#WrestleCoralville

WW World Cup: Five must-watch bouts

By Vinay Siwach

CORALVILLE, US (November 23) -- The women's World Cup will be held alongside the freestyle one on December 10 and 11 in Coralville. With two days of intense wrestling action, a few match-ups are expected to light up things at the Xtreme Arena in Coralville.

The top five teams from the World Championships in Belgrade along with the All-World Team will assemble for the two-day tournament. The top team from the World Championships Japan will be joined by China, the USA, Ukraine and Mongolia.

Six teams are placed in two groups with Japan, Mongolia and Ukraine placed in Group A and the USA is joined by China and the All-World Team. Even before the final fixture, some mouth-watering clashes are expected in the group duals.

Here are five bouts that are a must-watch for the fans:

Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA)Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) is a 2019 world champion at 55kg. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

55kg: Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) vs Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA)

It may need the aligning of the stars for this bout to happen but a potential match-up between young star Khomenets and former world champion Winchester at 55kg is one of the top clashes to watch at the World Cup. Khomenets reached the final of the World Championships in Belgrade before coming up short against Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI (JPN). Winchester, despite an injury, reached the bronze medal bout and led before suffering a fall.

If the two meet, Khomenets counter-attacking style will be put to test as Winchester likes to build an early lead. The bout may see a slow start but expected some tight defense and a fierce battle as the two like to go for the attacks till the clock expires.

 

62kg: Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (UWW) vs Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL)

Tynybekova did not have a strong season, even missing out on a world medal. But the two-time world champion will be keen to end the season on a high. If it does happen, a bout against Sukhee will test Tynybekova who will start as the favorite. This year, Sukhee began on an impressive note, winning the Yasar Dogu Ranking Series and was a medal contender at the World Championships. But she fell in the opening round after a close 9-8 loss against Xiaojuan LUO (CHN).

That makes both wrestlers hungry for positive results before the end of the year. While Tynybekova has a solid defense, Sukhee has displayed an ability to secure falls from any position. This will be a challenge for Tynybekova as she has been struggling against the younger crop of wrestlers this year.

68kg: Irina RINGACI (MDA) vs Feng ZHOU (CHN)

Ringaci will be one of the biggest names in the All-World team heading to Iowa. And she will have added responsibility to take her team to the final being a former world champ and a bronze medalist from Belgrade. But with China clubbed in the same group, she will have to go past Zhou. The two met in the bronze medal bout in Belgrade and Ringaci won via fall. Zhou will be looking to avenge that 51-second loss. She was looking to throw Ringaci from a bodylock position but the latter had her arm around Zhou's neck and reversed the position with a headlock.

Having wrestled each other, the two will have their task cut out at the World Cup.

 

72kg: Amit ELOR (USA) vs Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (UWW)

A rematch and that too of a World Championships final can only be better. The USA's star wrestler Elor will be up against Bakbergenova when the USA and All-World team clash at the World Cup. Elor defeated Bakbergenova in the final of 72kg in Belgrade to capture her first world title. She caught Bakbergenova in a leg lace and finished the bout in a minute and 13 seconds. Elor will look to repeat the result in her home country even as Bakbergenova hopes to figure out a new way to counter Elor's dominance on the mat.

Bakbergenova not only has to find ways to attack, but she will also have to break Elor's strong defense. Elor, time and again, has shown how to come out of danger positions without giving up a point. Her only close bout in the last two years was the semifinal in Belgrade against the returning world champion Masako FUIRICHI (JPN). Elor won that 3-2.

Yasemin ADAR (TUR)Yasemin ADAR (TUR) won the 76kg gold in Belgrade. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

76kg: Yasemin ADAR (UWW) vs Yelena MAKOYED (USA)

Another clash on the cards in Iowa may see world champion Adar face Makoyed. Since becoming Turkiye's first-ever female Olympic medalist in wrestling in Tokyo, Adar won her second world title in Belgrade. As the leader of the All-World team in Iowa, Adar will look to use her experience to guide the team. On the mat, she will likely face Makoyed who showed stunning form in 2022. At the Matteo Pellicone, she won the gold after wins over established stars in Martina KUENZ (AUT), Epp MAE (EST), Francy RAEDELT (GER) and former U23 world champion Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) in the final. She won another Ranking Series gold in Tunisia by beating Dymond GUILFORD (USA). In the semifinal, she pinned world silver medalist Samar HAMZA (EGY).

