Date of Competition: September 14

Some wrestlers have the innate ability to rise to the occasion and win despite everything leading up to that moment. Two-time World Champion Selcuk Cebi might fit that description.

After winning the 2009 World Championships in Herning, Denmark, at 74 kg/163 lbs., Cebi didn’t win another international tournament until, you guessed it, he won the 2010 World Championships in Moscow, Russia.

Now, it’s 2011 and much like the 2010 after Cebi won in Denmark, the 29-year-old Turk hasn’t brought home a title in the three major international competitions following his win in Russia.

Cebi was fifth in the European Championships and 12th at the Pytlasinski, although he did wrestle up at 84kg in the World Cup.

All that tells you is that when the finals roll around in his native Turkey, expect Cebi to be there. 

Like Cebi, reigning World silver medalist Arsen Julfalkayan hasn’t stood atop of any podiums since last year’s World Championships. Like Cebi, he was fifth at the European Championships, but did take a bronze at the Grand Prix of Slovenia back in February. 

Since, he was eighth at the Grand Prix of Spain, a tournament not widely known as a pre-Worlds warm-up.

Daniar Kobonov of Kyrgystan has seen limited success since his bronze medal victory last September. Kyrgystan entered Kanatbek Begaliev at the Asian Championships where he took fifth. Begaliev could be the entrant here or at 66kg. Begaliev wrestled 74kg at the Asians and 66kg at Pytlasinski Cup in early August.

If the European Championships are any indiciation, expect a very competitive weight amongst wrestlers from that continent. Last year’s fifth place finisher at the World Championships – Rafik Husenyov of Azerbaijan was the champion, followed by Hungary’s Peter Bacsi. 

Bacsi was only 20th in last year’s Worlds, but was 5th in the Olympics and he’s medaled at four events in 2011. 

Russian Champion Roman Vlasov finished with a bronze, as did 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Christophe Guenot of France. Vlasov is a different Russian from last year. Emil Sharafedinov won bronze for Russia last year, but it still remains to be seen who the Russians select for the weight.

How tough are the European Championships? Cebi and Julfalkayan both finished fifth – and both were in last year’s World finals. 

American Jake Fisher makes his second straight World Championships appearance and is looking to build from last year’s 0-1 performance.

Fisher has been pushed domestically by Ben Provisor and has solid defense from the par terre position. Fisher will need to score from his feet more to be a threat to medal for the U.S. and qualify the weight, but he does have the ability.

Fisher was 23rd in last year’s World Championships and will try to earn the first World medal at the weight. The best U.S. performance at the weight since the new weight classes were introduced was T.C. Dantzler’s 5th-place finish in Guangzhou, China in 2006.

Others to watch:
Mohsen Ghasemi (Iran) – Asian Champion
Jin-Hyoek Kim (Korea) – 2nd at Asian Championships
Ashkat Dilmukhamedov (Kazakhstan) – 3rd at Asian Championships
Azizibek Murodov (Uzbekistan) – 3rd at Asian Championships
Edgar Babayanas (Poland) -2nd Pytlasinski Cup


2010 World Championships
74kg/163 lbs. – Gold – Selcuk Cebi (Turkey); Silver – Arsen Julfalkayan (Armenia); Bronze – Daniar Kobonov (Kyrgystan); Bronze – Emil Sharafedinov (Russia); 5th – Rafik Husenyov (Azerbaijan); 5th – Takehiro Kanakubo (Japan); 7th- Roman Melyoshin (Kazakhstan); 8th – Nevan Zugaj (Croatia); 9th – Jure Kuhar (Slovenia); 10th – Christophe Guenot (France)

2009 World Championships
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Selcuk Cebi (Turkey); Silver - Mark O. Madsen (Denmark); Bronze - Aliaksandr Kikiniov (Belarus); Bronze - Farshad Alizadeh Kelehkeshi (Iran); 5th - Konstantin Schneider (Germany); 5th - Rafiq Huseynov (Azerbaijan); 7th - Henri Valimaki (Finland); 8th - Christophe Guenot (France); 9th - Jakhongir Muminov (Uzbekistan); 10th - Evgeny Popov (Russia)

2008 Olympics
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Manuchar Kvirkelia (Georgia); Silver - Yongxiang Chang (China); Bronze - Yavor Yanakiev (Bulgaria); Bronze - Christophe Guenot (France); 5th - Aleh Mikhalovich (Belarus); 5th - Peter Basci (Hungary); 7th - Varteres Samourgashev (Russia); 8th - Roman Melyoshin (Kazakhstan); 9th - Konstantin Schneider (Germany); 10th - Arsen Jufalakyan (Armenia)

2007 World Championships
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold – Yavor Yanakiev (Bulgaria); Silver – Mark Madsen (Denmark); Bronze – Christophe Guenot (France); Bronze – Valdemaras Venckaitis (Lithuania); 5th – Roman Melyoshin (Kazakhstan); 5th – Julian Kwit (Poland); 7th – Peter Bacsi (Hungary); 8th - Konstantin Schneider (Germany); 9th – Odelis Herrero (Cuba); 10th - Tae-Kyun Jung (Korea)

2006 World Championships
74 kg/163 lbs. – Gold - Volodym Shatskym (Ukraine); Silver - Marko Yli-Hannuksela (Finland); Bronze - Manuchar Krirkvelia (Georgia); Bronze - Mark Madsen (Denmark); 5th - T.C. Dantzler (United States); 5th - Konstantin Schneider (Germany); 7th - Ilya Shafran (Israel); 8th - Neven Zugaj (Croatia); 9th - Daniar Kobonov (Krygyzstan); 10th - Davod Abedinzadeh (Iran)

2005 World Championships 
74 kg/163 lbs. - Gold - Varteres Samurgachev (Russia); Silver - Mark Madsen (Denmark); Bronze - Marko Yli-Hannuksela (Finland); Bronze - Konstantin Schneider (Germany); 5th - Reto Bucher (Switzerland); 5th - Mohammad Babulfath (Sweden); 7th - Aleksandr Dokturishvili (Uzbekistan); 8th - Ilgar Abdulov (Azerbaijan); 9th - Mahmut Altaly (Turkey); 10th - Manuchar Kvirkvelia (Georgia)