Frank Chamizo

Frank Chamizo Marquez (born 10 July 1992) is a Cuban-Italian freestyle wrestler who competes at 74 kilograms. Starting his career in Cuba, Chamizo became a World Cup champion, World Championship medalist, and Pan American champion at 55 kilograms in 2010 and 2011 before immigrating to Italy in 2011. Since then, Chamizo became the most successful Italian wrestler of all time, winning two World Championships (in 2015 at 65kg and 2017 at 70kg, plus a silver medal in 2019), an Olympic bronze medal in 2016, an Individual World Cup silver medal, a European Games silver medal, four European Championships, and others. He also holds wins over a record 12 World and Olympic champions.

Chamizo is known for his rivalry with seven-time Olympic and World champion Jordan Burroughs, against whom he has gone 2–4, but winning the last match.

Personal life

Chamizo had a trying childhood. He grew up in poverty and was raised by his grandmother because both his parents lived abroad. He began wrestling at age seven after walking into a wrestling facility out of curiosity. In addition to his native Spanish, Chamizo is fluent in Italian and can also speak English.

Career in Cuba

In 2010, Chamizo won a world bronze medal for Cuba; he was only 18 at the time. The next year, he returned to the world championships, where he placed 12th. After the 2011 World Wrestling Championships, however, Cuba's wrestling federation suspended him for two years for alleged difficulties with weight management.

Career in Italy

In 2015, Chamizo made his world debut for Italy and won a gold medal. Before then, no Italian had won a world or Olympic freestyle wrestling gold medal since 1980.

From there, Chamizo won three more world-level medals, including a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics and a gold medal at the 2017 world competition. Overall, Chamizo won four world-level medals for Italy and two world-level championships.

At the 2022 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, he won the bronze medal by defeating Soner Demirtaş 5–3 in the men's freestyle 74 kg third-place match, but his medal was canceled due to doping and given to Demirtaş. He was only suspended for three months.

He won the silver medal at the 2023 European Wrestling Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, losing 3–1 to Tajmuraz Salkazanov of Slovakia in the men's freestyle 74 kg final match. He reached the final by defeating Dzhabrail Gadzhiev of Azerbaijan 9–4 in the second round, Soner Demirtaş 8–6 in the quarterfinals, and Ali-Pasha Umarpashaev of Bulgaria 9–0 in the semifinals.

Chamizo competed at the 2024 European Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan hoping to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. He was eliminated in his fourth match and he did not qualify for the Olympics due to controversial judging. Weeks after the tournament, the refereeing body that officiated the match were suspended by the UWW, however, the result could not be changed. Still, he qualified for the Olympics when spots were reallocated after Russian and Belarusian wrestlers were declared ineligible.

