Iran brought its A-team… again.

Team Iran captured its 7th overall Freestyle World Cup, and 5th straight, over the June 11th-12th weekend in Los Angeles, California. The World Cup format dictates that teams are first divided into two “pools.” The countries/ teams that comprise of a pool first wrestle each other, then the first-place teams of the two separate pools wrestle for Gold in the finals, the second-place teams of each pool for Bronze in the 3rd-place dual meet.

Fielding a team with multiple world medals and Olympians, the Iranian team beat Azerbaijan in the first-round of pool competition 5 matches to 3 (note that the full eight UWW weights for Men’s Freestyle were competed). Of note from this dual meet includes 2014 Junior World Champion, 2015 Senior World Silver (at 70KG) Hassan Yazdani of Iran beating 2011 World Bronze Ashraf Aliyev 9-5 at 74KG.

Next, Iran would blank Team India 8 matches to 0. This would set up the highly-anticipated dual between (at that point) undefeated teams in Iran and the United States, in the final round of pool competition. In the 2015 MFS World Cup finals, Iran triumphed over the US 5 matches to 3 to take gold and stop the US from winning its first MFS World Cup since 2003. This year, Team USA would split with Iran 4 matches to 4, but lose on tie-breaking “classification points” 17-15 (the dual meet was tied 14-14 on classification points heading into the heavyweight match).

In the finals, Iran captured the team title over Russia, 5 matches to 3, as Yazdani toppled 2014 World Champion (at 70KG) Khetag Tsabolov via 14-4 Tech Fall. Also winning for the Iranian team was 4x World Medalist (2013 Gold, 2015 Silver), 2012 Olympian Hassan Rahimi at 57KG. Rahimi needed criteria in beating 2015 Junior World Bronze, 2016 European Champion Gadzhimurad Rashidov of Russia 3-3.

Team USA

(James Green, blue, flexes after winning 10-0 over David Tlashadze of Georgia)

Shortly prior to the World Cup, Team USA’s plans of fielding the Olympic team (in other words, the USA varsity line-up) was foiled as team-leaders Tervel Dlagnev (2x World Bronze, 3x World/Olympic 5th, 2012 & 2016 Olympian), 125KG, and Jordan Burroughs (4x, defending World/Olympic Champion and 2014 World Bronze), 74KG, did not wrestle. Burroughs welcomed a baby girl over the weekend, prioritizing his family over wrestling at the event.

Nonetheless, the US did not fret, as 3x NCAA Champion and 2016 Hodge Trophy winner Alex Dieringer answered the call to represent the US at 74KG. Jake Varner (2012 Olympic Champion and 2016 Olympic Alternate at 97kg) bumped up to 125KG to represent the USA, alongside 2015 World Teamer Zach Rey, who wrestled 125KG in the 3rd-place match for the USA.

The United States has been chasing a World Cup title since 2003 (the last year of a 5-title string for the US). From 2012-14, the US took home bronze, while last year, the US was able to beat Russia 4 matches to 4 before settling for silver after losing to Iran. This year, the US would have to beat Iran outright in pool competition if it hoped to take home the championship.

The tempo was set on day 1, as the US finished a perfect 2-0 alongside Russia and Iran. In the first round, Team USA beat Team India 7-1, with the only loss coming in the form of a controversial 5-4 win for rather unheralded Parveen Rana over the American Alex Dieringer. In the second round, the Americans met Team Azerbaijan and proceeded to outscore them 57-8 in individual match-points as well as win 8 matches to 0.

First thing day 2, USA met Iran in the final round of pool competition. As mentioned earlier, the US contingent gave the Iranian team all they wanted, splitting the 8 matches. It would not be enough to overcome the defending World Cup champions, however.

