Tocci, Feizasa, Hipps pick most World champions among international journalists

Three journalists picked nine of the 21 World champions to win the annual prediction contest among international journalists, which is posted each year on TheMat.com.

Selecting nine champions were Pat Tocci of NWCAonline.com, Ali Feizasa of the Iranian Students News Agency and Andrew Hipps of InterMat. Tocci and Hipps are from the United States, while Feizasa lives in Iran.

Tocci selected four Greco-Roman champions (Soryan, Albiev, Mansurov and Lopez), three women's freestyle champions (Yoshida, Nishimaki, Dugrenier) and two men's freestyle champions (Kudukhov, Gatsalov).

Feizasa selected four Greco-Roman champions (Soryan, Albiev, Mansurov and Lopez), four men's freestyle champions (Kudukhov, Taghavi, Tsargush, Makhov) and one women's freestyle champion (Yoshida).

Hipps selected four Greco-Roman champions (Soryan, Albiev, Mansurov and Lopez), three men's freestyle champions (Kudukhov, Gatsalov, Makhov) and two women's freestyle champions (Yoshida, Nishimaki).

Placing second with eight correct selections were Ikuo Higuchi of the Japan Amateur Wrestling Federation, Earl B. Smith of D1collegewrestling.net and Matthew Diano of Lighthouse Wrestling. Higuchi lives in Japan, while Smith and Diano are from the United States.

A total of 17 journalists participated in this year's predictions.

CORRECT SELECTIONS AMONG INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISTS

9 correct
* Pat Tocci (NWCAonline.com, USA)
* Ali Feizasa (Iranian Students News Agency, Iran)
* Andrew Hipps (InterMat, USA)

8 correct
* Ikuo Higuchi (Japan Amateur Wrestling Federation, Japan)
* Earl B. Smith (D1collegewrestling.net, USA)
* Matthew Diano (Lighthouse Wrestling, USA)

7 correct
* Byambaa Tsaganbaatar (Tavan Tsagarig newspaper, Mongolia)
* Eddie Goldman (No Holds Barred, USA)
* Azizollah Etatti (Iran Wrestling Federation, Iran)
* Al Bevilacqua (NYWrestling.com, USA)

6 correct
* Jason Bryant (BryantBlog, USA)
* Willie Saylor (The Open Mat, USA)
* Gary Abbott (TheMat.com, USA)

5 correct
* Miroslav Jarocki (wrestling journalist, Poland)
* Bozidar Minkov and Krasmira Stankova (Bulgarian Federation website, Bulgaria)
* Craig Sesker (TheMat.com, USA)
* Gregg Henry (The Wrestling Report, USA)

2009 WORLD WRESTLING CHAMPIONS

Men's freestyle champions
55 kg/121 lbs.- Kyong-Il Yang (North Korea)
60 kg/132 lbs.- Besik Kudukhov (Russia)
66 kg/145.5 lbs.- Mehdi Taghavi (Iran)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Denis Tsargush (Russia)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Zaurbek Sokhiev (Uzbekistan)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Khadjimurad Gatsalov (Russia)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Bilyal Makhov (Russia)

Women's freestyle champions
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Mariya Stadnyk (Azerbaijan)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Sofia Mattsson (Sweden)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Saori Yoshida (Japan)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Yulia Ratkevich (Azerbaijan)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Mio Nishimaki (Japan)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Martine Dugrenier (Canada)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Xiaoqing Qin (China)

Greco-Roman champions
55 kg/121 lbs. - Hamid Soryan (Iran)
60 kg/132 lbs.- Islam-Beka Albiev (Russia)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Farid Mansurov (Azerbaijan)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Selcuk Cebi (Turkey)
84 kg/145.5 lbs. - Nazmi Avluca (Turkey)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Balázs Kiss (Hungary)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Mijain Lopez (Cuba)