Snyder, Macchiavello win men’s freestyle bronzes at Muhamet Malo Ranking Event in Albania

TIRANA, Albania –Two U.S. men’s freestyle wrestlers claimed bronze medals at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Event on Thursday evening:  Kyle Snyder (97 kg) and Michael Macchiavello (92 kg).

Snyder totally dominated his bronze-medal opponent, Dato Piruzashvili of Georgia, in an 11-0 technical fall. Snyder scored three takedowns, a turn and a step out for a 9-0 lead at the break. He closed it out early in the second period with a spin behind takedown.

In the semifinals, Snyder dropped a 5-5 criteria decision to Arash Yoshida of Japan. Yoshida scored a takedown and turn late in the match to tie it up and secure criteria.  Snyder had wins over two tough opponents to start the day, beating Mojtaba Goleij of Iran, 3-2 and Aliaksandr Hushtyn of UWW, 3-0.

Snyder had a grueling few days of competition. On Tuesday, he won two matches in the Professional Wrestling League PWL 8 card in Astana, Kazakhstan, then flew directly to Tirana to compete today.

Macchiavello was the aggressor in a 3-1 decision over Ahmed Bataev of Bulgaria for the bronze medal. Bataev was twice placed on the shot clock and could not score, giving Macchiavello two points. Both athletes secured a step out point.

Macchiavello started his day with technical falls over Nurdaulet Bekenov of Kazakhstan and Narenmandhuhai Narenmandhuhai of China. He was defeated in the semifinals by Alan Bagaev of UWW, 8-0.

The men’s freestyle competition is now completed at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Event. Iran won the team title with 135 points, with the United States second with 97 points and Japan third with 93 points.

The USA finished the men’s freestyle event with five medals. On Wednesday, Chance Marsteller won a gold at 86 kg, Real Woods won a bronze at 65 kg and Will Lewan won a bronze at 70 kg.

The U.S. performance in women's freestyle is reported in a separate article.

The event is being broadcast live on FloWrestling.

Brackets are posted on UWW Arena

MUHAMET MALO RANKING SERIES EVENT

At Tirana, Albania, February 26-March 2

Men’s freestyle results

79 kg

Gold - Gadzhimurad Alikhmaev (UWW)

Silver - Vladimeri Gamkrelidze (Georgia), 4-1

Bronze – Ahmad Magomedov (North Macedonia)

Bronze –Khidir Kurban Saipudinov (Bahrain)

5^th - Evan Wick (USA)

5^th - Hayk Papikyan (Armenia)

7^th - David McFadden (USA)

8^th - Nan Cao (China)

9^th - Ion Laurentiu Marcu (Moldova)

10^th - Shane Jones (Puerto Rico)

Gold - Gadzhimurad Alikhmaev (UWW) dec. Vladimeri Gamkrelidze (Georgia), 4-1

Bronze – Ahmad Magomedov (North Macedonia) inj. dft. Evan Wick (USA)

Bronze –Khidir Kurban Saipudinov (Bahrain) dec. Hayk Papikyan (Armenia), 5-2

92 kg

Gold – Khamran Ghasempour (Iran)

Silver - Alan Bagaev (UWW)

Bronze – Michael Macchiavello (USA)

Bronze – Feyzullah Akturk (Turkey)

5^th - Ahmed Bataev (Bulgaria)

5^th - Miriani Maisuradze (Georgia)

7^th - Boris Makoev (Slovakia)

8^th - Samuel Scherrer (Switzerland)

9^th - Yaraslau Iadkouski (UWW)

10^th - Nurdaulet Bekenov (Kazakhstan)

Gold – Khamran Ghasempour (Iran) tech fall Alan Bagaev (UWW), 10-0

Bronze – Michael Macchiavello (USA) dec. Ahmed Bataev (Bulgaria), 3-1

Bronze – Feyzullah Akturk (Turkey) inj. dft. Miriani Maisuradze (Georgia)

