEFFAL (ALG), 15-4

70kg
GOLD: Khairiddine BEN TLILI (TUN) df. Mohamed AHMED (EGY), 10-0

BRONZE: Gabriel MUANDA (COD) df. Anthony WESLEY (CPV), via fall (13-4)
BRONZE: Tope ADEBAYO (NGR) df. Otmane EL BAHJA (MAR), 6-1

74kg
GOLD: Omar MOURAD (EGY) df. Saad BOUGUERRA (ALG), 10-0

BRONZE: Ebierelayefa ANDREW (NGR) df. Jesse VAN BAALEN (RSA), 11-0
BRONZE: Caetano ANTONIO SA (GBS) df. Joao BARBOSA (CPV), 10-4

79kg
GOLD: Abdelkader IKKAL (ALG) df. Mohammed BOUAZOUNI (MAR), 10-0

BRONZE: Mbaye DIOP (SEN) df. Mathayo MAHABILA (KEN), 5-2
BRONZE: Andy MUKENDI (COD) df. Alfred DANIEL (SLE), 10-0

86kg
GOLD: Ahmed MAHMOUD (EGY) df. Siny SEMBENE (SEN), via fall (2-1)

BRONZE: Matteo MONTEIRO (CPV) df. Iliassou BONI (BEN), 12-1
BRONZE: Houssem OUCIF (ALG) df. Walid CHEIKH LAHLOU (MAR), 10-0

92kg
GOLD: Cedric ABOSSOLO (CMR) df. Ebikeme NEWLIFE (NGR), via fall (9-0)

BRONZE: Mohamed AHMED (EGY) df. Mamadou DIOUF (SEN), 8-4

97kg
GOLD: Aabdelrahman SHEYATAN (EGY) df. Gino INTCHALA (GBS), 14-3

BRONZE: Barthelemy TSHOSHA (COD) df. Ayoub NASSR ELLAH (MAR), 11-1

125kg
GOLD: Oussama ASSAD (MAR)
SILVER: Youssef ABOUDAWABA (EGY)
BRONZE: Issah FUSEINI (GHA)