USA defeated Russia 6-2, while Azerbaijan beat Georgia 5-3 in Group A of the 2017 Freestyle World Cup. The first finalist will be determined after the match between the two nations tomorrow morning.

Defending champion Iran will be the heavy favorite in Group B to reach the final after defeating India 8-0 in the second round.

USA and Russia started as a close match as they split the first four matches. 

Artem GEBEKOV (RUS) defeated Anthony RAMOS (USA), 6-2, at 57kg before 2016 world champion Logan STIEBER (USA) beat Viktor RASSADIN (RUS), 7-4.

Chermen VALIEV let the Russian team to earn its second and the last win as he defeated Frank MOLINARO (USA), 4-4, in a controversial match. 

James GREEN (USA) beat Magomedkhabib KADIMAGOMEDOV, 8-6, at 70kg and the teams were 2-2 in individual matches.

Jordan BURROUGHS, a three-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist, put USA in front 3-2 with a dominant 10-1 victory over Atsamaz SANAKOEV (RUS) at 74kg. 

David TAYLOR, 2016 Olympic champion Kyle SNYDER and Zachery REY added three more wins, giving USA a 6-2 victory over Russia. 

In another second-round match in Group A, Azerbaijan downed Georgia to earn its second win at the Freestyle World Cup. 

Otari GOGAVA (GEO) beat Mahir AMIRASLANOV (AZE), 5-5, at 57kg, but Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE) gave Azerbaijan its first victory, defeating Giorgi REVAZISHVILI (GEO) by technical fall, 12-2. Rahimzade also defeated 2012 Olympic champion Dzhamal OTARSULTANOV (RUS) in the match against Russia.

Azerbaijan had three consecutive wins by two-time world champion and 2016 Olympic game bronze medalist Haji ALIYEV at 65kg, David SUYNYUCHKHANOV) at 70kg and Rio Games bronze medalist Jabrayil HASANOV at 74kg.

Georgia picked up its second win as Davit KHUTSISHVILI (GEO) beat 2012 Olympic champion Sharif SHARIFOV, 2-2, at 86kg, but Aslanbek ALBOROV (AZE) brought the victory to Azerbaijan by defeating Zviad METREVELI (GEO) by technical fall, 10-0.

2016 Olympic bronze medal winner Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) downed  Jamaladdin MAGOMEDOV (AZE), 13-7 at 125kg, but Azerbaijan claimed the 5-3 win in the match.
  
USA and Azerbaijan both picked up two wins on the opening day. The match tomorrow between the two nations determines the finalist of Group A.

In Group B, Iran downed India easily as 3000 local fans supported them. 

The best-contested match came at 61kg where 2014 world silver medalist Masoud ESMAEILPOUR pinned 2016 Commonwealth champion Harphool HARPHOOL (IND).

Bahman TEYMOURI (IRI) was the first wrestler of the host city Kermanshah who competed for Iran and he won his 74kg bout against 2016 Commonwealth champion Jitender.

Meisam NASIRI beat Bajrang BAJRANG (IND), 9-2, and Mostafa HOSSEINKHANI defeated Amit Kumar DHANKHAR (IND) by technical fall, 11-0.

2015 world bronze medal winner Alireza KARIMI at 86kg, junior world champion Hossein SHAHBAZI and Olympic silver medalist Komeil GHASEMI gave Iran three other wins by technical fall.

Turkey and Mongolia held the second match of Group B, and Turkey won the bout 5-3.

Tomorrow morning Iran will face Mongolia for a chance to reach the final. 

