The draws for each weight category at the 2025 World Championships have been released. Below are the opening-round match-ups for members of Team USA along with brief descriptions (where pertinent).
Note: at press time, the bracket for 97 kg (Michial Foy, Army/WCAP) is unavailable. Please stay tuned for that information to be released. Update: Foy’s draw is now included.
Thursday, September 18
55, 77, 82, & 130 kg
55 kg: Jayden Raney (NYAC)
vs. Koryun Sahradyan (UKR) — qualification round
Raney starts with a very tough and experienced opponent in Sahradyan, but there is likely some familiarity given that Ukraine came over to the US for a training camp back in June. Raney is not going to beat rigid and conventional Seniors by playing their game. Creating a lot of movement and kinetic scoring attempts is a pathway to potential success. Should the top US prospect advance to the next round, a showdown against viable Iraqi Sajjad Albidhan awaits; and if Raney can get it done against Albidhan, he will have multi-time World champ Eldaniz Azizli (AZE) in the quarters.
77 kg: Kamal Bey (Army/WCAP)
vs. Malkhas Amoyan (ARM) — qualification round
Bey has the opportunity to get one of his premier obstacles out of the way in the very first round with ’21 World champ/’24 Olympic bronze (and generally well-decorated) Amoyan, who is undoubtedly a key figure in this bracket. As one might gather, this is a doable proposition for Bey. Amoyan has power from par terre but he is not as explosive as Bey, nor is he as adaptable. Amoyan simply does all of the little things correctly and stays within himself, especially when the pressure is on. Bey can take all of that away with one scrambly score and some clutch defense. If/when Bey disposes of Amoyan, he will have ’17 World silver Mateusz Bernatek (POL) or Arman Karapetyan (UWW), both of whom he can handle. Way down on the bottom portion of his side of the bracket resides sporadic rival and two-time World silver Sanan Suleymanov (AZE), which would make for quite a compelling semifinal.
82 kg: Beka Melelashvili (NYAC)
vs. Shahin Badaghi Mofrad (QAT) — qualification round
Melelashvili, U23 World runner-up in ’24, is expected to somehow find a way to go over Mofrad and then take on ’22 U23 World gold Gurban Gurbanov (AZE). Again, as with Raney, familiarity might be a thing here. The US got hands-on with Azerbaijan in the spring, Melelashvili had a great camp in the Eastern European nation, and probably had felt Gurbanov even prior to that. Not an easy match-up, but certainly an attainable one. Should this unfold in Beka’s favor, it could be off to the races for him as far as a medal is concerned.
130 kg: Cohlton Schultz (Atreus WC)
vs. Sergey Semenov (UWW) — qualification round
Schultz is getting precisely what he wants in a tournament like this one, which is an opportunity to test himself against the best. He begins with two-time Olympic bronze and ’18 World champ Semenov (who downed American Adam Coon to earn that gold). Semenov, despite being a heavyweight, is quite versatile and explosive, though he might not be as fluid as he was prior to injuries, recovery, and lapses in competition. Still, every bit as formidable in this context. The following round would see Schultz dance with either Matti Kuosmanen (FIN) or Yuta Nara (JPN). Kuosmanen is a rough customer who plays tight and physical. Schultz speaks that language. Nara is more languid, but well-schooled. Two wins in the bracket for Schultz provides a shot against World champ/Olympic bronze Amin Mirzazadeh (IRI). That would be a thunderous and enjoyable tussle if it is presented.
Friday, September 19
60, 72, & 97 kg
60 kg: Max Black (NYAC/NTS)
vs. Aidos Sultangali (KAZ) — qualification round
Black already knows that he has to dig deep each and every moment of this tournament, and he will have a chance to work that out in real-time opposite two-time World bronze Sultangali, who is an intuitive and dynamic scorer from top and on-the-feet. There should be windows here for Black to open because of that. In Sultangali, he has someone who is willing to engage and not just wait for par terre. The same competitive fire that has accompanied Black in each of his most impressive wins over the past two years is what he needs to take with him in match-ups like this one. Should Black prevail over KAZ, it will either be rising star Melkamu Fetene (ISR) or Jamal Valizadeh (UWW) in the proceeding round.
72 kg: Alex Sancho (Army/WCAP)
vs. Ibrahim Ghanem (FRA) — qualification round
It is a challenging side of the bracket for Sancho but he could generate some momentum by getting past Ghanem — who is strong, well-rounded, and experienced — but not as potent offensively as Sancho is and can be when he is locked-in. If Sancho knocks off Ghanem, young Gor Khachatryan (ARM) or Oscar Barrios Roches (HON) will be next in line. You obviously don’t look past anyone in this tournament, but Sancho would be expected to defeat both gentlemen. The sledding gets thicker after the first two rounds with ’22 World bronze Amanteur Ismailov (KGZ) and Seyed Sohrabi (IRI) both looming as potential opponents in the quarterfinal. Sancho against either athlete would make for an equally winnable and exciting match for him.
