The UWW Rome Ranking Series 2020 witnessed many interesting match-ups on day 1 as some of the world’s best Greco-Roman wrestlers took on mat. The last year’s City of Sassari champion Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) edged Felix BALDAUF (NOR) in the 97kg finals and seized his second Ranking Series title on home soil. “I’m so happy that I won in my country,” Kakhelashvili said. “Today was a big tournament. I think it’s good that I won, and I felt very strong. Now I hope to win the European Championships.” In the 97kg gold-medal bout, Kakhelashvili jumped out to a five-point opening-period lead, but surrendered four unanswered points against his Norwegian opponent and narrowly won, 5-4. “I was a little bit nervous. I thought it was a touché, but I won the match, so everything is okay.”

Walihan, Bakhshilloev and Mohamed Claim Remaining Three Olympic Weight Golds
The remaining trio of Olympic weight gold medals of the day went to Sailike WALIHAN (CHN), Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB) and Abdellatif MOHAMED (EGY), who topped the podium at 60kg, 67kg and 130kg, respectively.

At 60kg, Walihan was 70 seconds away from seeing his hopes of winning a first Ranking Series gold disappear after he allowed a three-point second-period lead dwindle to nothing against Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB). But in the end, the Chinese wrestler capitalized on a late stepout and scooped up the one-point victory.

Walihan, a 2018 world bronze medalist, scored an inactivity point and a gut wrench and carried the 3-0 lead late into the closing frame. That all changed when Walihan’s opponent, Bakhramov, a four-time Ranking Series finalist, scored an inactivity point that was quickly followed by a two-point tight low-level gut wrench and stole the 3-3 lead on criteria.

But like the savvy veteran he is, Walihan responded when it was needed the most. He scored a stepout with just under a minute left and hung on to win his first Ranking Series gold medal, 4-3.

In the finals at 67kg, junior world champion Bakshilloev sealed up a 3-1 win over Rio Olympian Abouhalima ABOUHALIMA (EGY) by scoring a first-period inactivity point and gut wrench.

Abdellatif Mohamed, a two-time Ranking Series finalist, only needed 83 seconds to pick up the fall against Moises Salvador PEREZ HELLBURG (VEN) in the 130kg finals. Mohamed’s Wednesday night fall put him in rare company, as he joined Mohamed EL SAYED as the only other Egyptian Greco-Roman wrestler to win a Ranking Series gold medal.

Ayazci and Montano Arroyo Win Nordic Golds
Dogus AYAZCI (TUR) and Andres Roberto MONTANO ARROYO (ECU) claimed the final two opening-day golds, which both came in Nordic-style brackets. Their wins came in the non-Olympic weight classes of 55kg and 63kg, respectively.

Ayazci outscored his three opponents 22-0 en route to the 55kg gold medal, while Montano Arroya’s 11-0 thumping of Rio Olympic bronze medalist Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR) highlighted his run to the 63kg title.

RESULTS
50kg
GOLD – Dogus AYAZCI (TUR)
SILVER – Max NOWRY (USA)
BRONZE – Andrii SEMENCHUK (UKR)

60kg
GOLD – Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB) vs. Sailike WALIHAN (CHN)
BRONZE – Erbatu TUO (CHN) vs. Kerem KAMAL (TUR), 7-1
BRONZE – Firuz TUKHTAEV (UZB) df. Sachin RANA (IND), 9-0

63kg
GOLD – Andres Roberto MONTANO ARROYO (ECU)
SILVER – Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR)
BRONZE – Erik TORBA (HUN)

67kg
GOLD – Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB) df. Abouhalima ABOUHALIMA (EGY), 3-2
BRONZE – Qiye TIAN (CHN) df. Ashu ASHU (IND), 9-0
BRONZE – Anthony PALENCIA PUENTES (VEN) df. Ruben MARVICE (ITA), 10-1

87kg
GOLD – Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) df. Kumar SUNIL (IND), 2-1
BRONZE – Ali CENGIZ (TUR) df. Josef Patrick RAU (USA), 9-0
BRONZE – Luis Eduardo AVENDANO ROJAS (VEN) df. Patrick Anthony MARTINEZ (USA), 4-1

97kg
GOLD – Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA)df. Felix BALDAUF (NOR), 5-4
BRONZE – Mélonin NOUMONVI (FRA) df. Matti Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN), 3-2
BRONZE – Gangelo HANCOCK (USA) df. Semen NOVIKOV (UKR), 10-0

130kg
GOLD – Abdellatif MOHAMED (EGY) vdf Moises PEREZ HELLBURG (VEN), via fall (4:37)
BRONZE – Lingzhe MENG (CHN) df. Adam Jacob COON (USA), 4-2
BRONZE – Muminjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) df. Oskar MARVIK (NOR), 3-3

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