The loss put the US in the 3rd-place dual meet against a worthy Georgian team, which had lost a close 4-4 dual meet to Russia (who would finish 2nd) before beating Turkey 7-1 and Mongolia 4-4. Georgia was led by 2015 World Champion Vladimir Khinchegashvili at 57KG, 2011 World Bronze and 2012 Olympic Bronze Dato Marsagishvili at 86KG, 2x World 5th Elizbar Odikadze at 97KG, and 2x World Bronze Geno Petriasvili at 125KG. Again, Georgia would find itself in a 4-4 shoot-out, as the US was edged 16-17 on classification points when it was all settled. Georgia took home the bronze.

Final Team Standing for 2016 Freestyle World Cup

1. Iran
2. Russia
3. Georgia
4. United States of America
5. Azerbaijan
6. Mongolia
7. India
8. Turkey

Individual Performances for Team USA

Despite the disappointing team finish, Team USA looked good heading into the Rio Games. At the non-Olympic weights of 61KG and 70KG, Tony Ramos (2x World teamer at 57KG) and 2015 World Bronze James Green, respectively, represented the US. Ramos went 2-2 on the day, topping 2015 World 5th (at 61KG) Bajrang of India 3-3 on criteria and 2013 Junior World Champion (at 60KG) Ahkmednabi Gvarzatilov of Azerbaijan 10-4. The bump in weight-class would prove to high, however, when Ramos went against 2x World Bronze Masoud Esmaeilpour Jouybari of Iran. Esmaeilpour (who has wrestled at 65KG in the past) was, quite frankly, able to out-muscle Ramos en route to an 8-2 victory. In the 3rd-place dual, Ramos dropped an intense 5-8 match to Beka Lomtadze of Georgia. Trailing 1-4 late, Ramos got to a huge 4pt throw that gave him a 5-4 lead.

After a challenge, though, the exchange would be rescored 4 Blue, 2 Red, giving Lomtadze a 6-5 lead over Ramos. With short-time, Ramos went for broke and Lomtadze was awarded a final takedown to win 8-5.

(James Green, red, squares off against Kumar Vinod of India)

At 70KG, James Green brought the crowd to its feet throughout the event, scoring two 10-0 Tech Falls over India and Azerbaijan before beating 2016 Asian Champion (at 74KG) Moustafa Hosseinkhani of Iran 5-2. In his final match, Green ran through David Tlashadze (2016 European Silver at 70KG) of Georgia for his third 10-0 tech fall and a perfect 4-0 record at the World Cup.

(Alex Dieringer, blue, looks for an angle on Hassan Yazdani of Iran)

Alex Dieringer wrestled tough filling in for Team USA’s 74KG Olympian, Jordan Burroughs, going 2-2 on the weekend. After dropping a suspect 4-5 match to Rana of India, Dieringer got in the win column by blanking the aforementioned World Bronze Ashraf Aliyev 8-0. Against Iran, the phenom Yazdani was too much for Dieringer, who fell 0-10 TF. In his final match of the weekend, however, Dieringer gave 2016 Olympian Yakob Makarashvili all he wanted as Ringer trucked the Georgian 10-1.

2012 Olympic Champion (at 97KG) and 2016 Olympic Alternate Jake Varner bumped up and wrestled three matches at 125KG, giving up a size advantage against his opponents (Varner is a behemoth himself, however, so “advantage” may be an overstatement). After taking a forfeit against India, Varner blanked 2015 Junior World Champion (120KG) Said Gamidov of Azerbaijan 10-0 TF. Against Iran, Varner wrestled with the dual meet hanging in the balance against Parviz Hadi, a multiple time Asian Champion. Hadi would prevail 3-1, but did not necessarily do much the entire match except split open Varner’s scalp and interlock fingers.

Zach Rey wrestled in the final match for the US at 125KG, again with the dual meet coming down to heavyweight, this time against Georgia. Meeting Rey would be the aforementioned 2x World Bronze Petriashvili, who topped Rey 6-2 to seal the dual meet for Georgia.

At 57KG, 65KG, 86KG, and 97KG, the Olympians for Team USA were tested in the run up to the Rio Games.

