CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (February 4) – Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) renewed his claim to the No.1 heavyweight ranking with a triumph over 2011 world champ Elis GURI (BUL) at the Nikola Petrov tourney in Sofia.

Aleksanyan, one of two reigning world champs in action in January, kicked off this Olympic Year reasserting his position as the No.1 wrestler at 98kg in United World Wrestling’s rankings for Greco-Roman.

The winner of the last two world meets, Aleksanyan rolled into the heavyweight finals with a pair of technical falls at the Universiada Sport Hall in Sofia and then forged a 4-0 win over the 32-year-old veteran.

Meanwhile, the only other 2015 world champ on the mats in January, Roman VLASOV (RUS), was dropped for four points early in the 75kg final at the Ivan Poddubny tourney and came out on the short end of a 4-4 decision with 2014 world champ Chingiz LABAZANOV (RUS).

The loss, however, did not affect Vlasov’s position in the rankings, while Labazanov climbed four places to No.7 in the welterweight register.

Also at the Poddubny classic in Tyumen, Russia, Beijing 2008 Olympic Games champion Islambek ALBIEV (RUS) defeated continental champions Adam KURAK (RUS) and Artem SURKOV (RUS) at 66kg. The victory lifts Albiev onto the rankings at No.12.

At super heavyweight, Iosif CHUGOSHIVILI (BLR) won in Tyumen and the Vehbi Emre meet two weeks later in Istanbul to leap from 13th to No.7 at 130kg.

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

59kg – Golden Grand Prix Final runner-up Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) added another silver medal to his collection at the Ivan Poddubny tourney to edge past YUN Won-Chol (PRK) for No.4 in the rankings. Poddubny winner Ibragim LABAZANOV (RUS) went from unranked to No.10.
 
1. Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB) – World No.1 (1)
2. Rovshan BAYRAMOV (AZE) – World No.2 (2)
3. Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) – GGP Final No.1 (4)
4. Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) – Ivan Poddubny No.2 (5)
5. YUN Won-Chol (PRK) – World No.3 (4)
6. Soslan DAUROV (BLR) – European Games No.2 (6)
7. Arsen ERALIEV (KGZ) – Asia No.3 (7)
8. Stepan MARYANYAN (RUS) – Ivan Poddubny No.3 (9)
9. Ivo ANGELOV (BUL) – Nikola Petrov No.1 (8)
10. Ibragim LABAZANOV (RUS) – Ivan Poddubny No.1 (Not ranked)
11. Mingiyan SEMENOV (RUS) – Ivan Poddubny No.3 (nr)
12. Stig Andre BERGE (NOR) – Vantaa Cup No.2 (10)
13. Aleksandar KOSTADINOV (BUL) – Nikola Petrov No.1 (nr)
14. Mohammad Reza GERAEI (IRI) – Nikola Petrov No.3 (nr)
15. Elman MUKHTAROV (AZE) – European Games No.3 (12)
16. Tarik BELMADANI (FRA) – European Games No.3 (13)
17. Peter MODOS (HUN) – Zagreb Grand Prix No.1 (nr)
18. Shinobu OTA (JPN) – Asia No.3 (18)
19. Spenser MANGO (USA) – Pan Am Games No.3 (19)
20. Haitham FAHMY (EGY) – Africa No.1 (20)

66kg – Migran ARUTUNYAN (ARM) won the Nikola Petrov tourney at 71kg to solidy his position at No.5 and Konstantin STAS (BUL) took the same tourney at 66kg to join the rankings at No.20.
 
