CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (April 3) – Viktor NEMES (SRB) won the two main events on the Greco-Roman calendar for March – the Hungarian Grand Prix and the European Under-23 Wrestling Championships – to make the biggest leap in the United World Wrestling rankings for the classic style.

Despite a broken hand, Nemes defeated Laszlo SZABO (HUN), 5-4, in the final of the Hungarian classic in Szombathely and edged Kazbek KILOV (BLR), 2-1, at the age-group event in Walbrzych, Poland. The back-to-back wins lifted Nemes from No.20 at 80kg to No.6 at 75kg.

Nemes’ surge was matched by Asian silver medalist Shinobu OTA (JPN), who rolled over the competition in Hungary for the 59kg crown and a No.7 in the rankings, while junior world runner-up Denis KUDLA (GER) prevailed of a talented U23 field to earn a No.8 on the 85kg lineup.

World bronze medalist in 2013 Balasz KISS (HUN) also turned away a tough crew at 98kg for the title in Szombathely and rejoined the rankings at No.8 after a month on the sidelines. 

Peter BACSI (HUN), meanwhile, was the highest ranked wrestler to post a tourney triumph in March -- storming to victory at 80kg – but the reigning world champ remains -- for the time being, at least -- rooted at No.3.

European junior champion Felix BALDAUF (NOR) was the only winner from the Thor Masters event in Nykobing Falster, Denmark, to break into this month’s rankings. Baldauf took the Thor Masters crown at 98kg and then followed up with a bronze medal at the European U23s at super heavyweight to earn a No.18 in the 130kg rankings.

Wrestlers in the rankings are listed by name, country code, most recent or most notable result over the last 12 months, and their position in the previous rankings.

59kg – Shinobu OTA (JPN), a silver medalist at the 2014 Asian championships, dialed up a fall and three technical falls for the Hungarian Grand Prix title and claimed No.7 in the rankings.

Victor CIOBANU (MDA), last year’s silver medalist in Europe, won the European U23 crown with a last-second takedown of 2012 junior world champion Zaur KABALOEV (RUS) to return to the rankings at No.10.

1. Hamid SORYAN (IRI) – World No.1 (1)
2. Mingiyan SEMENOV (RUS) – World No.2 (2)
3. Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) – World No.3 (3)
4. Stig Andre BERGE (NOR) – Hungarian GP No.3 (4)
5. Ivo ANGELOV (BUL) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (7)
6. Aleksandar KOSTADINOV (BUL) – Schultz Memorial No.2 (8)
7. Shinobu OTA (JPN) – Hungarian GP No.1 (not ranked)
8. Kohei HASEGAWA (JPN) – Asian Games No.1 (5)
9. YUN Won-Chol (PRK) – Asian Games No.2 (6)
10. Victor CIOBANU (MDA) – European U23s No.1 (nr)
11. Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB) – Granma Cup No.3 (9)
12. Spenser MANGO (USA) – Hungarian GP No.2 (12)
13. Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) – Hungarian GP No.3 (15)
14. Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE) – Takhti Cup No.1 (13)
15. Tarik BELMADANI (FRA) – Paris GP No.1 (16)
16. Hatham Mahmoud FAHMY (EGY) – World Military No.1 (11)
17. Zaur KABALOEV (RUS) – European U23s No.2 (nr)
18. Maksim KAZHARSKI (BLR) - Zagreb Open No.1 (20)
19. Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) – Hungarian GP No.7 (nr)
20. Maikel ANACHE LAMOTH (CUB) – Granma Cup No.1 (17)

66kg – Zagreb Open winner Dominik ETLINGER (CRO) won silver medals the Hungarian Grand Prix and the European U23s to vault from 15th to No.7 in the rankings. In Szombathely, Etlinger defeated London 2012 medalists Ryutaro MATSUMOTO (JPN) and Revaz LASHKHI (GEO) in the quarters and semifinals.

