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2024 UWW Senior Worlds Recap: Arujau Takes Bronze; Honis Earns 5th

10/31/2024, 3:15pm EDT
By NY-USAW Media Team

Defending World Champ, Arujau, Settles For Bronze; Honis Rides Cinderella Wave to the Top-5

VITO ARUJAU (61KG; 3-1)---BRONZE


Photo by: Durwood Tenny/Chasing Greatness

While his bid to repeat as the 61kg World Champion did not quite come to fruition, the former 4x NYSPHSAA State Champion for Syosset/2x NCAA DI National Champion for Cornell made sure to not leave Tirana empty-handed on Thursday!!!

In prime/top form in the encore performance of his second UWW Senior World Championship berth, Arujau made a statement in the bronze medal bout, defeating 2021 Olympic Gold medalis and/or former 2x Senior World titlist, Zavur Uguev (Individual Neutral Athlete), by a decisive score of 8-3!!

Winning the battle on the feet, four takedowns to one; the New Yorker carried a 2-1 advantage into the break; but then took over during the final 3:00 of action, as he'd tallied three TDs, including an emphatic double-leg in the last :07 or regulation to account for his output!!

His only loss of the tournament coming in the semifinals to Japanese phenom/Eventual 2024 Senior World Champ, Masanosuke Ono, the Empire Stater closed out his two-days in Albania as the owner of a 3-1 overall record!!

Arujau was one of two medalists in total for the four-man Men's freestyle contingent; as David Taylor (92kg) picked up the 5x World medal of his career (3G, 1S, 1B) when he upended two-time former champ, Kamran Ghasempour (Iran), in a bout for bronze!!

James Green (2x World medalist/2017 runner-up) and living legend, Jordan Burroughs (9x World medalist/6x Champ), did not advance to the final day of action at 70 and 70kg respectively!

ARUJAU'S PATH TO MEDAL ROUND (Taken from FB Posts)

Round of 16 (4-2 win): Udit Udit (IND)---2019 U17 World Bronze; 2023 Asian U20 Champion; 2024 Asian Senior runner-up

Pushed to his limits in his 2024 debut by the wrestler from India, Arujau found himself trailing 1-1 on criteria (activity point in his favor in the 1st; surrendered a stepout in the 2nd) with under 1:00 remaining in regulation....

But alas, he'd rise to the occasion in the last 60 ticks, as he dove in on a low-single and then hit a roll on the continuation of the sequence to earn a 2pt exposure with :47 showing on the clock to go up, 3-1...

The two combatants traded points in the waning moments as Arujau was awarded a point for a lost challenge (the opposing corner thought a TD should have been awarded to their man); while Udit received a pt when the New Yorker was hit for backing-up/fleeing.

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Quarterfinals (6-3 Win): Azamat Arturovic Tuskaev (Serbia)---2014 UWW U20 World Champion; 3x World Military Medalist/2021 titlist; 2020 Senior European gold medalist

Leading 1-1 on criteria at the break against Tuskaev, Arujau turned up the pressure at the onset of the 2nd and would be rewarded for his aggressiveness as he'd peel off five quick points in a span of 20 seconds (2:00 to 1:40 remaining) by being awarded an action clock pt, converting a re-shot low attack, and then tacking on a 2pt leg-lace to propel himself to a 6-1 cushion...

The transplanted Russian [Tuskaev] was able to muster a late rally, as he secured a pair of pushouts and was in deep when the buzzer sounded to end the affair at 6-3!
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Semifinals (12-0 Loss): Masanosuke Ono (Japan)---2024 UWW U20 World Champion; 2024 Asian Senior Championship Bronze

In the battle of the present vs. the future, it seems that the phenom from Japan is well on his way to becoming a legend!!

Increasing his margin today to an astounding 45-2,  Ono was able to emerge with a commanding 12-0 TF against the reigning King from NY!!

