USA captured its first Freestyle World Cup title since 2003 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WreestlersAreWarriors.com)IOWA CITY -- Six-time defending champion Iran wasn't here.
Neither was perennial powerhouse Russia or traditional stronghold Turkey.
But that wasn't going to stop Jordan Burroughs and his American teammates from celebrating their country's first World Cup title in 15 years.
The U.S. earned a hard-fought 6-4 win over Azerbaijan to clinch the team title at the UWW Senior Men's Freestyle Wrestling World Cup Sunday before 6,378 fans at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Burroughs, an Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion, is now 27-0 in the World Cup.
He sent the raucous crowd into a frenzy when he pinned Azerbaijan's Gasjimurad Omarov.
"Some people were saying it's not a World Cup because Iran and Russia isn't here, but Azerbaijan is a really good team" Burroughs said. "If Russia and Iran wanted to win a World Cup, they should've been here. We flew 15 hours to Iran last year for the World Cup. They should've been here this year. We have a really good team and I know our team can beat anybody in the world right now."
2016 world champion Logan Stieber turned in a huge win when he defeated three-time world champion Haji Aliyev 6-3 at 65 kg. Stieber spun behind Aliyev for a late takedown and then pumped his right fist as time expired while the crowd cheered.
"It's really special competing here," Stieber said. "It's a great crowd with a lot of passionate fans. It was a great environment to wrestle in."
Kyle Dake knocked off Olympic and world medalist Jabrayil Hasanov (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WreestlersAreWarriors.com)Kyle Dake capped a superb weekend in his first World Cup by knocking off Olympic and world medalist Jabrayil Hasanov 5-3 at 79 kg.
David Taylor followed by winning by technical superiority at 86 kg to give his team a 5-3 lead in the dual.
Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion Kyle Snyder capped the win by powering past Roman Bakirov 14-3. That clinched the victory for the American squad and gave them their first World Cup crown since 2003.
Kendric Maple also delivered a key early win against Azerbaijan at 61 kg after dropping two earlier matches in this event.
"I was excited for this match," Maple said. "I didn't wrestle like I felt I should've in my first two matches. I was a little upset with that and I came back and tried to give us a spark. I'm glad Coach Zadick gave me a chance to redeem myself."
The U.S. won the World Cup, an event that started in 1973, for the 14th time.
"This is a great team and they performed really well this weekend," U.S. National Coach Bill Zadick said. "It was really exciting to win a heated finals match against a very good team from Azerbaijan."
Hometown hero Thomas Gilman turned in a valiant effort before his comeback came up short in an 8-7 loss to European champion Giorgi Edisherashvili of Azerbaijan at 57 kg.
The U.S. advanced to the finals after going 3-0 in pool play, capped by Sunday morning's 8-2 win over Georgia.
Burroughs, Snyder, Logan Stieber, Kyle Dake and David Taylor won by technical superiority in the Georgia dual.
"It's really meaningful to me to win this," Burroughs said. "I'm undefeated in the World Cup, but I had never brought home the big Cup. It took a lot of years, but it's finally paying off."
"We're the best team in the world. We're the reigning world champions."
And now the reigning World Cup champions.
Japan won an entertaining dual with Cuba in the bronze-medal dual, prevailing 6-4 after heavyweight Taiko Yamamoto pulled out a last-second victory.
Georgia topped Mongolia 6-4 in the fifth-place match.
USA 6, AZERBAIJAN 4
57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Giorgi Edisherashvili (Azerbaijan) dec. Thomas Gilman (USA), 8-7
61 kg/134 lbs. - Kendric Maple (USA) vs. Afghan Khashalov (Azerbaijan), 6-2
65 kg/143 lbs. - Logan Stieber (USA) vs. Haji Aliyev (Azerbaijan), 6-3
70 kg/154 lbs. - Joshgun Azimov (Azerbaijan) dec. James Green (USA), 4-4 criteria
74 kg/163 lbs. - Jordan Burroughs (USA) pinned Gasjimurad Omarov (Azerbaijan), 3:15
79 kg/174 lbs. - Kyle Dake (USA) dec. Jabrayil Hasanov (Azerbaijan), 5-3
86 kg/189 lbs. - David Taylor (USA) vs. Aleksander Gostiev (Azerbaijan), 12-2
92 kg/202.5 lbs. - Aslanbek Alborov (Azerbaijan) dec. J'den Cox (USA), 4-4 criteria
97 kg/213 lbs. - Kyle Snyder (USA) tech. fall Roman Bakirov (Azerbaijan), 14-3
125 kg/275 lbs. - Jamaladdin Magomedov (Azerbaijan) dec. Nick Gwiazdowski (USA), 4-3
USA 8, GEORGIA 2
57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Thomas Gilman (USA) dec. Teimuraz Vanishvili (Georgia), 6-4
61 kg/134 lbs. - Lasha Lomtadze (Georgia) dec. Kendric Maple (USA), 4-3
65 kg/143 lbs. - Logan Stieber (USA) tech. fall Magomed Saidovi (Georgia), 10-0
70 kg/154 lbs. - James Green (USA) dec. Levan Kelekhsashvili (Georgia), 8-0
74 kg/163 lbs. - Jordan Burroughs (USA) tech. fall Tarzan Maisuradze (Georgia), 10-0
79 kg/174 lbs. - Kyle Dake (USA) tech. fall Tariel Gaphrindashvili (Georgia), 10-0
86 kg/189 lbs. - David Taylor (USA) tech. fall David Khutsishvili (Georgia), 11-1
92 kg/202.5 lbs. - Givi Matcharashvili (Georgia) dec. J'den Cox (USA), 3-0
97 kg/213 lbs. - Kyle Snyder (USA) tech. fall Zviadi Metreveli (Georgia), 10-0
125 kg/275 lbs. - Nick Gwiazdowski (USA) dec. Giorgi Meshvildishvili (Georgia), 7-0
Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.
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