#WrestleBuenosAires

Cuba and USA each collect three Greco-Roman golds at #WrestleBuenosAires

Friday, April 19, 2019 - 01:26 By Taylor Miller

Share this article
Martin Gabor

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – After day one of the 2019 Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Cuba and the USA earned six of seven Greco-Roman gold medals, each winning three.

Leading the way for Cuba was 2015 World and 2016 Olympic champion Ismael BORRERO MOLINA, who claimed the crown at 67 kg.

In the finals, Borrero Molina bested 2012 Olympian and two-time Junior World bronze medalist Ellis COLEMAN (USA) with an 11-1 technical fall.

Other Cubans winning on Thursday included reigning Pan Am champion Luis ORTA SANCHEZ and returning Pan Am bronze medalist Gabriel ROSILLO KINDELAN.

Orta Sanchez finished atop the 60 kg podium after a dominating 9-0 finals performance against Samuel GURRIA VIGUERAS (MEX).

At 97 kg, Rosillo Kindelan shut down 2016 Junior World bronze medalist G’Angelo HANCOCK (USA) with a 10-2 technical fall victory, which started with a four-point throw.

Winning titles for the USA was Max NOWRY, RaVaughn PERKINS and Adam COON.

2018 World silver medalist Coon registered his third pin of the day in the 130 kg finals, sticking Luciano DEL RIO (ARG) in the first period. Trailing on a passivity call, Coon steamrolled Del Rio to his back for the pin at the 1:59-mark.

Nowry went 3-0 on the day, winning a round robin at 55 kg. His finals match only lasted 34 seconds, as he scored a pair of takedowns, coupled with gut wrenches, for an 8-0 win over Marcelo TORRES (ARG).

Perkins had already clinched the title at 72 kg in the morning session, going 2-0 in a three-man round-robin bracket.

Winning the other gold medal was Andres MONTANO ARROYO (ECU), who emerged victorious from the 63 kg round-robin. In his last match of the day, Montano Arroyo knocked off 2018 Pan American champion Ryan MANGO (USA), 9-0.

Competition continues tomorrow at 10 a.m. local time (9 a.m. EST) live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

2019 SENIOR PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
at Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 18-21

Finals results
55 kg
GOLD - Max NOWRY (USA)
SILVER - Sargis KHACHATRYAN (BRA)
BRONZE - Joshua MEDINA (PUR)

60 kg
GOLD - Luis ORTA SANCHEZ (CUB) TF Samuel GURRIA VIGUERAS (MEX), 9-0
BRONZE - Anthony PALENCIA PUENTES (VEN) dec. Dalton ROBERTS (USA), 1-1
BRONZE - Dicther TORO CASTANEDA (COL) dec. Maikol JOSEFA (DOM), 4-3

63 kg
GOLD - Andres MONTANO ARROYO (ECU)
SILVER - Ryan MANGO (USA)
BRONZE - Jose DAVILA CABELLO (PER)

67 kg
GOLD - Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB) TF Ellis COLEMAN (USA), 11-1
BRONZE - Shalom VILLEGAS REQUENA (VEN) TF Cristhian RIVAS CASTRO (ECU), 8-0
BRONZE - Joilson DE BRITO RAMOS JUNIOR (BRA) dec. Manuel LOPEZ SALCERO (MEX), 3-1

72 kg
GOLD – RaVaughn PERKINS (USA)
SILVER - Kenedy MORAES PEDROSA (BRA)
BRONZE - Francisco BARRIO (ARG)

97 kg
GOLD - Gabriel ROSILLO KINDELAN (CUB) TF G’Angelo HANCOCK (USA), 10-2
BRONZE - Kevin MEJIA CASTILLO (HON) wins by injury default Jose ARIAS PAREDES (DOM)
BRONZE - Luillys PEREZ MORA (VEN) dec. Oscar LOANGO SOLIS (COL), 3-1

130 kg
GOLD - Adam COON (USA) fall Luciano DEL RIO (ARG)
BRONZE - Angel PACHECO ROMERO (CUB) TF Diego ALMENDRAS RODRIQUEZ (CHI), 8-0
BRONZE - Edgardo LOPEZ MORELL (PUR) dec. Charles THOMS (CAN), 11-7

 

#WrestleZagreb

Motoki leads Japanese trio to Worlds finals

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 - 15:47 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 17) -- After a slightly subdued start to its Women's Wrestling, Japan managed to show up at the World Championships.