(Daniel Dennis, blue, looks to secure a single-leg takedown over Hassan Rahimi of Iran)

“The Wild Man” Daniel Dennis (57KG), fresh off making his first ever World team, started with a forfeit win over India and a 10-0 tech fall over Makhmud Magomedov of Azerbaijan. His next two matches, however, would be a helluva test. Dennis would face both finalists from the 2015 World Championships at 57KG, starting first with returning World Silver Hassan Rahimi of Iran. After scoring the initial takedown on a beautiful single-leg finish, Dennis would be overwhelmed by Rahimi’s non-stop offense, losing 2-7. In his final match of the event, Dennis faced 2015 World Champion Vladimir Khinchegashvili of Georgia. Dennis again scored first, getting to his takedown and immediately turning the World Champ with two gut-wrenches to lead 6-0. Khinchegashvili, however, got into gear as he scored 8 unanswered points before pinning Dennis with 2:32 elapsed in the first period. We’ll see what adjustments Dennis can make before Rio.

(Frank Molinaro, blue, victorious over Magomed Muslimov of Azerbaijan)

At 65KG, Frank Molinaro continued to build on his great 2016 as he went 4-0 on the weekend, getting into some near fist-fights for the Stars and Stripes. Beating Rajneesh of India 5-0, Molinaro would quite literally out-fight Magomed Muslimov of Azerbaijan 4-1. Muslimov was much more occupied with attempting to swing on Molinaro than score points. In the USA vs Iran dual, Molinaro found himself in a 0-3 hole after a period against 2x World Medalist Sayed Mohammadi. In the second period, though, Molinaro came alive and scored two takedowns to take the match 4-3. In his final match, against Zurabi Iakobishvili of Georgia, Molinaro was again down after the first period, this time 2-3 after giving up a step-out and a takedown while scoring a 2pt takedown of his own late in the first. In the final period, Iakobishvili kept the pace high and attacked often, but it would be Molinaro who scored the deciding takedown with a minute left in the match, taking the lead 4-3. Molinaro would hang on to win 4-4 on criteria after Iakobishvili scored an inconsequential step-out.

(J'Den Cox, blue, down-blocks against a shot from Aleksandr Gostiev of Azerbaijan)

J’Den Cox, 86KG, went near-perfect at the World Cup as he finished 3-1. Cox started with a 13-2 Tech Fall over Pawan Kumar of India. Next, Cox fended off 2016 European Silver Aleksandr Gostiev of Azerbaijan 3-2. Against Iran, Cox would face his toughest challenge to date in 2015 World Bronze Alireza Karimi. Karimi would strike first, earning a 2pt takedown before Cox answered with two takedowns of his own to take the lead for good, 4-2. With short-time, Karimi’s last takedown attempt was squashed by Cox, who would score a final go-behind to ice the match 6-2. In his final match, Cox was unable to crack the code against the 2x World/ Olympic medalist in Dato Marsagishvili of Georgia. Marsagishvili scored 7 unanswered points before Cox got on the board with two takedowns. The deficit was too great, and Cox fell for the first time in international freestyle competition, 4-7.

(Kyle Snyder, blue, looks for an ankle-pick against Abbas Tahan of Iran)

2015 World Champion, at 97KG, Kyle Snyder continued to shine for the United States as he went undefeated alongside Molinaro and Green. Snyder picked up a 10-0 Tech Fall over Kadian of India, a 2-1 win over Arslanbek Alborov of Azerbaijan, and a 8-1 win over 2015 World 5th Abbas Tahan of Iran. In his final match Snyder proved that, in the words of Jordan Burroughs, “World Champs do World Champ things.” After leading for much of the final period, Snyder was taken down with :22 left to go, finding himself down 1-3 to 2x World 5th in Odikadze of Georgia. Wasting no time, Snyder got to his offense and set Odikadze up with a beautiful snap-down to leg attack, earning the match winning takedown with time running out, final score 3-3.

(All photos by Tony Rotundo/WrestlersAreWarriors.com ; used with permission)