September 2019 International Men's Freestyle Rankings
Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo\WrestlersAreWarriors
57 KG:
#12 Aryan Tyutrin (RUS) made the biggest move this month, taking out Russian national champ #4 Ramiz Gamzatov (RUS) and world runner-up #16 Nurislam Sanayev (KAZ) to win the Ziolkowski to earn a wrestle-off against reinging world champ #1 Zaur Uguev (RUS) in Sochi. Tyutrin would lose the wrestle off by 10-0 tech fall but for his efforts at the Ziolkowski and his ability to rebound after losing an incredibly controversial match to #11 Khasanguseynov Badrudinov (RUS), the talent Yakut moves up eight spots in the rankings to number eight. #16 Daton Fix (USA) won the Pan-Am Games and while there beat Ali Aliev bronze medalist #13 Reineri Andreu Ortega (CUB). Andreu Ortega falls five spots in the rankings to #18, while Fix falls one spot to #17 and the reasoning for this has to do with the Medved which I am getting to covering. The Medved saw 2014 world bronze medalist Vladislav Andreev (BLR) beat out a tough Jahongirmirza Turobov (UZB) to win the title and the #12 spot in the rankings. More importantly, why he can debut so high is that in this same field, #11(61) Ulukbek Zholdoshbekov (KGZ) made the cut down and lost 3-2 to Petr Konstantinov (RUS). While it’s not a great results for Zholdoshbekov, he’s gotten wins in the past year over #3(61) Zelimkhan Abakarov (RUS), #16 Nurislam Sanayev (KAZ), #9 Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov (AZE) and #11 Beham Ehsanpour (IRI) so it would be a travesty for him not to be ranked but I can’t rightfully put him above the guy who won the tournament he failed to place in, which is why we see Andreev at #12 along with his win #7 Reza Atri (IRI) last year at the world championships. Otari Gogava (GEO) won the Tbilisi GP over Islam Bazarganov (AZE) and Toshiya Abe (JAP) won Junior world’s over an impressive Vitali Arujau (USA). Arujau had earlier upset the reigning world champ Akhmed Idrisov (RUS) 8-1 in the semifinals.
61 KG:
#11 Ulukbek Zholdoshbekov (KGZ) made the move down to 57 KG where he is currently ranked fifteenth. From this, Yasar Dogu Muenir Recep Aktas (TUR) enters the rankings at #20. Aktas was the sole blemish on the record of returning world champ #10 Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (CUB) this year at the world cup. #8 Beka Lomtadze (GEO) beat #9 Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov (AZE) in the finals of the Tbilisi GP. #1 Magomedrasul Idrisov (RUS) won the Ziolkowski over returning world bronze medalist #17 Tuvshintulga Tumenbileg (MGL). #12 Artem Gebek (RUS) won the Medved over Hamza Alaca (TUR). Kaiki Yamaguchi (JPN) defeated Andrey Dzhelep (UKR) 13-2 in the junior world finals. Yamaguchi was runner-up at the All Japan championships in December 2018, where he beat 57 KG U-23 world champ Toshihiro Hasegawa (JPN) and 2018 Asian championships runner-up Kazuya Koyanagi (JPN).
65 KG:
#11 Kurban Shiraev (RUS) lost in the junior world finals 8-4 to Iran’s senior world rep Amirhossein Maghsoudi (IRI) in the junior world finals. Maghsoudi doesn’t have the resume outside of the Shiraev win to justify a spot in the logjam that is 65 KG so what happened out of this is that Shiraev falls down to #13. From this, Yasar Dogu and Ziolkowski champ #13 Yianni Diakomihalis (USA) moves up to #11 while #13 Russian nationals bronze medalist Julian Gergenov (RUS) to #12. #1 Bajrang Punia (IND) won the Medved over 2016 60 KG Junior world champ Peyman Byabani (IRI). Giorgi Revazishvili (GEO) beat 2013 60 KG world champ Bekhan Goygereev (RUS) at the Tbilisi GP. #2 Alejandro Valdes Tobier (CUB) won the Pan-Am Games over Alvaro Camacho (DOM). #17 Islam Dudaev (RUS) won the Medved over Nyurgun Skryabin (BLR).
