Ranking Series

Trio of Reigning World Champs Own Nur-Sultan Top Seed

By Eric Olanowski

*These seeds are based off the current unofficial entries United World Wrestling has received as of August 21. These seeds are subject to change.

VEVEY, Switzerland (August 23) --- There are a trio of women's wrestling returning world champions who have cemented their spot as the No. 1 seed at the World Championships (September 14-22). The three top-seed returning world champions looking to win back-to-back world titles are RONG Ningning (CHN), Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) and Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR). 

Here Are the No. 1 Seeds at Each Weight:
50kg - Oksana LIVACH (UKR)
53kg - Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA)
55kg - Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR) 
57kg - Ningning RONG (CHN)
59kg - Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN)
62kg - Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL)
65kg - Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA)
68kg - Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR)
72kg - Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL)
76kg - Yasemin ADAR (TUR)

China's RONG Ningning remained the top-ranked wrestler in the world at 57kg all season long. She'll be seeded first at the World Championships. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Rong Remain No. 1 Seed at 57kg 

Expected 57kg Top-Four Seeds

1. Ningning RONG (CHN)
2. Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR)
3. Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR)
4. Emese BARKA (HUN)

Perhaps the deepest women's weight class at this year's World Championships will be 57kg. The weight is stuck in a head-to-head battle with 76kg for women's wrestling supremacy. With the Olympic Games under a year away, 57kg has seen wrestlers flock in from several different weight classes.
 
Top-seeded Rong Ningning ascended to the top of the 57kg podium at last year's World Championships, and outside of dropping the U23 world finals, she's maintained her grasp on the weight's No.1 ranking. This season, Rong is undefeated. She's claimed titles at the Asian Championships, Klippan Lady Open and the Dan Kolov. 
 
Grace BULLEN (NOR) finished in fifth place at last year's World Championships. The Norweigan comes into Nur-Sultan as the second seed. She's the only wrestler to defeat top-seeded Rong since the Chinese wrestler won her Budapest world title. Bullen, who lost to Rong in the Budapest world semifinals, 12-2, exacted her revenge on her Chinese rival in the U23 world finals. She scored a late four-point throw in the closing seconds of the finals and reached the top of the world podium for the first time in her career. 
 
Although reigning European champion Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) is ranked third in the world at 57kg, she's facing health issues and will miss the World Championships. 
 
The absence of Dudova moved Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) and Emese BARKA (HUN) into the third and fourth seeds, respectively. 
 
In 2017, Adekuoroye, also known as the "Dancing Queen," joined Marwa AMRI (TUN) as the first women from the continent of Africa to reach a gold-medal bout at the World Championships. She fell in the 2017 world finals and finished in ninth place at the 2018 World Championships. The Nigerian got back to her winning ways since that ninth-place finish last season. This year, Adekuoroye won her fifth African title and a gold medal at the Yasar Dogu. She also capped off the Dan Kolov with a bronze medal -- only dropping her semifinals match to Rong, 6-4.

Hungary's returning world bronze medalist Emese Barka is the fourth-seeded wrestler at 57kg.

Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL) will be looking to win her second consecutive world title. She's the No. 1 seeded wrestler at 62kg. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

Yusein is Your Top Seed at 62kg

Expected 62kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL)
2. Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA)
3. Yukako KAWAI (JPN)
4. Marianna SASTIN (HUN)

Returning world and European champion Taybe Yusein headlines the 62kg seeds. Over the past two seasons, she's been one of the most dominant women in the world. Outside of an uncharacteristic fifth-place finish at the European Games, Yusein was on a stretch where she won a world title, back-to-back European golds, a Yasar Dogu gold medal, and an Ion Corneanu & Ladislau Simon Memorial title.

Brazil’s Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA will be the second seed at 62kg. The Brazilian captured the Pan-American Championships gold medal with a 6-1 victory over last year’s world bronze medalist Mallory VELTE (USA).

The third-seeded wrestler at 62kg is Yukako KAWAI (JPN). Kawai was named United World Wrestling’s U23 women’s wrestler of the year after her runner-up performance at the senior level World Championships and a title-winning performance at the U23 World Championships.

Mallory Velte, last year’s world bronze medalist, fell in the United States’ wrestle-offs to Kayla MIRACLE (USA) and won’t compete in Nur-Sultan at the World Championships.

