October 2019 Men's Freestyle Wrestling Rankings
Photo courtesy of Kadir Caliskan\United World Wrestling
57 KG
#1 Zavur Uguev (RUS) impressed on his way to his second world title, culminating his performance with a sublime 13-3 technical fall win over #2 Suleyman Atli (TUR) to avenge a loss from the 2017 Yasar Dogu. Uguev’s route to the finals saw him defeat #3 Makhir Amiraslanov (AZE), #7 Reza Atri (IRI), #8 Bekhbayar Erdenebat (MGL), and breakout star Ravi Kumar (IND). Ravi Kumar, seen as one of India’s brightest stars off of his age group level performances in the form of runner-up finishes at the 2015 junior world championships and the 2018 U-23 world championships. Kumar finally broke through on the senior scale by defeating 61 KG European champ #7(61) Arsen Harutunyan (ARM), #10 Yuki Takahashi (JPN), and #7 Reza Atri (IRI) to win bronze.
#2 Suleyman Atli (TUR) avenged two past losses in the quarterfinals and semis in the form of #13 Stevan Micic (SRB) and #16 Nurislam Sanayev (KAZ) to make the finals. #16 Sanayev would come out on top in a controversial 4-3 match against the European Games runner-up #13 Micic. Uguev’s repechage bracket saw even more turmoil as #3 Makhir Amiraslanov would fall 4-4 to 2x World bronze medalist #8 Bekhbayar Erdenebat 4-4, but Erdenebat would lose repeat his loss from the 2018 world championships to #7 Reza Atri (IRI). Early round key matchups included #3 Makhir Amiraslanov (AZE) winning a 5-4 match over 61 KG Takhti Cup champ #15 Ulukbek Zholdoshbekov (KGZ) in the qualification round, #7 Reza Atri winning a rematch of the Asian championships finals match against #9 Kumsong Kang (PRK), #10 Yuki Takahashi (JPN) beating #17 Daton Fix (USA) in the round fo 16, and #9 Kumsong Kang (PRK) over 2017 world bronze medalist Andrey Yatsenko (UKR) 12-6. #3 Makhir Amiraslanov (AZE) won a wild 5-4 match against 61 KG U-23 world champ 5-4 and #7 Reza Atri (IRI) had impressive wins over the likes of #8 Bekhbayar Erdenebat (MGL), #9 Kumsong Kang (PRK), and #14 Vladislav Andreev (BLR).
#1 Zavur Uguev and #2 Suleyman Atli keep their top two spots. Unranked Ravi Kumar of India takes the #3 spot for beating #7(61) Arsen Harutunyan (ARM), #7 Reza Atri (IRI), and #10 Yuki Takahashi (JPN). #16 Nurislam Sanayev (KAZ) moves up four spots in the rankings to number twelve after beating European Games runner-up #13 Stevan Micic (SRB) for bronze. #7 Reza Atri (IRI) moves up four spots to #3 after beating #4 Bekhbayar Erdenebat (MGL) who beat former #3 Makhir Amiraslanov (AZE). #10 Yuki Takahashi (JPN) drops six spots in the rankings to #16 after his loss to #3 Ravi Kumar (IND) and this is due to the up and down year Takahashi has had with losses to #10 Kumsong Kang (PRK), #18 Reineri Andreu Ortega (CUB) and his ranked wins this year coming in the form of his win over #17 Daton Fix (USA) at world’s and European and Russian national’s runner-up #9 Muslim Sadulaev (RUS) in March at the world cup. #14 Vladislav Andreev (BLR) drops out of the rankings due to the fact outside of his Medved title over Jahongirmirza Turobov (UZB) where he also beat #3 Ravi Kumar (IND) he’s failed to put up good results this year, and his Medved win over Kumar doesn’t transfer over as much as Kumar was not the caliber of win he is now.
