Father and son Kikiniou’s reach Group A finals at Senior Greco-Roman World Team Trials

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Group A finals are set in the Senior Greco-Roman World Team Trials at the 2025 CLAW U.S. Open in Las Vegas, Nevada.

A father/son duo has advanced to the best-of-three championships finals, both named Aliaksandr Kikiniou. Kikiniou Sr., a past Senior World Team member, made his way back into the U.S. Open finals at 77 kg, defeating Army WCAP’s. Britton Holmes, 9-0.

At 72 kg, Kikiniou Jr. found his rhythm with an 11-3 technical fall over Peyton Robb in the semifinals. This is one of his first tournaments at the Senior level, and he went 4-0 on the day with a decision, pin and technical fall.

A pair of experienced, strong competitors stand in their way. Kikiniou Sr.’s opponent is 2024 Olympian Kamal Bey, a familiar opponent. Bey’s speedy 10-0 technical fall over Aydin Rix McElhinney in the semifinals set up a rematch of the 2023 U.S. Open finals at this same weight, as well as the 2023 Final X matchup. Bey had a stellar day, spending 92 seconds on the mat between three matches.

In 2023, Bey won the U.S. Open over Kikiniou, securing a spot at Final X. Kikiniou then won the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament, setting up a rematch. Bey ultimately claimed the World Team spot at 77 kg, defeating Kikiniou in a best-of-three series. The two met again in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials best-of-three championship series, in which Bey was victorious.  

Alejandro Sancho, a 2020 Olympian and two-time Senior World Team member, looks to make his third World Team at 72 kg. Sancho’s 8-0 technical fall over 2024 Senior Pan American Championships bronze medalist Noah Wachsmuth propelled him back to the championship finals. Kikiniou Jr., a fresh competitor on the Senior level, aims to make his mark against Sancho in Friday’s championship series.

Along with a father/son duo, two brothers have advanced to the championship series from Group A. At 60 kg, Senior National Team member and three-time age-group World Team member Max Black pushed his way into the championship series, besting past Senior National Team member Randon Miranda, 4-1. He took a 3-0 lead after the first period, and held off Miranda’s offense, claiming a spot in the 60 kg finals.

Black will face 2023 Senior Men’s Freestyle World Team member Zane Richards in the best-of-three series. Richards, a high-level competitor in men’s freestyle, made the transition to Greco-Roman at the beginning of the year, and has already found success. In the quarterfinals, Richards shut down Isaiah Cortez’s hot streak, after Cortez knocked top seed Dalton Roberts to the consolation bracket.

Otto Black, Max Black’s younger brother, navigated his way to the finals with a 3-0 day that included three shut out technical falls. Black is a 2024 U20 World silver medalist, and has made a smooth transition to the Senior level. In three matches, he has outscored his opponents 26-0, ending all three in the first period.

His opponent in the finals is Alston Nutter of Army WCAP, a 2019 Junior World bronze medalist with an aggressive style. Nutter advanced with a technical fall and a pair of decisions, including a 7-1 decision over 2021 U23 World Team member David Stepanian in the semifinals.

It’s a battle between two experienced teammates at 63 kg, as Ildar Hafizov and Ellis Coleman, both of Army WCAP, face off for a World Team spot. This is a new weight class for both athletes, as Hafizov previously competed at 60 kg, while Coleman was at 67 kg.

Hafizov pinned Northern Michigan’s Kaden Ercanbrack in the semifinals, going 3-0 on the first day of action with two technical falls in the first two rounds. Coleman has been equally dominant, cruising through with three technical falls.

At 55 kg, Brady Koontz defeated two-time age-group World Team member Billy Sullivan in a 9-1 technical fall in the semifinals. Koontz, a two-time Senior World Team member, looks to make his third-straight trip to a Senior World Championships on Friday.

Rising star Jayden Raney, a 2024 U17 World Champion, propelled himself into the best-of-three series against Koontz with two technical falls. In just two matches, he has outscored his opponents 19-0, ending both early. The high school junior will aim to secure a spot on his first Senior World Team on Friday afternoon.

The 2025 CLAW U.S. Open Championships continue at 10 a.m. PT on Friday, with the first round of the championship series and medal matches for Group A. Senior Greco-Roman Group B, Senior Men’s Freestyle, U15 Freestyle and U17 Greco-Roman action begins on Friday, while the Senior Greco-Roman Group A and Senior Women’s Freestyle tournaments continue. A detailed schedule of events is available at usawrestlingevents.com.

All the action from Las Vegas will be broadcast live on FloWrestling. Brackets and match-by-match results are available through USA Bracketing, USA Wrestling’s new best-in-class event management software.