Marianna SASTIN (HUN), last year’s world fifth-place finisher, will take over the fourth seed. This season, Sastin started on a reasonably slow-note. She failed to medal at the Ivan Yariguin and Klippan Lady Open but rebounded to win a bronze medal at the European Championships and a silver medal at the Grand Prix of Spain.

Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) heads to Nur-Sultan searching for her third world medal. She holds the top seed at 68kg. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

Cherkasova Claims First Seed at 68kg

Expected 68kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR)
2. Tamyra MENSAH (USA)
3. Maryia MAMASHUK (BLR)
4. Battsetseg SORONZONBOLD (MGL)

Alla Cherkasova enters the World Championships as the top-seeded wrestler at 68kg. The reigning world and European champion has medaled in twelve consecutive tournaments dating back to 2016 and will be making her fifth appearance at the World Championships. She’ll be in search of a third world medal. In addition to her 2018 world gold, she also finished the 2010 World Championships with a bronze medal. 
 
The second-seeded wrestler at 68kg is Tamyra MENSAH (USA). Mensah, last year’s world bronze medalist, boasts an undefeated record this year and has won three Ranking Series titles and a continental gold medal. She sat out of the Yasar Dogu but claimed titles at the Ivan Yariguin, Dan Kolov and the City of Sassari Tournament. 
 
Maryia MAMASHUK (BLR), the Rio Olympic silver medalist, owns the third seed at 68kg. Although Mamashuk has an Olympic medal and five top-ten finishes at the World Championships, she’s yet to reach a world podium.
 
SORONZONBOLD Battsetseg (MGL) rounds out the top-four seeded wrestlers at 68kg. The Mongolian wrestler already has a pair of world titles to her name and will be looking to reach the top of the world stage for the first time since 2015. She won her first world title in 2010. This season, Soronzonbold competed in three tournaments. She won the Ivan Yariguin, placed fourth at the President Cup of Buryatia Republic and finished in fifth at the Asian Championships. 

Oksana LIVACH (UKR) grabbed the top seed after Yui SUSAKI (JPN) failed to make Japan's world team. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

Meanwhile, the remaining seven weight classes had the top seed change hands from the start of the season to now.

Here are the other top-seeded wrestlers heading into the World Championships: 
50kg - Oksana LIVACH (UKR)
53kg - Sarah ann HILDEBRANDT (USA)
55kg - Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR) 
59kg - Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN)
65kg - Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA)
72kg - Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL)
76kg - Yasemin ADAR (TUR)

Livach Lifts Past 50kg Field for Top Seed

Expected 50kg Top-Four Seeds

1. Oksana LIVACH (UKR)
2. Seema SEEMA (IND)
3. Yanan SUN (CHN)
4.Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR)

Arguably one of the most dominant women’s wrestlers in the world is top-ranked Yui SUSAKI (JPN). But, Susaki won't be at the World Championships. She was dealt a shocking loss when she was upset by Yuki IRIE (JPN) in a play-off for Japan’s 50kg world team spot. Now, the weight will be without it’s reigning two-time world champion.

After the forfeiture of the Japanese superstar’s top seed, Oksana LIVACH (UKR) will be the beneficiary of the No.1 seed in Nur-Sultan. The reigning European champion was last year’s world bronze medalist. 

India’s Seema SEEMA started her season up at 53kg but dropped down to 50kg and made quite the run in the latter part of the season to leap her way up into a top-four seed. The Indian wrestler used gold medal points from the City of Sassari Tournament and the Yasar Dogu to slide into the No. 2 spot. 

SUN Yanan (CHN) and Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) are the third and fourth-ranked wrestlers, respectively. 

Sun, the two-time world and Olympic medalist, will be looking to reach the top of the world podium for the second time in her career and for the first time since 2016. Since that world title, Sun has grabbed bronze medals at the Rio Olympic Games and last year’s World Championships in Budapest.

Fourth-seeded Demirhan doubled up on world medals in 2017 but dropped to a disappointing 21st-place last year in Budapest. In 2017, the Turkish wrestler won gold at the U23 World Championships after she closed out the senior-level World Championships in Paris with a bronze medal. 

Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) will be looking to improve on her runner-up finish from a year ago. She's the top seed at 53kg. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

Hildebrandt Headed into Nur-Sultan as Top Seed 

Expected 53kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA)
2. Qianyu PANG (CHN) 

3. Diana Mary Helen WEICKER (CAN) 
4. Luisa Elizabeth VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU)

The four returning world medalists at 53kg were expected to headline the weight, but returning world champion Haruna OKUNO (JPN) didn't make Japan's team. Okuno lost her starting spot to reigning 55kg world champion Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN), who dropped to the Olympic weight with hopes of making a run to an Olympic gold medal. 

Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA), last year’s world runner-up, owns the top-spot at 53kg. The American started the season as the second-ranked wrestler in the world but moved up one spot after gold medal finishes at the Ivan Yariguin and the Pan-American Championships. She also won a bronze medal at the Dan Kolov. 

Without Okuno, who would have been the second seed, PANG Qianyu (CHN) will now occupy the second seed. Pang fell to Okuno in the second round in Budapest but picked up back-to-back wins and captured the bronze medal with a 2-1 win over Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL). 

Diana WEICKER (CAN) will be the third seed at 53kg in Nur-Sultan. Weicker, who was making her second consecutive appearance at the World Championships a season ago, improved on her 12th-place finish from Paris with a bronze medal in Budapest. This season, the Canadian has competed in five tournaments -- reaching the podium in four of them. She won the Geman Grand Prix and closed out the Pan-American Championships, the City of Sassari Tournament and the Klippan Lady Open with bronze medals.

Ecuador’s Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES rounds out the top-four seed at 53kg. After a seventh-place finish at last year’s World Championships, Valverde Melendres took second place at the Pan-American Championships and the City of Sassari Tournament. Her only loss at the Continental Championships came against top-ranked Hildebrandt, and her only loss in Sardinia was to Hyungjoo KIM (KOR). 

Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR) will be the top-seeded wrestler at 55kg. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne) 

Sidakova Slides into First Seed at 55kg

Expected 55kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR) 
2. Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) 
3. Bediha GUN (TUR)
4. Jacarra Gwenisha WINCHESTER (USA)

Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR) made a run to the world finals but fell short in the 55kg gold-medal bout against Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN), 12-2. This year, Sidakova comes into the World Championships as the top seed at 55kg and will be looking to improve on her silver medal finish from last year. 
 
Mukaida is ranked second, but she’s dropped to the Olympic weight of 53kg and will vacate her seed to Kazakhstan’s Marina SEDNEVA. Sedneva was this year’s Asian and Yasar Dogu bronze medalist. 
 
European bronze medalist Bediha GUN (TUR) will be the third-seeded wrestler at 55kg. 
 
From there, things get a little mixed up with so many top-ten wrestlers flocking to the Olympic weights. America's eleventh-ranked Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) will be the fourth-seeded wrestler in Nur-Sultan. Winchester earning the fourth seed comes after the fifth through tenth-ranked wrestlers either failed to make their country's world team or moved to an Olympic weight class. 

Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) comes into Nur-Sultan as the No. 1 seed at 59kg. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Inagaki Into Top-Spot at 59kg

Expected 59kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN)
2. Linda MORAIS (CAN)
3. Shoovdor BAATARJAV (MGL)
4. Xingru PEI (CHN)
 
Though she's ranked fifth in the world at 59kg, Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) will be the first seed at 59kg at the World Championships. Inagaki moving up four spots comes after the top-four ranked wrestlers didn't make their world team or moved to an Olympic weight class. This year, Inagaki made her continental debut at the senior-level Asian Championships, where she seized the gold medal. She also won gold medals at the prestigious Ivan Yariguin, and most recently, at the Junior World Championships. 

Linda MORAIS (CAN), BAATARJAV Shoovdor (MGL) and PEI Xingru (CHN) round out the top-four, respectively. 

Forrest MOLINARI (USA) took over the top seed after returning world champion Petra OLLI (FIN) moved to the Olympic weight of 68kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Molinari Moves into First Seed at 65kg

Expected 65kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA)
2. Aina TEMIRTASSOVA (KAZ)
3. Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)
4. Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL)

Another weight depleted due to many credentialed wrestlers making Olympic weight changes is 65kg. 

