CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (May 6) – World champion Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) stumbled in the semifinals of the Yasar Dogu wrestling tourney and fell from the top of the ladder at 65kg in the United World Wrestling rankings for men’s freestyle.
World silver medalist and Takhti Cup winner Sayed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI) took over the top spot at 65kg with a pair of wins in the men’s freestyle World Cup, including a 14-10 triumph over London 2012 Olympic Games gold medalist Togrul ASGAROV (AZE).
Ramonov, who had finished in seventh place at 70kg at the Medved Prizes in early March, slipped to No.3 in the rankings behind Mohammadi and 2014 European champion Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS).
European bronze medalist Borislav NOVACHKOV (BUL), who pinned Ramonov in the Istanbul semifinals, made the biggest leap in this month’s rankings, going from unranked to eighth at 65kg.
Meanwhile, as Ramonov stumbled, three world champions – Denis TSARGUSH (RUS), Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) and Taha AKGUL (TUR) -- made triumphant returns to international competition in Istanbul to further cement their position on top of their respective weight categories.
Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS), world champion at the non-Olympic category of 70kg, tested the waters at 74kg but lost to Tsargush in his opening bout and had to settle for a bronze medal.
A sixth world champion, Haji ALIEV (AZE), who has wrestled twice at 65kg this year, was back at the non-Olympic category of 61kg for the World Cup in Los Angeles and posted three wins to help Azerbaijan to third place.
Along with the six world champions, four gold medalists from the London 2012 Olympic Games were also in action, led by Dyamal OTARSULTANOV (RUS) who won the 61kg crown in Istanbul on the strength of four technical falls.
Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) dominated four opponents at 74kg, including fellow world bronze medalist Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB), while Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) stopped two-time former world champ Reza YAZDANI (IRI) as he racked up four wins at 97kg.
Burroughs, ranked No.2, and Sharifov, listed at No.3, both finished with the best individual performances in their respective weight categories.
Togrul ASGAROV (AZE), meanwhile, notched a pair of wins at the World Cup in his most convincing performance since London, but lost to Mohammadi to finish with the third best performance at 65kg to join the rankings at No.15.
Wrestlers in the rankings are listed by name, country code, most recent or most significant result over the last 12 months, and their ranking the previous month.
57kg – Former world champion Hassan RAHIMI (IRI) climbs to No.7 in the rankings with three wins at the World Cup in his first mat appearance of 2015, leading Iran to the team title for a fourth year in a row.
Sezer AKGUL (TUR), a 2013 world bronze medalist behind Rahimi, returns to the rankings at No.12 after a runner-up finish at Yasar Dogu.
1. JONG Hak-Jin (PRK) – Asian Games No.1 (1)
2. YANG Kyong-Il (PRK) – World No.1 (2)
3. Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) – World No.2 (3)
4. ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL) – Medved Prizes No.3 (4)
5. Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (5)
6. Ismail MUSUKAEV (RUS) – European U23s No.1 (6)
7. Hassan RAHIMI (IRI) – World Cup No.2 (8)
8. Vladislav ANDREEV (BLR) – Medved Prize No.1 (7)
9. DAMDINBAZAR Tsogtbaatar (MGL) – Buryatia Cup No.1 (10)
10. Fumitaka MORISHITA (JPN) – Buryatia Cup No.2 (17)
11. Samat NADYRBEK UULU (KGZ) – Medved Prizes No.2 (14)
12. Sezer AKGUL (TUR) – Yasar Dogu No.2 (not ranked)
13. Anthony RAMOS (USA) – World Cup No.4 (19)
14. Nyurgun SKRYABIN (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (11)
15. Artyom GEBEKOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.5 (9)
16. Rasul KALIEV (KAZ) – Asia Games No.2 (12)
17. Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (15)
18. Younes SARMASTIDZAJI (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.1 (16)
19. John PINEDA (CAN) – Cerro Pelado No.1 (20)
20. Levan METREVELI (ESP) – Mediterranean C’ships No.1 (nr)
61kg – Dyamal OTARSULTARNOV (RUS) won of four of five bouts by technical fall to secure the Yasar Dogu crown and No.9 in the rankings in the most recent indication that the London 2012 gold medalist may be seeking a berth on the Russian 2016 Olympic team.
World bronze medalist Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) edges up to No.3 in the rankings with four convincing wins at 57kg in the World Cup. The London 2012 Olympian, however, remains ranked at 61kg after making only his first appearance as a bantamweight since 2002.
1. Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (1)
2. Masoud ESMAILPOUR (IRI) – Paris Grand Prix No.2 (3)
3. Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) – World Cup No.1 (4)
4. Bekhan GOIGEREEV (RUS) – Medved Prizes No.2 (7)
5. ENKHSAIKHAN Nyam-Ochir (MGL) – World No.3 (5)
6. Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (6)
7. Volodya FRANGULYAN (ARM) – Medved Prizes No.1 (7)
8. Iman SADEGHIKOUKANDEH (IRI) – Paris GP No.1 (8)
9. Dyamal OTARSULTANOV (RUS) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (12)
10. Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL) – Paris GP No.2 (10)
11. Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) – Medved Prizes No.3 (11)
12. Artas SANAA (KAZ) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (14)
13. Behnam EHSANPOOR (IRI) – World Cup No.1 (18)
14. Muenir Recep AKTAS (TUR) – Yasar Dogu No.2 (nr)
15. Egor PONOMAREV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (9)
16. Rustam AMPAR (RUS) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (16)
17. Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.1 (19)
18. Andrei PERPELITA (MDA) – Medved Prizes No.5 (13)
19. Murshid MUTALIMOV (RUS) – Farrell Memorial No.1 (15)
20. Nomin BATBOLD (MGL) – Buryatia Cup No.2 (13@57)
65kg – World silver medalist Sayed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI) recorded to key wins for team champion Iran at the World Cup and claimed the top spot in the rankings after world champ Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) failed to reach the medals podium for the second time this year.
Brent METCALF (USA) ran the table with four wins at the World Cup to climb to No.5 in the rankings.
1. Sayed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI) – World No.2 (2)
2. Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) – Medved Prizes No.2 (3)
3. Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
4. Magomed MUSLIMOV (AZE) – Paris GP No.1 (4)
5. Brent METCALF (USA) – World Cup No.1 (8)
6. GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) – World No.3 (6)
7. Azamat NURIKOV (BLR) – Medved Prizes No.1 (5)
8. Borislav NOVACHKOV (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.1 (nr)
9. Mustafa KAYA (TUR) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (13)
10. Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) – Europe U23s No.1 (9)
11. Ilyas BEKBULATOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (7)
12. Alexandr KONTOEV (BLR) – Medved Prizes No.3 (11)
13. Haji ALIEV (AZE) – Paris Grand Prix No.3 (12)
14. Mihail SAVA (MDA) – World No.3 (10)
15. Togrul ASGAROV (AZE) – World Cup No.3 (nr)
16. Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) – Asian Games No.1 (14)
17. Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) – CAC Games No.1 (15)
18. Aaron PICO (USA) – Cerro Pelado No.1 (17)
19. Jordan OLIVER (USA) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (nr)
20. Tomotsugu ISHIDA (JPN) – Buryatia Cup No.1 (19)
70kg – Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) won at Yasar Dogu and the Abdelaziz Oueslati Memorial in Tunis to claim No.2 in the rankings ahead of world silver medalist Yakup GOR (TUR), who finished 11th in Istanbul.
Meanwhile, Israil KASUMOV (RUS) and junior world champion Hassan YAZDANI CHARATI (IRI) each rang up four wins at the World Cup to claim No.4 and No.6 in the rankings, respectively.
1. Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (3)
3. Yakup GOR (TUR) – World No.2 (2)
4. Israil KASUMOV (RUS) – World Cup No.1 (8)
5. Zelimkhan YUSUPOV (TJK) – Buryatia Cup No.1 (5)
6. Hassan YAZDANI CHARATI (IRI) – World Cup No.2 (10)
7. Rasul ARSANALIEV (RUS) – European U23s No.1 (9)
8. Evgheni NEDEALCO (MDA) – Yasar Dogu No.2 (15)
9. Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB) – Asian Games No.1 (6)
10. Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE) – Paris GP No.3 (12)
11. Nicholas MARABLE (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (11)
12. Rasul DZUKAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (7)
13. Magomed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Medved Prizes No.1 (13)
14. Andrey KARPACH (BLR) – European U23s No.3 (14)
15. Dustin SCHLATTER (USA) – Pan America No.1 (17)
16. Saeed DADASHPOUR (IRI) – Yarygin GP No.2 (16)
17. Miroslav KIROV (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.1 (nr)
18. Kevin LeVALLEY (USA) – Cerro Pelado No.3 (18)
19. Zhan SAFYAN (BLR) – Medved Prizes No.2 (19)
20. Ivan KUSYAK (UKR) – European U23s No.2 (20)
74kg – Denis TSARGUSH (RUS) returned to international competition with a 4-2 win over fellow world champion Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS), then capped his march to the Yasar Dogu crown with a 6-4 triumph over European bronze medalist Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR).
1. Denis TSARGUSH (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) – World Cup No.1 (2)
3. Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) – World Cup No.2 (4)
4. Sosuke TAKATANI (JPN) – World No.2 (3)
5. Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) – Paris GP No.1 (4)
6. Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (8)
7. Jumber KVELASHVILI (GEO) – Takhti Cup No.2 (6)
8. Krystian BRZOZOWSKI (POL) – Cerro Pelado No.1 (7)
9. Peyman YARAHMADI (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.1 (12)
10. Morteza REZAEI GALEH (IRI) – World Cup No.3 (nr)
11. Yabrail HASANOV (AZE) – World Cup No.4 (9)
12. Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) – Yasar Dogu No.2 (nr)
13. Ali SHABANOV (BLR) – Medved Prizes No.3 (4@70)
14. Yakob MAKARASHVILI (GEO) – Medved Prizes No.2 (10)
15. PUREVJAV Unurbat (MGL) – Buryatia Cup No.2 (14)
16. Zurab ERBOTSONASHVILI (GEO) – European U23s No.1 (15)
17. Grigor GRIGORYAN (ARM) – European U23s No.2 (16)
18. Tyler CALDWELL (USA) – Pan America No.1 (nr)
19. Luis QUINTANA (CUB) – Pan America No.3 (nr)
20. Georgi IVANOV (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.3 (nr)
86kg – Asian Games gold medalist Meisam MOSTAFA JOUKAR (IRI) racked up three technical falls by a combined score of 34-3 at the World Cup to climb to No.2 in the rankings.