Adar and Makoyed will be a thrilling clash with both expected to leave everything on the mat. Given the quality of the teams, it may come to this bout for a place in the final of the World Cup, adding value to an already important bout.

#WrestleUlaanbaatar

Ulaanbaatar Open 2025: Day 1 highlights and recap

By Vinay Siwach

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (May 29) -- The third Ranking Series event, Ulaanbaatar Open, gets underway in the Mongolian capital. Seven Greco-Roman weight classes will be in action on Thursday.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | ULAANBAATAR OPEN PREVIEW

13:05: Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) goes big from par terre and scores eight points before getting two points for a leg foul from Sumiyabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL) to win 11-0. He will take on Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) in the final. Yilmaz had beaten Maksatbek Uulu 11-3 in the round-robin bout earlier

13:02: Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) takes just a minute to beat Nishant PHOGAT (IND) 9-0 in the first semifinal at 77kg. He will wrestle for gold.

13:00: The semifinals, only two in 77kg, will begin now. Nishant PHOGAT (IND) vs Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) and Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) vs. Sumiyabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL) 

12:20: Danial SOHRABI (IRI) gets the par terre and then turn Mustafa SAHIN (TUR) for a 3-0 lead in his Round 5 bout at 72kg. He then defends his position from par terre and wins 3-1. He will take home 8000 ranking points.

12:05: NITESH (IND) reverses the par terre position to get a point after Uzur DZHUZUPEKOV (KGZ) scores two turns from par terre. Nitesh gets a turn from par terre to make it 5-3. A par terre position in second period for Nitesh but no points scored. With the score 5-4, Dzhuzupekov defends his lead and wins at 97kg

11:50: Asian champion Danial SOHRABI (IRI) with a big suplex and beats Ankit GULIA (IND) to top his group at 72kg. He will have his Round 5 match against Mustafa SAHIN (TUR) which will be a virtual gold medal bout.

11:40: Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) with an 11-1 win over Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) at 77kg to confirm his semifinal spot. Yilmaz is a bronze medalist from the European Championships.

11:25: Asian silver medalist Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) holds off Murat FIRAT (TUR) 5-1 at 67kg. Solid win for Beishekeev. His compatriot Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) rolls to a 9-0 win over Lkhagvasuren DASHJAMTS (MGL) at 77kg.

11:20: Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) with another injury pull out at 82kg. Shahin BADAGHI (QAT) gets the victory.

11:10: Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) waits for the second period to unleash the gut-wrench as he beats  Bat-Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL) 9-1 in the 97kg Round 2 bout.

11:05: Yryskeldi KHAMZAEV (KGZ) was down 3-2 against Ankit GULIA (IND) but bounces back with takedowns and two rolls to win 8-3 in Round 2.

11:00: Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) comes on the mat but pulls out of the bout against PRINCE (IND) at 82kg. But he doesn't submit the injury report so we may see him again in later rounds.

10:50: Paris Olympic bronze medalist at 97kg Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) starts off a little rusty against Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL) and gives up six points. But he manages to score at the right time using gut-wrenches and wins 10-6.

10:48: World U23 champion Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) with two front throws to stun NEERAJ (IND) 9-0 at 67kg. Remember these are round-robin matches and not eliminations.

10:45: Injury scare for Turkiye as Alperen BERBER (TUR) pulls out of his match against Karan KAMBOJ (IND) at 87kg. Berber got the par terre and got two front rolls for a 5-0 lead before a reversal and roll made it 5-3 as Berber held his hamstring in pain. He tried continuing but Kamboj pushed him for a stepout and Turkiye coach called to pull out due to injury.

10:40: Another quick finish at 72kg as Asian champion Danial SOHRABI (IRI) rolls to a technical superiority win over Zandanbat BATSAIKHAN (MGL). Sohrabi looking to gather those points for a better seed at the World Championships.

10:35: Mehmet SAHIN (TUR) with a 9-0 win over Yryskeldi KHAMZAEV (KGZ) in Round 1 of the competition. Six weight classes have round-robin competition while 77kg has Nelson system with two groups.

10:30: Welcome to day one of the competition at the Ulaanbaatar Open with seven Greco-Roman weight classes -- 55kg, 67kg, 72kg, 77kg, 82kg, 87kg and 97kg.