1. Davor STEFANEK (SRB) – World No.1 (1)
2. Omid NOROOZI (IRI) – World No.2 (2)
3. Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) – World No.3 (3)
4. RYU Han-Soo (KOR) – Asia Games No.1 (4)
5. Hasan ALIYEV (AZE) – World No.5 (7)
6. Mateusz BERNATEK (POL) – Hungarian GP No.3 (12)
7. Dominik ETLINGER (CRO) – Hungarian GP No.2 (15)
8. Revaz LASHKHI (GEO) – Hungarian GP No.3 (9)
9. Ryutaro MATSUMOTO (JPN) – Asian Games No.2 (6)
10. Edgaras VENCKAITIS (LTU) – World No.3 (7)
11. Frank STAEBLER (GER) – World No.5 (8)
12. Artem SURKOV (RUS) – European U23s No.1 (nr)
13. Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) – Hungarian GP No.5 (nr)
14. Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (11)
15. Adam KURAK (RUS) – Europe No.1 (10)
16. Artak MARGARYAN (FRA) – Zagreb Open No.3 (16)
17. Kamran MAMMADOV (AZE) – Paris GP No.2 (13)
18. Denys DEMYANKOV (UKR) – Takhti Cup No.1 (18)
19. Danijel JANECIC (CRO) – Hungarian GP No.1 (nr)
20. Bryce SADDORIS (USA) – Hungarian GP No.7 (nr)

71kg – Balint KORPASI (HUN) forged five wins on points, battling six minutes for each, for his first international triumph in nearly three years at the Hungarian Grand Prix to climb to No.7 in the rankings.

Daniel CATARAGA (MDA) overwhelmed four opponents by technical fall for the European U23 crown to join the rankings at No.15 with his first major title abroad.

1. Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) – World Cup No.1 (1)
2. Chingiz LABAZANOV (RUS) – World No.1 (2)
3. Afshin BYABANGARD (IRI) – World No.3 (3)
4. Yunus OZEL (TUR) – World No.2 (4
5. JUNG Ji-Hyun (KOR) – Asian Games No.1 (5)
6. Saeid Mourad ABDVALI (IRI) – Asia Games No.3 (6)
7. Balint KORPASI (HUN) – Hungarian GP No.1 (12)
8. Ramin TAHERISARTANG (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.1 (16)
9. Yuri DENISOV (RUS) – Kare Tournament No.1 (11)
10. Mathias MAASCH (GER) – World Cup No.2 (13)
11. Aleksander DZEMYANOVICH (BLR) – World No.5 (7)
12. Varsham BORANYAN (ARM) – World No.5 (8)
13. Dilshod TURDIEV (UZB) – Asian Games No.2 (9)
14. Shermet PERMANOV (TKM) – Asian Games No.3 (10)
15. Daniel CATARAGA (MDA) – European U23s No.1 (nr)
16. Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) – Zagreb Open No.1 (19)
17. Zackarias TALLROTH (SWE) – Paris GP No.1 (17)
18. Ashkat ZHANBIROV (KAZ) – Paris GP No.2 (18)
19. Nurzhan NADYROV (KAZ) – Hungarian GP No.3 (nr)
20. Nicolas CHRISTEN (SUI) – Hungarian GP No.5 (nr)

75kg – Viktor NEMES won the Hungarian Grand Prix and European U23s in March and broke into the rankings at No.6. Runners-up in both events – student world champion Laszlo SZABO (HUN) and 2012 junior world champ Kazbek KILOV (BLR) – followed Nemes onto the rankings.

1. KIM Hyeon-Woo (KOR) - Asia Games No.1 (1)
2. Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARM) – World No.1 (2)
3. Neven ZUGAJ (CRO) – World No.2 (3)
4. Roman VLASOV (RUS) – World Cup No.2 (4)
5. Elvin MURSALIYEV (AZE) – World No.3 (5)
6. Viktor NEMES (SRB) – Hungarian GP No.1 (20@80)
7. Payam BOUYERI PAYANI (IRI) – Asian Games No.3 (9)
8. Karapet CHALYAN (ARM) – European U23 No.3 (10)
9. Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (GEO) – World No.5 (6)
10. Andrew BISEK (USA) – World No.3 (6)
11. Doszhan KARTIKOV (KAZ) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (8)
12. Aleksander CHEKHIRKIN (RUS) – Europe No.1 (11)
13. Takehiro KANAKUBO (JPN) – Asian Games No.2 (12)
14. Laszlo SZABO (HUN) – Hungarian GP No.2 (nr)
15. Kazbek KILOV (BLR) – European U23 No.2 (nr)
16. Dmitri PYSHKOV (UKR) – Takhti Cup No.1 (14)
17. Valdemaras VENCKAITIS (LTU) – Hungarian GP No.5 (nr)
18. Nikolai DARAGAN (UKR) – Hungarian GP No.3 (nr)
19. Petru SEVCIUC (MDA) – European U23 No.3 (nr)
20. Jure KURE (SLO) – Zagreb Open No.2 (19)

