#WrestleBelgrade

Maskevich Stuns Chakvetadze, Russia Bags 3 Gold Medals

Sunday, December 13, 2020 - 21:54 By Andrew Hipps

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Interview with Davor STEFANEK (SRB)

BELGRADE, Serbia (December 13) -- Russia made a strong statement Sunday at the Individual World Cup, winning three of the first five gold medals, but it was a young star from Belarus who stole the show in the final match of the night in Belgrade, Serbia.

After Russia started the night 3-for-3 in Sunday's Greco-Roman finals, Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR), a decided underdog, stepped on the mat to face Russian Olympic champion Davit CHAKVETADZE (RUS).

The 22-year-old Belarusian was poised and confident, scoring the match's first point off a passivity. He extended his lead to 3-0 when Chakvetadze did not get set in the par terre position. Maskevich then lifted Chakvetadze from par terre and executed a five-point suplay before turning him for good measure to claim a 10-0 technical superiority in the first period.

Winning gold medals for Russia on Sunday were Roman VLASOV (77kg), Emin SEFERSHAEV (55kg) and Nazir ABDULLAEV (67kg).

Roman VLASOV (RUS) after winning gold at 77kg (Photo: Kadir Caliskan, UWW)

Vlasov, a two-time Olympic champion, hit a big throw on his way to a 6-1 victory over Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) in the 77kg finals. Vlasov scored first off a passivity and then executed a five-point throw to take a commanding 6-0 lead in the first period. Levai would get one the scoreboard in the second period off a passivity but was never able to threaten Vlasov.

Emin SEFERSHAEV (RUS) became the first champ at Individual World Cup, winning gold at 55kg (Photo: Gabor MARTIN, UWW)

Sefershaev, a U23 world silver medalist, claimed the gold at 55kg with an 8-0 technical superiority over Serif KILIC (TUR), a past junior world champion. The first period saw one only one point scored as Sefershaev earned a passivity point. The Russian turned it up in the second period. He scored another point off a passivity and then used a two-point throw to go up 6-0. Sefershaev scored two takedowns in the final 25 seconds to earn the technical superiority.


Nazir ABDULLAEV (RUS) raises his arms after winning gold at 67kg (Photo/Gabor MARTIN, UWW)

Abdullaev, a 2020 European silver medalist, needed a late score to edge 2014 Youth Olympic champion Islambek DADOV (AZE) 2-1 in the gold-medal match at 67kg. The two wrestlers traded passivity points, with Dadov scoring the second one in the final period to take a criteria lead. Abdullaev kept the pressure on and earned a step-out point with 23 seconds remaining, which proved to be the difference.

Champion Balint KORPASI (HUN) and the other 72kg medalists on the award stand (Photo/Gabor MARTIN, UWW)

Balint KORPASI (HUN), a 2016 world champion and  four-time world medalist, captured the gold at 72kg with a won a hard-fought 1-1 criteria win over world No.10 Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM). Amoyan scored the first point of the match off a passivity and led 1-0 at the break. In the second period, Korpasi scored a point off passivity to take the lead and held on for the victory.

Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) and Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG) won the bronze medals at 55kg. Azizli shut out Balbai DORDOKOV (KGZ) 3-0, while Fergat topped Artiom DELEANU (MDA) 6-4.

Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM) won by fall over Artur POLITAIEV (UKR) to claim a bronze medal at 67kg. Roman PACURKOWSKI (POL) defeated Khalmurat IBRAGIMOV (KGZ) 6-3 to earn the other bronze at 67kg.

Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR) and Ruslan TSAREV (KGZ) won the bronze medals at 72kg.

Host nation Serbia earned two bronze medals on Sunday, with Viktor NEMES taking bronze at 77kg and Zurabi DATUNASHVILI winning bronze at 87kg. 

Also claiming bronze medals on Sunday were Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) at 77kg and Semen NOVIKOV (UKR) at 87kg.

