Moscow, Russia - The unlikely hero at this year's Greco-Roman World Championships in Moscow, Russia may be T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC). But not only could he be a hero for the United States team, which is yet to win a medal, but the Russian fans have adopted him as one of their own as well.    For the second time today, Dantzler, wrestling at 74 kg/163 lbs., wowed thousands with an offensive outburst against Georgios Panagiotou (Greece) before pinning him late in the first period. Dantzler scored on a gut wrench, a lateral drop and a lift and throw. If he had not earned the pin, he had already sealed a 10-0 technical superiority.    "I expected it to be like this," stated Dantzler, who tore his medial collateral ligament (MCL) just three weeks ago. "My opponents so far have been looking to stand around and be more flat-footed. I'm more of a sharp shooter and a sniper. I am always looking for that time to hit the big move."    Dantzler's win earned him a qualification match tomorrow morning against Volodymir Shatskikh (Ukraine), who competed at the Junior level last year.    "I know that this guy has a really good reverse lift. I've got to get him so tired that he is not even thinking about the lift," stated the 32 year-old Dantzler.    At 60 kg/132 lbs., Jim Gruenwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) also continued on his path to a medal after defeating Valentin Malutin (Kyrgyzstan) 4-2.    Gruenwald will now have to face Armen Nazarien (Bulgaria) in tomorrow's quarterfinals, who captured Olympic gold in 1996 and 2000. With those accomplishments, though, it is Nazarian's history in the World Championships that Gruenwald has focused on.    "I have wrestled him before and I feel I have learned from the mistakes I made then," Gruenwald said. "I have seen many guys crumble. His best move is a reverse lift. Everyone in the world knows it, so I just have to make sure and stop it if I get down. He has a history of not competing very well at this event, so we know he is not unbeatable."    Also advancing to the quarterfinal round is Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., who pinned Dzmitry Debelka (Belarus) in the first period.    After a scoreless first period, the two wrestlers went into the clinch. Debelka broke his hold shortly after the whistle blew, but Byers held is gripped and tightened when he felt Debelka break his lock. At that point, Byers drove Debelka to the mat, earning the pin.    "Right when I thought he was going to break, I could feel his legs possibly getting ready to try and throw me, so I kept my lock and as soon as he broke, I tightened it up," stated Byers, who last competed at the World Championships in 1999. "It feels pretty good to be in the quarterfinals, but I just have to take it one match at a time."    Byers will meet up with Youri Evseytchik (Israel), who placed fourth at the 2000 Olympic Games.    Only one 2001 World Champion has a chance to repeat as a gold medalist in 2002 - Filiberto Ascuy (Cuba). The two-time Olympic gold medalist won three matches in pool competition at 74 kg/163 lbs. to advance to the next round.    2001 World Champion Aleksandr Berzruchkin (Russia), who defeated Garrett Lowney (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) in the first round of pool competition, was knocked out of the tournament by Ali Mollov (Bulgaria), who also defeated Lowney.    2001 World silver medalists Karen Mnatsakanyan (Armenia), 60 kg/132 lbs., Ernesto Pena (Cuba), 96 kg/211.75 lbs., and Mihaly Deak-Bardos (Hungary), 120 kg/264.5 lbs., all advanced to the next round as well after winning their respective pools.    Yuri Patrikeev (Russia), tabbed "the next Karelin" by the Russian media, also advanced to the next around after back-to-back 4-0 wins in pool competition.    The 60 kg/132 lbs., 74 kg/163 lbs., 96 kg/211.75 lbs. and 120 kg/264.5 lbs. weight classes will resume tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. Moscow time for the qualification rounds and semifinals.    2002 Greco-Roman World Championships  Moscow, Russia  Sep. 20-22, 2002  U.S. PLAY-BY-PLAY  T.C. Dantzler (United States) won fall over Georgios Panagiotou (Greece), 2:37  1:00 - passivity Panagiotou  1:14 - 2 pt. gut wrench (Dantzler 2-0)  2:15 - lateral drop (Dantzler 6-0)  2:34 - lift and throw  2:37 - Dantzler pin    Jim Gruenwald (United States) dec. Valentin Malutin (Kyrgyzstan), 4-2    Dremiel Byers (United States) won by fall over Dzmitry Debelka (Belarus), 3:14  1:17 - passivity Debelka  2:21 - passivity Byers  3:00 - Debelka wins toss for clinch, locks first  3:08 - Debelka breaks lock  3:14 - Byers pin    U.S. RESULTS  55 kg/121 lbs. - Brandon Paulson (Anoka, Minn./Minnesota Storm) - 8th  dec. Pasi Huntala (Finland), 4-0  tech. fall Hamou Oubrick (France), 11-0, 4:50  lost dec. to Geider Mamadaliyev (Russia), 3-1, ot, 6:33    60 kg/132 lbs. - Jim Gruenwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)  dec. Seref Tuefenk (Turkey), 4-2  dec. Valentin Malutin (Kyrgyzstan), 4-2    66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Kevin Bracken (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) - 14th  dec. Ondrei Jaros (Czech Republic), 8-5  lost dec. to Farid Mansurov (Azerbaijan), 4-1    74 kg/163 lbs. - T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC)  tech. fall Joacim Iversen (Norway), 11-0, 2:03  çøò Georgios Panagiotou (Greece), 2:37    96 kg/211.75 lbs. - Garrett Lowney (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm)  lost dec. to Aleksandr Bezruchkin (Russia), 7-0  lost dec. to Ali Mollov (Bulgaria), 3-0    84 kg/185 lbs. - Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) - 5th  dec. Tarvi Thomberg (Estonia), 4-0  pin Minguzzi Andreas (Italy), 2:51  lost dec. to Mohamed Ibrahim Abd El Fattah (Egypt), 5-1    120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army)  dec. Jidong Song (China), 6-0  pin Dzmitry Debelka (Belarus), 3:14