#WrestleOslo Day Two Preview: Freestyle 57kg, 65kg, 79kg and 92kg

Sunday, September 19, 2021 - 19:25 By Vinay Siwach

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (September 17) -- The last time a senior World Championships took place, Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) and J'den COX (USA) were primed to be at the Tokyo Olympics and even win their second medal at the big event. The former is a London Olympic champion while Cox won a bronze at the Rio Games. But both saw their dreams shattered in April earlier this year after losing at the USA Olympic Team Trials.

Six months later, both Burroughs and Cox have shifted their focus to winning the world titles. They'll take the mat on the second day of the senior World Championships in Oslo, Norway, as four more freestyle weight classes will be in action on October 3.

Burroughs, who has been a permanent fixture at 74kg for close to a decade now, will be wrestling at 79kg for the first time in his career after he won the World Team Trials in the best-of-three series against Alex DIERINGER (USA) last month. Kyle DAKE (USA) has confirmed that he will be wrestling at 74kg in Oslo after he won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in August.

But at 79kg, Burroughs will face new challenges.

Most of the seasoned campaigners have decided to skip the Oslo event. The USA wrestler will have to deal with former U23 world champion Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO), U23 world runner-up Mohammad NOKHODILARIMI (IRI) and winner of Russian Wrestling Federation trials Radik VALIEV (RWF), who is a two-time U23 European champion.

Burroughs, 33 and with his fourth child on the way, has won four golds and three bronzes at the World Championships apart from winning the 2012 Olympic title all at 74kg. His two bronze medals at the 2018 and 2019 World Championships, followed by missing the Olympics, had raised doubts that the USA wrestler was in the twilight of his illustrious career. But Burroughs said that was not the case.

"I feel confident in my ability no matter what," Burroughs told the media after winning the trials. "What I was able to do this weekend was really not a surprise to me or anyone who watches me train. [It was] a solid performance. I know I was supposed to win and I feel good at this weight class as I am at a natural weight and not cut, wrestling is much more fun."

Some of the moves were vintage Burroughs as he blasted doubles at will throughout the two-day tournament, which was also a warning to his opponents that he is still a formidable opponent.

"The double has always been there. It's just harder to recreate when down a weight," he said. "I am a phenomenal wrestler, I am a great athlete. At this point, it's kind of a reassurance not only to me but to the world that I am still here, I am still a formidable opponent for anyone in the world."

But will the U23 stars will be a threat to Burroughs winning a fifth world title? It looks unlikely that anyone would be able to stop the USA wrestler from creating history.

J'den COX (USA) will be eyeing his third world title at 92kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

In another non-Olympic weight class, Cox will try to defend his world title at 92kg. He had decided to move up to the 97kg category for the Tokyo Olympics but failed to participate in the trials after missing the weigh-in deadline. Kyle SNYDER (USA) won a silver medal in Tokyo and locked up the 97kg category. Cox will now be challenged in Oslo.

The 26-year-old Cox has never failed to medal at the World or Olympics he has entered and he will be eyeing a hat-trick of gold medals at 92kg. But two-time U23 world and senior Asian champion Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) and Magomed KURBANOV (RWF) are likely to be the biggest threat to his quest.

Since missing the Olympics trials in April, Cox has participated in the Poland Open Ranking Series, where he suffered a surprise loss to Illia ARCHAIA (UKR) 2-1 in the semifinals. He did not wrestle the bronze medal owing to the injury.

But last month it seemed the old Cox was back as he handled Kollin MOORE (USA) in the best of three finals.

It will be interesting to see how the experienced wrestler moves against the senior Russian Wrestling Federation Nationals and European champion at 92kg Kurbanov. While he doesn't have the experience of wins of Cox's level, Kurbanov can be a threat as he has been in some form since the beginning of this year.

Add to that, Ghasempour, who is yet to lose internationally since his loss at the 2013 Cadet World Championships final. He has since won the U23 Worlds twice at 86kg along with the Asian title at the same weight. Earlier this year in Almaty, he made his debut at 92kg, capturing the gold medal at the Asian Championships.

A number of wrestlers with success at age-group level are also entered for the Worlds but no one can claim to have the pedigree like Cox.

Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) is a former junior world champion while Irakli MTSITURI (GEO) has a senior world medal but has not continued his success recently. Pruthviraj PATIL (IND) won a bronze medal at the recently concluded Junior World Championships in Ufa, Russia.

Suleyman Atli Thomas Gilman Suleyman ATLI (TUR) has a win over Thomas GILMAN (USA) at the World Championships. (Photo: UWW / Max Rose-Fyne)

Two Olympic weight classes will also be in action on Sunday as 57kg and 65kg wrestlers will be on the mats. But only one Tokyo Olympic medalist from the eight is wrestling in Oslo. Thomas GILMAN (USA) will look to win his first world title, two months after winning the bronze at 57kg in Tokyo.

Gilman, who won a silver medal at the 2017 Worlds, reminded wrestling fans of his abilities with a strong performance in Tokyo. In the first bout, he faced world champion Zaur UGUEV (RWF) and almost snatched a win but the Uguev, who became the champion in Tokyo, scored a takedown in the final 12 seconds to win. Gilman came back to win the bronze medal.

Fellow Olympian and world silver medalist Suleyman ATLI (TUR) will also be eyeing his first world title. Atli suffered a surprising loss to Reza ATRI (IRI) in the opening round in Tokyo. Atli was one of the favorites to reach the final at the Games. But now Gilman and Atli are likely to be the top contenders for gold in Oslo.

Another Tokyo Olympian and former world medalist, Bekhbayar ERDENEBAT (MGL), is also entered and will try to spoil the party. Oslo could well be the place where the Mongolian finally enters his first-ever World Championships final.

Former junior world champion Toshiya ABE (JPN) and Russian Wrestling Federation Nationals bronze medalist Abubakr MUTALIEV (RWF) are two others to keep an eye on. Both will be wrestling at their first senior World Championships and the Japanese will like to continue his country's good result at the lowest weight class while Mutaliev will be under pressure to keep the title in Russia as Uguev has done since 2018.

Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) will be one of the favorites to win the 65kg title. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 65kg, a host of young stars will be wrestling to be world champion and the category may see a surprise winner. Leading the pack is 2020 Individual World Cup winner Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) and senior European champion Zagir SHAKIEV (RWF). The former was at the Tokyo Olympics but failed to win a medal.

His hot run at the World Cup made the world take notice and he will be eyeing his first World Championships title in Oslo. But Shakiev will be the top contender as well. After running 2019 world champion Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RWF) close in the Russian Nationals, Shakiev won the Euros and has finally got a chance to come out of Rashidov's shadow.

At the trials on Tuesday, Shakiev gave no chance to former world bronze medalist Akhmed CHAKAEV (RWF) in the final bout. He won 10-3 after developing a lead early in the bout and Chakaev could only play catch up after that.

While he may be making his senior World Championships debut, Yianni DIAKOMIHALIS (USA) will be another exciting prospect to watch out for. Many have been waiting eagerly for the senior world debut of the two-time cadet world champion, which will finally happen in Oslo.

At the WTT, Diakomihalis defeated Joseph McKENNA (USA) 2-1 in the best-of-three finals to book the spot for Oslo. He will now be looking to make the category his own for the next three years.

USA failed to qualify any wrestler at 65kg, extending their struggles at this weight class. But with the emergence of Diakomihalis, a change of fortunes is expected by the USA wrestling fans. His quirky style and continuous wrestling makes him a threat for his opponents and the Cornell University student knows that.

"I had decided before that I had blown it a lot, and if I didn't mess it up all those times, I wouldn't be as good as I am now. It's about time I got it right," Diakomihalis said after winning the WTT.

Tokyo Olympian Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) will also be in fray to upset a few and win his first-ever World Championships medal.

Another junior world champion from Japan Kaiki YAMAGUCHI (JPN) is entered at 65kg. He won the world title at 61kg in 2019 with Abe. Now the pair will look to return with medals from Oslo as well.

Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) will be Iran's big hope to return with a medal from Oslo as they struggle to find a successful wrestler at this weight. Yazdani, however, will look to change that.

#JapanWrestling

Tanabe moves halfway to historic double victory with Greco 63kg gold

Thursday, December 18, 2025 - 14:47 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (December 18) -- Kaisei TANABE didn't have to deal with one Olympic champion in moving halfway to his goal of achieving a historic double of national titles in both Greco-Roman and Freestyle. He likely won't be able to avoid another to complete the mission.