Greco-Roman Medal Match Results

55kg
GOLD: Emin SEFERSHAEV (RUS) df. Serif KILIC (TUR) by VSU, 8-0
BRONZE: Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) df. Balbai DORDOKOV (KGZ) by VPO, 3-0
BRONZE: Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG) df. Artiom DELEANU (MDA) by VPO1, 6-4

67kg
GOLD: Nazir ABDULLAEV (RUS) df. Islambek DADOV (AZE) by VPO1, 2-1
BRONZE: Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM) df. Artur POLITAIEV (UKR) by VFA, 4-4
BRONZE: Roman PACURKOWSKI (POL) df. Khalmurat IBRAGIMOV (KGZ) by VPO1, 6-3

72kg
GOLD: Balint KORPASI (HUN) df. Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) by VPO1, 1-1
BRONZE: Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR) df. Valentin PETIC (MDA) by VPO1, 5-1
BRONZE: Ruslan TSAREV (KGZ) df. Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL) by VPO1, 3-1

77kg
GOLD: Roman VLASOV (RUS) df. Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) by VPO1, 6-1
BRONZE: Viktor NEMES (SRB) df. Karapet CHALYAN (ARM) by VPO1, 4-1
BRONZE: Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) df. Yasaf ZEINALOV (UKR) by VPO1, 6-4

87kg
GOLD: Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR) df. Davit CHAKVETADZE (RUS) by VSU, 10-0
BRONZE: Semen NOVIKOV (UKR) df. Hossein Ahmad NOURI (IRI) by VSU1, 12-4
BRONZE: Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) df. Fabio PARISI (ITA) by VPO1, 3-1
 

#WrestleBudapest

Big-throwing Machado claims debut Ranking Series gold

Monday, July 21, 2025 - 11:08 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 20) -- Thamires MACHADO (BRA) made brief headlines at the Pan-American Olympic Games Qualifiers in Mexico. She threw Amit ELOR (USA) for a lateral drop for four points. Machado had Elor in trouble which could have seen Elor, the champion in Paris Games, lose early. However, Machado fizzled out and lost her bout 6-4.

A year later on Saturday, the Brazilian won her first major gold medal at the Budapest Ranking Series after a stunning show of strength and big throws at the Ranking Series over the weekend.

"In every practice back home, I try to do the four-point moves. I want to throw," Machado said after receiving the gold medal.

In other weight classes, Grace BULLEN (NOR) had another epic match with Irina RINGACI (MDA) and won gold at 65kg and Kennedy BLADES (USA) won another Ranking Series gold to remain undefeated at 68kg going into the World Championships.

European champion Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) and Amina TANDELOVA (UWW) won at 55kg and 62kg respectively.

Machado, competing in her first-ever Ranking Series event, won the 76kg gold medal with wins over Asian champion Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) and world U20 champion PRIYA (IND) in semifinal and final, respectively.

In the gold-medal bout, Machadofaced former world U17 and U20 champion Priya and used a similar lateral drop like she did against Elor to score a four-pointer over Priya in the first minute.

Priya was pushing for a stepout and Machado used that momentum to drop her for four-points. It was catch-up from there on for Priya who failed to score any points in the first period. She got a stepout in the second get on board. Struggling to get to Machado's legs, Priya forced another stepout to make it 4-2.

Machado was put on the activity clock in the last minute but she was happy to conceded that point than to go for all-out attack during those 30 seconds. Priya also waited for the activity clock to expire before pushing for a point, perhaps a mistake to take her foot of the pedal in the final minute.

During that time, Machado managed to catch her breath and defended all attacks, including one in the last five seconds to win 4-3 and the gold medal.

"I am happy to win this gold medal in Ranking Series," she said. "This is so special for me"

In the semifinals, Machado got the better of Medet Kyzy, who opened the scoring with a double-leg takedown for two points. She led 3-0 at the break as Machado failed to score after being put on the 30-second activity clock.