Finlands’ first-ever women’s wrestling world champion Petra OLLI (FIN) will move up to 68kg for the World Championships. Ollie's departure will move Forrest MOLINARI (USA) into the weight's top spot. Molinari, who fell in last year’s world bronze-medal bout, became the first seed at 65kg after winning the Yasar Dogu and finishing in third place at the Dan Kolov. She also collected points from a fifth-place finish at the Ivan Yariguin. 

The next two wrestlers in the rankings, Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS) and Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN) will also compete outside of 65kg. 

Third-ranked Kuznetsova will wrestle at 62kg and Lappage will wrestle at 68kg. 

Aina TEMIRTASSOVA (KAZ) will now be the second-seeded wrestler at 65kg. The Kazakh wrestler has stepped on the mat on four occasions this year and finished on the podium in three of those events. Temirtassova fell in the finals of the City of Sassari Tournament but closed out the Asian Championships and Yasar Dogu with bronze medals. 

Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) and Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL) will be seeded third and fourth, respectively, at 65kg. 

Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) will be looking to improve on her second-place finish from last year. She's the top-seeded wrestler at 72kg. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)

Ochirbat Onto Worlds as No. 1 Seed at 72kg

Expected 72kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL)
2. Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)
3. Juan WANG (CHN)
4. Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (UKR)

Instead of rolling with Buse TOSUN (TUR), the top-ranked wrestler in the world 72kg, Turkey has inserted Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR) into the World Championships.

Justina Renay DI STASIO (CAN) owns the second seed coming into the World Championships but jumped to the Olympic weight of 76kg with hopes of dethroning Olympic champion Erica WIEBE (CAN) in the process of making Canada’s 2020 Olympic squad. 
 
Without Tosun or Di Stasio, returning world silver medalist OCHIRBAT Nasanburmaa (MGL) will be the first-seeded wrestler at 72kg. 
 
Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ), Juan WANG (CHN) and Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (UKR) are the remaining top-four seeded wrestlers, respectively at 72kg. 

 
Yasemin ADAR (TUR) gained the top seed at 76kg after a third-place finish at the Yasar Dogu (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Adar Ascends Past Gray for No. 1 Seed

Expected 76kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Yasemin ADAR (TUR)
2. Adeline Maria GRAY (USA)
3. Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER)
4. Erica Elizabeth WIEBE (CAN) 

Last year, the premier weight of the Budapest World Championships was 76kg. That’s expected to be the case again this year. The top-four seeded wrestlers at 76kg combine for six world and Olympic gold medals. 
 
Returning world silver medalist Yasemin ADAR (TUR) became the top-ranked wrestler in the world at 76kg thanks to her title-winning efforts at the Dan Kolov and European Championships. The 2017 world champ also collected points from a third-place finish at the final Ranking Series event of the year, the Yasar Dogu.
 
Though she’s the reigning world champion, Adeline GRAY (USA) finds herself as the second-seeded wrestler coming into Nur-Sultan. Gray, who sat out of the 2017 world championships, captured her fourth world title last year in Budapest and will be hunting for her fifth career world gold.  
 
Aline Focken (GER) is seeded third at the weight. The 2014 world champion will be searching for her fourth world medal, but first since 2017 when she finished in second place at the Paris World championships. She’ll also be looking to improve on her eighth-place finish from last year in Budapest. 
 
Olympic champion Erica WIEBE (CAN) rounds out the top-four at the most in-depth weight classes in the world. Wiebe, the 2018 world bronze medalist, is looking to ride a wave of success that’s seen her pick up wins over a world or Olympic champion in three straight tournaments. Her hot streak started in Sardinia at the City of Sassari Tournament when she stuck fellow Olympic champion Natalya VOROBIEVA (RUS). She then defeated reigning world champion Justina DI STASIO (CAN) in the Canada Cup finals. Her third consecutive tournament with a win over a world or Olympic champion came at the Yasar Dogu. Wiebe stopped 2017 world champion Yasemin Adar en route to her second straight Ranking Series gold medal. 

Ranking Series

Six Freestyle Wrestlers Overthrow Reigning World Champs for Nur-Sultan Top Seed

By Eric Olanowski

*These seeds are based off the current unofficial entries United World Wrestling has received as of August 21. These seeds are subject to change.