61 KG
2016 world runner-up #8 Beka Lomtadze (GEO) finally won his first world title three years later with a strong 6-1 win over #1 Magomedrasul Idrisov (RUS). For his efforts, Lomtadze climbs up seven spots in the rankings to take the top spot while Idrisov falls one spot to #2. Another participant of the 2016 world championships, #11 Behnam Ehsanpour (IRI) was able to recover from a tight 2-2 loss to eventual runner-up #1 Magomedrasul Idrisov (RUS) with a strong win over streaking Uzbek talent #14 Abbos Rakhomonov (UZB). Ehsanpoor’s medal run saw him win controversial matches over 2016 world bronze medalist #9 Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov (AZE) and 2x European championships bronze medalist #13 Recep Topal (TUR) along with his aforementioned win over #14 Rakhomonov put Ehsanpoor up six spots in the rankings. #7 Arsen Harutunyun (ARM) went down to 57 KG for world’s where he was teched 17-6 by #3(57) Ravi Kumar (IND) but returned back up in weight for the Deutsche Ringerliga (DRL) where he was pinned in a crazy 22-16 match against 2018 world champ #10 Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (CUB). Harutunyan falls four spots in the rankings to #11 off his losses to Kumar and Rodriguez. #9 Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov (AZE) notched his third win over 2018 world champ #10 Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (CUB) 7-0 in the round of 16 to go along with his wins at the 2016 Baku Golden Grand Prix and the 2018 World Cup and also crushed Ed Gallo’s in the process of doing so.
#19 Rahul Aware (IND) medaled on a weaker side of the bracket beating Tyler Graff (USA) for bronze but did have a good win over Rasul Kaliev in the quarters before losing a 10-6 match to eventual champ #1 Beka Lomtadze (GEO), Aware moves up one spot in the rankings to #18. Part of the duo of breakout young uzbek athletes, Abbos Rakhmonov (UZB) impressed many with his run to the bronze medal match, dispatching of Yarygin runner-up #14 Nikolai Okhlopkov (ROU) and #17 Andrei Bekrenev (BLR) while only losing to #2 Magomedrasul Idrisov and #5 Behnam Ehsanpour (IRI), so Rakhmonov debuts in the rankings at #14. Andrei Bekrenev returns to the rankings at #17 for beating returning world bronze medalist #16 Tuvshintulga Tumenbileg (MGL) in repechage.
65 KG
On his third trip to the finals, #5 Gadzhimurad Rashidov (RUS) finally came away with gold, dismantling Daulet Niyazbekov (KAZ) 10-0. Rashidov’s path to the finals was incredible as he dispatched of 3x world champ #4 Haji Aliyev (AZE), 2018 world champ #3 Takuto Otoguro (JPN), Ismail Musukaev (HUN), and surprise quarterfinalist Haji Ali (BRN). In the repechage, #3 Otoguro would top #4 Aliyev 11-9 in a shoot out match to then go on to beat Haji Ali (BRN) to make the bronze medal match opposite Ismail Musukaev (HUN) who he lost 5-3. Out of all the chaos that was Rashidov’s side of the bracket, we see Rashidov take the top spot, Ismail Musukaev (HUN) earn the #2 spot for his wins over #3 Takuto Otoguro (JPN) and #9 Vladimir Khinchegashvili, Haji Aliyev (AZE) stay put at #4, and Haji Ali (BRN) debut in the rankings at #17 for upsetting #2 Alejandro Valdes Tobier (CUB) 11-6 in the round of 16.
On the opposite side of the bracket, controversy arose when #2 Bajrang Punia (IND) was defeated in a highly contentious, poorly officiated semifinal match to Daulet Niyazbekov (KAZ) 9-9. For making the world finals and beating Bajrang, Niyazbekov is in the rankings at #14 while Bajrang drops three spots in the rankings for his loss to Niyazbekov but did recover from his semifinal loss to win bronze in an 8-7 match against Tulga Tumur Ochir (MGL). While Alejandro Valdes Tobier (CUB) did come into the world championships ranked second in the world, he would not fail to live up to his ranking as he was eliminated in the round of 16 11-6 by Haji Ali (BRN) after eliminating Amirmohammad Yazdanicharati (IRI) and #15 Zain Retherford (USA). From the fallout of the world championships, Valdes Tobier falls five spots in the rankings to number seven.
70 KG
#1 David Baev (RUS) dominated his way into the world finals where he obliterated #13 Nurkhoza Kaipanov (KAZ) 14-2 to win gold. Baev’s route to the finals saw him beat #4 Zurab Iakobishvili (GEO), #7 Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (POL), #19 Ikhtiyov Navruzov (UZB), and 2017 74 KG U-23 European bronze medalist Andrei Karpach (BLR). #2 Razambek Zhamalov (RUS) made the move up to 74 KG to win the U-23 world team spot for Russia at the Gusov where he beat #8 Timur Bizhoev (RUS) and #14 Nikita Suchkov (RUS), Zhamalov is currently ranked sixth at 74.
