Valencia Caps a Perfect Day With a Trip to the Finals
2025 World Championships – Zagreb, Croatia
Zahid Valencia USA, wrestling at 86kg, won all four of his matches today to advance to the finals. Coaching from his corner was long time rival and 2024 Olympic Champion David Taylor. Valencia rolled his first three opponents by identical 10-0 technical falls. In his semi-final Zahid took care of 2 time World Champion at 92kg Ghasempour of Iran. Valencia scored early and often winning by a final score 7-0 to remain unscored upon for the tournament. The 86kg Gold Medal Match will be Zahid Valencia (USA) vs Hayato Ishiguro (Japan)
U.S. Men’s Freestyle Results Day 1
61 kg – Jax Forrest (Johnstown, Pa./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC), Bronze Medal Match
WIN vs Sangboum Han (Korea) by tech. fall, 10-0
WIN vs Takara Suda (Japan) by decision 7-2
WIN vs Taiyrbek Zhumashbek Uulu (Kyrgyzstan) by decision 13-8
LOSS vs Zavur Uguev (UWW) by decision 10-3
Bronze Medal Match vs Manvel Khndzrtsyan (Armenia) or Assylzhan Yessengeldi (Kazakhstan)
70 kg – PJ Duke (Slate Hill, N.Y./KD Training Center/Titan Mercury WC), Eliminated
WIN vs Shuang Chen (China) by tech. fall, 11-0
LOSS vs Nurkozha Kaipanov (Kazakhstan), 11-7
86 kg – Zahid Valencia (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC), Gold Medal Match
WIN vs Mukul Dahiya (India) by tech. fall, 10-0
WIN vs Fateh Benferdjallah (Algeria) by tech. fall, 10-0
WIN vs Ivars Samusonok (Latvia) by tech by. fall, 10-0
WIN vs Kamran Ghasempour (Iran) by 7-0
Gold Medal Match vs Hayato Ishiguro (Japan)
125 kg – Wyatt Hendrickson (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/U.S. Air Force WCAP), Eliminated
LOSS vs Abdulla Kurbanov (UWW) by tech. fall, 14-4
61kg (26 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Zavur UGUEV (UWW) df. Jax FORREST (USA), 10-3
SEMIFINAL – Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) df. Kum Hyok KIM (PRK), 3-2
70kg (29 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) df. Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM), 8-0
SEMIFINAL – Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) df. Nurkosha KAIPANOV (KAZ), 5-2
86kg (29 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Zahid VALENCIA (USA) df. Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI), 7-0
SEMIFINAL – Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN) df. Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) by TF, 17-7, 3:50
125kg (27 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) df Robert BARAN (POL), 2-0
SEMIFINAL – Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) df. Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN), 7-3