VEVEY, Switzerland (August 21) --- After a year of jockeying for position, the top-four freestyle seeds for the 2019 World Championships (September 14-22) are finally locked up. Six non-returning world champions overthrew a Budapest world gold medalist and head into Nur-Sultan garnering a top spot at their respective weight class.

Here are the five wrestlers who overthrew a 2018 world champion for a No. 1 spot:
57kg - Suleyman ATLI (TUR)
65kg- Bajrang PUNIA (IND)
74kg - Frank CHAMIZO (ITA)
86kg - Fatih ERDIN (TUR)
97kg - Kyle SNYDER (USA)

Suleyman ATLI (TUR) ascended to the No. 1 spot at 57kg -- overthrowing world champion Zaur UGUEV (RUS) by winning the European title. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)

Alti Ascends to Top Spot at 57kg
Suleyman Atli made somewhat of a surprising rise to the top seed at 57kg. A year after the 25-year-old departed Paris with a 15th-place finish, Atli improved to a bronze-medal finish at last year's World Championships. En route to overthrowing Russia's returning world champion Zaur UGUEV for the world's top spot at 57kg, Atli reached the top of the European podium for the first time in his senior-level career with a win over Muslim SADULAEV (RUS) in the gold-medal bout. Atli also finished in second and third place, respectively, at the Dan Kolov and European Games.

Uguev returned from a seven-month hiatus in May and grabbed gold at the prestigious Ali Aliev Tournament in his home region of Dagestan, Russia. His second appearance of the season came in Minsk, Belarus, at the European Games, where he finished with a bronze medal. His only loss came at the hands of the eventual champion, Mahir AMIRASLANOV (AZE), 3-2 in the semifinals. For Uguev to make his third consecutive appearance on Russia's world team, he defeated Aryian TYUTRIN (RUS) in a special wrestle-off. That win came after Ugev was granted a release from the Russian National Championships.

Third-seeded Yuki TAKAHASHI, Japan's defensive wizard, will be looking for his third straight world medal at 57kg. Takahashi was named United World Wrestling's 2017 Breakout Wrestler of the Year after capping off his season with a win over Thomas GILMAN (USA) in the Paris world finals. Last year, Takahashi failed to defend his world title in Budapest. He fell to the eventual world champion Uguev in the semifinals, 7-2, but clawed his way back to a bronze-medal finish with a 5-2 win over Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB).

Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ) is perhaps Kazakhstan's best shot at earning a world title in Nur-Sultan. Last year, Sanayev fell short in the gold-medal bout and will return to the World Championships eyeing a gold medal in his home country. He'll be the fourth seed at 57kg.

Expected 57kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Suleyman ATLI (TUR)
2. Zavur UGUEV (RUS)
3. Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN)
4. Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ)

India's Bajrang PUNIA will be the No. 1-seeded wrestler at 65kg. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Punia Pushes Himself Ahead of Otoguro at 65kg
Arguably the most traveled man in wrestling is India's Bajrang Punia. At one point during this season, Punia competed on three different continents in 14 days. Over those two weeks, the reigning world runner-up won titles at the Asian Championships (Xi'an, China) and Ali Aliyev Tournament (Kaspiysk, Russia). He also put it on the line at the Grapple at the Garden (New York, New York). 

Top-ranked Punia used gold-medal points from the Asian Championships and Dan Kolov to pass reigning world champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) for the top spot at 65kg. 

If Punia improves on his second-place finish from last year's World Championships, he will join Sushil KUMAR as the only Indian wrestlers to ever win a senior-level freestyle world title. Kumar won his title at the 2010 World Championships in Moscow, Russia.

Japan's reigning 65kg world champion Takuto Otoguro nearly missed out on defending his Budapest gold medal. Rio Olympic silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) handed him his first loss to a Japanese opponent since junior high school in the Meiji Cup finals. But, the 20-year-old Japanese phenom quickly bounced back from his loss in the Meiji Cup finals and chalked up a solid 5-0 victory over Higuchi in a special wrestle-off to fill the 65kg spot. After making Japan's world team, Otoguro told reports, "I wasn't accustomed to losing, and it was so devastating. It was like I had no idea what to do." He added, "So many people helped me out, and I'm happy I could come out with a win through their support."