Tanabe powered his way to his first national crown in Greco with a victory at 63kg at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships on Thursday, the opening day of the four-day tournament at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym.

"While I feel relieved, I have my 'real job' of freestyle 65kg the day after tomorrow, so I have to get my mind ready and do the best I can," said Tanabe, the defending champion at freestyle 65kg who will face a potential major hurdle this year in Paris Olympic champion Kotaro KIYOOKA.

In other action, another potential future star with Iranian roots emerged on the scene after Waseda University's Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI captured the freestyle 79kg gold, while a clash of reigning world champions between Ami ISHII and Miwa MORIKAWA was set up for the women's 68kg title.

The Emperor's Cup is also serving as the domestic qualifier for next year's Asian Championships, and the first of two qualifiers for the World Championships and Asian Games.

Olympic weight classes are being contested over two days, while non-Olympic divisions are completed in a single day.

Kaisei TANABE, left, works to get behind Ryota KOSHIBA in the Greco 63kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Tanabe acknowledged that he dodged a bullet when Paris 60kg gold medalist Kenichiro FUMITA withdrew on the eve of the tournament due to injury. Fumita was entered at 63kg in what would have been his first competition since his triumph in Paris.

As both are Nippon Sports Science University alumni and still train at the campus, Tanabe said he has spent some time sparring with Fumita.

"Part of me wanted to face him [today]. But in practice, I've never scored a point," he admitted. "It was a crummy feeling. But if we faced each other in an actual match, I would never give up and try my best to win. Without him here, this became my tournament and I felt I had to take the title."

On Thursday, Tanabe showed he was clearly the best of the rest, sailing through the field with three straight technical falls. He capped his day with 4-point throw that finished off an 8-0 victory in the final in just under two minutes over Ryota KOSHIBA, another NSSU alum who happens to also dabble in freestyle.

Tanabe, whose father Chikara TANABE was a freestyle 55kg bronze medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics and is a current NSSU coach, said he likes to integrate techniques from the two styles into each other.

"To put it as simply as I can, Greco is mostly about throws and often has big 4-point moves, while freestyle is mainly precise techniques," Tanabe said. "Amid that, I want to add the fine, small moves to Greco and, amid the small moves in freestyle, aim for the big move that gives me a point spread."

Kaisei TANABE finishes up his victory over Ryota KOSHIBA with a four-point throw in the Greco 63kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

This fall, Tanabe was among a number of Japanese wrestlers who participated in the German Bundesliga, where he said he sometimes worked on Greco with his teammates. And at times for fun, the Greco wrestlers and him would do freestyle.

Tanabe won his first national title at freestyle 61kg in 2024, then moved up to 65kg last year and won the gold in the absence of Kiyooka, who like other Olympic medalists was on an extended post-Olympics hiatus. He just missed out on the two-style double that year when he lost in the Greco 67kg final to Katsuaki ENDO.

Tanabe won the freestyle 65kg gold at the Asian Championships in March, then finally clashed with Kiyooka -- also an NSSU alum -- two months later at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships, which is the second of the two domestic qualifiers for major international tournaments.

Tanabe held his own in a close 4-3 loss in the final, but Kiyooka dominated a playoff for the team to the World Championships with a one-sided 13-2 victory. Kiyooka went on to take the silver medal in Zagreb.

Should Tanabe manage to capture the gold on Sunday, it would make him the first wrestler to complete the Greco-freestyle double at the same tournament since Mitsuo YOSHIDA did it back in 1973 with victories in the 100kg weight classes.

As it is, Tanabe's victory on Thursday made him the first to achieve a career double since Atsushi MATSUMOTO switched to Greco and won at 85kg in 2016 after winning the first three of four national freestyle titles at 84/86kg between 2011 and 2014. He returned to freestyle and won again at 92kg in 2018.

Ironically, another wrestler could beat Tanabe to the punch. Taishi NARIKUNI, the 2022 world champion at freestyle 70kg, is entered in that weight class as well as Greco 72kg. Both divisions will be completed before Sunday, when the freestyle 65kg final will be held.

Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI, right, spins behind Kanata YAMAGUCHI in the freestyle 79kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

At freestyle 79kg, Gharehdaghi used effective counters to score an 8-0 victory in the final over Kanata YAMAGUCHI, a world U20 bronze medalist at 74kg who had beaten him in two previous encounters.

That followed up on Gharehdaghi's victory at the Meiji Cup in May, which was tempered by a loss in the world team playoff to last year's Emperor's Cup champion Ryonosuke KAMIYA, who has moved up to 86kg.

"Losing the playoff was devastating, and I was determined to work hard so that I wouldn't lose again," said the 19-year-old Gharehdaghi, a product of the JOC Elite Academy.

Gharehdaghi was born and raised in Japan to an Iranian father and Japanese mother. Through the influence of his father, who works in the automobile industry, he started wrestling at age 3.

Although he shares a compassion for the sport with his ancestral homeland, he has only been there on visits and cannot speak Persian.

His background is similar to that of one of Japan's top rising stars, world 97kg bronze medalist Arash YOSHIDA, one of six siblings in the sport who use their mother's family name. They all started the sport at a kids wrestling club outside of Tokyo run by their father.

"I'm well aware of them," Gharehdaghi said. "I really respect them. Every one of them is strong. Their father was here today and gave me some advice."

In other finals on the opening day, Asian bronze medalist Takashi ISHIGURO went on the offensive in the second period to notch a 6-3 victory at freestyle 92kg over Daisuke MASUDA to defend his crown and claim a fifth career national title.

Kenta OGUSU won the Greco 55kg gold by completing a 9-1 technical fall with one second left over Mizuki ARAKI, who had knocked off Asian champion Kohei YAMAGIWA in the semifinals.

At women's 65kg, 2024 world U20 champion Nana IKEHATA defeated Haruka KOBARA 6-0 for her first national title, while Mahiro YOSHITAKE defeated Chisato YOSHIDA 7-2 for her third national crown and first at 72kg.

World champion Ami ISHII scores a takedown in the women's 68kg semifinal against Kaede MATSUYAMA. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Ishii, Morikawa set up clash; Kagami sharp in return

In Olympic weight classes that were competed through the semifinals, a blockbuster final was set up at women's 68kg when Ishii, the reigning world champion, advanced to a showdown with Morikawa, the winner at 65kg in Zagreb.

Ishii won both of her matches by one-sided technical falls -- giving up a lone takedown in her opening match when she lost her balance.

"I didn't think my matches went very well," Ishii said. "Especially in the first match, I rushed it too much. I want to be the aggressor and have crushing victories."

Morikawa met some stiff resistance in her semifinal with world U20 champion Ray HOSHINO, scoring two first-period takedowns before holding on for a 6-2 victory. Hoshino had knocked off three-time world medalist Masako FURUICHI 8-6 in the quarterfinals.

Ishii and Morikawa have met three times, with Ishii holding a 2-1 advantage. She won their first meeting 5-2 in the 2022 Emperor's Cup final. They clashed again in the semifinals at the 2023 Meiji Cup, with Morikawa winning 8-5. That set up a world team playoff between the two, which Ishii won 2-1.

Olympic champion Yuka KAGAMI, left, competes for the first time since her victory in Paris. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Meanwhile, Olympic 76kg champion Yuka KAGAMI looked sharp in her first competition since her victory in Paris, scoring a technical fall before beating defending champion and Asian bronze medalist Nodoka YAMAMOTO 13-4 to advance to the final.

Kagami, who was limited to an activity point in the first period by Yamamoto, was being pressured at the edge early in the second when she neatly reversed the tide and dumped her opponent for a 4-point takedown.

Kagami padded the lead and, despite giving up a takedown and roll, she was never in danger. In Friday's final, she will face veteran Yasuha MATSUYUKI.

At Greco 87kg, rising teen star Taizo YOSHIDA, a world senior and U20 bronze medalist at 82kg, posted two technical falls, each inside of two minutes, to advance to the final. Two-time defending champion So SAKABE was a late withdrawal.

