Armenian freestyle wrestler Vazgen Tevanyan, after a less-than-successful 2024 season, will once again try to reclaim the title of European Champion. The 2023 European Champion went medal-less last season—both at the continental championships and at the Olympic Games in Paris. At the Olympics, Tevanyan impressively defeated Georgian Goderdzi Dzebisashvili (11:0), but lost in the quarterfinals to Mongolia’s Tulga Tumur Ochir with a score of 5:7.
Tevanyan kicked off the 2025 season by competing in a ranking tournament in Albania, where he won silver in the 70 kg weight class. On his way to the final, he defeated Bulgaria’s Mihail Georgiev (4:0), Moldova’s Vasile Diacon (3:2), and Georgia’s Akaki Kemertelidze (6:0), but lost the final bout to Japan’s Yoshinosuke Aoyagi (1:4).
From April 7 to 9, the European Freestyle Wrestling Championships will be held in Bratislava (Slovakia), where Tevanyan will compete in his usual weight class of 65 kg. Let's assess his chances and analyze his main rivals.
After the Olympic year, many of the top wrestlers in the 65 kg category have moved up to the non-Olympic 70 kg division—among them Islam Dudaev (Albania) and Ismail Musukaev (Hungary). However, Tevanyan has remained at 65 kg, as the 70 kg spot in the Armenian national team is held by reigning European champion Arman Andreasyan.
With Dudaev and Musukaev out, the 65 kg category may seem less competitive, but there are still notable contenders. Chief among them are 19-year-old Georgian Goga Otinashvili and 22-year-old Frenchman of Chechen descent Khamzat Arsamerzouev, the 2023 U23 European Champion.
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The undisputed favorites of the tournament are Vazgen Tevanyan (Armenia) and Dagestani wrestler Ibragim Ibragimov, representing Russia. Ibragimov, 24, started his 2025 season by winning the prestigious Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix and was called up to the main Russian national team for the first time. At the youth level, he achieved impressive results—becoming U23 World Champion twice (2023, 2024), and winning the U23 European Championship in 2024.
Tevanyan and Ibragimov have faced each other before—at the PWL-5 tournament in 2023, where the Dagestani won 3:0.
If Tevanyan manages to avenge that loss, he has a great shot at winning gold. Most other participants are a level below him; he’s already beaten many of them.
Head-to-Head Matches: Vazgen Tevanyan vs. 2025 European Championship Participants
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Vazgen Tevanyan (ARM) vs. Krzysztof Bienkowski (POL) – 7:2 | 2024
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Vazgen Tevanyan (ARM) vs. Khamzat Arsamerzouev (FRA) – 12:1 | 2024
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Vazgen Tevanyan (ARM) vs. Mikyay Salim Naim (BUL) – 12:1 | 2023 European Championship Final
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Vazgen Tevanyan (ARM) vs. Ali Rahimzade (AZE) – 4:1 | 2023
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Vazgen Tevanyan (ARM) vs. Ibragim Ibragimov (RUS) – 0:3 | 2023, PWL-5
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Vazgen Tevanyan (ARM) vs. Cabbar Duyum (TUR) – 2:1 | 2015 U17 European Championship Final
65 kg Competitors
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Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) – 25 years old, 2023 European Champion, 2023 World bronze medalist
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Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE) – 27 years old, 2024 European bronze medalist
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Ayub MUSAEV (BEL) – 22 years old
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Mikyay NAIM (BUL) – 27 years old, 2023 European silver medalist
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Carlos ALVAREZ IGLESIAS (ESP) – 28 years old
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Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA) – 22 years old, 2023 U23 European Champion
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Goga OTINASHVILI (GEO) – 19 years old
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Nico MEGERLE (GER) – 24 years old
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Zoltan MIZSEI (HUN) – 20 years old
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Colin REALBUTO (ITA) – 24 years old
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Sergiu LUPASCO (MDA) – 24 years old
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Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL) – 34 years old, 2021 European silver medalist
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Stefan COMAN (ROU) – 26 years old
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Cabbar DUYUM (TUR) – 27 years old
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Andrii SVYRYD (UKR) – 30 years old
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Islam GUSEINOV (UWW, Belarus) – 25 years old
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Ibragim IBRAGIMOV (UWW, Russia) – 24 years old, 2024 U23 World and European Champion