The World Championships will be Otoguro's first international competition of the season. The second-seeded wrestler was forced to pull out of the World Cup and the Asian Championships due to knee issues.

Although Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) is ranked third in the world at this weight, he lost his starting spot to two-time world runner-up Gadzhimurad Rashidov. He'll surrender his third seed to European runner-up Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR). 

With Rashidov being Russia's world team representative, Nachyn KUULAR (RUS) also got canned from his top-four seed. After removing Kuular from the rankings, it'll slide Sayatbek OKASSOV (KAZ) into the fourth slot. 

Expected 65kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Bajrang PUNIA (IND) 
2. Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) 
3. Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)
4. Sayatbek OKASSOV (KAZ)

Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) climbed past Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) for the No. 1 seed at 74kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan) 

Chamizo Climbs to No.1 Seed at 74kg
A year after a fifth-place finish at the World Championships, Frank Chamizo climbed to the top of the world rankings at 74kg after winning the European Championships and Sassari City Tournament. The Italian also won silver and bronze medals, respectively, at the Yasar Dogu and Dan Kolov -- both of which were Ranking Series events. 

But, it wasn't Chamizo's rapid rise to the top of the rankings at 74kg or his pair of 2019 gold medals that caught the attention of the wrestling world. It was his forfeiture to his biggest rival Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) in the gold-medal bout of the Yasar Dogu that caused rumblings throughout the wrestling community. Heading into the Yasar Dogu -- which was the final Ranking Series event of the year, Chamizo was ranked second.  He trailed only reigning world champion Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) in the rankings. The two-time world champion made it to the finals in Istanbul, Turkey,  and collected enough Ranking Series point to lock up the No. 1 seed -- which is why he sat out of the gold-medal bout. Chamizo defended his decision to forfeit out of the finals by saying the choice was made with his head and not with his heart. 

London Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs, who is widely regarded as the best offensive wrestler in the world, comes into Nur-Sultan searching for his seventh world medal. The American has won four gold medals and a pair of bronzes -- one of which came at last year's World Championships. Burroughs fell to eventual champion Zaurbek Sidakov in last year's Budapest world quarterfinals. Then, he scored back-to-back wins -- including a 4-4 criteria win over Frank Chamizo in the bronze-medal bout to reach the world podium for the sixth time in his storied career. 

This season, Burroughs has torched the rest of the 74kg field at every competition he's entered -- winning a pair of Ranking Series gold medals and two continental championships (Pan-Am Championships and Pan-Am Games). His couple of Ranking Series titles came at the Dan Kolov and Yasar Dogu, where he scored wins over Frank Chamizo in both tournaments. At the Dan Kolov, Burroughs defeated his Italian rival, 9-2 in the second round, then grabbed a win via forfeit at the Yasar Dogu. 

Burroughs comes into the World Championships as the second-seeded wrestler in the world at 74kg.

Zaurbek Sidakov came into Budapest relatively unknown but created quite a name for himself after he took down Burroughs and Chamizo en route to the finals. In the gold-medal bout, the 23-year-old Russian finished off his run to the top of the world podium with a 2-2 criteria win over U23 world champion Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO).

Sidakov and Kentchadze are seeded third and fourth, respectively. 

Expected 74kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Frank CHAMIZO (ITA)
2. Jordan BURROUGHS (USA)
3. Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS)
4. Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO)

Fatih ERDIN (TUR), the No. 1 seed at 86kg, will be looking to improve on his second-place finish from last year's World Championships. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Erdin Enters World's as No. 1 Seed at 86kg
Fatih ERDIN (TUR) was jockeying with returning world champion David TAYLOR (USA) for the No.1 spot at 86kg. But, the American suffered a freak injury during a mid-season charity event -- which ended his 2019 campaign after the injury required season-ending surgery. 

Erdin, last year's world runner-up will be the top-ranked wrestler at 86kg. This season, Erdin finished in second place at the prestigious Ivan Yariguin and in third place at the European Championships. 

Taylor's departure inserts Boris MAKOEV (SVK) into the second seed at 86kg. Makoev will be looking to get back on the world podium for the first time since 2017, where he was a world runner-up.

Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) and Deepak PUNIA (IND) round out the top four seeded wrestlers at 86kg. 

World and Olympic champion Hassan "The Greatest" Yazdani will be the third-seed, while Punia, this year's 86kg junior world champion, will be the fourth seed. 

Expected 86kg Top-Four Seeds
1.
Fatih ERDIN (TUR)
2. Boris MAKOEV (SVK)
3. Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI)
4. Deepak PUNIA (IND)

Kyle SNYDER (USA) soared past the Abdulrashid SADUALEV (RUS) for the No. 1 seed at 97kg. (Photo: Tony Rotundo) 

Snyder Soars Past Sadulaev for the Top Seed at 97kg
Perhaps the biggest rivalry headlining the sport is multiple time world and Olympic champions Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) and Kyle Snyder. The pair squared off twice for the 97kg world title. Snyder, the two-time world and Rio Olympic champion got the best of his Russian rival in Paris at the 2017 World Championships. But, Sadulaev exacted revenge on the American last year in Budapest -- picking up the 69-second fall to claim his third world title.

Though Sadulaev is the reigning 97kg world champion, Snyder comes into Kazakhstan as the weight’s top-rank wrestler. The American amassed 94 Ranking Series points after his title-winning efforts at the Pan-American Championships, Dan Kolov and Yasar Dogu. 
 
Sadulaev will be the second-seeded wrestler at 97kg. He collected gold medals in his two appearances on the year. His titles came at the European Championships and the European Games. 
 
ULZIISAIKHAN Batzul (MGL) and Abraham de Jesus CONYEDO RUANO (ITA) round out the top-four at 97kg, respectively. 
 
Third-seeded Ulziisaikhan wrestled in two Ranking Series tournaments and also the Asian Championships -- where he fell to Iran’s Reza YAZDANI in the gold-medal match. 
 
Conyedo Ruano, last year’s world bronze medalist, capped off his season with back-to-back Ranking Series bronze medals. He finished in third place at the City of Sassari Tournament and the Yasar Dogu.

Expected 97kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Kyle SNYDER (USA)
2. Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS)
3. ULZIISAIKHAN Batzul (MGL) 
4. Abraham de Jesus CONYEDO RUANO (ITA) 

 Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) will be looking to defend his 61kg world title from a year ago. He's the top seed at 61kg. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)

Meanwhile, five returning world champions started and ended the year as the top-ranked wrestlers in their respective weight classes. The five guys who head into Nur-Sultan just as they departed Budapest are: Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB), Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS), Kyle DAKE (USA), J'Den COX (USA), and Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO). 

Bonne Bounces into Nur-Sultan As No. 1 Seed at 61kg
Returning world-champion Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez is the lone returning medalist from last year’s World Championships that is ranked inside the top four at 61kg.  Mongolia’s 2018 world bronze medalist TUMENBILEG Tuvshintulga is also at the weight, but he’s ranked eighth heading into Nur-Sultan. 

The other two medalists Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) and Daniel COLON (USA) have either since moved up to another weight or missed out on making their country’s spot. 

Russia’s two-time world runner-up Gadzhimurad Rashidov will compete up at the Olympic weight of 65kg, while Colon failed to make the United States’ world team. 

India’s Rahul AWARE (IND) had his work cut out for himself to reach a top-four seed. But, the Indian wrestler finished his season with a gold-medal performance at the Yasar Dogu -- which came after he won bronze medals at the Asian Championships and City of Sassari Tournament. After removing Colon and Rashidov from the rankings, Aware will be the No. 2 seed at 61kg.

Beka LOMTADZE (GEO), a fifth-place finisher at the 2018 World Championships, will be the third-seeded wrestler at 61kg. 

Mohammadbagher YAKHKESHI (IRI) would have been the fourth-seeded wrestler at the weight, but Iran will instead be rolling with Behnam EHSANPOOR (IRI). The Iranian switch means Nikolai OKHLOPKOV (ROU) will take over the fourth seed at 61kg.

