The first day didn’t go as planned for Kamal Bey (75 kg). A high-scoring loss to 2012 Golden Grand Prix winner Martin Szabo (HUN) and a defeat at the hands of Kus Emrah (TUR) left Bey with an 0-2 first day at the 2016 Greco Roman Clubs Cup in Budapest, Hungary. But with a new dawn came new opportunities for the 18-year old talent and he didn’t let them go to waste.
Bey was confident and aggressive in a 9-4 dismantling of Ruslan Rakhmatulaev (KGZ), coming back from a 4-0 deficit in the second period thanks to a startlingly quick arm throw and a timely double-overhook throw to take the match. The win was one of four for the US, which took the dual meet over Kyrgyzstan 4-4 on criteria.
In his other bout, Bey showed some of that heart-pounding excitement he brings to the table. He blitzed Ukraine’s Butkhuzi Karaia early in the first with a whipping headlock for four points. Karaia got two back when Bey missed on another throw attempt but that would wind up not mattering because from there, the American couldn’t be stopped. A wicked arm spin netted another four and two more were picked up from exposure (although Karaia was awarded two points in the sequence, as well).
With the score sitting at 10-4 and the end already in sight at just 1:30 into the match, Bey struck again. One more arm throw attempt led to Bey coming around back for the match-ending points. It was a high-energy 12-4 tech fall win for Bey and the lone victory for the Americans versus a tough Ukrainian squad.
Also making noise on the day were familiar faces Cheney Haight (80 kg) and G’Angelo Hancock (98 kg). Both wrestlers lost to their Ukrainian opponents and keeping in pattern, both won against Kyrgyzstan. Haight got by Bureo Beishalliev 6-3 and Hancock, who went 3-1 at the Greco Roman Clubs Cup, took apart Uzur Dzhuzupbekov via an 8-0 technical fall.
Notes:
- Team NYAC (USA) lost to Samson Club (Ukraine) 7-1 and as mentioned above, defeated Kyrgyzstan for an 11th place finish.
- Austin Morrow (66 kg) separated his shoulder versus Maksym Yevtushenko (UKR) and may need considerable recovery time before he competes again.
- Iran’s supposed “second” team wound up actually placing first in the event, as Sina Sanat Eizeh claimed gold over star-studded Istanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi (Turkey).
- The Non-Olympic Weight World Championships begin tomorrow in Budapest with Chris Gonzalez (71 kg) drawing the Czech Republic’s Flip Dubsky.
2016 Greco Roman Clubs Cup – US Results Day 2
Samson Club (UKR) – 7 Team NYAC (USA) – 1
59 kg: Denys Chebanov (UKR) def. Sammy Jones (USA) by fall (4-3)
66 kg: Maksym Yevtushenko (UKR) def. Austin Morrow (USA) 8-0, TF
71 kg: Olekssi Kalnichenko (UKR) def. Patrick Smith (USA) 6-4
75 kg: Kamal Bey (USA) def. Butkhuzi Karaia (UKR) 12-4, TF
80 kg: Andrii Antoniuk (UKR) def. Cheney Haight (USA) 8-0, TF
85 kg: Sergei Severeyn (UKR) def. Kevin Radford (USA) 11-7
98 kg: Mykola Krysov (UKR) def. G’Angelo Hancock (USA) 9-0, TF
130 kg: Mykola Kuchimi (UKR) def. Eric Fader (USA) 8-0, TF
Team NYAC (USA) – 4 Berkut (KGZ) – 4
59 kg: Elmar Bekuulu (KGZ) def. Sammy Jones (USA) 14-4, TF
66 kg: Bek Konurbayev (KGZ) won by forfeit
71 kg: Nurbek Abducaniev (KGZ) def. Patrick Smith (USA) 4-1
75 kg: Kamal Bey (USA) def. Ruslan Rakhmatulaev (KGZ) 9-4
80 kg: Cheney Haight (USA) def. Bureo Beishalliev (KGZ) 6-3
85 kg: Abdulaziz Ashimbekov (KGZ) def. Kevin Radford (USA) 8-0, TF
98 kg: G’Angelo Hancock (USA) def. Uzur Dzhuzupbekov (KGZ) by fall (9-0)
130 kg: Eric Fader (USA) won by default over Murat Ramonov (KGZ)
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