Freestyle record

Res. Record Opponent Score Date Event Location

Loss 160-30

Loss 160-29

Win 160-28

Win 159–28

Win 158–28

Win 157–28

Loss 156–28

Win 156–27

Win 155–27

Win 154–27

Loss 153–27

Win 153–26

Win 152–26

Win 151–26

Loss 150–26

Tokyo, Japan Loss 150–25

Win 150–24

Win 149–24

Loss

Warsaw, Poland Win 148–24

Win 147–24

Win 146–24

Win 145–24

Warsaw, Poland Win 144–24

Win 143–24

Loss 142–24

Win 142–23

Win 141–23

Rome, Italy Win 140–23

Win 139–23

Win 138–23

Loss 137–23

Belgrade, Serbia Win 137–22

Win 136–22

Win 135–22

Win 134–22

Loss 133–22

Austin, Texas

Win 133–21

Win 132–21

Win 131–21

Win 130–21

Loss 129–21

Win 129–20

Win 128–20

Win 127–20

Win 126–20

Loss

Istanbul, Turkey Win 125–20

Win 124–20

Win 123–20

Sassari, Italy Win 122–20

Win 121–20

Win 120–20

Win 119–20

Win 118–20

Win 117–20

Win 116–20

Win 115–20

Ruse, Bulgaria Loss 114–20

Win 114–19

Loss 113–19

Loss 113–18

Win 113–17

Win 112–17

Win 111–17

Loss 110–17

Yakutsk, Russia Win 110–16

Win 109–16

Win 108–16

Win 107–16

Istanbul, Turkey Win 106–16

Win 105–16

Win 104–16

Win 103–16

Win 102–16

Win 101–16

Loss 100–16

New York City, New York

Win 100–15

Loss 99–15

Win 99–14

Win 98–14

Win 97–14

Sofia, Bulgaria Win 96–14

Win 95–14

Win 94–14

Kyiv, Ukraine Win 93–14

Win 92–14

Win 91–14

Win 90–14

Loss 89–14

Vladikavkaz, Russia Win 89–13

Win 88–13

Win 87–13

Win 86–13

Win 85–13

Win 84–13

Win 83–13

Win 82–13

Bucharest, Romania Win 81–13

Win 80–13

Win 79–13

Win 78–13

Vladikavkaz, Russia Win 77–13

Win 76–13

Win 75–13

New York City, New York

Win 74–13

Win 73–13

Win 72–13

Win 71–13

Loss 70–13

Ruse, Bulgaria Win 70–12

Win 69–13

Ostia, Italy Win 68–13

Win 67–13

Win 66–13

Win 65–13

Win 64–13

Västerås, Sweden Win 63–12

Win 62–12

Win 61–12

Loss 60–12

Win 60–11

Win 59–11

Win 58–11

Win 57–11

Win 56–11

Win 55–11

Win 54–11

Loss 53–11

Minsk, Belarus Win 53–10

Win 52–10

Win 51–10

Win 50–10

Win 49–10

Win 48–10

Win 47–10

Win 46–10

Win 45–10

Win 44–10

Warsaw, Poland Win 43–10

Win 42–10

Win 41–10

Loss 40–10

Madrid, Spain Win 40–9

Win 39–9

Loss 38–9

Win 38–8

Win 37–8

Win 36–8

Win 35–8

Naples, Italy Win 34–8

Win 33–8

Win 32–8

Wałbrzych, Poland Win 31–8

Win 30–8

Win 29–8

Win 28–8

Loss 27–8

Minsk, Belarus Loss 27–7

Win 27–6

Win 26–6

Loss 25–6

Taraz, Kazakhstan Win 20–5

Win 19–5

Win 18–5

Madrid, Spain Win 17–5

Win 16–5

Loss 15–5

Sassari, Italy Win 15–4

Win 14–4

Makhachkala, Russia Loss 13–4

Win 13–3

Win 12–3

Win 11–3

Istanbul, Turkey Win 10–3

Win 9–3

Win 8–3

Win 7–3

Loss 6–3

Loss 6–2

Win 6–1

Win 5–1

Win 4–1

Loss 3–1

Win 3–0

Win 2–0

Win 1–0

Awards and honors

2019 World Championships (74 kg) Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament (74 kg) 2018 Yasar Dogu (74 kg) Mediterranean Games (74 kg) European Championships (74 kg) Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament (74 kg) International Ukrainian Tournament (74 kg) 2017 World Championships (70 kg) Ion Corneanu & Ladislau Simon Memorial (70 kg) Ali Aliev Tournament (70 kg) European Championships (70 kg) 2016 Olympic Games (65 kg) European Championships (65 kg) Alexander Medved Prizes (65 kg) 2015 World Championships (65 kg) Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial (65 kg) Grand Prix of Spain (70 kg) European Games (65 kg) 2014 International D. A. Kunaev Tournament (65 kg) Grand Prix of Spain (65 kg) Ali Aliev Tournament (65 kg) Yasar Dogu (65 kg) 2013 Henri Deglane Challenge (66 kg) Grand Prix of Spain (66 kg) 2011 World Cup (55 kg) 2010 World Championships (55 kg) Pan American Championships (55 kg)