Iran beats traditional rival Russia in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling friendly

Iranian wrestlers defeated their Russian counterparts in both freestyle and Greco-Roman divisions in a friendly competition held in Moscow on Friday and Saturday.

According to the public relations wing of Iran’s Wrestling Federation, the national freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling teams overcome stiff competition to emerge winners.

The competition in both divisions ended with 5-5 scorelines in different weight categories but the Iranian teams were declared winners owing to better performance in heavyweight categories.

The winners were awarded a $10,000 cash prize and the losers walked away with $5,000.

Russian wrestlers have long been considered Iran's main rivals in international wrestling competitions; however, the ban on Russian wrestlers amid the war in Ukraine has prevented them from representing their country in international wrestling tournaments in recent years.

The resounding victory of both freestyle and Greco-Roman teams, despite the absence of star wrestlers like Hassan Yazdani, Mohammad Hadi Saravi, Amirali Azarpira, and Mohammad Nokhodi, highlights Iran’s wrestling potential and its remarkable progress in recent years.

It also demonstrates the promising future of the younger generation of Iranian wrestlers.

Amir Mohammad Yazdani was pitted against world and Olympic champion Zaurbek Sidakov while Rahman Amouzad faced Shamil Mamedov, one of his main rivals in global competitions.

Kamran Ghasempour’s takedown against his formidable opponent Ibragim Kadiev under intense pressure demonstrated his remarkable skill and adaptability.

In Greco-Roman wrestling, Pouya Dadmarz's encounter against Emin Sefershaev demonstrated the need for a new strategy to defeat strong opponents in global competitions.

Heavyweights Amin Mirzazadeh and Amirhossein Zareh excelled under intense psychological pressure, with Mirzazadeh’s spectacular throw against world champion and Olympic bronze medalist Sergey Semenov, and Zareh’s dominant victory against Shamil Musaev./

This week’s friendly matches between Iran and Russia mark a new chapter in their traditional- sports rivalry, according to Iran’s wrestling federation

“There was a risk that Iran’s teams might lose and face criticism from fans and experts. Additionally, after Iran's outstanding performance at the Paris Olympics, where they won eight gold, silver, and bronze medals, competing against Russian wrestlers—who had missed the Olympics—could overshadow these achievements,” the statement noted.

“One should not fear defeat. To achieve success, you must face powerful opponents. Losing in preparatory matches can pave the way for success in major events like the Olympics and world championships,” federation chief Alireza Dabir was quoted as saying in the statement.

“Competing against Russian wrestlers provided valuable lessons for Iran's wrestlers and coaching staff.”

Final results in freestyle division:

57kg: Magomedrasul Idrisov df. Ali Momeni, 3-0
61kg: Zaur Uguev df. Reza Momeni, 5-1
65kg: Shamil Mamedov df. Rahman Amouzad, 10-7
70kg: Kurban Shiraev df. Sina Khalili, 5-2
74kg: Zaurbek Sidakov df. Amirmohammad Yazdani, 12-1
79kg: Mehdi Yousefi df. Magomed Magomaev, 7-5
86kg: Kamran Ghasempour df. Ibragim Kadiev, 8-5
92kg: Amirhossein Firouzpour df. Magomed Kurbanov, 5-4
97kg: Mojtaba Golei df. Samdan Bady-Maadyr, 11-1
125kg: Amirhossein Zare df. Shamil Musaev, 12-2

Final results in Greco-Roman division:

55kg: Emin Sefershaev df. Puya Dadmarz, 2-1
60kg: Dinislam Bammatov df. Ali Ahmadi Vafa, 7-1
63kg: Iman Mohammadi df. Anvar Allakhiarov, 4-0
67kg: Saeid Esmaeili df. Ruslan Bichurin, 9-1
72kg: Mohammadreza Geraei df. Narek Oganian, 1-1
77kg: Sergey Kutuzov df. Ali Osou, 6-2
82kg: Mohammadali Geraei df. Islam Aliev, 7-6
87kg: Milad Alirzaev df. Alireza Mehmadi, 5-2
97kg: Artur Sargsian df. Mehdi Bali, 7-1
130kg: Amin Mirzazadeh df. Sergey Semenov, 2-2

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