Wrestling: UWW decision regarding Chamizo-Bayramov bout. UWW

The Disciplinary Chamber of the United World Wrestling (UWW) has suspended the Referee Panel and the Referee Delegate for the alleged violations committed during the semi-final bout between Frank Chamizo (Italy) and Turan Bayramov (Azerbaijan) at the 2024 European OG Qualifier in Baku.

Bayramov remains the winner of the bout, as Article 53 of the International Rules of Wrestling states that the result of a bout cannot be changed once the winner has been declared. However, the Disciplinary Chamber has asked the UWW to place Chamizo as the top seed in the bracket for the next qualifying event, the World OG Qualifier on 9 April in Istanbul. 

During the Chamizo-Bayramov bout, Roman Pavlov was the referee on the mat, Ali M. Saiwan was the judge and Aleksei Bazulin was the mat chairman. The Referee Delegation consisted of Kamel Bouaziz, Ibrahim Cicioglu and Casey Goessl.  

The Disciplinary Chamber has suspended Pavlov and Cicioglu from all their duties until 31 December 2024. Saiwan is suspended from all his duties until 30 September 2024, same as Referee Bazulin until 30 June 2024, and the other two members of the Refereeing Commission, Bouaziz and Goessl, are suspended from all duties until 30 June 2024. 

Bayramov won the bout 8-8 on criteria and earned an Olympic quota for Azerbaijan in Paris. However, the Italian Wrestling Federation complained about several refereeing mistakes during the bout and a controversial challenge decision, which they claimed led to an incorrect final score and result. 

Italian wrestler Frank Chamizo. UWW
Italian wrestler Frank Chamizo. UWW

The UWW formed two separate panels to review the complaints and statements from each member of the refereeing body and the refereeing delegates were requested and forwarded to the UWW Administration. The Referee Delegates also submitted their co-signed report on the match. 

The UWW panels reviewed the match and all of the alleged errors surrounding the match, including the refereeing procedures and scoring, the Referee Delegates' challenge decision, and as well as the appointment and allocation of responsibilities among the defendants. 

Both panels agreed that some actions during the bout were not correctly scored, including the failure to recognise the passivity of the wrestler(s). They also agreed that the referee consultations were not efficient, that a timing error was made and that the challenge consultation was seriously flawed in its operation. 

In addition, the panels reported a gross lack of discernment in the assignment of the referee panel, and in the distribution of the roles during the challenge for this particular match. The UWW is committed to upholding the integrity of the sport and will continue to do so.