97 kg

Gold - Arash Yoshida (Japan)

Silver - Erfan Ali Alizadeh Malafeh (Iran)

Bronze – Kyle Snyder (USA)

Bronze – Magomedgadji Nurov (North Macedonia)

5^th - Dato Piruzashvili (Georgia)

5^th - Batyrbek Tsakulov (Slovakia)

7^th - Aliaksandr Hushtyn (UWW)

8^th - Radu Lefter (Moldova)

9^th - Richard Vegh (Hungary)

10^th - Ricardo Adrian Baez (Argentina)

Gold - Arash Yoshida (Japan) dec. Erfan Ali Alizadeh Malafeh (Iran), 3-2

Bronze – Kyle Snyder (USA) tech fall Dato Piruzashvili (Georgia) 11-0

Bronze – Magomedgadji Nurov (North Macedonia) dec. Batyrbek Tsakulov (Slovakia), 4-0

125 kg

Gold – Amir Zare (Iran)

Silver - Zelimkhan Khizriev (UWW)

Bronze – Dzianis Khramiankoy (UWW)

Bronze – Kamil Kosciolek (Poland)

5^th - Hakan Buyukcingil (Turkey)

5^th - Givi Matcharashvili (Georgia)

7^th - Solomon Manashvili (Georgia)

8^th - Shamil Magomed A Sharipov (Bahrain)

9^th - Omar Eyubov (Kazakhstan)

10^th - Demetrius Thomas (USA)

Gold – Amir Zare (Iran) tech fall Zelimkhan Khizriev (UWW), 10-0

Bronze – Dzianis Khramiankoy (UWW) inj dft. Hakan Buyukcingil (Turkey), 4:26

Bronze – Kamil Kosciolek (Poland) dec. Givi Matcharashvili (Georgia), 3-1

U.S. Men’s Freestyle results

79 kg: David McFadden, Ithaca, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC/Spartan RTC), 7^th place

WIN Petar Petkov (Bulgaria), tech fall, 11-0

LOSS Khidir Kurban Saipudinov (Bahrain), 11-5

79 kg: Evan Wick, San Gabriel, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/SoCal RTC), 5^th place

WIN Ryunosuke Kamiya (Japan), 8-0

WIN Nan Cao (China), 7-0

LOSS Gadzhimurad Alikhmaev (UWW), inj. dft.

LOSS Ahmad Magomedov (North Macedonia), inj dft.

92 kg: Michael Macchiavello, Northampton, Pa. (Titan Mercury WC/Lehigh Valley WC), bronze medal

WIN Nurdaulet Bekenov (Kazakhstan), tech fall 10-0

WIN Narenmandhuhai Narenmandhuhai (China), tech fall 11-0

LOSS Alan Bagaev (UWW), 8-0

WIN Ahmed Bataev (Bulgaria), 3-1

97 kg: Kyle Snyder, State College, Pa. (Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC), bronze medal

WIN Mojtaba Goleij (Iran), 3-2

WIN Aliaksandr Hushtyn (UWW), 3-0

LOSS Arash Yoshida (Japan), 5-5

WIN Dato Piruzashvili (Georgia), tech fall 11-0

125 kg: Jordan Wood, Gilbertsville, Pa. (NYAC/Lehigh Valley WC), 11^th place

LOSS Shamil Magomed Sharipov (Bahrain), 4-2

125 kg: Demetrius Thomas, Providence, R.I. (NYAC), 10^th place

LOSS Zelimkhan Khizriev (UWW), tech fall 16-4

LOSS Kamil Kosciolek of Poland, tech fall, 10-0

Men’s freestyle team standings

1. Iran, 135

2. United States, 97

3. Japan, 93

4. Georgia, 89

5. Kazakhstan, 63

6. Kyrgyzstan, 61

7. Armenia, 40

8. Slovakia, 38

9. North Macedonia, 38

10. Moldova, 37

(of 26 nations)