Armenia’s Malkhas Amoyan has been named the 2025 Greco-Roman Comeback Wrestler of the Year by United World Wrestling (UWW) after reclaiming world gold in the men’s 77 kg division with a dominant 9–1 victory over reigning Olympic champion Nao Kusaka of Japan at the World Championships in Zagreb in September 2025.
Amoyan faced an uphill struggle to regain world gold following his last title-winning run in Oslo in 2021. After moving up from 72 kg to 77 kg, he encountered difficulties, falling one match short of his goal at the World Championships in both 2022 and 2023. He again narrowly missed gold at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where he settled for three consecutive bronze medals.
The breakthrough came in 2025. Competing in the men’s Greco-Roman 77 kg division on September 18–19, the 26-year-old delivered one of the most impressive Greco-Roman performances of the Zagreb World Championships, capping his run to a second world title with a decisive 9–1 victory over Japan’s Nao Kusaka.
Born in Yerevan, Armenia, to Yazidi parents, Amoyan represents Armenia in international competition and has emerged as a leading figure in Greco-Roman wrestling.
Born in Yerevan, Armenia, to Yazidi parents, Amoyan represents Armenia in international competition and has emerged as a leading figure in Greco-Roman wrestling.
Reflecting on his journey, Amoyan said, “I became a world champion back in 2021 [at 72kg], but I really wanted to become world champion at 77kg. For two years, I struggled with injuries, and nothing was going as it should. Thankfully, at this World Championships I was prepared, mentally, physically, and functionally, and by God’s grace I managed to triumph and become a two-time world champion.”
