Pavlov Guest Blog: My ranking of the strongest men’s freestylers before the 2018 World Championships

David Taylor of the USA celebrates a big win at the 2018 World Cup. Taylor is rated No. 1 at 86 kg in Petr Pavlov's ratings. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors.


According to the established tradition for the year before the World Championships in freestyle wrestling, we make our rating of wrestlers.


The ranking is based on the results of the United Wrestling World (UWW) men's competition from January to October, 2018, including the recently concluded tournament in memory of Henri Deglane in Nice, France


The system of scoring is simple. In terms of competition, the wrestlers who won won medals receive points. For example, in this ranking, the results of the World Cup, European Championship and Asian Games have the highest scores.


Then, there are various international tournaments, which are divided into three groups according to their composition and level. In parentheses, we indicate the number of competitions in which the ranked wrestler scored these rating points.


I will not write who took what places at what competitions, as it will take a lot of space. Here are the ratings:

57 kg

1.Erdenebat Behbayar - Mongolia, 1700 (5)

2.George Edisherashvili - Azerbaijan, 1000 (3)

3.Zaur Uguyev - Russia, 800 (3)

4.Cumsong Kang - DPRK, 600 (2)

5.Yuki Takahashi - Japan 500 (2)

6.Stefan Micic - Serbia, 450 (3)

7-10 (tie)

Vladislav Andreev - Belarus, 400 (2)

Thomas Gilman - USA, 400 (2)

Mehrab Rezazade - Iran, 400 (2)

Suleiman Atli - Turkey, 400 (2).

61 kg

1.Gadzhimurad Rashidov - Russia, 1200 (4)

2.Beka Lomtadze - Georgia, 800 (3)

3.Ahmednabi Gvarzatilov - Azerbaijan, 700 (3)

4.Joe Colon - USA, 650 (4)

5.Rinuya Nakamura - Japan 500 (1)

6-8 (tie)

Alexander Bogomoyev - Russia, 500 (3)

Tuvshintulga Tumenbileg - Mongolia, 500 (3)

Zelimkhan Abakarov - Russia, 500 (3)

9. Nyurgun Scriabin - Belarus, 450 (3)

10.Nurislam Sanaev - Kazakhstan, 350 (2).

65 kg

1.Bahrang Punia - India, 1300 (5)

2. Haji Aliyev - Azerbaijan, 900 (3)

3-4 (tie)

Ilyas Bekbulatov - Russia, 800 (3)

Alejandro Valdez - Cuba, 800 (3)

5-6. tie

Magomedmurad Gadjiyev - Poland, 700 (3)

Logan Stieber - USA, 600 (2)

7. Selahatin Kilischalayan - Turkey, 550 (4)

8. Daichi Takatani - Japan 500 (2)

9.Vasily Shuptar - Ukraine, 500 (3)

10-11 (tie)

Tumur-Ochir Tulga - Mongolia, 450 (3)

Daulet Niyazbekov - Kazakhstan, 450 (3).

70 kg

1.Magomed Kurbanaliev - Russia, 800 (2)

2.Gozkun Azimov - Azerbaijan, 700 (3)

3.Andrey Kvyatkovsky - Ukraine, 700 (4)

4.James Green - USA, 600 (2)

5-6.(tie)

Evgeny Zherbaev - Russia, 600 (3)

Zurab Yakobashvili - Georgia, 600 (3)

7.Soslan Ramonov - Russia, 550 (3)

8.Murtazali Muslimov - Azerbaijan, 500 (3)

9-10 (tie)

Franklin Maren - Cuba, 400 (2)

Azamat Nurikov - Belarus, 400 (2).

74 kg

1. Frank Chamizo - Italy, 1300 (6)

2. Jordan Burroughs - USA, 700 (2)

3-4. (tie)

Hetag Tsabolov - Russia, 600 (2)

Soner Demirtas - Turkey, 600 (2)

5-7 (tie)

Yuki Fujinami - Japan 500 (2)

Zaurbek Sidakov - Russia, 500 (2)

Bekzod Abdurakhmanov - Uzbekistan, 500 (2)

8.Arsalan Budozhapov - Russia, 500 (3)

9. Daniyar Kaysanov - Kazakhstan, 450 (3)

10-13 (tie)

Ali Umarpashaev - Bulgaria, 400 (2)

Yakup Gor - Turkey, 400 (2)

Levan Lopez - Cuba, 400 (2).