The bottom side of the 70 KG bracket was very weak with the only good match being in the semis being in the semis where #13 Nurkhoza Kaipanov (KAZ) won a controversial 7-6 match over eventual world bronze medalist #14 Younes Emami (IRI). The top half saw #7 Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (POL) defeat four past World/Olympic medalists in the form of #4 Zurab Iakobishvili (GEO), #20 James Green (USA), Mandakhnaran Ganzorig (MGL), and Adam Batirov (BRN) to move up four spots in the rankings to #3. Returning world runner-up Adam Batirov (BRN) takes the #4 spot in the rankings after beating #6 Agaguseynov Mustafaev (AZE) in the round of 16 before losing in the quarters to #7 Magomed murad Gadzhiev (POL). European championships runner-up #6 Agaguseynov Mustafaev (AZE) had a wild 10-6 win over #12 Heydar Yavuz (TUR) in the qualification round before losing 5-2 in the round of 16 to #4 Adam Batirov (BRN).
74 KG
#1 Zaurbek Sidakov (RUS) beat #2 Jordan Burroughs (USA) and #3 Frank Chamizo (ITA) again in the semis and the finals to win his second world title. Burroughs teched Mao Okui (JPN) for bronze. The top three stay the same, as while Chamizo may have had a higher placement than Burroughs, Burroughs overall body of work plus wins over Chamizo last year and this year at the Dan Kolov allow him to keep the #2 spot. #20 Zelimkhan Khadjiev (FRA) notched his second win this year over returning world runner-up #9 Avtandil Kentchadze (GEO) with a pin in the round of 32 on his way to making the semis where he would lose in a rematch of the European championships finals 4-1 to #3 Frank Chamizo (ITA). Khadjiev would rebound with a 4-3 win over Daniyar Kaisanov (KAZ) to win his first world bronze medal after making it to the bronze medal match at the 2015 world championships where he was pinned leading 12-8 over Narsingh Yadav (IND).
#2 Jordan Burroughs (USA) ran through an absolute gauntlet of Russians to make the semis against #1 Zaurbek Sidakov (RUS), surviving an 11-10 match against Yarygin bronze medalist #18 Azamat Nurikov (BLR), winning a controlling 6-4 match against Murad Kuramagomedov (HUN) and then dominating junior world bronze medalist Khadzhimurad Gadzhiev (AZE) 8-1 in the quarters before losing on a last second pushout to #1 Sidakov.
From going to finishing bronze at the junior world championships to making the quarterfinals of senior world’s, the performance that Khadzhimurad Gadzhiev (AZE) put on was truly impressive. Gadzhiev beat three consecutive past/present World/Olympic medalists in the form of 2012 66 KG Olympic silver Sushil Kumar (IND), 2017 world bronze Soner Demirtas (TUR), and 2018 world bronze medalist #6 Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (UZB), before falling 8-1 to #2 Jordan Burroughs (USA) in the quarterfinals. For his performance, Gadzhiev returns to the rankings at #7. #6 Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (UZB) falls six spots in the rankings to #12 and that is due to the fact that while he’s good wins this year over the likes of #17 Yakup Gor (TUR), #20 Mostafa Hosseinkhani (IRI) and 2x World/Olympic medalist Soner Demirtas (TUR) he hasn’t notched a win over the new top tier of 74’s to reassert himself to the top and he’s behind #10 Avtandil Kentchadze (GEO) who beat him at world’s last year and #5 Khetik Tsabolov (RUS) who beat him at the Indian Pro League in 2018, and also behind #7 Khadzhimurad Gadzhiev who beat him at world’s and #8 Timur Bizhoev who beat Kentchadze at the Alans finals in December, and #11 Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov who beat Tsabolov in July in the Stepan Sargsyan tournament finals.
#2 (70) Razambek Zhamalov (RUS) made the move up in weight to compete at the Gusov to earn the U-23 world team spot for Russia in an absolutely stacked weight and he impressed. Zhamalov teched two time Russian Nationals bronze medalist, U-23 European champ #14 Nikita Suchkov (RUS) in the semis, then took out 2x Russian nationals bronze medalist #8 Timur Bizhoev (RUS) 4-2 in the finals. Bizhoev, to his credit beat 2018 Ali Aliyev champ #15 Akhmed Usmanov (RUS) and 2017 70 KG Russian national runner-up Magomed Dibirgadzhiev (RUS) to make the finals. Zhamalov, one of Russia’s top talents takes the #6 spot in the rankings and with news that reigning 70 KG world champ is looking to move up as well, 74 KG will have an insane amount of depth and be a must watch weight.
