On Tuesday, Payton Jacobson (87 kg, NYAC/NTS) earned U23 World bronze. This morning, Otto Black (67 kg, NYAC/NTS) joined him as a new hardware holder — and two more Americans now have the opportunity to add to what is already a history-making team performance.
Day 3 of the 2025 U23 World Championships began at 10:00am local time from Novi Sad, Serbia (4:00am ET) and streamed live on FLOWrestling.
While Otto Black was preparing for the morning’s repechage round, his older brother Max Black (60 kg, NYAC/NTS) was getting set to begin his own tournament alongside returning U23 World silver Beka Melelashvili (82 kg, NYAC). Both athletes entered Novi Sad as favorable candidates to advance, and both were successful in their opening-round bouts to kickstart the third day of Greco-Roman action.
Black — a Senior World Team member this year after having made several age-group World rosters — did not actually have a match in the qualification round as he took a forfeit win against Alhaji Turay (SEL); Melelashvili, for his part, trailed Samandar Bobonazaranov (UZB) 3-0 in the first period of his first bout but struck back with a feet-to-back takedown and subsequent gut to go up 6-3 in what eventually became for him a 10-7 victory.
One round later, Black had to bite down for a tight 2-1 nod over Olivier Skrzypczak (POL), which put him in the quarterfinal against Zhaojian Wang (CHN). What was expected to be a barnburner wound up a drubbing. Black pounced on the first-period passivity/par terre to crank two gutwrenches for a 5-0 lead; then in the second period, he attacked Wang for a takedown and, as his opponent hurriedly went for a counter-throw, gained a pair of exposure points to end the match by way of technical superiority.
The semifinal for Black featured a showdown with Koto Gomi (JPN), to whom Black had fallen previously. Black fought hard, but Gomi was able to score with a takedown midway through the first period and, after a reset, capitalize from par terre top to prevail 8-0.
In the medal rounds tomorrow, Black will face either Suren Aghajanyan of Armenia or Melkamu Fetene (ISR). Black defeated Fetene last month at the Senior World Championships in Croatia.
As for Melelashvili, he, too, fought valiantly but came up short in the quarterfinal round against Ruslan Abdiev (UKR). Abdiev did triumph in his semifinal contest, therefore Melelashvili will have an opportunity to potentially reach the bronze round at 82 kg. In his first repechage match tomorrow morning, Melelashvili will battle the winner between Abolfazl Mohmedi (IRI) and Maimaiti Abudoushalamu (CHN). If Melelashvili advances past repechage, he will contest Data Chkhaidze, who hails from Georgia, Melelashvili’s native country. Melelashvili also defeated Chkhaidze last year at the U23 Worlds.
Remaining Schedule
Wrestling for Melelashvili resumes tomorrow morning at 10:00am local time (4:00am ET) and the medal rounds follow at 6:00pm local time (12:00pm ET). FLOWrestling is carrying the live broadcast for the US audience (subscription required).
2025 U23 World Championships
October 20-23 — Novi Sad, SRB
TEAM USA DAY 3 RESULTS
60 kg: Max Black (NYAC/NTS)
WON Alhaji Turay (SEL) via forfeit
WON Olivier Skrzypczak (POL) 2-1
WON Zhaojian Wang (CHN) 8-0, TF
LOSS Koto Gomi (JPN) 8-0, TF
vs. either Suren Aghajanyan (ARM) or Melkamu Fetene (ISR) — U23 World bronze medal round; Thursday evening
82 kg: Beka Melelashvili (NYAC)
WON Samandar Bobonazaranov (UZB) 10-7
LOSS Ruslan Abdiev (UKR) 2-1
vs. either Abolfazl Mohmedi (IRI) or Maimaiti Abudoushalamu (CHN) — repechage; Thursday morning
TEAM USA FULL RESULTS
55 kg: Kenny Crosby (NMU/NTS)
LOSS Vishvajit Ramchandra More (IND) 9-1, TF
63 kg: Kaden Ercanbrack (NMU/NTS) — 23rd
LOSS Jeremy Peralta Gonzalez (ECU) 9-0, TF
67 kg: Otto Black (NYAC/NTS) — BRONZE
WON Adomas Grigaliunas (LTU) 7-3
WON Yanis Guendez Nifri (FRA) via fall
LOSS Mohamed Abdelkerim (EGY) 1-1 (criteria)
WON Bagdat Sabaz (KAZ) 8-6
72 kg: Aliaksandr Kikiniou Jr. (NYAC)
LOSS Danil Grigorev (UWW) 3-0
77 kg: Aydin Rix-McElhinney (Northern Colorado WC) — 22nd
LOSS Temuri Orjonikidze (GEO) 4-1
LOSS Alexandru Solovei (MDA) 8-0, TF
87 kg: Payton Jacobson (NYAC/NTS) — BRONZE
WON Rohit Bura (IND) 8-0, TF
WON Gabriel Lupasco (MDA) 8-1
WON Zaur Shangereev (UWW) 5-1
LOSS Gholamreza Farokhisenjani (IRI) 9-0, TF
WON Lachin Valiyev (AZE) 5-3
97 kg: Max Ramberg (Viking WC)
LOSS Kiyo Kitawaki (JPN) 12-1, TF
130 kg: Aden Attao (NYAC) — 11th
WON Mikhailo Vyshnyvetskyi (UKR) 8-1
LOSS Laszlo Darabos (HUN) 9-0, TF
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