The Pan-American Championships in May was the initial launch for the 2025 USA Greco-Roman World Team. That event — which arrived just a couple of weeks after the World Trials in Vegas — saw the US roster pummel their way to a resounding victory in the team standings punctuated by six golds and nine medalists overall.
The Polyak Imre Memorial in Budapest, Hungary next weekend is an entirely different animal. Due to its designation as the final “Ranking Series” tournament of the year, a hefty number of the sport’s best and most decorated competitors are expected to be in the running as they themselves gear up for the homestretch leading towards the World Championships in September. For bookkeeping’s sake, yes, cumulative team scores are recorded at standalone “Ranking Series” events, but they are not the objective. Rather, the stated goal is simply for those wrestlers who will be competing at the Worlds to increase their point values so as to raise or maintain a perceptively advantageous seeding slot in their respective World Championship brackets.
For US entrants in Budapest, however, the main mission is actually even simpler: acquire more “looks” and “feels” as the summer’s training cycle begins to hit its final phase.
Expanded Sample Size
Despite the marked improvement of most Pan-American programs in recent years, competition in continental championships is not often observed as an accurate depiction for what the rest of the globe has to offer from a stylistic perspective, whereas “Ranking Series” tournaments are indeed indicative of the general formidability available in World-level events. Therefore, if the US squad had only the Pan-Ams from which to glean insights en-route to their upcoming opportunity in Budapest, one might posit that they could use a refresher course prior to making the trip.
Not this time.
Following the Pan-Ams in May, a substantial contingent of Americans (most of whom comprise the current World Team) enjoyed a multi-week training expedition in Azerbaijan. As noted numerous times previously, Azerbaijan is considered one of the sport’s elite Greco-Roman nations and is home to a long line of recent World and Olympic medalists. Whilst in AZE, the US athletes participated in myriad strength-training modalities along with wrestling “live” against their Eastern European counterparts. If the Pan-Ams represented the launch for this year’s USA World Team, their time in Azerbaijan delivered a reminder, as if one were even necessary, of the challenges top-caliber opposition tends to present in each phase of the game.
A short time later, upon returning stateside, the US hosted a two-week camp at the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center featuring Croatia, Georgia, and Ukraine. In other words, Team USA went from grinding it out in Azerbaijan with and against the Azers to coming home and doing more of the same alongside three other tremendous Greco programs. A phrase often used when referencing training approach and protocols is “time on target”. Thus far, it would seem, heading into the Polyak Imre Memorial “Ranking Series” in Budapest, Team USA has had adequate time on target to establish a fitful base with which to engage World-level competition.
USA Roster
Eight of the ten members of the World Team are included on the American roster for the Polyak Imre Memorial. They are:
55 kg: Jayden Raney (NYAC)
60 kg: Max Black (NYAC/NTS)
63 kg: Ellis Coleman (Army/WCAP)
67 kg: Alston Nutter (Army/WCAP)
77 kg: Kamal Bey (Army/WCAP)
82 kg: Beka Melelashvili (NYAC)
87 kg: Payton Jacobson (NYAC/NTS)
130 kg: Cohlton Schultz (Atreus WC)
The rest of the contingent are likewise accomplished Senior competitors, three of whom are current National Team members.
*– 2025 NT member
55 kg: Brady Koontz (TMWC/Dubuque RTC)
60 kg: Dylan Koontz (TMWC/Dubuque RTC)
*67: Otto Black (NYAC/NTS)
*72 kg: Aliaksandr Kikiniou Jr. (NYAC)
*130 kg: Aden Attao (Beaver Dam RTC)
130 kg: Courtney Denzel Freeman (Marines)
Rankings & Schedule
Ranking points are of course available for athletes to earn in Budapest (what, with it being a “Ranking Series” tournament and all), though such an endeavor would appear an uphill battle for most of the USA roster. Nevertheless, even those ranked on the lower end very well could skyrocket in their respective brackets — provided said brackets are immensely-populated and their performances result in a medal. Coleman, #14 at 63 kg, is the highest-ranked US wrestler entering action in Hungary, with Bey (world #17, 77 kg, silver at this event in ’23), Jacobson (#18, 87 kg) Black (world #22, 60 kg), and Schultz (world #27, 130 kg) all in the mix, as well, to potentially come away with points yields which translate to a top-8 seed at the World Championships. Below are the current rankings for each USA Greco-Roman World Team member who is set to compete this week followed by their point totals.
55 kg: Raney — #36 — 5,000
60 kg: Black — #22 — 13,050
63 kg: Coleman — #14 — 16,200
67 kg: Nutter — #63 — 3,500
77 kg: Bey — #17 — 17,000
82 kg: Melelashvili — #47 — 5,000
87 kg: Jacobson — #18 — 13,400
130 kg: Schultz — #27 — 8,000
2025 Polyak Imre Memorial Schedule
The 2025 Polyak Imre Memorial, which will abide by the traditional one-day format, begins on Saturday, July 19 with three weight classes: 72 (Kikiniou), 87 (Jacobson), and 130 kg (Schultz). The event concludes on Sunday, July 20 with the remaining seven weight categories.
All times local (+6 hrs ET).
FLOWrestling will carry the broadcast live in the US (subscription required).
Saturday, July 19 (72, 87, &130 kg)
10:30am — Qualification rounds
1:30pm — Semifinals
2:30pm — Repechage
5:00pm-8:30pm — Finals and bronze-medal matches
Sunday, July 20 (55, 60, 63, 67, 77, 82, & 97 kg)
10:30am — Qualification rounds
1:30pm — Semifinals
2:30pm — Repechage
5:00pm-8:30pm — Finals and bronze-medal matches
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