79 KG
#1 Kyle Dake (USA) won his second world title in a rematch of last year’s finals against #5 Jabrayil Hasanov (AZE), which he took this time with a 4-2 score. Dake’s path to the finals saw him notch wins over #6 Gadzhi Nabiev (RUS), Oibek Nasirov (KGZ), and #8 Rashid Kurbanov (UZB). #5 Jabrayil Hasanov (AZE) made his second world finals and earned his fifth World/Olympic medal with a runner-up finish to #1 Kyle Dake (USA). Following World’s, Hasanov debuted up at 87 KG for the Deutsche Ringerliga (DRL) where he beat 2018 Russian Nationals bronze medalist #10 (86 KG) Zelimkhan Minkailov (RUS) which nabbed him the #7 spot at the weight. To make the finals, Hasanov beat #14 Taimuraz Salkazanov (SVK) and #17 Galymzhan Usserbaev (KAZ) to make the finals.
On the bottom half of the rankings, there was a lot of turn over with the biggest one being #11 (74) Taimuraz Salkazanov (SVK) bumping up in weight and winning a world bronze medal with a 4-3 win over Galymzhan Usserbaev (KAZ). #8 Rashid Kurbanov (UZB) knocked down #12 Behman Teymouri (IRI) three spots in the rankings after a big 13-10 comeback win in the quarters. Galymzhan Usserbaev (KAZ) debuts in the 79 KG rankings at #17 after beating Dan Kolov runner-up #18 Omarashkab Nazhmudinov (ROU), who beat 39 year old 2003 74 KG world silver medalist Murad Gaidarov (BLR) in the round of 16. 2018 U-23 world champ Nika Kentchadze (GEO) is out of the rankings after being pinned in the round of 16 by Grigor Grigoryan (ARM) who was eliminated in an 8-8 match with #8 Rashid Kurbanov (UZB).
86 KG
#1 Hassan Yazdani Charati (IRI) staked his claim to being the greatest once again with his third World/Olympic title with a forfeit win over #17 Deepak Punia (IND) in the finals. Yazdani Charati’s path to the finals saw him defeat #2 Artur Naifonov (RUS), 2013 world bronze medalist Istvan Vereb (HUN), 2012 Olympic runner-up Jaime Espinal (PUR), and European Games #6 Myles Amine (SMR). On Yazdani Charati’s side of the bracket, #2 Artur Naifonov (RUS) would prevail over #6 Myles Amine (SMR) 6-0 to win bronze.
#16 Myles Amine’s run to the semis and world bronze medal match were absolutely incredible. The 3x All-American for Michigan upset #7 Ali Shabanov (BLR), a 4x world bronze medalist, #8 Sosuke Takatani (JPN), a 2014 74 KG world runner-up, Pan-Am Games champ Yurieski Torreblanca (CUB), and fellow European Games bronze medalist #18 Akhmed Dudarov (GER) to make the semis opposite #1 Hassan Yazdani Charati (IRI), who would tech Amine 11-0. Amine would then go on to lose to #2 Artur Naifonov (RUS) 6-0 for bronze but through his incredible run at world’s, Amine earns himself the #7 spot in the rankings and has qualified the San Marino Islands for the Olympics at 86 KG. 79 KG world runner-up Jabrayil Hasanov (AZE) moved up earlier this month to compete for the Deutsche Ringerliga (DRL) at 87 KG where he defeated #10 Zelimkhan Minkailov (RUS) and for this Hasanov debuts at #6 ahead of Amine due to his past body of work in the form of 5 World/Olympic medals. Pat Downey (USA) debuts in the rankings at #13 after beating #6 Zbigniew Baranowski (POL) 8-2 in the round of 32. #18 Akhmed Dudarov (GER) then teched Downey 13-0 in the round of 16 which causes Dudarov to move up six spots to number twelve while Baranowski falls eight spots in the rankings to #14 for his loss to Downey. #12 Alexander Gostiev (AZE) dropped three spots in the rankings to #15 after a 4-1 loss to Medved runner-up Javrail Shapiev (UZB). #12 Akhmed Dudarov (GER) along with his impressive win over Pat Downey, avenged a loss from last year’s world championships to 2017 world runner-up Boris Makoev (SVK) with a 4-4 win in the round of 32.
