Betterman reaches finals of Hungarian Golden Grand Prix
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by Gary Abbott
SZOMBATHELY, Hungary - Joe Betterman (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) won three times to qualify for the finals at 60 kg/132 lbs. at the Hungarian Golden Grand Prix on Saturday.
Betterman reached the finals by defeating three athletes in the morning session who he had lost to at least once earlier in his career.
He opened with a win over Ede Komarami of Hungary, 1-0, 3-0. Betterman's quarterfinal victory came in a three-period battle with three-time World bronze medalist Eusebio Diacono of Romania. Betterman won the deciding third period by forcing a stepout.
Betterman won the semifinals over Emil Milev of Bulgaria, 0-5, 1-0, 1-0. Milev had a five-point throw in the first period. Betterman came back to sweep the final two periods, winning the deciding third period by defending from the bottom in the clinch.
"I'm getting closer. I am not there yet, but I am getting closer," said Betterman after his semifinal triumph.
Betterman will face 2008 Olympic silver medalist Rovshan Bayramov of Azerbaijan in the finals. Bayramov has moved to 60 kg after wrestling in the past at 55 kg.
"Joe is coming around," said Assistant National Greco-Roman coach Momir Petkovic. "He is getting more mature. If he goes out and just wrestles, he can win. He's not making major mistakes. It is so crucial for us not to give them a Christmas gift. To beat us, somebody has to fight for it."
U.S. super heavyweight Brandon Rupp (Colorado Springs, Colo./Pocatello WC) won twice and reached the semifinals, where he was defeated in a controversial match.
He won his first two matches at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., defeating Gyula Branda of Hungary, 2-0, 1-3, 3-0, then pinning Vladimir Guralski of Israel in 35 seconds.
In the semifinals, he fell in a three-period battle to Riza Kayaolp of Turkey, 0-2, 5-0, 0-2. After losing the first period, Rupp hit a hip toss and put Kayaolp to his back. Officials gave him three points and one additional point for the hold. The U.S. coaches used their protest card, claiming there was a pin. The officials reviewed the hold and did not give the pin.
In the final period, Rupp chose bottom in the final clinch with the score 0-0, but Kayaolp turned Rupp for two exposure points for the win.
"He had him pinned, there is no question about that," said Petkovic. "He had a nice tough match. He has just been in the program six months. I hoped he learned a lot of things here. He is a great kid, very talented and explosive. We need new kids like him who wants to wrestle."
At 60 kg/132 lbs. Glenn Garrison (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) won his second match by a disqualification against Rahman Bilici. Garrison lost the first period 0-2, and was down 0-2 in the second when Bilici punched Garrison in the chin and was thrown out of the match.
Garrison was eliminated by Rovshan Bayramov of Azerbaijan in the next round, 0-3, 1-0, 0-6. Bayramov made the finals against Betterman, pulling both Garrison and Chad Vandiver (Colorado Springs, Colo./Unattached) back into the repechage.
2002 World champion Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) fell in his opening match to Revaz Chelidze of Georgia, 1-0, 0-1, 1-1. Byers scored a one-point gutwrench in the final clinch position to take a lead, but a takedown by Chelidze with just four seconds left gave Chelidze the win by scoring the final point.
Betterman reached the finals by defeating three athletes in the morning session who he had lost to at least once earlier in his career.
He opened with a win over Ede Komarami of Hungary, 1-0, 3-0. Betterman's quarterfinal victory came in a three-period battle with three-time World bronze medalist Eusebio Diacono of Romania. Betterman won the deciding third period by forcing a stepout.
Betterman won the semifinals over Emil Milev of Bulgaria, 0-5, 1-0, 1-0. Milev had a five-point throw in the first period. Betterman came back to sweep the final two periods, winning the deciding third period by defending from the bottom in the clinch.
"I'm getting closer. I am not there yet, but I am getting closer," said Betterman after his semifinal triumph.
Betterman will face 2008 Olympic silver medalist Rovshan Bayramov of Azerbaijan in the finals. Bayramov has moved to 60 kg after wrestling in the past at 55 kg.
"Joe is coming around," said Assistant National Greco-Roman coach Momir Petkovic. "He is getting more mature. If he goes out and just wrestles, he can win. He's not making major mistakes. It is so crucial for us not to give them a Christmas gift. To beat us, somebody has to fight for it."
U.S. super heavyweight Brandon Rupp (Colorado Springs, Colo./Pocatello WC) won twice and reached the semifinals, where he was defeated in a controversial match.
He won his first two matches at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., defeating Gyula Branda of Hungary, 2-0, 1-3, 3-0, then pinning Vladimir Guralski of Israel in 35 seconds.
In the semifinals, he fell in a three-period battle to Riza Kayaolp of Turkey, 0-2, 5-0, 0-2. After losing the first period, Rupp hit a hip toss and put Kayaolp to his back. Officials gave him three points and one additional point for the hold. The U.S. coaches used their protest card, claiming there was a pin. The officials reviewed the hold and did not give the pin.
In the final period, Rupp chose bottom in the final clinch with the score 0-0, but Kayaolp turned Rupp for two exposure points for the win.
"He had him pinned, there is no question about that," said Petkovic. "He had a nice tough match. He has just been in the program six months. I hoped he learned a lot of things here. He is a great kid, very talented and explosive. We need new kids like him who wants to wrestle."
At 60 kg/132 lbs. Glenn Garrison (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) won his second match by a disqualification against Rahman Bilici. Garrison lost the first period 0-2, and was down 0-2 in the second when Bilici punched Garrison in the chin and was thrown out of the match.
Garrison was eliminated by Rovshan Bayramov of Azerbaijan in the next round, 0-3, 1-0, 0-6. Bayramov made the finals against Betterman, pulling both Garrison and Chad Vandiver (Colorado Springs, Colo./Unattached) back into the repechage.
2002 World champion Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) fell in his opening match to Revaz Chelidze of Georgia, 1-0, 0-1, 1-1. Byers scored a one-point gutwrench in the final clinch position to take a lead, but a takedown by Chelidze with just four seconds left gave Chelidze the win by scoring the final point.
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