1. Frank STAEBLER (GER) – World No.1 (1)
2. RYU Han-Soo (KOR) – World No.2 (2)
3. Davor STEFANEK (SRB) – World No.3 (3)
4. Artem SURKOV (RUS) – World No.3 (4)
5. Migran ARUTUNYAN (ARM) – Nikola Petrov No.1 (5)
6. Tarek Aziz BENAISSA (ALG) – All-African Games No.1 (6)
7. Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) – Zagreb GP No.1 (7)
8. Hasan ALIYEV (AZE) – European Games No.3 (9)
9. Dominik ETLINGER (CRO) – European Gaes No.3 (8)
10. Istvan LEVAI (SVK) – Zagreb GP No.2 (11)
11. Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) – Vehbi Emre No.2 (10
12. Islambek ALBIEV (RUS) – Ivan Poddubny No.1 (nr)
13. Mehdi ZEIDVAND (IRI) – GGP Final No.1 (13)
14. Mateusz BERNATEK (POL) – Pytlasinski Cup No.3 (12)
15. Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) – Asia No.2 (14)
16. Wuilleixis RIVAS ESPINOZA (VEN) – Pan Am Games No.1 (20)
17. Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) – Asia No.3 (15)
18. Bryce SADDORIS (USA) – Pan Am Games No.2 (14)
19. Konstantin STAS (BUL) – Nikola Petrov No.1 (nr)
20. Denys DEMYANKOV (UKR) – European Games No.5 (17)

71kg – Mathias MAASCH (GER) notched his second senior international title at the Paris Grand Prix to remain firm at No.5 while former world bronze medalist Afshin BYABABGARD (IRI) to climb from No.9 to No.6 in the rankings.
 
1. Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) – World No.1 (1)
2. Armen VARDANYAN (UKR) – World No.2 (2)
3. Adam KURAK (RUS) – World No.3 (3
4. Zackarias TALLROTH (SWE) – World No.3 (4)
5. Mathias MAASCH (GER) – Paris GP No.1 (5)
6. Afshin BYABANGARD (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.1 (9)
7. Justin LESTER (USA) – Farrell Memorial No.2 (7)
8. Timur BERDIEV (BLR) – World No.5 (6)
9. Balint KORPASI (HUN) – European Games No.2 (8)
10. Ramin TAHERISARTANG (IRI) – Asia No.1 (10)
11. Danijel JANECIC (CRO) – Zagreb GP No.1, 66kg (15)
12. Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) – Zagreb GP No.1, 71kg (nr)
13. Darkhan BAYAKMETOV (KAZ) – Kazakhstan Cup No.2 (12)
14. Yunus Emre BASAR (TUR) – Vehbi Emre No.1 (nr)
15. Mindia TSULUKIDZE (GEO) – Vehbi Emre No.2 (nr)
16. JIANG Jincheng (CHN) – Paris GP No.1 (nr)
17. Kairat TUGOLBAEV (KGZ) – World No.7 (13)
18. ZHANG Ridong (CHN) – Asia No.3 (14)
19. Akram BOUDJEMLINE (ALG) – All-African Games No.3 (18)
20. Ruslan TSAREV (KGZ) – Vehbi Emre No.3 (20)

75kg – Saeid Mourad ABDVALI (IRI) grabbed the Takhti Cup and Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARM) won the Vehbi Emre title, but each had to take a dip in the rankings to make room for Ivan Poddubny winner Chingiz LABAZANOV (RUS).

1. Roman VLASOV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. Doszhan KARTIKOV (KAZ) – World No.3 (2)
3. KIM Hyeon-Woo (KOR) – GGP Final No.1 (3)
4. Mark MADSEN (DEN) – World No.2 (4)
5. Andrew BISEK (USA) – World No.3 (5)
6. Elvin MURSALIYEV (AZE) – European Games No.1 (6)
7. Chingiz LABAZANOV (RUS) – Ivan Poddubny No.1 (11)
8. Saeid Mourad ABDVALI (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.1 (7)
9. Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARM) – Nikola Petrov No.1 (8)
10. Viktor NEMES (SRB) – Zagreb GP No.1, 80kg (10)
11. Peter BACSI (HUN) – Pytlasinski Cup No.1 (9
12. Bozo STARCEVIC (CRO) – Zagreb GP No.1, 75kg (11)
13. Karapet CHALYAN (ARM) – Nikola Petrov No.1 (nr)
14. Payam BOUYERI PAYANI (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.3 (13)
15. Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ) – Asia No.2 (12)
16. Dmitri PYSHKOV (UKR) – European Games No.3 (15)
17. Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (GEO) – European Games No.5 (16)
18. Jonas BOSSERT (SUI) – Paris GP No.1 (nr)
19. Juan Angel ESCOBAR (MEX) – Pan Am Games No.3 (18)
20. Kazbek KILOV (BLR) – Vehbi Emre No.3 (nr)