The bottom half of 86 KG was somewhat confusing and hard to make sense of, so it’s best to clarify something right out the gate: Pat Downey losing to Deepak Punia in July isn’t the same quality of a win for Punia as beating Downey now after world’s. That’s why Downey is ranked higher then him off of the strength of beating someone who’s had objectively better year then him in the form of former sixth ranked Zbigniew Baranowski (POL). But back to the bottom side of the bracket. Punia beat Stefan Reichmuth of Switzerland 8-2 in the semis when Reichmuth had beaten returning world bronze medalist Taimuraz Friev Naskideava of Spain 2-1 in the quarters who had upset returning world silver medalist #11 Fatih Erdin (TUR) 9-9 in the round of 16. Out of this side of the bracket, the following happens; Punia debuts in the rankings at #17, followed by Reichmuth at #18, Friev at #19, and Fatih Erdin falls nine spots in the rankings to #20.
92 KG
#1 J’den Cox (USA) won his second world title and his fourth World/Olympic medal with a 4-0 win over #2 Alireza Karimimachiani (IRI). #3 Sharif Sharifov (AZE) moved up to 97 KG as a replacement for an injured #4(97) Nurmagomed Gadzhiev (AZE) and finished as a runner-up to #1 Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS). #2 Alireza Karimimachiani (IRI) teched #3 Alikhan Zhabrailov (RUS) 10-0 in the semis to avenge a controversial dive loss from the 2017 U-23 world championships that was due to the fact Karimi would have had to wrestle an Israeli if he had defeated Zhabrailov. Zhabrailov rebounded with a 3-2 win over Georgi Rubaev (MDA) to win bronze. #12 Irakli Mtsituri (GEO) rebounded from a disappointing pin loss in August to #11 Shamil Zubairov (AZE) in the finals of the Tbilisi GP to take bronze at world’s with a 2-1 win over Nurgali Nurgaipuly (KAZ). Suleyman Karadeniz (TUR) enters the rankings at #20 after beating #11 Shamil Zubairov (AZE) 7-6 in the round of 16 before losing to #3 Alikhan Zhabrailov (RUS) 4-3 in the quarterfinals.
97 KG
After a last second move up in weight due to a knee injury from his teammate #4 Nurmagomed Gadzhiev (AZE), #3(92) Sharif Sharifov (AZE) was seen as a major contender in the 97 KG field but questions arose on whether he’d be able to have the same amount of success moving up on such short notice. Sharifov answered these questions with a resounding yes, as he upset returning world runner-up #2 Kyle Snyder (USA) in the semifinals 5-2 to go along with wins over #6 Elizbar Odikadze (GEO), #5 Valerii Andriitsev (UKR) and #19 Minwon Seo (KOR). Sharifov would be denied in the finals, losing his third match to 5x World/Olympic champ #1 Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS) 4-0. #2 Kyle Snyder (USA) path to the semifinals against Sharifov saw him dominate Olympic bronze medalist #10 Magomed Ibragimov (UZB) 13-3 in the quarterfinals, and after his loss to Sharifov Snyder was able to rebound for bronze by beating #9 Elizbar Odikadze (GEO) for bronze. Sadulaev’s path to the final saw him dominate lesser opponents with his best win coming in the quarters over eventual bronze medalist #17 Magomedgadzhi Nurov (MKD).
Other big matches was an 8-7 win for #5 Valerii Andriitsev (UKR) over #8 Aleksandr Hushtyn (BLR) that saw the talented Belarusian score early and often with fantastic reattacks but gas himself out and allow for Andriitsev to retake the match late. #10 Magomed Ibragimov (UZB) won the battle of 2016 Olympic bronze medalists against #18 Albert Saritov (ROU) 6-5 in the round of 16. #9 Elizbar Odikadze (GEO) took out red hot prospect #7 Ali Khalil Shahbanibengar (IRI) in the round of 16 and beat #19 Minwon Seo (KOR) in the repecahge bracket. Minwon Seo (KOR) enters the rankings at #19 for his win in the repechage bracket over #5 Valerii Andriitsev (UKR).
Sharif Sharifov takes the #2 spot for his win over Snyder and world runner-up finish. Snyder falls to #3 in the rankings while #9 Elizbar Odikadze (GEO) moves up three spots in the rankings for his wins over Shahbanibengar and Seo. Valerii Andriitsev (UKR) falls four spots in the rankings to #9 for his loss to Minwon Seo (KOR) in the repechage bracket who for his win over Andriitsev debuts at #19. European championships runner-up #8 Aleksandr Hushtyn (BLR) falls two spots to #10 for his loss to Andriitsev in the qualification round.