Group A Standings

USA 2-0
Azerbaijan 2-0
Russia 0-2
Georgia 0-2

Group A Results

Round 1
Azerbaijan 4, Russia 4 (Russia wins on criteria)
USA 7, Georgia 1

Round 2
USA 6, Russia 2
Azerbaijan 5, Georgia 3

Group B Standings

Iran 2-0
Turkey 1-1
Mongolia 1-1
India 0-2

Group B Results

Round 1
Iran 8, Turkey 0
Mongolia 7, India 1

Round 2
Iran 8, India 0
Turkey 5, Mongolia 3

Individual Results of Round 2

Group A

USA df. RUSSIA (RUS), 6-2
57 kg - Artem GEBEKOV (RUS) df. Anthony Joseph RAMOS (USA), 6-2
61 kg - Logan Jeffery STIEBER (USA) df. Viktor RASSADIN (RUS), 7-4
65 kg - Chermen VALIEV (RUS) df. Frank Aniello MOLINARO (USA), 4-4
70 kg - James Malcolm GREEN (USA) df. Magomedkhabib KADIMAGOMEDOV (RUS), 8-6
74 kg - Jordan Ernest BURROUGHS (USA) df. Atsamaz SANAKOEV (RUS), 10-1
86 kg - David Morris TAYLOR III (USA) df. Vladislav VALIEV (RUS) by TF, 14-4
97 kg - Kyle Frederick SNYDER (USA) df. Yury BELONOVSKIY (RUS), 11-2
125 kg - Zachery William REY (USA) df. Mukhamagazi MAGOMEDOV (RUS), 4-1

AZERBAIJAN (AZE) df. GEORGIA (GEO), 5-3
57 kg - Otari GOGAVA (GEO) df. Mahir AMIRASLANOV (AZE), 5-5
61 kg - Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE) df. Giorgi REVAZISHVILI (GEO) by TF, 12-2
65 kg - Haji ALIYEV (AZE) df. Iveriko JULAKIDZE (GEO) by TF, 12-0
70 kg - David SUYNYUCHKHANOV (AZE) df. Konstantine KHABALASHVILI (GEO), 7-5
74 kg - Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE) df. Jumber KVELASHVILI (GEO), 5-0
86 kg - Davit KHUTSISHVILI (GEO) df. Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE), 2-2
97 kg - Aslanbek ALBOROV (AZE) df. Zviad METREVELI (GEO) by TF, 10-0
125 kg - Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) df. Jamaladdin MAGOMEDOV (AZE), 13-7

Group B

IRAN (IRI) df. INDIA (IND), 8-0 
57 kg - Younes Firouz SARMASTIDIZAJI (IRI) df. Amit KUMAR (IND) by forfeit, 0-0
61 kg - Masoud Mahmoud ESMAEILPOORJOUYBARI (IRI) df. Harphool HARPHOOL (IND) by FALL, 4-2
65 kg - Meisam Abolfazl NASIRI (IRI) df. Bajrang BAJRANG (IND), 9-2
70 kg - Mostafa Mohabbali HOSSEINKHANI (IRI) df. Amit Kumar DHANKHAR (IND) by TF, 11-0
74 kg - Bahman Mohammad TEYMOURI (IRI) df. Jitender JITENDER (IND), 8-2
86 kg - Alireza Mohammad KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI) df. Deepak DEEPAK (IND) by TF, 10-0
97 kg - Hossein Lotfali SHAHBAZIGAZVAR (IRI) df. Roublejit Singh RANGI (IND) by TF, 10-0
125 kg - Komeil Nemat GHASEMI (IRI) df. Krishan KRISHAN (IND) by Injury Default, 0-0

TURKEY (TUR) df. MONGOLIA (MGL), 5-3 
57 kg - Sezar AKGUL (TUR) df. Batbold SODNOMDASH (MGL) by FALL, 6-6
61 kg - Cengizhan ERDOGAN (TUR) df. Nyam Ochir ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL), 4-2
65 kg - Safa AKSOY (TUR) df. Batmagnai BATCHULUUN (MGL), 9-3
70 kg - Mandakhnaran GANZORIG (MGL) df. Yakup GOR (TUR), 6-0
74 kg - Islam KILIC (TUR) df. Ankhbayar BATCHULUUN (MGL) by TF, 12-1
86 kg - Selim YASAR (TUR) df. Unurbat PUREVJAV (MGL), 10-1
97 kg - Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL) df. Faruk AKKOYUN (TUR), 7-4
125 kg - Zolboo NATSAGSUREN (MGL) df. Riza Ziyaettin YILDIRIM (TUR), 6-2

Friday Program:

9 A.M.
Group A: Russia vs. Georgia
Group B: Iran vs. Mongolia

10:15 A.M.
Group A: Azerbaijan vs. USA
Group B: Turkey vs. India

4 P.M.
Third-place match

17:15
Final match