79 kg

1-2. (tie)

Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov - Russia, 1000 (3)

Kyle Dake - USA, 1000 (3)

3.Alex Dieringer — USA, 700 (3)

4. Kakhaber Hubezhty - Russia, 650 (4)

5-6 (tie)

Michal Nagy - Hungary, 500 (3)

Dzhabrail Hasanov - Azerbaijan, 500 (3)

7. Ibrahim Yusubov - Azerbaijan, 450 (3)

8. Omid Hasantabar - Iran, 400 (2)

9-11 (tie)

Azetollah Akbari - Iran, 300 (1)

Saken Aitzhanov - Kazakhstan, 300 (1)

Mark Hall - USA, 300 (1).

86 kg

1.David Taylor - USA, 1400 (4)

2.Artur Naifonov - Russia, 1000 (4)

3.Hasan Yazdani - Iran, 800 (2)

4-5 (tie)

Magomed Ramazanov - Russia, 700 (4)

Fatih Erdin - Turkey, 700 (4)

6.Alexander Gostiev - Azerbaijan, 600 (2)

7.Camran Hasempur - Iran, 600 (2)

8.Yoriescu Torreblanco - Cuba, 600 (3)

9.Murad Suleymanov - Azerbaijan, 500 (3)

10.Uitumen Orgedel - Mongolia, 500 (4).

92 kg

1.Abdulrashid Sadulaev - Russia, 1000 (3)

2.Sharif Sharifov - Azerbaijan, 900 (3)

3.Mohammad Ebrahimi - Iran, 900 (4)

4.Anzor Urishev - Russia, 850 (5)

5.Alireza Karimi - Iran, 800 (3)

6.Adilet Dablumbayev - Kazakhstan, 800 (4)

7.Dato Marsagishvili - Georgia, 550 (2)

8.Yuri Belonovsky - Russia, 450 (3)

9.Batyrbek Tsakulov - Russia, 400 (2)

10.Ben Provisor - USA, 350 (2).

97 kg

1.Vladislav Baytsaev - Russia, 1100

2.Kyle Snyder - USA, 900 (3)

3-6. (tie)

Nurmagomed Hajiyev - Azerbaijan, 700 (3)

Alexander Khushtyn - Belarus, 700 (3)

Arslanbek Alborov - Azerbaijan, 700 (3)

Elizbar Odikadze - Georgia, 700 (3)

7-8 (tie)

Magomed Ibragimov - Uzbekistan, 600 (3)

Givi Macharashvili - Georgia, 600 (3)

9. Amir Mohammadi - Iran, 500 (2)

10.Mojtaba Goleij - Iran, 400 (2).

125 kg

1.Geno Petriashvili - Georgia, 1000 (4)

2.Parviz Hadi - Iran, 800 (2)

3.Alexander Khotsyanovsky - Ukraine, 800 (3)

4.Taha Akgul - Turkey, 700 (2)

5.Nick Gwiazdowski — USA, 700 (4)

6.David Modmanishvili - Uzbekistan, 600 (3)

7.Zalboo Natsagsuren - Mongolia, 450 (5)

8-9 (tie)

Muradin Kushkhov - Russia, 400 (2)

Anzor Hizriev - Russia, 400 (2)

10.Robert Baran - Poland, 400 (3).

Rating points scoring system


- World Cup, European Championship, Asian Games: 500-300-200.

-Yarygin, Takhti, Kiev, Asian Championship, PanAmerica Championship, World Military Championship, Balavadze, Dogu, Medved: 300-200-100.

-Cerro Peledo, Ulan-Ude, Kolov, Aliyev, Mongolia, Mediterranean Games, World Student Championship, Korkin, Tsiolkovsky: 200-100-50.

-Farrell, Commonwealth Games, Macedonian Pearl, Sassari Cup, Canada Cup, Spanish Grand Prix, Sargsyan, Kornyany, Deglane: 100-50-20.


This rating is just a rating, not a forecast. This is an intermediate individual measure of the achievement of an athlete. Compared to the UWW rating, I consider my rating to be more objective.


This is a transparent system. An athlete who competes a lot and takes more prizes scores more points. There is not a rating from selective competitions, but the results of all the competitions on the calendar of the United World of Wrestling in the first nine months of 2018.


It is a pity that at the World Championships there is only one wrestler who represents the country at each weight class. So, Russians Magomed Kurbanaliev (70 kg), Artur Nayfonov (86 kg), Vladislav Baitsaev (97 kg) and American Alex Deringer (79 kg), all have high scores in this rating. Due to intense competition in their country, they will miss the World Championships in Budapest.


Once, no one was interested in this rating, and now, the rating has become popular. And I am proud of it, because I have been engaged in a rating system for a long time.


Today, the rating and distribution of the strongest in the world have entered the system of organizing competitions. If you dream, the day may not be far away when the strongest by rating, regardless of country, will take part in major competitions. At least, by the end of the year they should organize such a super tournament!!

Petr Pavlov is a sports journalist from Yakutia, Russia, and has provided many stories for TheMat.com in past years.