70 KG:
#15 Younes Emami (IRI) won the Tbilisi GP over #16 Konstantine Khabalashvili (GEO). Emami beat #17 Levan Keleksashvili (GEO) who upset #4 Zurab Iakobishvili earlier in the tournament while Khabalashvili beat #18 Mirza Skhulukhia (GEO) to make the finals. Skhulukhia ended up taking bronze and while at the tournament he defeated a tough Evan Henderson and notched a big win over #10 Gitinomagomed Gadzhiev (RUS). Magomedmurad Dadaev (RUS) won the Medved with a forfeit over Biyosoltan Arslanov (RUS). Arslanov teched 2x World/Olympic medalist Ikhtiyor Navruzov (UZB) in the semifinals when Navruzov was fresh off of two 8-6 upset wins over #14 James Green (USA) and Final X runner-up Ryan Deakin (USA). Dadaev doesn’t have enough of a resume to warrant getting ranked and Navruzov hasn’t notched a significant win since 2016 so what this Medved did was make 2017 world runner-up #14 James Green (USA) plummet in the rankings to #19 as he’s dropped matches to #10 Anzor Zakuev (RUS), #12 Heydar Yavuz (TUR), and Ikhtiyor Navruzov (UZB). If he had lost to Zakuev and Yavuz, then it could be justified for him to be rightfully in the middle of the pack between two tough young talents but that second loss to Navruzov (his first one came at the 2016 Ziolkowski) hurts Green’s standings as a top guy. Erik Arushanian (UKR) won the 70 KG Junior world title over Vasile Diacon (MDA). #12 Heydar Yavuz (TUR) beat #14 Nurkhoza Kaipanov (KAZ) in the 70 KG Ziolkowski finals.
74 KG:
#1 Zaurbek Sidakov (RUS) beat Russian National champ #4 Magomed Kurbanaliev (RUS) 2-1 to lock up his spot to Nursultan where he will be looking to win his second straight world title. #6 Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (UZB) won the Medved and while there beat #10 Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov (RUS) in the semis. Kadimagomedov went on to take bronze. David Carr (USA) won the Junior world title with a 5-4 win over Jintaro Motoyama (JPN). #20 Zelimkhan Khadjiev (FRA) lost at the Ziolkowski to Byambadorj Bat-Erdene (MGL) but is able to stay in the rankings off of the strength of his runner-up finish at the European championships where he beat #9 Avtandil Kentchadze (GEO). #12 Yakup Gor (TUR) won the Ziolkowski over Kamil Rybicki (POL) and Giorgi Sulava (GEO) won the Tbilisi GP over Temuri Beruashvili (GEO). #2 Jordan Burroughs (USA) won the Pan-Am Games title over Franklin Gomez Mato (PUR).
79 KG:
#13 Magomed Ramazanov (RUS) returns back down to 79 KG with a Medved title to go along with his runner-up finish at the Yarygin and his title at the Ali Aliev. Ramazanov slots back in at his former spot of #2. Ramazanov beat Rasul Tikhaev (BLR) in the finals along with Chance Marsteller (USA), Isa Shapiev (UZB) and #9 Rashid Kurbanov (UZB). #1 Kyle Dake (USA) took out #2 Alex Dieringer (USA) two matches to none to secure his spot at the world championships and will look to improve upon his dominant showing from last year in Budapest. #4 Behman Teymouri (IRI) lost in the Tbilisi GP finals to Zurabi Erbotsonashvili (GEO) and from this falls eight spots in the rankings to #12. Erbotsonashvili debuts at #16. Amkhad Tashukhadzhiev (RUS) won junior world’s over Bagrati Gagnidze (GEO). Tashukhadzhiev and Russia’s other top U-23 eligible talents will be competing at the Soslan Andiyev tournament as the qualifying tournament for U-23 world’s with the winner get the spot. I’m very interested to see how he does considering he has wins over 2x U-23 Euro champ #14 Radik Valiev (RUS) and #15 Tazhdin Akaev (RUS). #6 Gadzhi Nabiev (RUS) won the Ziolkowski over 2016 Olympics 5th place finisher Galymzhan Usserbaev (KAZ).
86 KG:
#19 Yurieski Torreblanca (CUB) won the Pan Am Games title with a win over Pedro Ceballos Fuentes (VEN). Deepak Punia (IND) took out last year’s 5th place finisher at senior Russian Nationals Alik Shebzukov (RUS) to win junior world’s after having finished as a runner-up the year before to Arif Ozen (TUR). Nathan Jackson (USA) impressed on his way to a Medved title over Javrail Shapiev (UZB). #16 Boris Makoev (SVK) drops four spots in the rankings to #20 after losing to Gadzhimurad Magomedsaidov (AZE) at the Tbilisi GP. Magomedsaidov would go on to finish runner-up to #3 Kamran Ghasempour (IRI). 3x World/Olympic medalist Selim Yasar (TUR) returns to the rankings after a 5th place finish at the Ziolkowski after losses to #6 Zbigniew Baranowski (POL) and #4 Dauren Kurugliev (RUS). While there he beat European Games bronze medalist #18 Akhmed Dudarov (GER) and for his bronze medal finish at the Yasar Dogu in July where he beat #20 Boris Makoev (SVK).