125 KG
#2 Geno Petriashvili (GEO) won his third straight world title with a clutch win over #1 Taha Akgul (TUR) to prove without a doubt who the best heavyweight of the land is. Petriashvili takes the #1 spot for getting his third straight world title while Akgul drops one spot to #2. #9 Oleksandr Khotsianivski (UKR) moves up three spots in the rankings to #6 after earning bronze with wins over #10 Yadollah Mohebbi (IRI) and #8 Alan Khugaev (RUS).
Khasanboy Rakhimov (UZB), bronze last year at the junior world championships, showed out on his way to winning bronze pinning #18 Daniel Ligeti (HUN) and beating returning world runner-up #15 Zhiwei Deng (CHN) 6-1. #10 Yadollah Mohebbi (IRI) avenged a loss from the 2017 world championships with a 5-2 win in the round of 16 over #7 Nick Gwiazdowski (USA) to move up one spot to #8 in the rankings to go along with his win over #9 Zhiwei Deng (CHN) earlier in the year at the Asian championships. Gwiazdowski and Khugaev dropped to #11 and #13 due to their losses to Mohebbi and Khotsianivski while Rakhimov debuted at #7 for his win over Deng who defeated #6 Jamaladdin Magomedov (AZE) in the quarterfinals. Finishing 5th, returning world runner-up Zhiwei Deng (CHN) moves up six spots in the rankings to #9.
P4P
5x World/Olympic champ Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS) and 2x 74 KG world champ Zaurbek Sidakov (RUS) hold down the number one and two spots respectively. #3 Kyle Snyder (USA) falls four spots in the rankings to #7 after losing to #17 Sharif Sharifov (AZE) in the 97 KG world semis. #7 J’den Cox (USA) moves up four spots take Snyder’s former spot after winning his second consecutive world title. Geno Petriashvili (GEO) beat #5 Taha Akgul (TUR) to win his third straight heavyweight world title to move up two spots to #4 in the rankings. Kyle Dake (USA) rounds out the top 5 at #5 by winning his second consecutive 79 KG world title with a 4-2 win over Jabrayil Hasanov (AZE). #8 Hassan Yazdani Charati (IRI) moved up two spots to #6 after winning his third World/Olympic title at 86 KG and #18 Gadzhimurad Rashidov (RUS) moved up eight spots to #10 after his spectacular 65 KG world title run that saw him beat #19 Ismail Musukaev (HUN), #12 Takuto Otoguro (JPN), and #13 Haji Aliyev (AZE).
Sharif Sharifov (AZE) moves up five spots in the rankings to #12 after his 97 KG semifinal win over seventh ranked Kyle Snyder (USA). 70 KG world champ David Baev (RUS) moves up eleven spots in the rankings to #13 due to his dominant run this year to his world title coupled with multiple wins over #15 Magomed Kurbanaliev (RUS). Now a two time world champ, #25 Zavur Uguev (RUS) moved up eleven spots in the rankings to #14 after his tremendous world championship run that culminated in him tech falling returning world bronze medalist #2 Suleyman Atli (TUR) 13-3 in the finals. Ismail Musukaev (HUN) debuts in the rankings at #19 off the strength of his wins over 2x World/Olympic champ Vladimir Khinchegashvili (GEO) and returning world champ #12 Takuto Otoguro (JPN), who’s #20 behind Musukaev. Otoguro, one of the top stories from Budapest scored an impressive 11-9 win over 3x world champ #13 Haji Aliev (AZE) to make the bronze medal match opposite Musukaev, who he lost 5-3 to. The reason why Otoguro and Aliev dropped so low in the P4P even considering how good they is because of the performances of new world champs like Rashidov, Baev, and Uguev and past/present world medalists and champs with insane resumes like Kurbanaliev, Karimimachiani, Tsabolov, and Gazimagomedov who outside of domestic or international losses to other world medalists/champs have been pillars of consistency.
#17 Bajrang Punia (IND) dropped five spots in the rankings to #22 after his 9-9 semifinal loss at 65 KG to Daulet Niyazbekov (KAZ). #22 Alejandro Valdes Tobier (CUB) is out of the rankings due to his 11-6 loss to Haji Ali (BRN) at 65 KG.