Kayaalp Stops Lopez Nunez Again at Wrestling World Championships

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (September 8) – Riza KAYAALP (TUR) stopped world champion Mijain LOPEZ NUNEZ (CUB) for a second time in his relatively short career Tuesday and denied the Cuban giant a sixth world title at the Senior Wrestling World Championships.

Kayaalp earned a penalty point for a second passivity call against Lopez Nunez in the 130kg championship and made it stand over the final two minutes for a 1-0 triumph at the Orleans Arena and his second world crown.

“I prepared to wrestle non-stop for six minutes and push the pace throughout that time,” said Kayaalp, who also defeated Lopez Nunez for the 2011 title in Istanbul.

When asked about the difference between the two titles, Kayaalp said “I think the big differences were that the weight has changed to 130kg (compared to 120kg in 2011).”

“And, I’m at my peak,” the 25-year-old Kayaalp said. “I’m younger and (Lopez) is getting older.”

Meanwhile, in one bronze medal final at 130kg, Beylal MAKHOV (RUS) raced out to a 7-0 lead against Robert SMITH (USA) and held on for a 10-8 win and the bronze medal – the first half of a possible Greco-freestyle double trip to the medals podium.

Makhov, a three-time world champion in freestyle, is scheduled to wrestle in the 125kg weight category on the final day of the championships on Saturday.

Joining Kayaalp on the medals podium for Turkey was Selcuk CEBI (TUR), who hammered out a 2-0 decision over Viktor SASUNOVSKI (BLR) in the 80kg final. It was a third world title for Cebi, who had previously world titles in 2009 and 2010 at 74kg.

At 71kg, Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) scored with a chest-high lock and back-arching throw and added a gut wrench for a 6-0 lead, but Armen VARDANYAN (UKR) countered with a reverse waistlock and throw to close the gap to 6-4 but could get no closer as time ran out.

“I trained hard and prepared diligently throughout the year and the win tonight was thanks to my preparation,” Chunayev said of his first world title, adding that he now plans a move to 66kg in a bid for a berth at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

At 59kg, Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB) went from arm control to a bodylock takedown, trapped the right arm of Rovshan BAYRAMOV (AZE) going to the mat and then rolled up the technical fall in just 32 seconds with a series of gut wrenches.

Borrero Molina’s triumph was the first world title for a Cuban wrestler other than Lopez Nunez in 13 years. Rene MONTERO (CUB) took the 55kg world title in freestyle in 2002, while Filiberto ASCUY (CUB) won the 69kg crown in 2001 in Greco-Roman.

​Bayramov, a 2011 world champion, advanced to the 59kg final via a win by disqualification for brutality for head-butting by defending champion Hamid SORYAN (IRI). Soryan, who was seeking his seventh overall world title, also lost in repechage, 6-5, to 2013 world champion YUN Won-Chol (PRK) on a late four-point throw.

Greco-Roman

59kg (44 entries)
Gold – Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB) df. Rovshan BAYRAMOV (AZE) by TF, 8-0, 0:32
Bronze – No.6 YUN Won-Chol (PRK) df. Arsen ERALIEV (KGZ) by TF, 8-0, 2:48
Bronze – Almat KEBISBAYEV (KAZ) df. No.7 Soslan DAUROV (BLR) by Fall, 1:51

71kg (31 entries)
Gold – No.1 Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) df, Armen VARDANYAN (UKR), 6-4
Bronze – Adam KURAK (RUS) df. Timur BERDIEV (BLR), 4-0
Bronze – No.19 Zackarias TALLROTH (SWE) df. Mathias MAASCH (GER), 3-0

80kg (28 entries)
Gold – No.6 Selcuk CEBI (TUR) df. No.5 Viktor SASUNOVSKI (BLR), 2-0
Bronze – No.9 Yousef GHADERIAN (IRI) df. No.17 Ashkat DILMUKHAMEDOV (KAZ), 2-0
Bronze – No.7 Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) df. Samat SHIRDAKOV (KGZ) by TF, 8-0, 2:29

130kg (29 entries)
Gold – No.2 Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. No.1 Mijain LOPEZ NUNEZ (CUB), 1-0
Bronze – Aleksander CHERNETSKI (UKR) df. No. 10 Sabahi SHARIATI (AZE) by Fall, 1:15
Bronze – No.6 Beylal MAKHOV (RUS) df. No. 18 Robert SMITH (USA), 10-8