USA Greco

Ukraine Dominates NYC; Couch Leads USA Effort at ’24 Farrell

By 5PM Staff

Posted on November 9, 2024

2024 bill farrell memorial, joseph couch, greco-roman

Joseph Couch -- Image: FLOWrestling

In a tournament that featured a large number of highly-accomplished international competitors, Ukraine walked away with five champions and 11 total placewinners.

The final round of the 2024 Bill Farrell Memorial International began at 6:00pm ET on Friday and streamed live on FLOWrestling.

not all roads lead to gold, parent edition, jim gruenwald

The Ukrainian delegation — which is headed to the Olympic Training Center for a camp next week — boasted 11 wrestlers in the event and all of them made the podium (though at 63 kg, Viktor Petryk was only one of two entrants in the bracket). It should also be noted that UKR did not have any athletes at either 55 or 60 kilograms.

For those from the United States, the ’24 Bill Farrell presented a unique opportunity to gain experience against a wealth of authentic foreign athletes. Aside from Ukraine, wrestlers from Egypt, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Korea, and Albania were also in the mix. As mentioned in the mid-session recap, this year’s edition of the Bill Farrell Memorial included the highest-percentage of foreign representatives relative to the US contingent in quite some time.

USA Overview: Couch, Creese, & Del Gallo

Joseph Couch (West Point WC), who claims former top US lightweight Jessy Williams among his coaches, delivered an eye-opening performance in the 60 kg bracket before eventually walking away with gold. Couch blitzed Albania’s Bajram Sina in the quarterfinal and decisioned promising upstart Rhett Peak (Checkmate WC) in the semifinal. Meanwhile, on the opposite of the bracket resided another top prospect, Paxton Creese (Minnesota Storm). Creese generated shockwaves earlier in the morning by toughing out a decision over Yernar Fidakhmetov (KAZ), last year’s Farrell champ in this weight division.

In the final, Couch operated with a 3-0 lead heading into the second period and added four more. Down 7-0, Creese narrowed the gap in the waning stages of the bout, but Couch held strong to earn the 7-3 victory along with his first Senior international title.

At 55 kg, Peter Del Gallo (Southside WC) pinned Kim Jong-Hyeon (KOR) and subsequently edged the similarly young and talented Fabian Gutierrez (West Point WC) by a score of 7-6. That win put Del Gallo in the final opposed by longtime Senior competitor Marat Garipov (BRA). Garipov, who turned 40 years of age in September, is a product of Kazakhstan and has enjoyed a very impressive career with multiple wins and placings from top-tier events. Thus, the gap in experience between Del Gallo and Garipov is a significant one. Still, the American managed to hang in against the veteran. Garipov scored on a pair of body attacks plus a correct throw in the first period to surge ahead 6-0. There was no scoring in the conclusive frame, which gave Garipov his second gold medal of ’24 after also winning the Ljubomir Gedza Memorial this past June.

Freeman with Second NY Silver

Courtney Denzel Freeman (130 kg, Marines) took another step forward in his Greco-Roman career on Friday by earning his second-consecutive Bill Farrell Memorial silver medal. Freeman got past both Tom Foote (NYAC) and young Min Seunggyu (KOR) via technical superiority to make the heavyweight final. On the top side of the bracket, three-time Junior /’18 U23 World champ Zviadi Pataridze (GEO) had survived a bullish showdown against ’22 U20 World gold Mykhailo Vyshnyvetskyi (UKR) in the semifinal.

The potential for an offensive slugfest was on the table given Freeman’s methods and style and Pataridze’s general explosiveness. The Georgian opened the scoring with a step-out (that was inappropriately attached to fleeing knock against Freeman) to go up 2-0 — and a feet-to-back sequence off the edge following the restart gave Pataridze a 6-0 advantage on the board. Freeman — both through the remainder of the first and into the second — dug in and tried to create the kind of movement that could off-balance Pataridze or, better yet, compel a window to lock and throw. But Pataridze held firm, defended and deflected any and all advances and — especially with the referee opting to avoid calling passivities — the score remained unchanged, resulting in Freeman finishing as the runner-up.

Six USA Bronze

After falling to Garipov, Gutierrez rebounded with wins over young age-grouper William Jakeway and Kim to stamp down his first bronze.

Five other United States representatives placed 3rd, as well.

Peak likewise bounced back in the consolation bracket by defeating NMU freshman Anthony Santana and Ruben Calederon (Paradigm Wrestling). Calderon challenged Peak through much of the contest and held a 1-0 passive lead entering Period 2 until the latter took advantage of his own passivity/PT chance and scored a four-pointer in what eventually became a 6-2 victory. It was at this tournament in ’23 where Peak made his Senior-level debut.

Well-known American Greco-Roman competitor Hunter Lewis (Wolfpack/OTC) had gotten off to a fast start by flattening Albania’s Jurgen Uku inside of :30, but he would be on the wrong end of a 6-0 decision to Ukrainian Oleksander Hrushyn in the semifinal. Lewis defeated Logan Savvy (NYAC) and Uku (again) to make the podium.

Peyton Robb (Nebraska Wrestling TC) and Aliaksandr Kikiniou (Poway — and not to be confused with his father who was recently a USA World Team member at 82 kg) engaged in a first-round shootout that ended with Kikiniou triumphing by a score of 10-9. Therefore, Robb had to take the long way to a potential 3rd-place finish. In order, Robb downed Charlie McKune (NMU/NTS), ’24 U20 World Teamer Patrick Brackett (who had impressive moments in his own right on Friday) and Aly Abdelhamid (EGY) to advance to the bronze round. Once there, a rematch was in order with Kikiniou. It was another tense and entertaining match-up. Robb owned a 2-0 lead with a minute remaining when Kikiniou was awarded top par terre; Kikiniou was then able to score a gutwrench and inch ahead via criteria; however, Robb immediately bounded up following the turn and soon snared a front headlock to drive Kikiniou off the edge for a step-out point. That sequence proved the difference as Robb prevailed 3-2 in a return bout that was just as thrilling as their first affair.

’21 Senior/three-time U23 World Team member Jesse Porter (NYAC) had missed weight for the 77 kg division and was forced to bump up to 82. Porter blew Abdullah Aldossary‘s (KSA) doors off in the quarterfinal but then lost to Hungarian (and eventual champ) Peter Nagy. On the bracket’s backside, Porter decisioned both ’21 U23 World rep Tommy Brackett (NYAC) and Patrick Curran (NMU/NTS). The bronze gave Porter his fourth medal from the Bill Farrell Memorial.

Rounding out the parade of bronze medalists for the United States was Mike Altomer (87 kg, Curby 3-Style). Altomer — who last year made both the U20 and U23 World Teams before qualifying for the Olympic Trials at 97 kg — pounded out Boris Frrokaj (ALB) via fall but fell to recent Thor Masters winner Artur Ovsepyan (UKR) in the semifinal. “Muscle Mike” defeated NMU’s Mason Parsons in the consolation semifinal and closed out his day with another win-by-pin at the expense of Frrokaj.