Rau, Woods to compete for Greco-Roman bronze at Polyak & Varga Memorial Ranking Event in Hungary

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Two U.S. Greco-Roman stars, 2024 U.S. Olympian Joe Rau (97 kg) and two-time Senior World Team member Spencer Woods (82 kg). will compete for bronze medals on Sunday at the Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial Ranking Event

Rau dropped his opening match to 2021 World champion and three-time World medalist Mohammadhadi Saravi of Iran by technical fall, 10-1. Rau was pulled back into repechage when Saravi powered into the finals.

In repechage, Rau won by forfeit over 2022 World bronze medalist Tamas Levai of Hungary. Rau has draws 2020 Olympian Georgi Melia of Georgia in his bronze medal match.

Woods won his first match in the quarterfinals with a strong performance against Ashkan Saadati Fard of Iran, winning 10-3. Fard was third in the 2021 World Military Championships.

In the semifinals, Woods fell to 2018 U23 World champion and 2022 European silver medalist Gela Bolkvadze of Georgia. Bolkvadze scored the opening takedown and a turn. A Woods challenged was denied, making it 5-0. Bolkvadze was able to turn Woods with two more gut wrenches and finish the match with a 9-0 technical fall,

Woods will battle Karlo Kodric of Croatia in his bronze-medal match. Kodric is a two-time U23 World medalist.

The three other U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers competing on Sunday lost their first match and were eliminated when their opponent failed to reach the finals.

2024 U.S. Olympian Payton Jacobson was defeated in his first match at 87 kg by 2023 World champion Ali Cengiz of Turkey, 4-1. Cengiz won his next match, then reached the semifinals against 2023 World champion David Losonczi of Hungary.  When Losonczi defeated Cengiz by pin, Jacobson was eliminated.

Past Senior World Team member Jesse Porter was defeated by 2022 World champion Burhan Akbudak of Turkey by technical fall 9-0 at 77 kg. Porter was eliminated when Akbudak lost to 2019 World bronze medalist Aik Mnatsakanian of Bulgaria in the semifinals, 1-1.

2020 Greco-Roman Olympian Alejandro Sancho was edged in his first match 72 kg by 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Shmagi Bolkvadze of Georgia, 3-2. Sancho was eliminated when Bolkvadze was defeated in the semifinals by 2023 World silver medalist Hasrat Jafarov of Azerbaijan, 7-1.

The finals will be held at 5:00 p.m. local time in Budapest, which is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone (11:00 a.m.). All of the action is broadcast live on FloWrestling.

https://flosports.link/4aj4gCf

POLYAK IMRE & VARGA JANOS MEMORIAL

At Budapest, Hungary, June 7

Men’s freestyle medal match pairings

55 kg

Round Robin 3

Nugzari Tsurtsumia (Georgia) vs. Poya Solat Dad Marz (Iran)

Marat Garipov (Brazil) vs. Eldaniz Azizli (Azerbaijan)

72 kg:

Gold – Moustafa Fathy Alameldin (Egypt) vs. Hasrat Jafarov (Azerbaijan)

Bronze - Shmagi Bolkvadze (Georgia) vs. Sayed Sohrabi (Iran)

Bronze – Krisztian Vancza (Hungary) vs. Gagik Snjoyan (France)

77 kg:

Gold – Aik Mnatsakanian (Bulgaria) vs. Nao Kusaka (Japan)

Bronze - Burhan Akbudak (Turkey) vs. Yosvanys Pena Floress (Cuba)

Bronze – Sanan Suleymanov (Azerbaijan) vs. Mohammed Mokhtari (Iran)

82 kg:

Gold - Gela Bolkvadze (Georgia) vs. Erik Szilvassy (Hungary)

Bronze – Mihai Bradu (Moldova) vs. Peter Doemoek (Hungary)

Bronze – Spencer Woods (USA) vs. Karlo Kodric (Croatia)

87 kg:

Gold – David Losonczi (Hungary) vs. Semen Novikov (Bulgaria)

Bronze - Ali Cengiz (Turkey) vs. Mohammadhossein Mahmoodi (Iran)

Bronze – Istvan Takacs (Hungary) vs. Bachir Sid Azara (Algeria)

97 kg:

Gold - Mohammadhadi Saravi (Iran) vs. Alex Szoke (Hungary)

Bronze – Giorgi Melia (Georgia) vs. Josef Rau (USA)

Bronze – Kevin Mejia Castillo (Honduras) vs. Shayan Habibizare (Iran)

U.S. Greco-Roman results

72 kg: Alejandro Sancho (U.S. Army WCAP), eliminated

LOSS Shmagi Bolkvadze (Georgia), 3-2

77 kg: Jesse Porter (New York AC), eliminated

LOSS Burhan Akbudak (Turkey), tech fall 9-0

82 kg: Spencer Woods (U.S. Army WCAP), in bronze bout

WIN Ashkan Saddati Fard (Iran), 10-3

LOSS Gela Bolkvadze (Georgia), tech fall 9-0

Bronze bout – Vs. Karlo Kodric (Croatia)

87 kg: Payton Jacobson (Sunkist Kids/NMU NTS), eliminated

LOSS Ali Cengiz (Turkey), 4-1

97 kg: Josef Rau (Titan Mercury WC), in bronze bout

LOSS Mohammadhadi Saravi (Iran), tech fall, 10-1

WIN Tamas Levai (Hungary), forfeit

Bronze bout - Vs. Giorgi Melia (Georgia)