Machado got her first points when she defended a leg attack from Medet Kyzy and scored a go-behind takedown. She then launched a powerful gut-wrench and turned her three times to lead 8-3. Two stepouts in quick succession for Medet Kyzy cut Machado's lead to 8-5 but the Kyrgyzstan wrestler had only a minute left to score more points and secure the win.

As they scrambled for the final minute, Machado and Medet Kyzy locked each other at the edge but it was the latter who fell outside of the zone first which gave another point to Machado with 33 seconds left. Machado held her positions better than Medet Kyzy and managed to score another stepout to lead 10-5 and win the bout.

Born in one of the favellas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Machado was part of one of the social project by the local council which taught wrestling to young kids. She joined the program and managed to learn wrestling.

In 2019, she won gold medal at the Pan-Am U20 Championships, her second ever competition. For five years, she was away from wrestling, but in 2024, she returned and won the Henri Deglane Grand Prix and was second at the 2025 Pan-Am Championships.

Bullen survives Ringaci

If both remain at the same weight class in the future, the Bullen-Ringaci rivalry can be the most fearsome in Women's Wrestling. The latest example was their 65kg final in Budapest where Bullen, down 16-8, pinned Ringaci was claim her second win over the former world champion in four months.

Ringaci, who needed one more turn from par terre or just survive the pin from Bullen, was frustrated with yet another loss and pushed aside Bullen after the bout.

The match began with a wonderful counter from Ringaci, who hit a cut-back after a Bullen snap to pass-by and got four points. Watch above. While Bullen survived the fall attempt, she fell behind 6-0.

A little later, it was Ringaci's chance survive a pin attempt from Bullen who lifted Ringaci well over her waist-level and slammed her for four. The first period ended with Bullen leading 6-6 on criteria.

Bullen tried the exact move of snap to pass-by in the second period and this time she succeeded, scoring two points and taking a clear 8-6 lead. Ringaci scored a takedown 30 seconds into the second period and scored six more points using three gut-wrenches. As she was going for the final turn to win the bout, Bullen blocked and got the headlock to pin Ringaci.

An aghast Ringaci was left in tears as Bullen herself was shocked to have won the bout, having snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

At 68kg, Kennedy BLADES (USA) had a fine tournament, winning her second Ranking Series event and third tournament of 2025. In the final, she defeated Noemi SZABADOS (HUN), 13-2, a wrestler she had defeated 10-0 at the Zagreb Open in February.

The only bout she was not able to win via technical superiority was her semifinal against Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) as the Bulgarian was able to stop Blades to a 6-2 win. Blades had little injury scare in the final few seconds of the match but managed to continue.

Verbina captured the 55kg gold medal after a controlled 6-1 win over Karla GODINEZ (CAN) in the final while Tandelova blanked Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) 3-0 in the 62kg final.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) df. Karla GODINEZ (CAN), 6-1

BRONZE: Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA) df. Amory ANDRICH (GER), 10-0

62kg
GOLD: Amina TANDELOVA (UWW) df. Alina KASABIEVA (UWW), 3-0

BRONZE: Ana GODINEZ (CAN) df. Nikolett SZABO (HUN), 10-0
BRONZE: MANISHA (IND) df. Krystsina SAZYKINA (UWW), via fall (9-0)

65kg
GOLD: Grace BULLEN (NOR) df. Irina RINGACI (MDA), via fall (10-16)

BRONZE: Eniko ELEKES (HUN) df. Ekaterina KOSHKINA (UWW), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Macey KILTY (USA) df. Kadriye KOCAK AKSOY (TUR), 10-4

68kg
GOLD: Kennedy BLADES (USA) df. Noemi SZABADOS (HUN), 13-2

BRONZE: Brooklyn HAYS (USA) df. Hyeonyeong PARK (KOR), 5-4
BRONZE: Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) df. Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW), 11-1

76kg
GOLD: Thamires MACHADO (BRA) df. PRIYA (IND), 4-3

BRONZE: Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) df. Valeriia TRIFONOVA (UWW), 11-0
BRONZE: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Seoyeon JEONG (KOR), 12-1