Day 1 Results

Freestyle

57kg (18 entries)
SF 1: Yamato OGAWA df. Kento YUMIYA, 6-4
SF 2: Fuga SASAKI df. Yamato FURUSAWA, 3-1

79kg (19 entries)
GOLD: Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI df. Kanata YAMAGUCHI, 8-0
BRONZE: Kaiyo IMAI df. Hirotaka ABE, 7-0
BRONZE: Subaru TAKAHARA df. Kojiro SHIGA, 5-2

SF 1: Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI df. Hirotaka ABE by TF, 10-0, 2:06
SF 2: Kanata YAMAGUCHI df. Subaru TAKAHARA by TF, 12-2, 3:45

92kg (25 entries)
GOLD: Takashi ISHIGURO df. Daisuke MASUDA, 6-3
BRONZE: Satoshi MIURA df. Sorato KANAZAWA,6-2
BRONZE: Ryogo ASANO df. Takato UCHIDA by Inj. Def.

SF 1: Takashi ISHIGURO df. Sorato KANAZAWA, 7-5
SF 2: Daisuke MASUDA df. Takato UCHIDA, 4-1

125kg (10 entries)
SF 1: Taiki YAMAMOTO df. Akinari ORIYAMA by TF, 10-0, :50
SF 2: Taira SONODA df. Hibiki ITO, 3-2

Greco-Roman

55kg (17 entries)
GOLD: Kenta OGUSU df. Mizuki ARAKI by TF, 9-1, 5:59
BRONZE: Kohei YAMAGIWA df. Daisuke MORISHITA, 5-0
BRONZE: Sanshiro TAKAHASHI vs Taketo NINOMIYA by TF, 9-0, 2:00

SF 1: Mizuki ARAKI df. Kohei YAMAGIWA, 6-5
SF 2: Kenta OGUSU df. Sanshiro TAKAHASHI by TF, 9-1, 4:04

63kg (19 entries)
GOLD: Kaisei TANABE df. Ryota KOSHIBA by TF, 8-0, 1:54
BRONZE: Kazuki YABE df. Shoya ITO, 7-0
BRONZE: Toya MINAMI df. Miruto TOKUHIGA, 7-5

SF 1: Kaisei TANABE df. Kazuki YABE by TF, 8-0, 1:12
SF 2: Ryota KOSHIBA df. Miruto TOKUHIGA by TF, 9-0, 3:56

87kg (9 entries)
SF 1: Taizo YOSHIDA df. Genki YAHAGI by TF, 9-0, 1:59
SF 2: Daisei ISOE df. Chihiro MOTOHASHI, 10-5

97kg (16 entries)
SF 1: Yuri NAKAZATO df. Koki MATSUMOTO by TF, 9-0, 4:12
SF 2: Takahiro TSURUTA df. Kanta SHIOKAWA, 5-0

Women's Wrestling

65kg (9 entries)
GOLD: Nana IKEHATA df. Haruka KOBARA, 6-0
BRONZE: Suzu SASAKI df. Chika AKASHI by TF, 14-4, 2:59
BRONZE: Nanoha YASHIMA df. Rin MIYAJI, by Inj. Def.

SF 1: Nana IKEHATA df. Suzu SASAKI, 10-2
SF 2: Haruka KOBARA df. Nanoha YASHIMA, 6-4

68kg (8 entries)
SF 1: Ami ISHII df. Kaede MATSUYAMA by TF, 10-0, 3:41
SF 2: Miwa MORIKAWA df. Ray HOSHINO, 6-2

72kg (9 entries)
GOLD: Mahiro YOSHITAKE df. Chisato YOSHIDA, 7-2
BRONZE: Ai SAKAI df. Miyu TAKAYAMA, 5-5
BRONZE: Yuka FUJIKURA df. Asahi NAKAMURA, 8-0

SF 1: Chisato YOSHIDA df. Miyu TAKAYAMA by TF, 10-0, 4:56
SF 2: Mahiro YOSHITAKE df. Yuka FUJIKURA, 4-0

76kg (8 entries)
SF 1: Yuka KAGAMI df. Nodoka YAMAMOTO, 13-4
SF 2: Yasuha MATSUYUKI df. Makoto KOMADA, 7-0

#WrestleOslo Day Two Preview: Freestyle 57kg, 65kg, 79kg and 92kg

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Tanabe moves halfway to historic double victory with Greco 63kg gold