92 KG:
#16 Alan Bagaev (RUS) won Junior world’s with a 5-4 win over Lucas Davidson (USA) in the finals. Junior national runner-up #17 Aslanbek Sotiev (RUS) beat returning world runner-up Ivan Yankouski (BLR) in the Medved finals. Yankouski debuts at #18 in the rankings upon his return to 92 KG. #14 Shamil Zubairov (AZE) pinned #6 Irakli Mtsituri (GEO) off of a failed Mitsutri gut wrench to move up three spots to #11 while bringing down former sixth ranked Mtisutri six spots to #12. Suleyman Karadeniz (TUR) won the Ziolkowski over Nurgali Nurgaipuly (KAZ).
97 KG:
#1 Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS) teched #3 Vladislav Baitsaev (RUS) in the Sochi wrestle-off’s to make his sixth straight World/Olympic team and will look to notch his 5th overall World/Olympic gold medal in Nursultan. #2 Kyle Snyder (USA) won Pan-Am Games with a win in the finals over Jose Diaz Robertti (VEN). In the semis, Snyder beat #11 Reineris Salas Perez (CUB). Olympic bronze medalist Albert Saritov (ROU) won the Medved with a 3-2 win over 2017 U-23 world bronze medalist Ty Walz (USA). Saritov beat U-23 Euro champ #16 Ibragim Ciftci (TUR) and Walz beat a redhot Dzianis Khramiankov (BLR) who was coming off a win over Ali Aliev champ #5 Magomed Ibragimov (UZB). From all of the action at the Medved, Saritov and Walz enter the rankings at #17 and #18, while Khramiankov takes the #19 spot and #16 Ciftci falls four spots to #20. #5 Magomed Ibragimov (UZB) falls five spots in the rankings to #10 after his upset loss to Dzianis Khramiankov (BLR) at the Medved. #20 Magomedgadzhi Nurov (MKD) moves up in the rankings to #16 after winning the Tbilisi GP where he beat #6(125) Givi Matcharashvili (GEO) in the semis. While Givi Matcharashvili (GEO) was number six in the world at heavyweight, when he came back down to 97 KG, taking losses to Ibragim Ciftci (TUR) and Magomedgadzhi Nurov (MKD) along with the fact his best win in the field (#8 Ali Khalil Shahbenibengar) was notched last year at U-23’s when Shahbenibengar wasn’t anywhere near the level he as at now nor did he have the wins to be ranked, and Givi had to be booted, same for 2x Junior world champ Abbas Foroutanrami (IRI) who just won his second junior world title in dominant fashion over Yonger Pomares (CUB). 57, 65, 74, and 97 have very good depth and it only takes one slip to find yourself on the outside looking in. Alisher Yergali (KAZ) won the Ziolkowski with a forfeit win over Pavlo Oliinyk (HUN).
125 KG:
#7 Nick Gwiazdowski (USA) won the Pan Am Games title with a win over Oscar Pino Hinds (CUB). Mason Parris (USA) impressed many with his pin win in the junior world finals over Amir Hossein Abbas Zare (IRI) and is an age group talent to watch moving forward in the U.S. and internationally. #4 Anzor Khizriev (RUS) got hurt in the Sochi training camp and word is #8 Alan Khugaev (RUS) is the preferred rep for world’s but don’t be surprised to see #5 Bilyal Makhov (RUS) be in contention for the spot. #6 Givi Matcharashvili (GEO) returned back down to 97 KG where he finished bronze at the Tbilisi GP and is no longer ranked. Khasanboy Rakhimov (UZB) won the Medved with a dominant tech fall win over Final X runner-up Gable Steveson (USA) to prove his win from last year’s Junior world championships was no fluke. #12 Amarveer Dhesi (CAN) won the Ziolkowski with a forfeit win over #5 Bilyal Makhov (RUS). Khasan Khubaev (RUS) takes the #20 spot with #6 Matcharashvili’s departure, Khubaev beat 2017 Yarygin bronze medalist Adlan Ibragimov (RUS) at Russian Nationals. #2 Geno Petriashvili (GEO) won the Tbilisi GP over Aleksi Zhorzholiani (GEO).
P4P:
No real changes in the P4P #1 Abdulrashid Sadulaev, #2 Zaurbek Sidakov, and #25 Zaur Uguev all won their wrestle-off’s to make the world team and will look to repeat their world title winning performance from Budapest in Nursultan. #4 Kyle Dake (USA) made the U.S. World team and will be the heavy favorite to win his second consecutive title. On the bottom half, I moved #22 Vladislav Baitsaev up to #21 and #25 Alejandro Valdes Tobier (CUB) to #22 because they both have better overall resumes then reigning 57 KG world champ #21 Zaur Uguev (RUS) as can be said for #23 David Baev (RUS) and #24 Artur Naifonov (RUS).