74 KG: Men’s Freestyle 2019 World Championship Preview
Photo courtesy of Gabor Martin/United World Wrestling
74 KG has three returning world champs at the weight along with four other world medalists slated to compete making it a weight to watch. One of the most interesting storylines going into the world championships is will #1 Zaurbek Sidakov of Russia be able to repeat his career defining performance from last year where he bested a 5x World/Olympic champ in #2 Jordan Burroughs of the United States in the quarters and then defeated returning 2x world champ Frank Chamizo of Italy in the semis, or will the U.S. veteran in Burroughs rally back to tie John Smith for most all-time World/Olympic gold medals at 6, or will Nursultan see the electrifying Frank Chamizo earn his third world title?
Title Contenders:
#1 Zaurbek Sidakov (RUS)- 2018 world champ, 2019 European Games champ, 2019 Yarygin champ. Key Wins: Khetik Tsabolov (2018 Russian Nationals finals), Avtandil Kentchadze (2018 world finals, 2018 U-23 Euros, 2019 European Games), Jordan Burroughs (2018 world quarters), Frank Chamizo Marquez (2018 world semis), Magomed Kurbanaliev (2019 Russian world team wrestle-off), Timur Bizhoev (2019 Yarygin), Azamat Nurikov (2019 Yarygin, 2019 European Games), Soner Demirtas (2019 European Games finals). Key losses: Magomed Kurbanaliev (2017 Alans finals), Khetik Tsabolov (2018 Yarygin finals), Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov (2017 Russian nationals), Rasul Dzhukaev (2017 Russian nationals bronze medal match), Israil Kasumov (2017 Yarygin finals)
#2 Jordan Burroughs (USA)- 5x World/Olympic champ (‘11,’12,’13,’15,’17), 2014 world bronze medalist, 2018 world bronze medalist, 2019 Dan Kolov champ, 2019 Yasar Dogu champ, 2019 Final X champ Key Wins: Denis Tsargush (2011 world’s 2012 Olympics), Kyle Dake (2013 WTT, 2015 WTT, 2017 WTT), David Taylor (2014 WTT), Aniuar Geduev (2015 world’s), Frank Chamizo (2018 Grapple at the Garden, 2018 world bronze medal match), Khetik Tsabolov (2017 world finals), Ali Shabanov (2013 world’s, 2015 Medved, 2017 world’s). Key Losses: Denis Tsargush (2014 world’s), Nick Marable (2014 Yasar Dogu), Kyle Dake (2017 world team trials), Isaiah Martinez (2019 Final X), Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (2016 Olympics), Aniuar Geduev (2016 Olympics), Zaurbek Sidakov (2018 world’s quarters), Frank Chamizo (2018 Yasar Dogu finals)
#3 Frank Chamizo (ITA)- 2016 65 KG Olympic bronze medalist, 2x World champ (‘15 & ‘17), 2018 world 5th, 3x European champ (‘16,’17,’19), 2010 55 KG world bronze medalist, 2019 Dan Kolov bronze. Key Wins: Soslan Ramonov (2015 Ziolkowski), Jordan Burroughs (2018 Yasar Dogu finals), Khetik Tsabolov (2018 European championships, 2019 Sassari GP), Yakup Gor (2017 world’s), Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov (2018 Dan Kolov), Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov (2017 Ali Aliev finals), James Green (2017 world finals), Zelimkhan Khadjiev (2019 Euros finals), Timur Bizhoev (2019 Euros), Togrul Asgarov (2015 World’s), Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (2015 world’s), Mustafa Kaya (2015 European Games), Avtandil Kentchadze (2015 European Games) Key Losses: Jordan Burroughs (2018 world bronze medal match, 2018 Grapple at the Garden), Nikita Suchkov (2018 Korkin finals), Soner Demirtas (2018 Euros semis), Magomed Kurbanaliev (2015 Medved), Soslan Ramonov (2016 Medved finals), Togrul Asgarov (2015 European Games finals, 2016 Olympic semis).
74 KG is a weight with a very clear hierarchy in terms of title contenders. Sidakov stunned the world when he took out the returning world champ #2 Jordan Burroughs (USA) in the quarters last year and then the returning 70 KG world champ #3 Frank Chamizo (ITA) in the semis to make the finals where he won a tight 3-1 win over #9 Avtandil Kentchadze (GEO). So far this year, Sidakov won the Yarygin and the European Games and defeated Russian national champ #4 Magomed Kurbanaliev (RUS) in a wrestle off to win the world team spot. #2 Jordan Burroughs has kept a busy schedule since taking bronze last year, winning the Pan-Am championships and Pan-Am Games, Yasar Dogu, and Dan Kolov and only taking one loss in the form of #19 Isaiah Martinez (USA) in a three match series at Final X. Burroughs looks primed and ready to compete as he’s defeated the likes of #3 Frank Chamizo (ITA), #6 Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (UZB), #11 Taimuraz Salkazanov (SVK), and #12 Yakup Gor (TUR). #3 Frank Chamizo (ITA) has won titles at the City of Sassari tournament and the European Championships this year while suffering his only loss at the Dan Kolov to #2 Jordan Burroughs (USA). Chamizo has strong wins this year over the likes of #5 Khetik Tsabolov, #7 Timur Bizhoev, and #18 Azamat Nurikov (BLR).
