2023 U23 World Championships Preview & Predictions - Men's Freestyle
2023 U23 World Championships Preview & Predictions - Men's Freestyle
A full preview with predictions for Team USA at the 2023 U23 World Wrestling Championships in men's freestyle.
The 2023 U23 World Championships are set to go down in Tirana, Albania from October 23-29. This men's freestyle portion of this event will take place from October 23-25 and will feature some of the best up-and-coming international wrestlers. Check out the below article for a look at some of the top competitors in the men’s freestyle division and a prediction for how each member of Team USA’s squad will fare at the U23 World Championships.
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Full Schedule | International Rankings | Full Entries | Team USA's Roster | Iran Out Of U23 Worlds
The below article was originally written highlighting many Iranian wrestlers. However, recent reports indicate Iran will not wrestle at the U23 World Championships due to visa issues. The article has been edited removing the Iranian wrestlers from the preview.
57 kg - Cooper Flynn
Top International wrestlers in the field:
- #13 Niklas Stechele (GER)
- #20 Nachyn Mongush (AIN-RUS)
- Bekzat Almaz Uulu (KGZ)
57 kg has 2 wrestlers ranked in the top 20 of our international rankings - Niklas Stechele and Nachyn Mongush. Stechele defeated past world medalist Suleyman Atli and #14 Almaz Smanbekov (KGZ) while only losing to eventual 5th place finisher Meirambek Kartbay (KAZ).
Nachyn Mongush has been on the verge of making a senior world team over the past few years placing 2nd at Russian Nationals in 2021 and 2022 while winning bronze this past year. Beyond the results at Russian Nationals, Mongush won a silver medal at the 2021 European Championships where he lost to Suleyman Atli in the finals.
Kyrgyzstan’s Almaz Uulu is another notable wrestler to watch in the bracket who has been ranked in the past but is currently sitting outside the top 20. Almaz Uulu won a bronze medal at last year’s U23 World Championships and has past-ranked wins on the senior level.
Prediction for Cooper Flynn - 5th Place
Cooper Flynn will be very interesting to watch in this field considering he has very limited results against senior-level competition. However, Flynn has looked promising on the freestyle scene and notably won the Ziolkowski Tournament in Poland over the summer where he defeated NCAA Champion Darian Crus in the finals. I’m not picking Flynn to come away with a gold medal but I wouldn’t surprised if he’s able to wrestle his way to a medal match and contend for bronze.
Watch Nachyn Mongush's semi-final match at the 2021 Russian Nationals:
61 kg - Julian Chlebove
Top International wrestlers in the field:
- #3 Taiyrbek Zhumashbek Uulu (KGZ)
- #11 Bashir Magomedov (AIN-RUS)
- Andrii Dzhelep (UKR)
There are only two ranked wrestlers in the bracket at 61 kg but they’re two of the best wrestlers in all of the men’s freestyle division. Zhumashbek Uulu won a bronze medal at Senior Worlds last month and even boasts a win over Nick Lee while wrestling at 65 kg last November. Zhumashbek Uulu is the favorite to win gold at 61 kg and has a highly entertaining style to watch.
Bashir Magomedov is next in line after Zhumashbek Uulu and most notably won a bronze medal at the 2022 Russian Nationals. There, he lost only to 2021 World Champion Abasgadzhi Magomedov, 4-0. Bashir has a number of ranked wins on his ledger and is certainly capable of challenging Zhumashbek Uulu for gold.
The final international wrestler worth mentioning is Ukraine’s Andrii Dzhelep. Dzhelep was a cadet world champion in 2016 and won silver at the Junior World Championships in 2019. On the senior level, Dzhelep’s best result came at the 2021 European Championships where he won a silver medal. At that tournament, he lost only to Abasgadzhi Magomedov (12-2) but defeated world champ Beka Lomtadze.
Prediction for Julian Chlebove - DNP
Arizona State’s Julian Chlebove will likely need the right draw in the bracket to wrestle for a medal but with the lack of depth at 61 kg, Chlebove’s chances aren’t terrible. Chlebove doesn’t have any senior-level experience but his impressive performance at U23 Nationals where he defeated Cullan Schriever, Ethan Oakley, and Kurt Phipps makes Chlebove an interesting prospect to watch in Albania.
