#WrestleParis

10 seeded showdowns we need to see at Paris 2024 (No. 1-5)

Friday, July 19, 2024 - 11:28 By Eric Olanowski

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PARIS, France (July 18) --- Yesterday, we launched the No. 6-10 must-watch seeded matches that could take place in the quarterfinals and semifinals of the upcoming Paris Olympic Games. We continue the series with the top five matchups that could be between seeded athletes in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

SCHEDULE | PARIS 2024 EVENT PAGE 

The top eight Ranking Series point scorers from the 2023 World Championships, 2024 Continental Championships, and the Croatian and Hungarian Ranking Series events earned a top eight seed in Paris. The remaining eight wrestlers will be randomly drawn into their respective brackets.

Here are the top-five seeded showdowns that can take place in Paris:

5. 97kg SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) vs. No. 4 Gabriel ROSILLO (CUB)
If you were to rank the ten Greco-Roman favorites expected to win gold at last year’s World Championships, Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) would have been either at the top or second on that list.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), no one told Gabriel Rosillo that the list existed.

In their lone career meeting, Rosillo, with the most perfectly timed arm drag that the wrestling world has seen in recent memory, stopped Aleksanyan from winning his fifth world gold medal. The Cuban sucked in an arm drag to Aleksanyan’s right arm, then perfectly timed a re-drag to the left side just as the Armenian pulled away, giving him the go-ahead takedown with 23 seconds left.

After the match, Aleksanyan said he relaxed at the most inopportune time and he’ll use the loss to Rosillo as motivation heading into Paris.

The second meeting between Aleksanyan and Rosillo could happen on August 6 in the 97kg semifinals.

4. 125kg SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Amir ZARE (IRI) vs. No. 4 Taha AKGUL (TUR)
Zare and Akgul have been going blow for blow for the last three years, with Zare grabbing the 2-1 advantage from his 2021 and 2023 wins, which were sandwiched between a 2022 world championship loss.

Zare picked up the biggest win of his career (at the time) with his win 4-0 shutout win over Akgul at the 2021 Oslo World Championships. Up until that point, the Iranian was looked at as a tier-two heavyweight. His win over Akgul in Norway pushed him into the ranks with Akgul, Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) and Gable STEVESON (USA).

In the second meeting, Akgul stood tall on the United World Wrestling logo in the center of the mat and didn't budge. He evened the score at one match apiece, striking late with a counter-offensive 360 spin, moving into the world finals with a 3-3 win.

Zare regained his crown in the third meeting, with a tactical heavy-handed 4-0 win.

Zare knew Akgul wasn’t much of an offensive threat and couldn't afford to make a similar mistake as he did the year before, giving up the match-deciding takedown with no time left. He remained composed and scored a pair of stepouts and a takedown to win 4-0, giving him the 2-1 advantage heading into Paris.

The fourth meeting between world champions Zare and Akgul could happen on August 9 in the 125kg semifinals.

3. 57kg SEMIFINAL –  No. 2 Rei HIGUCHI (JPN ) vs. No. 3 Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
Harutyunyan and Higuchi are two guys with unlimited offensive and have gas tanks that rival a nuclear submarine.

That was on display in last year’s Freestyle Match of the Year, where Harutyunyan and Higuchi put up a combined 30 points in one match—17 points in the first period and 13 in the second.

In their epic second meeting, Higuchi surrendered an early 6-0 lead, but clawed his way back before the ending whistle in the first, taking the 10-7 lead with a beautiful four-point arm-throw. Higuchi’s onslaught of attacks continued as the second period started, scoring six straight points and extending his lead to 16-8. From there, Higuchi seemingly shut it down to conserve energy for the semifinals, as he gave up six unanswered points but still won the bout, 16-14.

The second meeting between Higuchi and Harutyunyan would go down on August 8 in the 57kg semifinals.

2. 97kg SEMIFINAL – No . 2 Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) vs. No. 3 Kyle SNYDER (USA)
Coming into the 2023 World Championships, Tazhudinov was a relatively unknown 20-year-old. The most fans knew about the 21-year-old was that he was a young guy trained by Sadulaev’s coach but left Russia to compete for Bahrain.

That all changed for Tazhudinov after his sub-three-minute quarterfinal routing of world and Olympic champion Kyle SNYDER (USA). The lengthy pupil of the Sadulaev’s School of Wrestling threw Snyder twice for four, using all four of the American’s shot attempts to score his 10 quick points.

Heading into Paris, there’s nothing more that Snyder wants more than revenge against Tazhudinov on his way to a potential third Olympic medal.

“I’m pumped about the bracket. It worked out great, in my opinion,” said Snyder in an interview with FloWrestling. “The third match of the day, that’s probably my best match. Once I start getting warm, I feel like I can wrestle forever.”

