Zagreb, September 14, 2025
Azerbaijani freestyle wrestler Giorgi Meshvildishvili (125 kg) has advanced to the final of the World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.
According to Oxu.Az, Meshvildishvili defeated Poland’s Robert Baran in the semifinal. The medal bouts are scheduled for tomorrow.
This marks a historic moment: Meshvildishvili is the first Azerbaijani wrestler in ten years to reach the world championship final in the heaviest weight category.
Other Azerbaijani wrestlers also competed:
Nuraddin Novruzov (61 kg) lost 2:5 to Iranian Ahmad Mohammadnejad Javan in the Round of 16. Since the Iranian advanced to the final, Novruzov will enter the repechage tomorrow.
Kenan Heybatov (70 kg) secured dominant wins over Iran’s two-time world silver medalist Amirmohammad Yazdanicherati (15:4) and the Bahamas’ Shannon Hanna (10:0). In the quarterfinals, Heybatov faced Armenia’s European champion Arman Andreasyan in a tense match. Despite leading 6:3, he ultimately lost 6:8.
Arseniy Djioyev (86 kg) defeated Puerto Rico’s Ethan Ramos 5:2 in his debut but fell 8:13 to Japan’s Hayato Ishiguro in the quarterfinals. As Ishiguro reached the final, Djioyev will also compete in the repechage.
The Wrestling World Championships, running from September 13–21, feature 23 Azerbaijani wrestlers.