Expected 61kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB)
2. Rahul AWARE (IND)
3. Beka LOMTADZE (GEO)
4. Behnam EHSANPOOR (IRI)

Adam BATIROV (BRN) will be the top seed at 70kg after Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) bumped up to the Olympic weight of 74kg. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

Gazimagomedov Gone, Batirov Bumps up to No. 1 at 70kg
Although reigning 70kg world champion Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov is the top-ranked wrestler in the world heading into the World Championships, he's moved up to the Olympic weight class of 74kg. He'll forfeit his top seed to Adam BATIROV (BRN), who was last year's world runner-up at 70kg.

Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ), the Asian and City of Sassari Tournament champion, will be the second-seeded wrestler at 70kg. 

Had Andriy KVYATKOVSKYY (UKR) made Ukraine's team, he would have been the third seed at the weight. But, they will instead be sending Semen RADULOV (UKR). Ukraine's flipping their entires means Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI) and Devid SAFARYAN (ARM) will be seeded third and fourth, receptivity. 

Expected 70kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Adam BATIROV (BRN)
2. Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ)
3. Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI)
4. Devid SAFARYAN (ARM)

Kyle DAKE (USA) will return to the World Championships looking to win his second consecutive world title. He'll be the No. 1 seed at 79kg. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)
 

Dake Locks Up Top Spot at 79kg
The top-two 79kg wrestlers from last year’s World Championships Kyle Dake and Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE) headline the entries at the weight again this year. Dake, the returning world champion, will be the top seed at 79kg, while his world finals opponent Hasanov will be seeded second. 

Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) would have been the third seed at 79kg, but he had knee surgery to repair injuries suffered during the semifinals at the European Championships and won’t compete until at least mid-October. 

Alexander DIERINGER (USA), who is ranked fourth in the world, lost to Kyle Dake in America’s wrestle-offs and will give up the third seed to Turkey’s Muhammet KOTANOGLU, who’ll be making his world championship debut. 

Bahman TEYMOURI (IRI) rounds out the top-four seeded wrestlers at 79kg.

Expected 79kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Kyle DAKE (USA) 
2. Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE)
3. Muhammet KOTANOGLU (TUR) 
4. Bahman TEYMOURI (IRI)

J'den Cox is undefeated this season and has cruised to the No. 1 seed at 92kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Cox Cruises to No.1 Seed at 92kg
J’den Cox is the fourth returning world gold medalist that heads into Kazakhstan atop the world rankings. He’ll be the No. 1 seed at the weight where he claimed his first world title.

Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI), a bronze-medal finisher at last year’s World Championships, will be seeded second. 

Magomed KURBANOV (RUS), Batyrbek TCAKULOV (RUS) and Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN), who are ranked third through fifth, respectively, failed to make their country’s world teams. Without those three guys, Ivan YANKOUSKI (BLR) will move up into the third seed. 

Finally, Viky VIKY, who is ranked seventh, also missed out on making a world team, so Irakli MTSITURI (GEO) will be the fourth seed at 92kg. 

Expected 92kg Top-Four Seeds
1. J'Den COX (USA) 
2. Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI) 
3. Ivan YANKOUSKI (BLR) 
4. Irakli MTSITURI (GEO) 

Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) will be looking to win his third consecutive world title. He enters the World Championships as the No. 1 seed at 125kg. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Petriashvili Picks up No. 1 Seed At 125kg 
You have to go back to 2013 to find the last 125kg world champion not named Geno Petriashvili or Taha AKGUL (TUR). The pair have accounted for every world and Olympic title since 2014. 
 
Petriashvili, the reigning two-time 125kg world champion, comes into Nur-Sultan as the No. 1-seeded wrestler. But, he’s not the clear-cut favorite to win his third consecutive world title after his most prominent Turkish rival reclaimed 125kg supremacy with a dominating 7-0 victory in the European finals. 
 
The pair will be stationed on opposite sides of the bracket and wouldn’t meet until the finals. They were ranked first and fourth, but Akgul leaped into the third seed after he won the final Ranking Series event, the Yasar Dogu, in his home country of Turkey. 

If the seeds hold, Petriashvili will meet Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) for a spot in the finals, and Akgul will see China’s DENG Zhiwei in the semifinals. Zhiwei, the returning world finalist, is seeded second, while Gwiazdowski, a two-time world bronze medalist, is seeded fourth.

Expected 125kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) 
2. DENG Zhiwei (CHN) 
3. Taha AKGUL (TUR)
4. Nicholas Edward GWIAZDOWSKI (USA)