Round two of the Snyder vs. Tazhudinov rivalry will take on August 10 in the 97kg Olympic semifinals.

1. 60kg SEMIFINAL  –  No. 1 Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) vs. No. 4 Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN)
The Sharshenbekov and Fumita gold-medal bout from the 2023 World Championships was voted as the 2023 Match of the Year by fans.

In their second career meeting, the pair of two-time world champions wowed the crowd from whistle to whistle, with Sharshebekov scoring the first four-pointer of the match five seconds after the referee blew the whistle.

The points continued to pile up throughout the match. The pair collectively scored 15 points in the opening 90 seconds. They ultimately scored 17 points in the six-minute bout, with Sharshenbekov taking ownership of the world title with an 11-6 victory.

Sharshenbekov and Fumita are scheduled to meet on August 5 in the 60kg semifinals.

Wrestling at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games starts August 5-11 and can be followed on www.uww.org.

#WrestleUlaanbaatar

Olympic Champ Ramazanov Shows No Signs of Rust on Return

Saturday, June 6, 2026 - 17:48 By Vinay Siwach

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ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (June 6) -- Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL) had been sidelined from wrestling action for more than a year. He did not wrestle after winning the European Championships in April 2025.

The absence, however, was forced as Ramazanov was nursing an injury and also got operated. He missed the World Championships last year and the European Championships this year.

On Saturday, the Paris Olympic champion marked his return to action at the Ulaanbaatar Open at 86kg and won a silver medal. Not that he lost the final, but Ramazanov injury defaulted the final against Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI).

Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL)Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL) tries to bodylock Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ) in the opening round bout at 86kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

The 86kg weight class has seen quite a few changes since Paris 2024 but with the return of Ramazanov, without any signs of rust, it will be a tough-to-predict weight come the World Championships in October.

Before he forfeited his final, Ramazanov controlled all his bouts. He began with an 8-2 win over Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ) which included a four-point throw. He then won 5-0 against Abdulmuslim ABULMUSLIMOV (RUS) in the quarterfinals, displaying his well-known upper body offence. The semifinal was a much easier affair as he blanked Batbilguun NAADAMBAT (MGL), 10-0.

Ramazanov's offence worked smoothly including his duckunders which he used multiple times on Saturday. He even kept his opponents quiet when he wanted to defend the lead.

A final against Nokhodi would have presented more insights into his form but Ramazanov, perhaps satisfied with his run, decided to skip the final.

Nokhodi is the latest entrant in the growing list of new stars at 86kg. He made a late move from 79kg to 86kg at Ulaanbaatar Open but had no trouble reaching the final. He began with two wins via technical superiority and one 10-5 win over Malik SHAVAEV (KGZ) in the semifinals.

Sagar JAGLAN (IND)Sagar JAGLAN (IND) won gold medal at 74kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

In other Freestyle action, Sagar JAGLAN (IND), a former U17 world champion and U20 world silver medalist, also found home in a weight class.

Jaglan moved around weight classes in 2025, competing at 79kg and 86kg. In 2023, he won multiple medals at 79kg before a shoulder injury ruled him out for more than a year. In the only tournament he competed internationally in 2025, Jaglan finished fifth at the U23 Asian Championships at 86kg.

In his first tournament in over a year, Jaglan began returned to 74kg and excelled at the Ulaanbaatar Open, winning gold. While JAIDEEP (IND) has been at 74kg for India for sometime, Jaglan knocked him off in the quarterfinals and later won semifinals via technical superiority.

Up against Tamir ESHINIMAEV (RUS) in the gold-medal bout, Jaglan was called passive in the first period as Eshinimaev went up 1-0. Jaglan took the lead when he pushed the Russian out of bounds for two points. Russia challenge the decision but lost it to add one more point to Jaglan's score.

Eshinimaev did well to get to Jaglan's legs late in the final and he elevated the Indian's one leg. A two-point takedown would have given Eshinimaev the criteria lead but Jaglan hopped around defending any attempts of takedown. Eshinimaev managed to score a stepout with only seven seconds left on the clock.

Jaglan defended his 3-2 lead with ease to win his first-ever Ranking Series gold medal.

Askhab SAADULAEV (RUS)Askhab SAADULAEV (RUS) defeated Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ), 6-3, in the 92kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 92kg, defending champion Askhab SAADULAEV (RUS) managed to defend his gold medal against Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ), thanks to the clock which saved him from being pinned.

Saadulaev had a comfortable 5-1 lead with 20 seconds left when Dauletbekov managed a cradle for two points and then held Saadulaev on the mat. The referees called the fall but it was only after the clock had expired. Kazakhstan challenged asking for two more points but Saadulaev was exposed only once and did not come in neutral before Dauletbekov went for the fall.

