In the final dual of the UWW World Cup, Team USA rose to the top of the podium for the first time since 2003. The United States topped Azerbaijan, winning six of the ten bouts to seal the victory.
“The team did a great job,” head coach Bill Zadick said. “They wrestled hard. We understood Azerbaijan was going to be a tough match and it was. I think our guys wrestled pretty well. I’m happy for them. I’m happy for the USA to bring the cup back.”
The action started with Iowa alum Thomas Gilman wrestling Giorgi Edisherashvili. Gilman was down early after Edisherashvili landed a four-point takedown and a two-point exposure in the second period. Gilman tried to mount a comeback, but ultimately fell, 8-7, to Azerbaijan’s 57-kilogram wrestler.
Team USA found its rhythm quickly after when Kendric Maple won a 6-2 decision over Afgan Khashalov. Logan Stieber followed with another United States victory with a 6-3 decision over Haji Aliyev.
The Americans dropped the 70-kilogram match, as James Green lost 4-4 on criteria to Joshgun Azimov.
Tied 2-2, Team USA broke it open with three consecutive wins from Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Dake, and David Taylor.
Carver-Hawkeye erupted in cheers as Burroughs won by fall over Gasjimurad Omarov.
Dake followed suit by topping Olympic bronze medalist Jabrayil Hasanov, 5-3. Dake broke a 2-2 tie with a takedown in the second period. Taylor added a technical fall over Aleksander Gostiev to grow Team USA’s lead to 5-2.
Azerbaijan picked up another point when Aslanbek Alborov won a 4-4 decision with criteria over J’Den Cox.
Kyle Snyder clinched the title for the United States with a technical fall over Roman Bakirov. Snyder had a takedown in the first and three turns to go up 12-3. He scored another takedown in the second to seal the victory.
“It was nice to tech fall and have another opportunity to seal it up for the United States,” Snyder said. “I would always pick myself to go out there and wrestle when it comes down to the team — and we have a lot of good guys. But I feel real confident in my ability to wrestle under those types of circumstances.”
The United States, having already sealed the victory, dropped its final match of the weekend when Nick Gwiazdowski lost a 4-3 decision to Jamaladdin Majomedov.
Following the match, Team USA was presented with the 2018 World Cup and its wrestlers were given gold medals for their efforts. The United States won 31 of its 40 bouts and outscored its opponents 300-78 in total match points throughout the entire weekend.
“This is meaningful to me,” Burroughs said. “I’ve won every single tournament I’ve ever competed in except this one. I’m undefeated in the World Cup. I think I’m 26-0 in the six years I’ve competed in this tournament, but I’ve never brought home that big cup.”