Zhumashbek Uulu's win in the bronze medal match at the 2023 Senior World Championships:
65 kg - Brock Hardy
Top International wrestlers in the field:
- #5 Ibragim Ibragimov (AIN-RUS)
- Kotaro Kiyooka (JPN)
- Ziraddin Bayramov (AZE)
65 kg has a heavy hitter at the top with Ibragimov as the leading contender in the field. Ibragimov has established himself as one of Russia’s best 65 kg wrestlers over the past few years by winning Russian Nationals in 2022 and taking second in 2023. This past year, Ibragimov took out world champion and Olympic bronze medalist Gadzhimurad Rashidov before losing in the finals to 2023 world bronze medalist Shamil Mamedov.
Kiyooka and Bayramov are two wrestlers who have been in and out of the top 20 at 65 kg over the past few years. Kiyooka has been stuck behind world/Olympic champ Otoguro at 65 kg for Japan and most recently won the Kolov this past March where he defeated Islam Dudaev (after Dudaev beat Joey McKenna). Bayramov might be Azerbaijan’s best young prospect and the heir-apparent to taking over 65 kg after Haji Aliyev retires. Bayramov is a 2-time U20 world silver medalist (2021 and 2022) and won a U23 world bronze medal in 2021.
Prediction for Brock Hardy - DNP
Brock Hardy placed 6th at the 2023 NCAA Tournament and won U23 Nationals in June with successive wins over Ryan Jack, Kyle Rowan, Jesse Vasquez, and CJ Composto. Those results show Hardy will be competitive in this field and should give USA wrestling fans optimism for Hardy at U23 Worlds. Despite those great results, Hardy will be an underdog in this field and might need a favorable draw in the bracket to make a run to a medal.
Hear from Brock Hardy after winning U23 Nationals:
70 kg - Doug Zapf
Top International wrestlers in the field:
- #6 Abhimanyou (UWW-IND)
- #10 Orozobek Toktomambetov (KGZ)
- #14 Inalbek Sheriev (AIN-RUS)
- #16 Giorgi Elbakidze (GEO)
With 4 ranked wrestlers in the field, 70 kg at U23 worlds has the most of any weight at U23 Worlds. Abhimanyou and Elbakdize both wrestled at senior worlds but failed to bring home a medal. However, Abhimanyou placed 5th while notably defeating Ihor Nykyforuk (U23 world bronze medalist who beat Joey McKenna and Ernazar Akmataliev this year). Elbakidze won U23 Worlds last year and has numerous wins on the senior level that prove he’ll be a gold medal contender again this year.
Orozobek Toktomambetov will be an interesting prospect to watch and could challenge for the 74 kg Olympic spot for Kyrgyzstan next year. Toktomambetov earned his #10 ranking after winning the Kyrgyzstan Ranking Series tournament in a bracket that included Syrbaz Talgat, Ernazar Akmataliev, and Giorgi Elbakidze. Toktomambetov placed 5th at U23 Worlds in 2022 and we should expect to see him on the senior level for years to come.
Russia’s Inalbek Sheriev is the final wrestler at 70 kg worth highlighting. Sheriev finished second at Russian Nationals in both 2022 and 2023 and was a Cadet World silver medalist back in 2018. Sheriev will be in the hunt to win the gold medal in Albania and should be considered one of Russia’s best prospects to watch out for at U23 Worlds.
Prediction for Doug Zapf - Bronze
Doug Zapf won an incredibly deep bracket at U23 Nationals highlighted by two, 5-4 victories over All-American Ed Scott. Zapf’s style translates well to freestyle - he’s challenging to score on, wrestles intelligently, and has great conditioning. With that in mind, I believe Zapf is going to surprise some of the more established guys in this bracket and bring home a medal.
Toktomambetov's win over Tommy Gantt at the 2022 Fill Farrell:
74 kg - Keegan O’Toole
Top International wrestlers in the field:
- Imam Ganishov (RUS-AIN)
- Dzhbrail Gadzhiev (AZE)
74 kg might be the deepest weight world wide and that means there aren’t any ranked wrestlers in the field at U23 Worlds. However, there are still some dangerous competitors in this bracket that are worth highlighting. Imam Ganishov and Dzhbrail Gadzhiev have proven they’ll be contenders for gold in this bracket. Ganishov placed 5th at Russian Nationals in 2022 and won a bronze medal at the Cadet World Championships in 2022. Gadzhiev is #2 on the senior ladder for Azerbaijan at 74 kg and won a U20 world title in 2022 while finishing second in 2021 (at 70 kg).