80kg – European Games champion Evgeni SALEEV (RUS) rebounded from an eighth-place finish in the world championships to claim the Ivan Poddubny crown at 85kg and a No.3 in the rankings. Meanwhile, Ramazan ABACHARAEV (RUS) won at 80kg to join the rankings at No.11.
 
1. Selcuk CEBI (TUR) – World No.1 (1)
2. Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) – Vehbi Emre No.1 (2)
3. Evgeni SALEEV (RUS) – Ivan Poddubny No.1, 85kg (7)
4. Viktor SASUNOVSKI (BLR) – World No.2 (3)
5. Yousef GHADERIAN (IRI) – World No.3 (4)
6. Rafik HUSEYNOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (6)
7. Laszlo SZABO (HUN) – Zagreb GP No.2 (9)
8. Aleksander SHYSHMAN (UKR) – Takhti Cup No.3 (10)
9. Ashkat DILMUKHAMEDOV (KAZ) – Kazakhstan Cup No.2 (7)
10. Samat SHIRDAKOV (KGZ) – World No.5 (8)
11. Ramazan ABACHARAEV (RUS) – Ivan Poddubny No.1, 80kg (nr)
12. Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL) - European Games No.3 (11)
13. AISHAN Aishan (CHN) – Asia No.2 (12)
14. Petar BALO (SRB) – Zagreb GP No.2 (15)
15. Eduard SARGSYAN (ARM) – Spanish GP No.1 (14)
16. Florian NEUMAIER (GER) – Ion Corneanu No.2 (13)
17. Rafik MANUKYAN (ARM) – Takhti Cup No.1 (nr)
18. Ruslan ISAKOV (RUS) – Vantaa Painicup No.1 (19)
19. Henri Esko VAELIMAEKI (FIN) – Herman Kare No.1 (nr)
20. Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL) – Zagreb No.2 (20)

85kg – London 2012 bronze medalist Damian JANIKOWSKI (POL) won his third tourney title in a row at the Grand Prix of Zagreb to edge up to No.7 in the rankings. Meanwhile, Robert KOBLIASHVILI (GEO) won the Vehbi Emre crown to join the rankings at No.11.

1. Zhan BELENYUK (UKR) – World No.1 (1)
2. Hasan Saman TAHMASEBI (AZE) – World No.3 (2)
3. David CHAKVETADZE (RUS) – European Games No.1 (3)
4. Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB) – World No.2 (4)
5. Habibollah AKHLAGHI (IRI) – World No.3 (5)
6. Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) – Pytlasinski No.2 (6)
7. Damian JANIKOWSKI (POL) – Zagreb GP No.1 (8)
8. Rami HIETANIEMI (FIN) – World No.5 (7)
9. Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) – Vehbi Emre No.2 (13)
10. Ramsin AZIZSIR (GER) – European Games No.3 (9)
11. Robert KOBLIASHVILI (GEO) – Vehbi Emre No.1 (nr)
12. Bekhan OZDOEV (RUS) – Ivan Poddubny No.2 (nr)
13. Islam ABBASOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.3 (10)
14. Mojtaba KARIMFAR (IRI) – GGP Final No.3 (11)
15. Metehan BASAR (TUR) – European Games No.3 (10)
16. Maksim MANUKYAN (ARM) – Nikola Petrov No.2 (15)
17. Melonin NOUMONVI (FRA) – Paris GP No.2 (17)
18. Davod ABEDINZADEH (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.1 (nr)
19. Aleksandr KAZAKEVICH (LTU) – Herman Kare No.1 (nr)
20. Eerik APS (EST) – Herman Kare No.2 (nr)

