Moldova's Daniel Cataraga tonight became the first double winner of a UWW under-23 world title ©UWW

Daniel Cataraga of Moldova became the first two-time under-23 world wrestling champion in history tonight in winning the 77 kilograms weight class in the Romanian capital of Bucharest in the first wave of men's Greco-Roman finals.

Having won the 2017 under-23 world title in the 71kg class, Cataraga moved up to 77kg to claim his second, putting together a solid tournament to do so.

In the gold-medal match, Cataraga faced the 2018 U23 European champion Rajbek Alvievich Bisultanov of Denmark.

The Moldova native threw up six quick points on the board before securing a fall and the title in 2min 45sec.

The bronze medallists were Fatih Cengiz of Turkey and Russia’s Ismail Saidkhasanov.

In the heavyweight finale, Zviadi Pataridze of Georgia, silver medallist in the 130kg class last year, went one better as he battled back from a five-point deficit against Osman Yildirim of Turkey to win gold.

Zviadi Pataridze of Georgia, silver medallist in the Greco-Roman 130kg class last year, went one better in the UWW Under-23 World Championships in Bucharest tonight ©Getty Images
Zviadi Pataridze of Georgia, silver medallist in the Greco-Roman 130kg class last year, went one better in the UWW Under-23 World Championships in Bucharest tonight ©Getty Images 

Yildirim led 5-0 at the break before Pataridze slowly chipped away to win his sixth age-group World Championship.

In addition to his under-23 world gold, Pataridze is a three-time junior world champion and two-time cadet world champion.

The bronze medallists in the 130kg class were Fatih Cengiz of Turkey and Russia’s Ismail Saidkhasanov.

At 55kg, Nugzari Tsurtsumia of Georgia, who won a senior world bronze medal in Budapest two weeks ago, topped the under-23 world podium with a steady 3-2 win over 2018 Russia Nationals champion Vitalii Kabaloev.

Tsurtsumia scored all of his points in the first period and held off an aggressive Kabaloev in the second period for his first world title and second world medal of 2018.

Bronze in the 55kg class went to Balbai Dordokov of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan’s Amangali Bekbolatov.

After taking 15th place in the senior worlds in Budapest, Katsuaki Endo of Japan dominated Moldova's Alexandru Bicu in the 63kg finals, winning 8-0.

Endo took advantage of a chance on top in par terre, where he scored five points after the initial passivity point, and closed out the match with a takedown late in the first period for the technical fall.

Bronze was claimed by home wrestler Mihai Radu Mihut and Ukraine’s Oleksandr Hrushyn.

Semen Novikov of Ukraine claimed the 87kg world title, beating 2018 senior Pan American champion Daniel Grgegorich of Cuba with a 10-2 technical fall.

Early in the second period, Novikov scored four points on a throw attempt from Gregorich, and moments later, the Ukrainian picked up a takedown to end the bout.

Anton Kurs of Belarus and Islam Abbasov of Azerbaijan claimed bronze.

Meanwhile the five other Greco-Roman weight categories are underway and the semi-finals are set.