Yarygin Grand Prix bronze medalist Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) also recorded three wins at the World Cup to leap to No.12 in the rankings as the unofficial individual winner at 86kg by virtue of his victory by fall over Ed RUTH (USA).
1. Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) - World No.1 (1)
2. Meisam MOSTAFA JOUKAR (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.1 (4)
3. Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) – Cerro Pelado No.1 (2)
4. Mohammad Hossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI) – World No.3 (3)
5. Aleksandr HUSHTYN (BLR) – European U23s No.1 (9)
6. Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – European U23s No.3 (6)
7. Selim YASAR (TUR) – World No.3 (5)
8. Anzor URISHEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (7)
9. ORGODOL Uitumen (MGL) – Yarygin GP No.2 (8)
10. Radoslaw MARCINKIEWICZ (POL) – Oueslati Memorial No.1 (14)
11. Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI) – Paris GP No.1 (13)
12. Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) – World Cup No.1 (17)
13. Aleksander GOSTIEV (AZE) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (nr)
14. Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN) – Buryatia Cup No.1 (20)
15. Clayton FOSTER (USA) – Cerro Pelado No.2 (10)
16. Amarhadshi MAGOMEDOV (BLR) – Medved Prizes No.3 (nr)
17. Sebastien JEZIERZANSKI (POL) – Oueslati Memorial No.2 (18)
18. Magomedhadshi KHATIEV (AZE) – European U23s No.2 (19)
19. Georgi SREDKOV (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.2 (nr)
20. Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL) – Oueslati Memorial No.1 (nr)
97kg – London 2012 gold medalist Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) notched four wins at the World Cup, including a 9-1 triumph over former world champion Reza YAZDANI (IRI), to become the individual winner at the World Cup and climb to No.3 in the rankings.
1. Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE) – Medved Prizes No.1 (2)
3. Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) – Medved Prizes No.2 (5)
4. Valeri ANDRIITSEV (UKR) – Medved Prizes No.3 (3)
5. Reza YAZDANI (IRI) – Asian Games No.1 (4)
6. Javier CORTINA LACERRA (CUB) – World Cup No.3 (7)
7. Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) – Takhti Cup No.1 (5)
8. Omar GUSOSHIVILI (GEO) – European U23s No.1 (10)
9. Yuri BELONOVSKI (RUS) – World Cup No.2 (13)
10. Pavlo OLEYNIK (UKR) – Paris GP No.3 (11)
11. Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) – Paris GP No.3 (8)
12. Ibragim SAIDOV (BLR) – Yarygin GP No.1 (12)
13. DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL) – Asian Games No.3 (9)
14. Zainulla KURBANOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (14)
15. Radoslaw BARAN (POL) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (18)
16. Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO) – Yasar Dogu No.2 (15@86)
17. William HARTH (GER) – Dan Kolov No.1 (15)
18. Jakob VARNER (USA) – World Cup No.4 (nr)
19. Nurmagomed GADZHIEV (AZE) – European U23s No.2 (20)
20. Dragomir STOICHEV (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.1 (nr)
125kg – World champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) wrapped up former world and Olympic Games champion Kadshimurad GATSALOV (RUS), 10-0, in the quarterfinals and won his fourth straight Yasar Dogu crown to cement his place atop the super heavyweight rankings.
1. Taha AKGUL (TUR) – World No.1 (1)
2. Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) – World No.2 (2)
3. Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (UKR) – Paris GP No.1 (3)
4. Muradin KUSHKHOV (RUS) – European U23s No.1 (5)
5. Aleksey SHEMAROV (BLR) – World Cup No.1 (7)
6. Alen ZASEEV (UKR) – Medved Prizes No.2 (6)
7. Parviz HADI (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.1 (10)
8. Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) – World No.3 (10)
9. Tervel DLAGNEV (USA) – World No.3 (8)
10. JARGALSAIKHAN Chuluunbat (MGL) – Yargyin GP No.3 (9)
11. Tanji GEMICI (TUR) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (nr)
12. Jamalladin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) – Paris GP No.2 (11)
13. David MODZMANASHVILI (GEO) – Medved Prizes No.1 (14)
14. Zachery REY (USA) – Cerro Pelado No.1 (15)
15. Alan KHUGAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (12)
16. NATSAGSUREN Zolboo (MGL) – Yarygin GP No.3 (13)
17. Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ) – Yasar Dogu No.2 (nr)
18. Daulet SHABANBAY (KAZ) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (nr)
19. Robert BARAN (POL) – European U23s No.3 (nr)
20. Soslan GAGLOEV (SVK) – Dan Kolov No.1 (nr)