Doing the bulk of his scoring in the first period, Ono3 titlist converted a low-single and then transitioned into a leg-lace for two turns to build a 6-0 lead during the initial 1:00 of action...

He'd add a 2pt head-pinch in the final minute of the 1st to carry the 8-0 into the break...

Never really giving Arujau an opening in which to exploit, Ono closed out the statement-making triumph when he went back to the head-pinch; this time landing the move for a 4-pointer!!

MATCH-BY-MATCH BOX SCORE:

ROUND OPPONENT RESULT SCORE
Round of 16 Udit Udit (India) Win by DEC/VPO 4-2
Quarterfinals Azamat Arturovic Tuskaev (Serbia) Win by DEC/VPO 6-3
Semifinals Masanosuke Ono (Japan) Loss by TF/VSU 12-0
Bronze Medal Zavur Uguev (AIN) Win by DEC/VPO 8-3

Ben Honis (92kg; 3-2)----5TH

After having never placed higher than 15th in two previous appearances (15th in 2022; 25th in 2023) at Senior Worlds, the Section III standout enjoyed a breakout display these past two days, as he advanced to bronze medal match before ultimately having to make peace with a very strong 6th!!

Both of his losses dealt to him by former World medalists in the semifinal (Georgia's Miriani Maisuradze) and medal rounds, the 2019 NCAA DI All-American (8th) for the Big Red should feel nothing but pride as he put together a 3-2 resume in Tirana!!

Cheating absolutely nobody on effort during each of the last two days, Honis was coming on strong late in the 2nd period of the 3rd-place contest, as he utilized a pair of takedowns in the final :50 of regulation to cut an 8-2 deficit to a 8-6; but the clock simply ran out on the representative from Italy, as he fell to 2022 runner-up, Batyrbek Tsakulov (Slovakia), 8-6!!

The majority of Tsakulov's damage would occur during the initial 3:00 stanza, as he piled up 2+2 on a takedown and leg-lace in the first 47 seconds of the 1st period and later added a 2pt exposure when he stuffed a shot from Honis and horsed him over with a 3/4 half as the crux of a 6-2 cushion at the break!!

HONIS'S PATH TO MEDAL ROUND (Taken from FB Posts)

Qualification (7-3 Win): Zushen Lin (China)---7th at the 2021 Olympic Games; 6x Chinese Senior World Team member with a career-best of 10th in '23)

Versus Lin, Honis converted three total takedowns (+ an activity clock violation), including the icer in the final :11 of regulation, to topple the 2021 Olympic 7th-place performer/6x Chinese World Team rep!

To the credit of Lin, a takedown of his own with 98 ticks to go in the 2nd period briefly cut the deficit to 3-2; but the Italian by way of Syracuse answered back by sandwiching his second (1:20 remaining) and third TDs of the bout around an induced stepout earned by the seasoned veteran from Asia!

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Round of 16 (10-0 Win): Balasz Attila Juhasz (Hungary)---12th at the 2023 Senior Worlds; 12th at the 2024 European Senior Championships

Already leading Juhasz 2-0 after forcing a stepout and then being awarded an activity clock point, Honis punctuated the superiority triumph when in the final 25 seconds of the 1st period, he planted the Hungarian for a 4-pointer via double-leg and before beating the buzzer with back-to-back 2pt leg-laces to get off the mat in a time of 2:59!
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Quarterfinals (7-5 Win): Gankhuyag Ganbaatar (Mongolia)---2018 U23 World Bronze medalist; 11th at the 2023 Senior Worlds; 2x Asian Senior Bronze)

His most substantial triumph being his quarterfinal conquest, Honis would climb out of a 5-0 hole at the end of the 1st period to rack up three takedowns during the last 3:00 of regulation to steal a 7-5 decision over returning Senior World 11th, Gankhuyag Ganbaatar, of Mongolia...

His deficit created by two pushouts, a lost challenge, and a 2pt arm-spin, Honis never faltered in his confidence, as he'd actually fight out of a cradle in the final :25 to preserve the victory...

