ZAGREB, CROATIA • Real Woods not only exits Arena Zagreb with a World bronze medal, but he does so as only the third American wrestler in the past twenty years to earn any medal at 65/66kg. For Woods, who has had quite the run this past year as he has made the transition to Freestyle wrestling, he has, if nothing else, solidified himself as the American to beat at this weight moving forward in the quad.
In the qualifier of his World Championship debut, Woods came out and won his first match by a technical superiority over Moldova’s Maxim Sacultan, 14-2, in 3:38. However, entering his second match, he would lose to the number one seed and returning Olympic and World Champion, Iran’s Rahman Amouzadkhalili. This loss meant that Amouzadkhalili would have to advance to the finals if Woods was going to be pulled back into the repechage. And that is exactly what happened.
Now back in the tournament, it was Woods’ opportunity to stake his claim on one of the sport’s greatest stages and prove to the world that he not only belonged, but that he had arrived.
In his first repechage bout, he would advance by a 10-0 technical superiority in 1:03, before having to face and then defeat India’s Sujeet Sujeet, 7-5. With that second win, Woods had guaranteed himself in the bronze medal match, and now all he had to do was perform one more time and, just like that, his life would be forever changed.
Woods would have to face Canada’s Peiman Biabani, and even though Woods would have the lead headed into the break, he knew the next activity clock would go against him—and it did. With the match tied 1-1 with about 1:45 remaining, it would come down to the more aggressive wrestler. As Woods’ run had already proven prior to reaching Croatia, he was built for the final minutes, even the final seconds, of matches where he had been able to secure victories.
For Woods, who made an effort to stay on the attack and continue to protect the center and move forward, he was soon rewarded with a passivity call against Biabani. With Biabani now on the activity clock, it was Woods’ defense that would shine through.
With under a minute remaining, and an attacking Biabani, Woods would claim the one point for the Canadian’s inability to score, and then Woods would score one more point after a lost challenge by America’s neighbor to the north. He would collect a 3-1 victory and his first World medal.
“In that last match,” Woods explained in his post-match interview about his mindset going into the second period of the medal match, “I just had to keep going. I made it certain that I was going to go get him, even if I made myself a little vulnerable. I just had to go after it. What do I have to lose? I have to go out there and perform and put all that I have into it.”
Moving forward, now World medalist Real Woods will have the opportunity to continue his growth and craft in his freestyle wrestling, as well as return to the states with a greater understanding of how the rest of the world wrestles as he now resets his sights on retaining and maintaining the American weight as the quad slowly narrows its focus towards Los Angeles in 2028.
Here is a look at Real Woods’ World Championship at 65kg:
QUALIFY • Woods defeated Maxim Sacultan, Moldova / TS, 14-2 (3:38)
1/8 FINAL • Woods defeated by Rahman Amouzadkhalili, Iran / TS, 12-1 (4:59)
REP-03 • Woods defeated Ikromzhon Khadzhimurodov, Kyrgyzstan / TS, 10-0 (1:03)
REP-02 • Woods defeated Sujeet Sujeet, India / Dec, 7-5
BRONZE • Woods defeated Peiman Biabani, Canada / Dec, 3-1
Gomez continues to excite, compete at a high level
Austin Gomez came out firing at the World Championship inside the 70kg bracket; however, after two wins by technical superiority, he would suffer a loss in the quarterfinals, and, soon after, his opponent who defeated him, Nurkozha Kaipanov of Kazakhstan, would fail to advance to the championships side of the bracket and, thus, eliminate Gomez from further competition.
In that loss, a 10-8 decision, Gomez was all Gomez. With his high energy and excitement and willingness to simply go for it being on full display for the world to see, Gomez is right there in the medal mix and conversation moving forward. And, even in his loss, he showed that he can hang with and be in position to win big matches. And now, with that experience, it is undoubtedly true that he will learn and come back even stronger and more dangerously than ever as his young international career on the senior circuit continues.
Here is a look at Austin Gomez’s (Mexico) World Championship at 70kg:
QUALIFY • Gomez defeated Haydar Yavuz, Turkey / TS, 13-2 (3:43)
1/8 FINAL • Gomez defeated Khairiddine Ben Tlili, Tunisia / TS, 10-0 (1:32)
1/4 FINAL • Gomez defeated by Nurkozha Kaipanov, Kazakhstan / Dec, 10-8
•• Kaipanov would lose in the 1/2 Final to Tulga Tumur Ochir, Mongolia, 5-2, and this eliminated Gomez from the tournament •• Nurkozha Kaipanov finished with a bronze medal ••
• TC LIFONTI / LEAD WRITER FOR ILLINOIS MATMEN / tclifonti.com
