By Richard Immel
USA Wrestling
TIRANA, Albania – The U.S. men’s freestyle squad punctuated the 2024 Senior World Championships with bronze medal performances from past World champions David Taylor and Vito Arujau on Thursday evening at Tirana’s Feti Borova Sports Hall.

At 92 kg, Taylor took out two-time World champion Kamran Ghasempour of Iran 6-2 in a marquee showdown. Ghasempour led 2-0 at the period break after securing a takedown during activity time. It was all Taylor in the second frame. He picked up his pace significantly and emerged with three takedowns, including the match clincher with three seconds on the board.

The win sends Taylor, who was the Ohio and National winner of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award in 2009, out in style with a fifth World medal to go along with his gold from the Tokyo Olympics. Taylor, who is embarking on his first season as the head coach at Oklahoma State University, is a three-time World champion. He spent extra time on the raised mat after his match, soaking in the environment and waving to the crowd. United World Wrestling presented Taylor with a special token on center mat to celebrate his retirement from the sport.

Taylor went 2-0 during the repechage rounds earlier in the day to put himself in the bronze medal match. He defeated 2021 World bronze medalist Abubakr Abakarov of Azerbaijan 3-1 to open the session and followed with an 11-1 technical fall over 2021 U23 World bronze medalist Lars Schaefle of Germany.

Arujau thoroughly impressed in an 8-3 victory over Tokyo Olympic champion and two-time World champion Zavur Uguev, an Individual Neutral Athlete, in the 61 kg bronze medal bout. He pounced for four takedowns and displayed excellent counter abilities against the formidable Russian.

It is the second Senior-level World medal for Arujau, who was the 61 kg World champion in Belgrade, Serbia, last year. Arujau also owns World silver medals from the U17 and U20 age divisions.

The U.S. men’s freestyle team finished in fourth place with 34 team points. Japan and Georgia tied for the first-place team trophy with 55 team points each. Both countries had three medalists, one of every color. Iran came in third place with 41 team points.

The U.S. team point total was aided by 2012 Olympic champion and six-time World champion Jordan Burroughs, who earned a ninth-place finish and four team points at 79 kg. Two-time World medalist James Green finished just outside the top 10 at 70 kg, slotting in 11th place.

Complete brackets and match-by-match results from the Senior World Championships are available on UWW Arena. Archived matches from the event are available for the U.S. market at FloWrestling.com.

Revisit the details of each U.S. match from today in our day four match notes article.

2024 Senior World Championships | Tirana, Albania, October 31

Men’s Freestyle Results

Team Ranking

T1. Georgia, 55

T1. Japan, 55

3. Iran, 41

4. United States, 34

5. Kazakhstan, 31

6. Mongolia, 31

7. Slovakia, 30

8. Turkey, 20

9. Azerbaijan, 18

10. Tajikistan, 15

Final Results

61 kg

Gold – Masanosuke Ono (Japan)

Silver – Ahmet Duman (Turkey)

Bronze – Tsogbadrakh Tseveensuren (Mongolia)

Bronze – Vito Arujau (United States)

5th – Nuraddin Novruzov (Azerbaijan)

5th – Zavur Uguev (Individual Neutral Athlete)

7th – Reza Momenijoujadeh (Iran)

8th – Azamat Tuskaev (Serbia)

9th – Joseph Silva (Puerto Rico)

10th – Arman Eloyan (France)

Gold – Masanosuke Ono (Japan) tech. fall Ahmet Duman (Turkey), 10-0

Bronze – Tsogbadrakh Tseveensuren (Mongolia) fall Nuraddin Novruzov (Azerbaijan), 2:29

Bronze – Vito Arujau (United States) dec. Zavur Uguev (Individual Neutral Athlete), 8-3

70 kg

Gold – Nurkozha Kaipanov (Kazakhstan)

Silver – Yoshinosuke Aoyagi (Japan)

Bronze – Inalbek Sheriev (Individual Neutral Athlete)

Bronze – Abdulmazhid Kudiev (Tajikistan)

5th – Vasyl Shuptar (Ukraine)

5th – Akaki Kemertelidze (Georgia)

7th – Sina Khalili (Iran)

8th – Kanan Heybatov (Azerbaijan)

9th – Mitchell Finesilver (Israel)

10th – Eriglent Prizreni (Albania)

Gold – Nurkozha Kaipanov (Kazakhstan) dec. Yoshinosuke Aoyagi (Japan), 5-3

Bronze – Inalbek Sheriev (Individual Neutral Athlete) tech. fall Vasyl Shuptar (Ukraine), 10-0

Bronze – Abdulmazhid Kudiev (Tajikistan) tech. fall Akaki Kemertelidze (Georgia), 13-2

79 kg

Gold – Avtandil Kentchadze (Georgia)

Silver – Magomed Magomaev (Individual Neutral Athlete)

Bronze – Mohammad Nokhodilarimi (Iran)

Bronze – Akhsarbek Gulaev (Slovakia)

5th – Kota Takahashi (Japan)

5th – Suldkhuu Olonbayar (Mongolia)

7th – Shane Jones (Puerto Rico)

8th – Daulet Yergesh (Kazakhstan)

9th – Jordan Burroughs (United States)

10th – Lucas Kahnt (Germany)

Gold – Avtandil Kentchadze (Georgia) dec. Magomed Magomaev (Individual Neutral Athlete), 13-4

Bronze – Mohammad Nokhodilarimi (Iran) tech. fall Kota Takahashi (Japan), 10-0

Bronze – Akhsarbek Gulaev (Slovakia) dec. Suldkhuu Olonbayar (Mongolia), 2-1

92 kg

Gold – Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Individual Neutral Athlete)

Silver – Miriani Maisuradze (Georgia)

Bronze – David Taylor (United States)

Bronze – Batyrbek Tsakulov (Slovakia)

5th – Kamran Ghasempour (Iran)

5th – Benjamin Honis (Italy)

7th – Ivan Ichizli (Moldova)

8th – Gankhuyag Ganbaatar (Mongolia)

9th – Lars Schaefle (Germany)

10th – Abubakr Abakarov (Azerbaijan)

Gold – Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Individual Neutral Athlete) dec. Miriani Maisuradze (Georgia), 6-0

Bronze – David Taylor (United States) dec. Kamran Ghasempour (Iran), 6-2

Bronze – Batyrbek Tsakulov (Slovakia) dec. Benjamin Honis (Italy), 8-6

U.S. Men’s Freestyle Results

61 kg – Vito Arujau (Syosset, N.Y./Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC), bronze medal

WIN Udit Udit (India), 4-2

WIN Azamat Tuskaev (Serbia), 6-3

LOSS Masanosuke Ono (Japan), tech. fall, 12-0

WIN Zavur Uguev (Individual Neutral Athlete), 8-3

70 kg – James Green (Lincoln, Neb./Nebraska WTC/Titan Mercury WC), 11th place

WIN Peiman Biabani (Canada), 5-2

LOSS Akaki Kemertelidze (Georgia), 10-4

79 kg – Jordan Burroughs (Philadelphia, Pa./Pennsylvania RTC), 9th place

WIN Zelimkhan Khadjiev (France), 4-0

WIN Magomet Evloev (Tajikistan), 4-2

LOSS Mohammad Nokhodilarimi (Iran), 6-4

92 kg – David Taylor (Centre Hall, Pa./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC), bronze medal

LOSS Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Individual Neutral Athlete), 7-0

WIN Abubakr Abakarov (Azerbaijan), 3-1

WIN Lars Schaefle (Germany), tech. fall, 11-1

WIN Kamran Ghasempour (Iran), 6-2