The Mongolian corner would unsuccessfully attempt a desperation challenge to add one additional point to Honis's sum!
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Semifinals (9-2 Loss): Miriani Maisuradze---2022 Senior World Bronze medalist; 2x Age-Group medalist/2016 U17 Champ

Unfortunately, the "Cinderella Story" of Jamesville-Dewitt/Cornell alumnus, went from the genre of fairy tale to horror in the championship round of 4, as he'd drop a 9-2 decision to Georgia's Miriani Maisuradze!

Surrendering an activity clock violation, followed by a 4-point toss to trail 5-0 at the halfway point, things went from bad to worse for the former Section III standout approximately 25 ticks into the 2nd period, as he'd get in deep on a shot, but was then counter crotch-lifted for a 4-pointer to see his deficit increase to 9-0...

Honis prevented the shutout when he was able to convert a TD with 2:07 remaining in duration..

Going down shooting; it was not for lack of effort that the decision did not go his way in his final bout of day #3 in Tirana!!

MATCH-BY-MATCH BOX SCORE:

ROUND OPPONENT RESULT SCORE
Qualification Zushen Lin (China) Win by DEC/VPO 7-3
Round of 16 Balasz Attila Juhasz (Hungary) Win by TF/VSU 10-0
Quarterfinals Gankhuyag Ganbaatar (Mongolia) Win by DEC/VPO 7-5
Semifinals Miriani Maisuradze (Georgia) Loss by DEC/VPO 9-2
Bronze Medal Batyrbek Tsakulov (Slovakia) Loss by DEC/VPO 8-6

NEW YORK'S HISTORY AT THE UWW SENIOR WORLDS (Since 2000):

YEAR WRESTLER NAME WEIGHT CLASS STYLE MEDAL/PLACEMENT
2000 Kristie Davis 68kg WFS CHAMPION
2001 Marcel Cooper 69kg GR 21st
2001 Kerry McCoy 130kg MFS 4th
2002 Kristie Davis 68kg WFS 3rd
2003 Kristie Davis 68kg WFS CHAMPION
2003 Kerry McCoy 120kg MFS 2nd
2003 Jon Masa Rodriguez (Puerto Rico) 66kg MFS 14th
2006 Kristie Davis 72kg WFS 3rd
2007 Kristie Davis 72kg WFS 2nd
2010 Kristie Davis 67kg WFS 12th
2014 Jenna Burkert 60kg WFS 15th
2017 Nick Gwiazdowski 125kg MFS 3rd
2018 Jenna Burkert 59kg WFS 15th
2018 Kyle Dake 79kg MFS CHAMPION
2018 Nick Gwiazdowski 125kg MFS 3rd
2019 Jenna Burkert 57kg WFS 15th
2019 Kyle Dake 79kg MFS CHAMPION
2019 Nick Gwiazdowski 125kg MFS 17th
2021 Jenna Burkert 55kg WFS 3rd
2021 Kyle Dake 74kg MFS CHAMPION
2021 Yianni Diakomihalis 65kg MFS 12th
2021 Nick Gwiazdowski 125kg MFS 5th
2021 Jesse Porter 77kg GR 23rd
2021 Colin Realbuto (Italy) 65kg MFS 23rd
2022 Kyle Dake 74kg MFS CHAMPION
2022 Yianni Diakomihalis 65kg MFS 2nd
2022 Ben Honis (Italy) 92kg MFS 15th
2023 Vito Arujau 61kg MFS CHAMPION
2023 Kyle Dake 74kg MFS 2nd
2023 Ben Honis (Italy) 92kg MFS 25th
2023 Colin Realbuto (Italy) 65kg MFS 11th
2024 Vito Arujau 61kg MFS 3rd
2024 Ben Honis (Italy) 92kg MFS 5th

***IF YOU SEE ANY NAMES THAT WERE ACCIDENTALLY OMITTED; PLEASE LET US KNOW***

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