80kg – Takhti Cup winner Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) edged Sargis KOCHARYAN (ARM), 3-2, in a battle of junior world bronze medalists to win the European U23 crown with both finalists advancing to No.11 and No.17, respectively, in the rankings.

1. Rafik HUSEYNOV (AZE) – World Cup No.1 (1)
2. Evgeni SALEEV (RUS) – World No.2 (2)
3. Peter BACSI (HUN) – Hungarian GP No.1 (3)
4. Selcuk CEBI (TUR) – World No.3 (4)
5. Jim PETTERSSON (SWE) – World No.3 (5)
6. Aleksandr KAZAKEVIC (LTU) – Paris GP No.1 (6)
7. Tadeusz MICHALIK (POL) – Paris GP No.3 (7)
8. Bozo STARCEVIC (CRO) – Zagreb Open No.1 (8)
9. Habibollah AKHLAGHI (IRI) – Asian Games No.1 (9)
10. Viktor SASUNOVSKI (BLR) – Zagreb Open No.2 (10)
11. Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) – European U23 No.1 (17)
12. Joe Rau (USA) – Hungarian GP No.3 (14)
13. Giorgi TSIREKIDZE (GEO) – Hungarian GP No.2 (nr)
14. Pascal EISELE (GER) – Nikola Petrov No.2 (11)
15. Aleksander SHYSHMAN (UKR) – World Military No.2 (12)
16. Ashkat DILMUKHAMEDOV (KAZ) – Hungarian GP No.5 (nr)
17. Sargis KOCHARYAN (ARM) – European U23 No.2 (nr)
18. Imil SHARAFEDINOV (RUS) – Vantaa Cup No.1 (15)
19. Bekhan OZDOEV (RUS) – European U23 No.7 (16)
20. Jonas BOSSERT (SUI) – Hungarian GP No.8 (nr)

85kg – Junior world silver medalist Denis KUDLA (GER) stopped 2013 junior world bronze medalist Bekhan OZDOEV (RUS) and avenged a loss to Islam ABBASOV (AZE) in the finals of last year’s junior world championships to claim the European U23s title and join the rankings at No.8.

1. Melonin NOUMONVI (FRA) – World No.1 (1)
2. Hassan Saman TAHMASEBI (AZE) – World No.2 (2)
3. Zhan BELENYUK (UKR) – Takhti Cup. No.1 (3)
4. Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) – World No.3 (4)
5. Javid HAMZATOV (BLR) – Zagreb Open No.1 (5)
6. Islam ABBASOV (AZE) – European U23 No.3 (6)
7. Damian JANIKOWSKI (POL) – Paris GP No.2 (7)
8. Denis KUDLA (GER) – European U23 No.1 (nr)
9. Davod ABEDINADEH (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.2 (10)
10. Maksim MANUKYAN (ARM) – World Military No.3 (9)
11. Ramsin AZIZSIR (GER) – World Military No.1 (6)
12. Jordan HOLM (USA) – Hungarian GP No.1 (17)
13. Kristoffer JOHANSSON (SWE) – Hungarian GP No.2 (11)
14. Mojtaba KARIMFAR (IRI) – Asian Games No.3 (14)
15. Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB) – Asian Games No.1 (12)
16. Vladimir STANKIC (SRB) – European U23 No.2 (nr)
17. Gilberto PIQUET HERRERA (CUB) – Granma Cup No.1 (18)
18. Pablo SHOREY HERNANDEZ (CUB) – Granma Cup No.2 (19)
19. Robert KOBLIASHVILI (GEO) – Takhti Cup No.3 (20)
20. Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) – Hungarian GP No.5 (nr)

98kg – After opening the Hungarian Grand Prix with a technical fall, Balasz KISS (HUN) posted three straight one-point victories for the 98kg crown. The 2013 world bronze medalist, who sat out last year’s world meet, rejoins the rankings at No.8.

1. Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) – World No.1 (1)
2. Oliver HASSLER (GER) – World No.2 (2)
3. Cenk ILDEM (TUR) – World No.3 (3)
4. Ghasem REZAEI (IRI) – World No.3 (4)
5. Aleksander HRABOVIK (BLR) – Zagreb Open No.1 (5)
6. Ardo ARUSAAR (EST) – Paris GP No.1 (6)
7. Mahdi ALIYARI FEYZABADI (IRI) – World Cup No.1 (7)
8. Balasz KISS (HUN) – Hungarian GP No.1 (nr)
9. Alin ALEX-CIURARIU (ROU) – World No.5 (8)
10. Yerulan ISKAKOV (KAZ) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (9)
11. XIAO Di (CHN) – Takhti Cup No.3 (10)
12. Timo KALLIO (FIN) – Kare Tournament No.1 (11)
13. Nikita MELNIKOV (RUS) – World Cup No.2 (12)
14. Yasmany LUGO CABRERA (CUB) – Granma Cup No.1 (13)
15. Daigoro TIMONCINI (ITA) – Hungarian GP No.2 (nr)
16. Fatih BASKOY (TUR) – European U23 No.1 (nr)
17. Tuomas LAHTI (FIN) – European U23 No.2 (nr)
18. Fredrik SCHOEN (SWE) – Copa Brasil No.1 (13)
18. Vladislav METODIEV (BUL) – Schultz Memorial No.3 (14)
20. Marthin NIELSEN (NOR) – European U23 No.5 (16)

130kg – Two-time junior world champion Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) recorded four technical falls for the European U23 championship crown and climbed to No.7 in the rankings – right behind former freestyle world champion Beylal MAKHOV (RUS).

Daniel LIGETI (HUN), 2014 European bronze medalist in freestyle, won his first Greco-Roman title at the Hungarian Grand Prix via a forfeit from national team regular Balint LAM (HUN) for No.16 in the rankings. Ligeti edged 2013 world champion Heiki NABI (EST), 1-0, in the semifinals.

1. Mijain LOPEZ NUNEZ (CUB) – World No.1 (1)
2. Riza KAYAALP (TUR) – World Cup No.1 (2)
3. Heiki NABI (EST) – World No.3 (3)
4. Johan Magnus EUREN (SWE) – World Cup No.2 (4)
5. Nurmakhan TINALIEV (KAZ) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (5)
6. Beylal MAKHOV (RUS) – World No.3 (6)
7. Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) – European U23 No.1 (15)
8. Lyubomir DIMITROV (BUL) – Palusalu Tournament No.2 (7)
9. Eduard POPP (GER) – World No.5 (8)
10. Bashir Asgiri BABAJANZADEH – Takhti Cup No.1 (10)
11. MENG Qiang (CHN) – Takhti Cup No.3 (11)
12. Behnam MEHDIZADEH (IRI) – Asia No.1 (9)
13. Balint LAM (HUN) – Hungarian GP No.2 (14)
14. Mindaugas MIZGAITIS (LTU) – World Military No.1 (12)
15. Aleksander CHERNETSKI (UKR) – World Military No.2 (13)
16. Daniel LIGETI (HUN) – Hungarian GP No.1 (nr)
17. Kiril GRISHCHENKO (BLR) – Hungarian GP No.3 (nr)
18. Felix BALDAUF (NOR) – European U23 No.3 (nr)
19. Iosif CHUGOSHVILI (BLR) – Zagreb Open No.1 (18)
20. Nikolai KUCHMIY (UKR) – European U23 No.2 (nr)