Lopez Wins Clash of Titans, On Track for Sixth Title at Wrestling World Championships

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (September 8) – Mijain LOPEZ NUNEZ (CUB) won the clash of titans with Beylal MAKHOV (RUS) on Tuesday and remains on track for a sixth world title on the second day of the Senior Wrestling World Championships.

Lopez Nunez scored a gut wrench against Makhov in their first-round bout at the Orleans Arena and made it stand for a 2-1 win. The two-time Olympic Games champion also forged a 2-0 win over London 2012 finals opponent Heike NABI (EST) in the quarterfinals.

In the day’s finale at 130kg, Lopez Nunez will face European Games champion and last year’s world silver medal winner Riza KAYAALP (TUR). 

Makhov, meanwhile, battled back through repechage to the bronze medal finals where he will meet Pan American champion Robert SMITH (USA). A win by Makhov would be the first step in becoming wrestling’s first double medalist at the world championships in 1962.

At 59kg, three-time Pan American champion Ismael BORRERA MOLINA (CUB) joined Lopez Nunez in Tuesday evening’s gold medal finals. Borrera Molina will square off with 2011 world champion Rovshan BAYRAMOV (AZE).

Bayramov 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.

In the non-Olympic weight categories, top-ranked Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE), a bronze medalist one year ago, scored four technical falls on his way to the finals at 71kg, where he will meet 2010 world silver medalist Armen VARDANYAN (UKR).

At 80kg, two-time former world champion Selcuk CEBI (TUR) pinned European U23 champion Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) in the semifinals to advance to gold medal match against European Games bronze medal winner Viktor SASUNOVSKI (BLR).

Gobadze had pinned top-ranked European Games winner Evgeni SALEEV (RUS) in the quarterfinals with af reverse waistlock, lift and throw.

Greco-Roman

59kg (44 entries)
Gold – Rovshan BAYRAMOV (AZE) v Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB)
Bronze – No.6 YUN Won-Chol (PRK) v Arsen ERALIEV (KGZ)
Bronze – No.7 Soslan DAUROV (BLR) v Almat KEBISBAYEV (KAZ)
 
Semifinal – Rovshan BAYRAMOV (AZE) df. Arsen ERALIEV (KGZ) by Fall, 4:16
Semifinal – Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB) df. Almat KEBISBAYEV (KAZ) by TF, 9-1, 3:44

71kg (31 entries)
Gold – No.1 Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) v Armen VARDANYAN (UKR)
Bronze – Adam KURAK (RUS) v Timur BERDIEV (BLR)
Bronze – No.19 Zackarias TALLROTH (SWE) v Mathias MAASCH (GER)
 
Semifinal – No.1 Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) df. Timur BERDIEV (BLR) by TF, 8-0, 2:46
Semifinal – Armen VARDANYAN (UKR) df. Mathias MAASCH (GER) by Fall, 4:44

80kg (28 entries)
Gold – No.5 Viktor SASUNOVSKI (BLR) v – No.6 Selcuk CEBI (TUR)
Bronze – No.17 Ashkat DILMUKHAMEDOV (KAZ) v No.9 Yousef GHADERIAN (IRI)
Bronze – Samat SHIRDAKOV (KGZ) v No.7 Lasha GOBADZE (GEO)
 
Semifinal – No.5 Viktor SASUNOVSKI (BLR) df. No.9 Yousef GHADERIAN (IRI), 3-3
Semifinal – No.6 Selcuk CEBI (TUR) df. No.7 Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) by Fall, 5:46

130kg (29 entries)
Gold – No.2 Riza KAYAALP (TUR) v No.1 Mijain LOPEZ NUNEZ (CUB)
Bronze – Aleksander CHERNETSKI (UKR) v No. 10 Sabahi SHARIATI (AZE)
Bronze – No.6 Beylal MAKHOV (RUS) v No. 18 Robert SMITH (USA)

Semifinal – No.2 Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. No. 10 Sabahi SHARIATI (AZE), 6-0
Semifinal – No.1 Mijain LOPEZ NUNEZ (CUB) df. No. 18 Robert SMITH (USA) by TF, 8-0, 1:18