Prediction For Keegan O’Toole - Gold
Keegan O’Toole won a U20 World Title at 74 kg in 2021 and more recently placed 3rd at the 2023 US Open. O’Toole notably only lost to Jason Nolf at the US Open and defeated Turan Bayramov (AZE) at U20 Worlds. Bayramov recently placed 5th at senior worlds and is currently ranked #16 in the world at 74 kg. While Firouzpour, Ganishov, and Gadzhiev are good tests for Keegan, I believe O’Toole is the best wrestler in this bracket and will come away with gold from Albania.
Keegan O'Toole's win over Turan Bayramov at the 2021 U20 World Championships:
79 kg - Dustin Plott
Top International wrestlers in the field:
- #10 Vladimeri Gamkrelidze (GEO)
- #20 Magomed Magomaev (AIN-RUS)
- Sagar Jaglan (UWW-IND)
Vladimeri Gamkrelidze is the man to beat at 79 kg. Gamkrelidze recently won a silver medal at the Senior World Championships and is the returning U23 world champion at 79 kg. Last year Gamkrelidze defeated Kazakhstan’s Daulet Yergesh in the finals after Yergesh took out Carter Starocci - that should tell American fans just how dangerous Gamkrelidze is.
Russia’s Magomed Magomaev won U23 Worlds back in 2021 and has put together solid results on the senior level over the past year proving he’s the next clear gold medal contender. Magomaev’s biggest win in his career occurred at 2021 U23 Worlds when he defeated Iran’s Ali Savadkouhi in the semi-finals, 7-0. American fans should remember Savadkouhi as the first, and only, Iranian to defeat Jordan Burroughs.
Sagar Jaglan is the final international competitor worth highlighting at 79 kg. Jaglan recently won a silver medal at the 2023 U20 World Championships and won bronze at the 2022 U20 Worlds. Jaglan was even the senior rep for India in 2022 at 74 kg and wrestled his way to a medal match before placing 5th.
Predictions For Dustin Plott - DNP
Dustin Plott doesn’t have the accolades or results as many of the other guys in this bracket and will be reliant on a good draw for his medal hopes. Beyond that, Plott was down big in both of his matches against Carson Kharchla at U23 Nationals before he was able to mount a comeback to win. While his comeback wins over Kharchla were impressive, that strategy is dangerous against world-level competition and makes me hesitant to predict a medal for Plott.
Dustin Plott's comeback win over Carson Kharchla in the finals of the 2023 U23 Nationals:
86 kg - Aaron Brooks
Top International wrestlers in the field:
- #5 Arslan Bagaev (AIN-RUS)
- Tatsuya Shirai (JPN)
Russia’s Arslan Bagaev is the most notable wrestler in this field and is coming off senior worlds where he failed to place after going 2-1. Despite that disappointing performance, Bagaev lost only to eventual bronze medalist Azamat Dauletbekov. However, at Russian Nationals in June, Bagaev won a bracket that included world/Olympic bronze medalist Artur Naifonov. Bagaev will be looking to get back on track in Albania and will be the biggest threat in the bracket to Aaron Brooks.
While he’s not ranked, Japan’s Tatsuya Shirai is another wrestler to watch out for in the 86 kg bracket. Shirai won U23 Worlds last year highlighted by his 3-3 win in the finals over Trent Hidlay. Outside of that performance last year at U23 Worlds, Shirai most recently won a bronze medal at the Kolov in March.
Prediction for Aaron Brooks - Gold
Aaron Brooks proved he’s one of the best 86 kg wrestlers in the world when he won the US Open by defeating Zahid Valencia and gave David Taylor two of his most competitive matches of the year at Final X. Brooks was a Cadet World Champion in 2017 and Junior World Silver medalist in 2018. Since then, Brooks has only made improvements and is my pick to win gold in Albania.
