For the young Russian heavyweight freestyle wrestler from Dagestan Abdulla Kurbanov (2023 Russian champion in the weight category up to 125 kg), the World Championships in Belgrade started very successfully: the first opponent in the 1/16 final, the Argentine Katriel Peuen Muriel, was not able to offer much resistance. The final result speaks for itself: 11:0. It’s not an absolute touch, but close to it.
However, already in the round of 16 our fighter was greatly disappointed. His opponent was one of the most serious rivals in the heavyweight division – Georgian Geno Petriashvili (three-time world champion, two-time European champion, Olympic medalist). The most difficult match ended in wrestling overtime, where the more experienced Patriashvili beat the Russian wrestler by just one point (5-6).
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It only remained to observe the progress of his attacker in the tournament standings, because it was the successful performance of the Georgian wrestler that allowed Abdullah to count on continuing the fight for bronze in the repechage rounds.
As a result, Petriashvili lost to the Iranian Amir Hossein Abbas Zara and became a silver medalist. And Kurbanov continued his path to the medal, as well as the fight for the Olympic license. Adbullah defeated Poland’s Robert Baran (6-1) in the play-off match at the World Championships in Belgrade.
And for the bronze medal the Russian had to fight with the American Mason Parris. Again the decisive fight, and again the American fighter. In this World Championship we have a frankly personal battle with the stars and stripes. Parris is a tough opponent. Behind him is the gold of the 2019 World Junior Championships in Tallinn, where he defeated all his opponents with an alarming difference of 36:3, including the future Olympic champion, finalist of the current world forum, Abbas Zare.
Photo source: International Wrestling Federation.
The fight did not turn out as such. Parris surpassed our fighter in instinct and experience, without giving him the opportunity to feel at least once in a dominant and leading position. But all the movements seemed to have been calculated from the beginning. Abdullah tried from side to side, but he made serious mistakes while trying to stand up. In the end, the Americans won with a clear advantage of 12:2. All Kurbanov’s victories are ahead. He is still too young.
