Schultz Advances to Gold Medal Match; U.S. Trio to Compete for Bronze at Zagreb Open
Share:
by David Gerhart, USA Wrestling
Cohlton Schultz hand raise following win at the 2025 Pan American Championships in Monterrey, Mexico
ZAGREB, Croatia – 2025 World Team member Cohlton Schultz posted three wins in the morning session to move into the final of the 130 kg weight class at the Zagreb Open. The trio of Alejandro Sancho, Beka Melelashvili and Jesse Porter all battled through the repechage to earn spots in bronze medal matches at Arena Zagreb.
Schultz started the day by knocking off the reigning World silver medalist, Darius Vitke of Hungary, in a 1-1 decision that Schultz won by criteria. The Tempe, Ariz., resident moved into the semifinals with a 5-1 decision over Croatia’s Marko Milanovic.
Looking to secure his spot in the final, Schultz was in another lower-scoring contest this time against age-group World medalist Artur Sarkisjan of Czechia. After each scored their opening points via passivity penalties, from the bottom position, Schultz scored a point off a reversal to clinch the 2-1 decision.
In the final, Schultz, who is a three-time age-group World medalist, goes up against seven-time World champion and 2020 Olympian Riza Kayaalp from Türkiye.
At 72 kg, 2020 Olympian Sancho opened the tournament with a 3-1 win against Hungary’s Krisztofer Klanyi. After being pinned by two-time age-group World medalist Nika Broladze of Georgia, Sancho rebounded with a 4-1 victory over India’s Kuldeep Malik in the repechage.
For bronze, Sancho takes on Shakhzod Kuchkorov of Uzbekistan.
The pair of Melelashvili and Porter will be featured in both bronze medal matches at 82 kg.
2024 U23 World silver medalist Melelashvili earned a 4-4 decision by criteria against Antal Vamos from Serbia in his first match. Then, against six-time Worlds qualifier Mihail Bradu of Moldova, Melelashvili suffered an 11-1 setback. Melelashvili punched his ticket to the medal round with another win by criteria over two-time age-group World medalist Shahin Badaghimofrad of Qatar, 1-1.
After dropping his opening round match to age-group World medalist Yuksel Saricicek of Türkiye, 9-0, Porter rattled off back-to-back wins in the repechage. Porter first earned a 5-2 decision against Ukraine’s Mykyta Politaiev. Against Filip Sacic of Croatia, 2021 World Team member Porter fell behind 3-0. However, the scramble that put Porter down by three turned into him picking up two points, leading to a pin for Porter to win the match.
In the two 82 kg bronze medal bouts, Melelashvili faces Iran’s Mohammad Mokhtari, who is an age-group World medalist. Porter takes on Ibragim Magomadov of Kazakhstan.
Team USA also had Aden Attao (130 kg) and Zane Richards (60 kg) in the repechage; however, both finished just one match short of earning appearances in the bronze medal matches.
Richards upended three-time age-group World medalist Mert Ilbars of Türkiye, 5-0, in his second match of the day. In the bout to earn a spot in the medal round, Richards’ comeback attempt fell short against two-time age-group World medalist Amangali Bekbolatov of Kazakhstan, 7-4.
Attao dropped his first match to finalist and Schultz’s opponent for gold, Kayaalp. Attao bowed out of the tournament in the repechage against Rati Talikishvili of Georgia
Action from Zagreb concludes at 6 p.m. local time / Noon (ET) with Greco-Roman group three (55-60-72-82-97-130 kg) medal matches.
A live broadcast of the event is available to the U.S. market through FloWrestling.
Brackets and match-by-match results can be found on UWW Arena.
Reference Links
Gold – Ikhtiyor Botirov (Uzbekistan) vs. Mohammad Panahisani (Iran)
Bronze – Omer Recep (Türkiye) vs. Arsen Zhuma (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Lalit (India) vs. Poya Dad Marz (Iran)
Gold – Alisher Ganiev (Uzbekistan) vs. Koto Gomi (Japan)
Bronze – Amangali Bekbolatov (Kazakhstan) vs. Yu Shiotani (Japan)
Bronze – Yerbol Kamaliyev (Kazakhstan) vs. Sajjad Abbaspourragani (Iran)
Gold – Moustafa Alameldin (Egypt) vs. Nika Broladze (Georgia)
Bronze – Abror Atabaev (Uzbekistan) vs. Almatbek Amanbek (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Alejandro Sancho (United States) vs. Shakhzod Kuchkorov (Uzbekistan)
Gold – Mihail Bradu (Moldova) vs. Yuksel Saricicek (Türkiye)
Bronze – Beka Melelashvili (United States) vs. Mohammad Mokhtari (Iran)
Bronze – Jesse Porter (United States) vs. Ibragim Magomadov (Kazakhstan)
Gold – Alex Szoke (Hungary) vs. Islam Yevloyev (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Mohammad Seydi Avendi (Iran) vs. Iussuf Matsiyev (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Giorgi Melia (Georgia) vs. Mihail Kajaia (Serbia)
Gold – Cohlton Schultz (United States) vs. Riza Kayaalp (Türkiye)
Bronze – Darius Vitek (Hungary) vs. Artur Sarkisjan (Czechia)
Bronze – Rati Talikishvili (Georgia) vs. Olzhas Syrlybay (Kazakhstan)
LOSS Poya Dad Marz (Iran), tech. fall, 8-0
LOSS Alisher Ganiev (Uzbekistan), tech. fall, 9-0
WIN Mert Ilbars (Türkiye), 5-0
LOSS Amangali Bekbolatov (Kazakhstan), 7-4
LOSS Yu Shiotani (Japan), 8-4
LOSS Corneliu Rusu (Moldova), fall, 6:00
72 kg – Benji Peak (Colorado Springs, Colo./Position Wrestling/Combat W.C. School of Wrestling), eliminated
LOSS Almatbek Amanbek (Kazakhstan), tech. fall, 8-0
WIN Krisztofer Klanyi (Hungary), 3-1
LOSS Nika Broladze (Georgia), fall, 2:43
WIN Kuldeep Malik (India), 4-1
VS Shakhzod Kuchkorov (Uzbekistan)
WIN Antal Vamos (Serbia), 4-4
LOSS Mihail Bradu (Moldova), tech. fall, 11-1
WIN Shahin Badaghimofrad (Qatar), 1-1
VS Mohammad Mokhtari (Iran)
LOSS Yuksel Saricicek (Türkiye), tech. fall, 9-0
WIN Mykyta Politaiev (Ukraine), 5-2
WIN Filip Sacic (Croatia), fall 2:15
VS Ibragim Magomadov (Kazakhstan)
LOSS Mathias Bak (Denmark), 4-4
LOSS Jacob Logaard (Sweden), 3-1
WIN Darius Vitek (Hungary), 1-1
WIN Marko Milanovic (Croatia), 5-1
WIN Artur Sarkisjan (Czechia), 2-1
VS Riza Kayaalp (Türkiye)
LOSS Riza Kayaalp (Türkiye), tech. fall, 9-0
LOSS Rati Talikishvili (Georgia), tech. fall, 9-0
