Khinchegashvili defeats Diakomihalis at the Beat the Streets Virtual Fundaraiser
September 18, 2020

 


Hoboken, N.J. - While the festivities at the Beat the Streets annual fundraiser were scaled down this year due to the COVID-19, the action certainly was not. The six-match card, held at the Frank Sinatra Pavilion across the river from Manhattan, delivered one exciting bout after another.

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The card's main event featured fan-favorite Yianni Diakomihalis duking it out with 2016 Olympic champion Vladimir Khinchegashvili of Georgia. Both wrestlers are known for their unbelievable scrambling abilities, which were highlighted during this match.

The first score came a little over a minute into the first period. Diakomihalis got in deep on a shot, only to be exposed by Khinchegashvili for two points. Diakomihalis scrambled behind for a reversal point, making the score 2-1 going into the break.

Khinchegashvili struck first in the second period. This time, he converted a takedown at the edge of the mat to extend his lead to 4-1. Diakomihalis responded with his own takedown, cutting the lead to 4-3. In a moment that drew claps from the scattered crowd, both wrestlers scrambled into a position where they each were standing on one leg, holding onto their opponent's other leg. While no points were scored, it was one of the most exciting moments of the night.


Diakomihalis earned a step-out with around 25 seconds remaining, which pushed the match to 4-4. Khinchegashvili lead on criteria on the strength of two 2-point moves. Diakomihalis pursued the Georgian relentless in the waning seconds, but was he unable to knock off the reigning Olympic champion.





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