Medal Contenders:
#6 Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (UZB)- 2014 70 KG world bronze medalist, 2018 74 KG world bronze medalist, 2019 Medved champ, 2016 Olympics 5th, 2017 world’s 5th. 2018 Asian Games champ, 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games bronze, 2017 Asian championships gold medalist Key Wins: Soner Demirtas (2018 world bronze medal match, 2019 Dan Kolov), Mostafa Hosseinkhani (2014 world’s, 2019 Dan Kolov), Yakup Gor (2019 Dan Kolov), Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov (2019 Medved semis), Jordan Burroughs (2016 Olympics repechage), Muslim Evloev (2017 Asian championships finals, 2017 Kadyrov Cup), Arslan Budazhapov (2018 Tbilisi GP quarters), Gadzhi Nabiev (2017 Kadyrov Cup) Key Losses: Jordan Burroughs (2016 Grand Prix of Germany, 2017 world semis, 2019 Dan Kolov finals), Ali Shabanov (2017 world bronze medal match), Soner Demirtas (2017 Islamic Solidarity Games, 2016 Medved), Yakup Gor (2014 world’s), Khetik Tsabolov (2018 Indian Pro League), Mostafa Hosseinkhani (2018 asian championships), Akhmed Gadzhimagomedov (2017 Kadyrov Cup), Avtandil Kentchadze (2018 world’s).
#9 Avtandil Kentchadze (GEO)- 2018 world runner-up, 2018 U-23 world champ, 2018 Alans runner-up, 2019 European Games bronze, 2017 U-23 world bronze medalist Key Wins: Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (2018 world’s), Soner Demirtas (2018 world’s semis), Timur Bizhoev (2018 U-23 world’s), Kakhaber Khubezhty (2018 Alans), Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov (2018 Alans), Magomed Dibirgadzhiev (2018 Alans), Zelimkhan Khadjiev (2017 U-23 Euro finals), Isaiah Martinez (2017 U-23 world bronze medal match) Key Losses: Zaurbek Sidakov (2018 U-23 Euros, 2018 World finals, 2019 European Games), Frank Chamizo (2015 European Games), Timur Bizhoev (2018 Alans finals), Togrul Asgarov (2015 world’s quarters), Mustafa Kaya (2015 European Games), Gadzhi Nabiev (2017 U-23 world’s).
#17 Soner Demirtas (TUR)- 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, 2017 world bronze medalist, 2015 European Games runner-up, 2019 European Games runner-up. Key Wins: Jabrayil Hasanov (2016 European Championships), Murad Suleymanov (2017 European Championships finals), Frank Chamizo (2018 European Championships semis), Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (2017 Islamic Solidarity Games). Key Losses: Avtandil Kentchadze (2018 World semis), Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (2018 world bronze medal match, 2019 Dan Kolov), Zaurbek Sidakov (2019 European Games finals), Mostafa Hosseinkhani (2019 Dan Kolov repechage), Khetik Tsabolov (2017 world’s).
#18 Azamat Nurikov (BLR)- 3x world 5th (‘14,’15, & ‘17), 2019 Yarygin bronze medalist, 2019 Ali Aliev bronze medalist, 4x Medved champ (‘14,’15,’17,’18), 2016 European Championships bronze medalist Key Wins: Yuji Fujinami (2018 world championships), Timur Bizhoev (2019 Yarygin, 2018 Medved), Isaiah Martinez (2018 Medved), Zaurbek Sidakov (2016 European Championships), Zurab Iakobishvili (2018 International Ukrainian tournament), Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (2019 European Games, 2017 Kadyrov Cup), Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (2015 world’s). Key Losses: Jordan Burroughs (2018 Yasar Dogu), Vasyl Mykhailov (2019 European Championships), Soner Demirtas (2018 world quarters), Frank Chamizo (2019 Dan Kolov qualification round), Zaurbek Sidakov (2019 European Games, 2019 Yarygin), Akhmed Usmanov (2019 Ali Aliev).
#20 Zelimkhan Khadjiev (FRA)- 2015 world 5th, 2019 European championships runner-up, 2018 European championships runner-up, 2017 U-23 European championships runner-up, 2016 Grand Prix of Spain runner-up Key Wins: Peyman Yarahmadi (2017 world’s), Avtandil Kentchadze (2017 Grand Prix of Paris, 2019 European championships), Purevjav Unurbat (2016 Grand Prix of Spain). Key Losses: Frank Chamizo (2019 Euro finals), Soner Demirtas (2018 Euro finals), Murad Suleymanov (2017 Euros), Akhmed Gadzhimagomedov (2017 Euros bronze medal match), Avtandil Kentchadze (2017 U-23 European championships finals), Jordan Burroughs (2017 world’s), Ali Shabanov (2017 world’s repechage, 2015 European Games repechage), Aniuar Geduev (2015 European Games), Byambadorj Bat-Erdene (2019 Ziolkowski), Nika Kentchadze (2019 Dan Kolov).