Hear Aaron Brooks talk about his Olympic aspirations, match with David Taylor, and a lot more:
92 kg - Jacob Cardenas
Top International wrestlers in the field:
- #17 Alan Bagaev (AIN-RUS)
Alan Bagaev would be a medal threat at senior worlds at 92 kg and is the main contender to win gold at U23s. Bagaev was a Cadet World champion in 2017 and followed that up with a Junior World title in 2019. More recently, Bagaev won a bronze medal at 2023 Russian Nationals.
Prediction For Jacob Cardenas - Silver
Cardenas won a silver medal at last year’s U23 World Championships highlighted by a win over senior world bronze medalist Miriani Maisuradze. While Cardenas doesn’t have the same senior-level results as Bagaev, we should expect him to be in that match and is capable of winning gold. Despite that, I believe Bagaev is the slight favorite and a silver medal prediction for Cardenas seems safe.
Jacob Cardenas' win in the semifinals of the 2022 U23 World Championships over Miriani Maisuradze:
97 kg - Isaac Trumble
Top International wrestlers in the field:
- #10 Sergey Kozyrev (AIN-RUS)
Sergey Kozyrev was Russia’s representative in Tokyo at 125 kg and has now presented himself as one of the main contenders to challenge Abdulrashid Sadulaev at 97 kg. Kozyrev won bronze medals at the last 2 Russian National Championships at 97 kg and most recently lost a competitive, 5-2 match to Sadulaev in August.
Prediction For Isaac Trumble - Bronze
Isaac Trumble put together an impressive US Open where he finished runner-up to J’den Cox, losing 12-3 in the finals. Despite the loss, Trumble wrestled well in Vegas and recorded notable victories over Silas Allred (10-0) and TJ Dudley (Pin). 97 kg isn’t incredibly deep at U23 Worlds and I believe Trumble will bring home a medal with a good chance of making the finals.
Isaac Trumble's win over Silas Allred at the 2023 US Open:
125 kg - Wyatt Hendrickson
Top International wrestlers in the field:
- #15 Abdulla Kurbanov (AIN-RUS)
Russia’s Abdulla Kurbanov recently placed 5th at the Senior World Championships where he went 3-2 while losing matches to Geno Petriashvili and Mason Parris. Despite failing to bring home a medal, Kurbanov qualified Russia for the Olympics at 125 kg by winning his true 5th place match. Kurbanov is still undersized at 125kg making him an underdog against Hendrickson. However, Kurbanov should be considered a favorite against every other wrestler in the field.
Prediction For Wyatt Hendrickson - Gold
I believe Wyatt Hendrickson is a top 20 heavyweight in the world and will prove it in Albania. Hendrickson was very competitive in his losses against Mason Parris at the US Open and World Team Trials - Hendrickson built a 7-0 lead at the Open before losing 20-7 and lost 12-11 to Parris at WTT. Beyond that, Hendrickson placed 3rd at the 2023 NCAA Tournament and proved he’s one of the most dynamic and athletic heavyweights in the country. His collegiate performance last year also showed he’s making incredible progress after he failed to place at the 2022 NCAA Tournament. It's also worth noting that the aforementioned Mason Parris dominated Abdulla Kurbanov for world bronze last month, 12-2. Kurbanov couldn't handle Parris' size and athleticism and I believe Hendrickson will present the same problems for Kurbanov and because of that, I’m predicting gold for Hendrickson.
Mason Parris' win over Abdulla Kurbanov in the bronze medal match at the 2023 Senior World Championships:
Full Team USA Predictions:
57 kg: Cooper Flynn - 5th
61 kg: Julian Chlebove - DNP
65 kg: Brock Hardy - DNP
70 kg: Doug Zapf - Bronze
74 kg: Keegan O'Toole - Gold
79 kg: Dustin Plott - DNP
86 kg: Aaron Brooks - Gold
92 kg: Jacob Cardenas - Silver
97 kg: Isaac Trumble - Bronze
125 kg: Wyatt Hendrickson - Gold
Total Team Points - 135
In total, I’ve predicted 6 medals for Team USA’s men’s freestyle squad at U23 Worlds. That will put the United States right in contention for the team title but they might need to outperform my predictions to win gold. For reference, Georgia won the U23 World Team title last year with 141 points while Iran placed second with 134 points.