CORALVILLE, Iowa — The Cliff Keen Wrestling Club’s Alec Pantaleo and Nick Suriano helped the United States capture the men’s freestyle title at the 2022 Wrestling World Cup, held Saturday and Sunday (Dec. 10-11) at XStream Arena. Team USA defeated Iran, 6-4, the final dual on Sunday evening.
Pantaleo earned a pair of wins at 70kg, including a 4-3 victory against Iran’s Amir Mohammad Yazdani, a 2021 world silver medalist, in the final. Pantaleo scored on lightning-quick single-leg takedowns early in both periods and led 4-1 until the final 20 seconds when he shot in and initiated a flurry, from which Yazdani was awarded a takedown and go-ahead gut wrench on the edge with just three seconds remaining. The USA corner — and CKWC coach Sergei Beloglazov — challenged the gut, arguing Pantaleo’s head touched out of bounds, and the call was overturned to restore Pantaleo’s lead.
Pantaleo’s win against Iran was his second over a world medalist in as many days. He also defeated 2022 U23 world champion Giorgi Elbakidze of Georgia, 8-0, in Team USA’s second dual on Saturday. He scored four takedowns in the match — three single legs and a go behind — and broke it open with three scores in the second period.
Suriano was also victorious against Georgia with a 6-3 decision against Beka Bujiashvili at 57kg. Suriano scored on a double-leg takedown and transitioned it into a lace in the first period and added a second double leg in the second to lead the match from start to finish. It was his first freestyle appearance since wrapping his collegiate career with a second NCAA title last March.
It was the first time the annual World Cup has held since 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic. The United States has won 15 times since the inaugural 1973 event, including two of the last three events. The Soviet Union also has 15 titles, while this year’s runner-up Iran has eight, including six in a row from 2012-17. The 2023 Wrestling World Cup will again be held in December at Xstream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.
