Jordan Burroughs (in red) works for a takedown in his semifinal win over Ali Shabanov of Belarus. Tony Rotundo photo.

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Jordan Burroughs is back in the finals at the World Championships.

The 2011 World champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist stormed into the finals of the 2013 World Wrestling Championships with a dominating first-session performance Wednesday at Papp Laszlo Sports Arena.

Burroughs won three matches by technical fall and one by disqualification in men’s freestyle wrestling at 74 kg/163 lbs.

Burroughs will face Iran’s Ezzatollah Akbarizarinkolaei, a wrestler he beat in the 2013 World Cup, in the finals. The medal matches are set for 7 p.m. local time (1 p.m. Eastern).

Burroughs kept his composure in a physical semifinal bout with Ali Shabanov of Belarus. Burroughs built a 6-1 lead before Shabanov was disqualified for a third caution for illegally striking Burroughs in the head late in the second period. Shabanov had been cautioned twice before that for the same action.

“I’m feeling good and I’m feeling sharp,” Burroughs said. “It’s exciting to be back in the finals again. I knew I had to keep my composure to maintain my focus out there.”

Burroughs lip was bloodied from the physical style his opponents resorted to in the first session.

“The kid realized he wasn’t good enough to win, so he started punching Jordan in the face,” U.S. coach Zeke Jones said. “Jordan kept his focus and took care of business.”

Burroughs is now a perfect 64-0 on the Senior level. He beat another Iranian, Sadegh Goudarzi, in the 2011 World and 2012 Olympic finals.

“Jordan looked great,” Jones said. “He’s doing what a champ does – get the job done. He’s been dominant and executing the game plan. He’s a great competitor and he just needs to carry that over into the finals.”

Burroughs opened by downing Gamid Dzhalilov of Tajikistan by a 9-2 technical fall in the first round. He followed by blanking India’s Narasingh Yadav by a 7-0 technical fall in the second round.

Burroughs then dismantled Azerbaijan’s Yabrail Hasanov by a 7-0 technical fall in the quarterfinals. Hasanov was a two-time World bronze medalist at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.

Victoria Anthony will wrestle for a bronze medal after going 2-1 in the first session in women’s freestyle at 51 kg/112.25 lbs.

Anthony suffered a heartbreaking semifinal loss to Erdennechimeg Sumiya of Mongolia. Anthony led 6-0 on three early takedowns before being caught with a headlock and pinned late in the first period.

Sumiya was second in the World University Games.

Anthony opened by throwing and pinning Valya Trandeva of Bulgaria in the first round. The match was tied 4-4 before Anthony countered a shot attempt to put the match away.

Anthony followed with an impressive quarterfinal victory over Poland’s Roksana Zasina by a 7-0 technical fall. Anthony led 1-0 after one period before powering in on double-leg takedown and following with a succession of turns to end the match. Zasina was a 2013 European champion.

Alyssa Lampe also will wrestle for a bronze medal in women’s freestyle at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. She will face Melanie LeSaffre of France

Lampe downed Tatyana Amanzhol of Kazakstan 8-1 in the second repechage to reach the bronze-medal match. Lampe defeated Romania’s Madalina Linguraru 7-0 in her first repechage match.

Lampe, ranked No. 1 in the World, opened by cruising to a quick 7-0, 36-second technical fall over Nirmala Devi of India.

Lampe was then defeated by Japan’s Eri Tosaka 8-0 in the second round. Tosaka, ranked No. 2 in the World, was a 2012 World silver medalist. Lampe won a World bronze medal at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. in 2012.

Day 4 of the seven-day event is set for Thursday in Budapest. World champion Elena Pirozhkova, World silver medalist Helen Maroulis and World University silver medalist Alli Ragan are set to take the mat for the U.S.

FILA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Papp Laszlo Sports Arena, Budapest, Hungary

Gold-medal matchups

Men’s freestyle

74 kg/163 lbs.
Jordan Burroughs (USA) vs. Ezzatollah Akbarizarinkolaei (Iran)

Women’s freestyle

48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Mayellis Castillo (Venezuela) vs. Eri Tosaka (Japan)

51 kg/112.25 lbs.
Erdennechimeg Sumiya (Mongolia) vs. Yanan Sun (China)

U.S. results

Men’s freestyle

74 kg/163 lbs. – Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Gamid Dzhalilov (Tajikistan), 9-2
WIN Narasingh Yadav (India), 7-0
WIN Yabrail Hasanov (Azerbaijan), 7-0
WIN Ali Shabanov (Belarus), disqualification
vs. Ezzatollah Akbarizarinkolaei (Iran) in gold-medal match

Women’s freestyle

48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Nirmala Devi (India), 7-0
LOSS Eri Tosaka (Japan), 0-8
WIN Madalina Linguraru (Romania), 7-0
WIN Tatyana Amanzhol (Kazakstan), 8-1
vs. Melanie LeSaffre (France) in bronze-medal match

51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Victoria Anthony, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Valya Trandeva (Bulgaria) fall 5:12
WIN Roksana Zasina (Poland), 7-0
LOSS Erdennechimeg Sumiya (Mongolia), fall 2:22
vs. Hyung Joo Kim (North Korea) in bronze-medal match