Japan put three wrestlers in the final out of the four weight classes that were in action on Wednesday in Zagreb. Olympic champion Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) remained on course for her first world title at 62kg while Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN) and Ami ISHII (JPN) will look to add to their world titles at 53kg and 68kg.

Motoki was up against former world champion Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) in the semifinals and she began with a four-pointer. Purevdorj got a reversal but that was all she managed in the match as Motoki kept coming up with different ways to score the takedowns. At 10-1, she scored another four-pointer to win 14-1 and enter her second world final.

For the elusive gold, she will face Ok Ju KIM (PRK) who pinned Amina TANDELOVA (UWW) in the other semifinal after building a 14-3 lead.

Murayama, a three-time world champion, will wrestle for her fourth world title after she won a close semifinal against Hyogyong CHOE (PRK). Both traded activity points but Murayama had a stepout which proved to the be difference as she won 2-1.

On Thursday, she will face Olympic silver medalist Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) in the final after the Ecuadorian defeated world bronze medalist ANTIM (IND), 5-3, majorly with four-pointer in the first period and protecting her lead.

Yepez hit a duck under to throw Antim for four and gave up a reversal to lead 4-1 in the break. The Indian tried to find the opening but she only got one in the final 10 seconds after giving up a takedown. Yepez was happy to give up that final takedown as it did not affect her win and only changed the score to 5-3.

Ecuador, a country which did not have a world finalist till Tuesday, now has two. Yepez is the second on consecutive day after Genesis REASCO (ECU) entered the 76kg final to create history.

World 72kg champion Ishii, who dropped down to 68kg this year, took a step closer to her second world title after she bullied through two Olympic medalist in quarterfinals and semifinals.

Ishii dominated silver medalist from Paris Kennedy BLADES (USA), 12-2, and had a similar match against bronze medalist against Buse TOSUN (TUR) in the semifinals.

Ishii was straight to work in the semifinal with a four-pointer as Tosun landed on her back despite controlling Ishii's legs. Turkiye challenged that scoring but lost it, giving one more point to Ishii.

She scored three different takedowns to finish the match 11-0 inside the first period and enter her second world final.

Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) will look to stop Ishii from winning the gold medal after she upset world 65kg champion Jia LONG (CHN) in the semifinal. Yaneva fell behind 1-1 on criteria but scored a takedown with around one minute and 30 seconds on the clock to lead 3-1.

From there on, Long was on the backfoot and a win seemed further away as she was cautioned for a point for locking fingers. As she tried to trip Yaneva, the Bulgarian blocked her and got the winning takedown for a 6-1 win.

At 72kg, multiple age-group world medalist Nesrin BAS (TUR) managed to reach her first-ever senior world final after she won a thrilling semifinal against Zelu LI (CHN), 9-6.

Bas scored a four-pointer using a whizzer to lead 4-1 at the break. Li scored a takedown to begin the second period but Bas elevated her leg from the front to score two points and lead 6-3. Turkiye challenged the call and the scored for reversed to 8-4. Li tried to mount a comeback from there but she managed only two points while Bas scored a reversal to win 9-6.

For her first world title, she will face Alla BELINSKA (UKR) who used a whizzer to pin Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ) in the other semifinal.

RESULTS

53kg
GOLD: Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) vs. Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN)

SF 1: Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN) df. Hyogyong CHOE (PRK), 2-1
SF 2: Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) df. ANTIM (IND), 5-3

62kg
GOLD: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) vs. Ok Ju KIM (PRK)

SF 1: Ok Ju KIM (PRK) df. Amina TANDELOVA (UWW), via fall
SF 2: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) df. Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL), 14-1

68kg
GOLD: Ami ISHII (JPN) vs. Yuliana YANEVA (BUL)

SF 1: Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) df. Jia LONG (CHN), 6-1
SF 2: Ami ISHII (JPN) df. Buse TOSUN (TUR), 11-0

72kg
GOLD: Nesrin BAS (TUR) vs. Alla BELINSKA (UKR)

SF 1: Nesrin BAS (TUR) df. Zelu LI (CHN), 9-6
SF 2: Alla BELINSKA (UKR) df. Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ), via fall