97 kg: Michial Foy (Army/WCAP)
vs. Mindaugas Venckaitis (LTU) — qualification round
Foy is scheduled to do business with Venckaitis, who has been a rising upper-weight for Lithuania, as well as that country’s surprise entrant into last year’s Paris Olympiad. Venckaitis is a strong pummeler with stout positioning and an efficient top game. In other words, he is prototypical. Foy’s best asset at this stage of his development is pressure-release. He can create subtle but dynamic counter-pressure from which to snare arm drags and go-behinds. A very smooth style he has, but it still requires some seasoning. As is the case with most Americans, especially younger athletes, par terre bottom is a vulnerability for Foy, though he is said to have made relevant improvements in this phase throughout the training block. A win over Lithuania puts Foy opposite either longstanding Georgian Giorgi Melia or young Rakhat Berzhanov (KAZ). One by one. There is no other choice, anyway. Foy, who is one of five US athletes making their Senior World debuts, is still accumulating top-level experience in real time, and this is a tournament in which he can make an impact while receiving on-the-job training.
Saturday, September 20
63, 67, & 87 kg
63 kg: Ellis Coleman (Army/WCAP)
vs. Moamen Mohamed (EGY) — qualification round
The first match for Coleman could pave the way for his entire performance. If he is well-recovered after weigh-ins, he should have a great chance to down Mohamed. What happens next is the whole deal. Coleman, in a more pronounced fashion than usual, has had a tendency to grow stronger in each subsequent round of an event since dropping to 63. If such a thing holds, it would certainly speak well to Coleman’s candidacy against the likes of Hector Sanchez Zapata (MEX) or Azatyan Achilov (TKM)… and two matches past that, Ellis would meet up with ’24 U23 World gold Vitalie Eriomenco (MDA) in the quarters, whom he had already vanquished once this past winter. There is a path to a medal here for Coleman if he is operating on all cylinders.
67 kg: Alston Nutter (Army/WCAP)
vs. Dominik Etlinger (CRO) — qualification round
Cut out all of the pretense. Nutter, whose Greco IQ is among the highest in the country, has to keep it simple against Etlinger, who is very much one wrestler who likes to feast from top par terre. The trite phrase “turn and not get turned” comes to mind. Etlinger can be dominant from top, so taking away his best weapon is the key to success. In between, busying up the ties, level-changing, and darting angles for entries and possible attempts could keep Etlinger honest. Then again, Nutter should most assuredly already know this considering how much the US has trained with Croatia this year, and given Etlinger’s proximity to the US program in general. ’19 U23 World bronze/’24 Olympian Valentin Petic (MDA) or two-time age-group World medalist Aslanbek Salimov (POL) would be next. Petic more than Salimov profiles as a sound opponent for Nutter if only because the former is much more open and expressive on-the-feet. Nutter can hang with these top 67’s, which is saying something due to how deep the bracket is. But he has to take a confident, aggressive approach each step of the way in order to contend.
87 kg: Payton Jacobson (NYAC/NTS)
vs. Karan Kamboj (IND) — qualification round
Jacobson will be tested in spaces by Kamboj, but those are tests he should pass, resulting in what, on paper, will probably be a rematch from the ’24 Paris Games against former age-group dynamo/’24 Euro gold Aleksander Komarov (SRB). Komarov, who hails from Russia, defeated Jacobson in the opening round at the Olympics, so it is a situation in which Jacobson has an opportunity to even the slate. He can pull this off by beating on Komarov relentlessly and defending when it counts. That is a worthwhile gameplan for Jacobson to explore in each round at this tournament. Potential opponents for Jacobson past Komarov include ’19 World titlist/two-time Olympian Lasha Gobadze (GEO), Islam Evloev (KAZ), two-time U20 World silver Vigen Nazaryan (ARM), and ’22 U23 World Champion Exauce Mukubu (NOR), the latter of whom Jacobson defeated last year in, of all places, Zagreb.
2025 World Championships Schedule
*All times local (+6 hours ET).
*Streaming available in the US on FLOWrestling (subscription required).
Thursday, September 18 (DAY 1 — 55, 77, 82, & 130 kg)
10:30am — Qualification rounds
4:30pm — Semifinals
Friday, September 19 (DAY 2 — 60, 72, & 97 kg)
10:30am — Qualification rounds/repechage for Day 1 weights
4:45pm — Semifinals
6:00pm — Finals/bronze rounds for Day 1 weights
Saturday, September 20 (DAY 3 — 63, 67, & 87 kg)
10:30am — Qualification rounds/repechage for Day 2 weights
4:45pm — Semifinals
6:00pm — Finals/bronze rounds for Day 2 weights
Sunday, September 21 (DAY 4)
4:30pm — Repechage for Day 3 weights
6:00pm — Finals/bronze rounds for Day 3 weights
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