98kg – 2013 world champion Nikita MELNIKOV (RUS) followed his World Military Games crown in October with the Ivan Poddubny title in January to climb five steps to No.9, while Kevin MEJIA CASTILLO (HON) took the Schultz Memorial title for No.14 in the rankings.
 
1. Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) – World No.1 (1)
2. Ghasem REZAEI (IRI) – World No.2 (2)
3. Islam MAGOMEDOV (RUS) – World No.3 (3)
4. Dimitri TIMCHENKO (UKR) – World No.3 (4)
5. XIAO Di (CHN) – Paris GP No.1 (6)
6. Elis GURI (BUL) – Nikola Petrov No.2 (7)
7. Cenk ILDEM (TUR) – Vehbi Emre No.1 (8)
8. Alin ALEXUC-CIURARIU (ROU) – World No.5 (5)
9. Nikita MELNIKOV (RUS) – Ivan Poddubny No.1 (14)
10. Musa EVLOEV (RUS) – Ivan Poddubny No.2 (nr)
11. Villius LAURINAITIS (LTU) – World Military Games No.2 (11)
12. Marthin Hamlet NIELSEN (NOR) – Spanish GP No.2 (9)
13. Peter OEHLER (GER) – Pytlasinski No.2 (10)
14. Kevin MEJIA CASTILLO (HON) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (16)
15. Balasz KISS (HUN) – Hungarian GP No.1 (13)
16. Shalva GADABADZE (AZE) – GGP Final No.1 (17)
17. Felix BALDAUF (NOR) – Vehbi Emre No.2 (nr)
18. Artur OMAROV (CZE) – Zagreb GP No.1 (nr)
19. Josef RAU (USA) – Zagreb GP No.2 (19)
20. Yasmany LUGO CABRERA (CUB) – Pan Am Games No.1 (15) 

130kg – Two tournament titles in January lift Iosif CHUGOSHVILI (BLR) over Takhti Cup winner Mahdi ALIYARI FEYZABADI (IRI), Zagreb titlist Balint LAM (HUN) and Paris Grand Prix champ MENG Qiang (CHN).

1. Riza KAYAALP (TUR) – World No.1 (1)
2. Mijain LOPEZ NUNEZ (CUB) – World No.2 (2)
3. Beylal MAKHOV (RUS) – World No.3 (3)
4. Sabah SHARIATI (AZE) – European Games No.2 (5)
5. Heiki NABI (EST) – European Games No.3 (7)
6. Aleksander CHERNETSKI (UKR) – World No.3 (4)
7. Iosif CHUGOSHVILI (BLR) – Ivan Poddubny No.1 (13)
8. Mahdi ALIYARI FEYZABADI (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.1 (10)
9. Balint LAM (HUN) – Zagreb GP No.1 (8)
10. MENG Qiang (CHN) – Paris GP No.1 (11)
11. Robert SMITH (USA) – Pan Am Games No.3 (7)
12. Nurmakhan TINALIEV (KAZ) – Asia No.1 (12)
13. Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) – Ivan Poddubny No.3 (15)
14. Behnam MEHDIZADEH (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.3 (16)
15. Eduard POPP (GER) – Ion Corneanu No.3 (14)
16. Vitali SHCHUR (RUS) – Ivan Poddubnu No.2 (nr)
17. Lyubomir DIMITROV (BUL) – Nikola Petrov No.1 (nr)
18. Lukasz BANAK (POL) – World Military Games No.3 (19)
19. Bashir Asgari BABAJANZADEH (IRI) – Asia No.3 (20)
20. Toby ERICKSON (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (nr)