The lost challenge of Kazakhstan added one more point to Saadulaev's score as he won 6-3.

Hyo Gyong CHOE (PRK)Hyo Gyong CHOE (PRK) celebrates after pinning Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) in the 55kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

DPR Korea Wins 3 Golds

The first of the three gold medals was won by Hyo Gyong CHOE (PRK) who pinned Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) in the 55kg final. Choe, a Paris 2024 bronze medalist, began with a sweep single for two points and then turned Masuda for two more and lead 4-0. Choe scored another takedown for two more points and then pancaked Masuda for a fall.

World silver medalist Ok Ju KIM (PRK) then dominated Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL), 10-0, to capture the gold medal at 62kg. Kim used her strong slideby to score the takedown and after some effort, she managed to turn Dudova for a 4-0 lead. Before the break, Kim also managed to score a step while defending anything that Dudova threw at her.

Dudova pressured Kim in the second period and she pushed her to the zone. But Kim flung Dudova for a four-pointer to extend her lead to 9-0. Bulgaria challenged the call but on review, it was clear that Dudova did not score any points. The lost challenge gave the winning point to Kim.

Hyon Gyong Mun (PRK)Hyon Gyong Mun (PRK) scores the final two points on Shuai ZHANG (CHN). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

A hat-trick of gold was completed by Hyon Gyong MUN (PRK) who claimed the 65kg title with a 14-2 technical superiority win over Shuai ZHANG (CHN).

Mun began with a four-pointer using an over-under grip but Zhang caught Mun's arm and scored two points as well. However, Mun reversed the position but she got the point only after a challenge to lead 5-2. A stepout further extended her lead to 6-2 with a stepout before the break.

Mun's strength was little too much for Zhang as she opened the second period also with a takedown and then a huge throw for four points. Zhang tried to roll out of the grip but ended up giving two more points as Mun confirmed her win.

Host Mongolia claimed a gold medal through former world silver medalist Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) who won the 68kg final 8-2 against Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (RUS). After the first takedown, Enkhsaikhan hit a double-leg blast for four points to lead 6-0 but gave up two points when setting up the next takedown.

The second period went scoreless for 2:50 but Enkhsaikhan hit another double-leg for two points to confirm her win in the final.

KAJAL (IND) added another gold for India, which won two golds on Friday, by claiming the 76kg gold over Damola OJO (NGR). Kajal opened the final with a takedown to lead 2-0 and then a stepout to make it 3-0. Ojo was called passive in the second period which gave one more point to Kajal who scored two different takedowns to win 8-0.

Photo

RESULTS

Women's Wrestling

55kg
GOLD: Hyogyong CHOE (PRK) df. Natsumi MASUDA (JPN), via fall (6-0)

BRONZE: Hansika LAMBA (IND) df. Ariunzaya ODONCHIMEG (MGL), 11-0
BRONZE: Tuba DEMIR (TUR) df. Laura ALMAGANBETOVA (KAZ), 8-4

62kg
GOLD: Ok Ju KIM (PRK) df. Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL), 10-0

BRONZE: Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR) df. Huan YANG (CHN), 10-0
BRONZE: MANSI (IND) df. NITIKA (IND), 10-0

65kg
GOLD: Hyon Gyong MUN (PRK) df. Shuai ZHANG (CHN), 14-2

BRONZE: Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL) df. PULKIT (IND), 6-3

68kg
GOLD: Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) df. Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (RUS), 6-2

BRONZE: Nesrin BAS (TUR) df. Gantsetseg BATSUKH (MGL), via fall (4-4)
BRONZE: Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU) df. Sol Gum PAK (PRK), via fall (6-0)

76kg
GOLD: KAJAL (IND) df. Damola OJO (NGR), 8-0

BRONZE: PRIYA (IND) df. Tuvshinjargal TARAV (MGL), 8-0
BRONZE: Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) df. Gulmaral YERKEBAYEVA (KAZ), 7-3

Freestyle

74kg
GOLD: Sagar JAGLAN (IND) df. Tamir ESHINIMAEV (RUS), 3-2

BRONZE: JAIDEEP (IND) df. Tolui MUNKHBAT (MGL), 15-4
BRONZE: Tumen BODIEV (RUS) df. Sangho HAN (KOR), 3-1

86kg
GOLD: Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) df. Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ) df. Batbilguun NAADAMBAT (MGL), 10-0
BRONZE: Byambadorj BAT ERDENE (MGL) vs. Malik SHAVAEV (KGZ)

92kg
GOLD: Askhab SAADULAEV (RUS) df. Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ), 6-3

BRONZE: Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL) df. Ganbat TSERENPUNTSAG (MGL), 4-1
BRONZE: Abolfazl RAHMANI (IRI) df. Punit KUMAR (IND), via fall (4-0)