This tier was tricky as Bekzod and Avtandil are clearly in a tier separate from the rest of the medal contenders, but not on par with Sidakov, Burroughs or Chamizo. This gets further muddied by the fact that while Kentchadze is far superior to his overall trajectory, old rival #20 Zelimkhan Khadjiev (FRA) was able to sneak a win past him at this year’s European championships. But Kentchadze is also the same guy who beat Bekzod last year, destroyed Demirtas, and ran through some of Russia’s best in #7 Timur Bizhoev, #10 Magomedkhabib Kadiamagomedov, and #10(79) Kakhaber Khubezhty at the Alans and U-23 world championships so I think as a whole him and Bekzod are still quite better then the rest of the field, but that Khadjiev himself is a tricky stylistic matchup for the talented Georgian. So far this year, Abdurakhmanov a returning world bronze medalist was a runner-up at the Dan Kolov to #2 Jordan Burroughs and won the Medved. His best wins this year are over the likes of #10 Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov, #12 Yakup Gor, #16 Mostafa Hosseinkhani, and #17 Soner Demirtas. #9 Avtandil Kentchadze (GEO) finished bronze at both the European Championships and European Games dropping matches to #20 Zelimkhan Khadjiev and #1 Zaurbek Sidakov respectively. Kentchadze has beaten #12 Yakup Gor and #18 Azamat Nurikov so far this year.
The rest of the medal contender tier is easier to break up then Bekzod and Avtandil. #17 Soner Demirtas is a 3x European champion and two World/Olympic medalist with wins over #6 Bekzod Abdurakhmanov and #3 Frank Chamizo but seems to have fallen off since world’s last year and has lost to #1 Zaurbek Sidakov in the finals of the European Games this year and #6 Bekzod Abdurakhmanov and #16 Mostafa Hosseinkhani at the Dan Kolov where he failed to place. #18 Azamat Nurikov (BLR) has had a career marked by inconsistencies and inability to pull out big matches when it matters most as evident by his three world 5th place finishes from 2014, 2015, and 2017 but when thew 2019 Yarygin bronze medalist Nurikov wrestles up to his level he’s incredibly dangerous as shown in his wins over the likes of #6 Bekzod Abdurakhmanov , #1 Zaurbek Sidakov, #7 Timur Bizhoev, and #19 Isaiah Martinez. #20 Zelimkhan Khadjiev has always been seen as a talent who once he matriculates will present major challenges at the senior level but the renowned frenchman has struggled in climbing to the top of the podium he nonetheless has notched impressive wins over the likes of Purevjav Unurbat, Peyman Yarahmadi, #9 Avtandil Kentchadze.
Dark Horse (s):
Franklin Gomez Matos (PUR)- 2019 Pan-Am Games runner-up, 2011 60 KG world silver, 2019 Grand Prix of Spain champ. Key Wins: Alejandro Valdes Tobier (2016 Cerra Pellado invitational finals), Boris Novachkov (2016 Olympics), Nestor Taffur (2018 world’s). Key Losses: Jordan Burroughs (2019 Pan-Am Games finals, 2019 Pan-Am championships), Besik Kudukhov (2011 world finals), Ikhtiyor Navruzov (2016 Olympics), Alejandro Valdes Tobier (2017 world’s, 2016 Pan Am OG Qualifier), Soslan Ramonov (2014 world’s), Mandakhnaran Ganzorig (2014 world’s).
Murad Kuramagomedov (HUN)- 2017 Intercontinental Cup champ, 2017 Medved champ, 2018 Intercontinental Cup runner-up, 2018 Kunaev runner-up Key Wins: Akhmed Usmanov (2018 Intercontinental Cup), Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov (2017 Intercontinental Cup finals), Anzor Zakuev (2017 Intercontinental Cup), Ikhtiyor Navrozov (2017 Kadyrov Cup), Magomed Dibirgadzhiev (2017 Medved finals), Rustam Gaimasov (2017 Medved semis), Israil Kasumov (2018 Ali Aliev round of 16) Key Losses: Israil Kasumov (2017 Russian Nationals), Yakup Gor (2019 Ziolkowski), Alibek Akbaev (2018 Russian Nationals round of 16), Ruslan Bogatyrev (2018 Alans), Arsalan Budazhapov (2018 Kunaev runner-up), Alan Zaseev (2018 Ali Aliev quarters).
While Franklin Gomez Matos (PUR) has yet to transfer the success he had at 65 KG up to 74 KG, he’s more then put enough size for the weight and pushed #2 Jordan Burroughs to the brink this year at the Pan-Am championships where he would finish bronze and in the Pan-Am games finals where he’d lose 4-1 to the 5x World/Olympic champ. Kuramagomedov, a Dagestani transfer to Hungary, has strong wins back in 2017 over the likes of 2x world champ #8 Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov (RUS) and a win from last year’s world cup over 2018 Ali Aliev champ #15 Akhmed Usmanov (RUS). Both guys are ones to watch and I can definitely see them breaking through into the medal contender tier with the right matchups.