LAS VEGAS, Nevada (September 9) – Three world champions have replaced on their countries’ rosters for Las Vegas but a handful of rising stars are poised and ready to take those places when the freestyle events get under way Thursday at the Senior Wrestling World Championships.

Of the five returning champions, only two -- Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) and Taha AKGUL (TUR) – have managed to hold onto their No.1 rankings throughout 2015 as the others have suffered losses and slipped off their perches.

Thursday, September 10 (Freestyle 65kg and Women’s Wrestling)

Freestyle gets under way on Thursday with one of the most competitive weight categories in the discipline and one of the most popular wrestlers on the local front.

Brent METCALF (USA) has climbed to No.2 in the rankings this year with a runner-up showing at the Yarygin Grand Prix, the top individual performance at the World Cup and, most recently, the gold medal at the Pan American Games. A medal and qualification for Rio 2016, however, are anything but assured for the feisty American.

Defending champion Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) has not won an event since bagging the world title in Tashkent, but may be finding his rhythm after his charge through repechage at the Ziolkowski Memorial in July.

Tashkent silver medalist Sayed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI) is now top-ranked after a win at the Takhti Cup and a 14-10 World Cup triumph over London 2012 gold medalist at 60kg Togrul ASGAROV (AZE).

Other challengers will include European Games silver medalist Frank CHAMIZO (ITA), two-time world bronze medal winner GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) and Asian Games champion Yogeshwar DUTT (IND).

Friday, September 11 (Freestyle 61kg, 86kg, 97kg and Women’s Wrestling)

The second day of freestyle wrestling features one of the most dominant wrestlers in the sport today – Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) – but fans will have to be attentive if they are to catch a glimpse of him. He has the habit of wrapping up his wins quickly.

One of the wrestlers with the best chance of slowing Sadulaev down is Pan American Games gold medalist Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) – even though last year’s gold medal final in Tashkent ended in a technical fall at 1:25.

World bronze medalist Yasar SELIM (TUR) was the only wrestler in Tashkent to take the champ six minutes last year and junior world champ Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI) may get his chance to tie-up with Sadulaev. 

At 97kg, Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE) is top-ranked after a win over defending world champion Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) at the European Games. The two-time world silver medalist, however, is listed as an alternate to Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE), the London 2012 gold medalist at 84kg.

European Games silver medalist Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) could well be a factor in his bid to improve on last year’s fifth-place finish in Tashkent as well as 2013 world champ Reza YAZDANI (IRI), one of three Iranian entries, and Pan American Games gold medalist Kyle SNYDER (USA). 

In the non-Olympic weight category of 61kg, defending champion Haji ALIEV (AZE) returns after an experiment at 65kg and faces a more confident European Games gold medalist Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS), who made a quarterfinal exit from the world meet last year.

Second-ranked Volodya FRANGULYAN (ARM) won the European U23 crown in the spring and Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) took the silver medal at the European Games.  Asian championships finalists Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) and Behnam EHSANPOUR (IRI) could also find their way to the medals podium.

Saturday, September 12 (Freestyle 57kg, 70kg, 74kg, 125kg)

The closing day of the championships will be a grand finale with many of freestyle’s top wrestlers and multi-medalists, including the grizzly in the room – three-time freestyle world champion Beylal MAKHOV (RUS).

Makhov will seek to become the first freestyle-Greco double medalist in 53 years at a single world championships after taking a bronze medal in the classic style at 130kg on Tuesday. Wilfried DIETRICH (GER) was the last wrestler to turn the double with a bronze-bronze performance in 1962.

Defending champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) has been steady winning Yasar Dogu and the European Games, but could face a challenge from former world champion Aleksey SHEMAROV (BLR), who defeated Makhov for the 2011 title.

Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) took bronze medals at the 2013 world meet and the European Games in June, and Asian Games champion Parviz HADI (IRI) gets a shot after world silver medalist Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) stumbled in the Asian championships.

Local fans will fill the arena in hopes of seeing world and Olympic Games champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) notch a third world title after slipping to bronze last year.

European Games champion Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) has dominated the last three continental meetings and finally gets his chance at the world championships. Tashkent silver medalist Sosuke TAKATANI (JPN) looked solid at Ziolokowski, but struggled against Alireza GHASEMI (IRI).

Other challengers include world bronze medalist Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB), European Games runner-up Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) and bronze medal winner Jumber KVELASHVILI (GEO). 

At 57kg, 2010, 2011 world champion Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) is one of many co-favorites including 2013 world champion Hassan RAHIMI (IRI), 2014 runner-up Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) and Asian Games silver medalist JONG Hak-Jin (PRK).

While at the non-Olympic category of 70kg, Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) tops the rankings and is the favorite after the defection of Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) to the 65kg category.

Last year’s runner-up Yakup GOR (TUR) and bronze medalist Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB) and 2014 junior world champion Hassan YAZDANI CHARATI (IRI) will be among the leading challengers.