How many people on earth could beat Karelin in a wrestling match right now?

[dsdoubled]

42. We've finally found the question that it's the answer for.

In all likelihood, Karelin would be overwhelmed by the top tier. At the Olympics - where your country actually has to qualify the weight (either through placing at their continental games or through the qualification tournament), it's unlikely the he would be able to beat anyone outside of maybe someone from maybe the African/Oceania qualifiers. He could probably hang though with at the least the second tier though.

At the world championship (held in non-Olympic years), where a nation qualifies to send a wrestler simply by sending someone to their continental championship that year (no need to place - the brackets are much bigger at worlds than the Olympics, which caps the number of wrestlers), he could probably knock out many guys from the weaker half of the field with ease.



There is a huge difference between a high school aged kid and an a grown man (even in his 40s). I've wrestled with some pretty good teenagers - kids who were better than I was in high school - in the recent past who are the same size as me, over even ones who have a touch of weight on me - I'm a 33 year old former collegiate wrestler - as I can just completely manhandle them. Obviously I have quite a bit of technical depth on them, but difference in physical strength is palpable... men and boys.

You hear about this from guys like Jake Herbert who wrestled in, and in Jake's case almost won, the world championships and then returned to NCAA competition only to go undefeated.

However I do think there is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to age though (obviously) . Karelin is probably about as strong or stronger than many HW greco guys out there today but he's had to have slowed down a lot in maby other departments.

Comebacks are tough. Most recently I recall Stephen Abas returning at the 2015 senior nationals only to get teched by someone who had no business beating a guy with Stephen's accomplishments.

 

[Dirty Holt]

100% he would beat a lot of guys at the world championships. I have watched 2 of my Olympic coaches beat the piss out of guys from weak countries who represent at the world championships. Both coaches were in their 50's, and not heavyweight. Heavyweight is a way different ball game. The contrast in athletic abilities at that weight is astronomical. Karelin will be more athletic at age 60 than some guys are right now in their absolute prime.

That being said, there are probably at least a hundred guys who could beat him. He doesnt train, hes much older, and there are a lot of super talented heavyweights who fly under the radar because the #1 guy in their country is a BAMF

 

[ens189]

Probably a solid 99%.

 

[ArtemV]

100% he would beat a lot of guys at the world championships. I have watched 2 of my Olympic coaches beat the piss out of guys from weak countries who represent at the world championships. Both coaches were in their 50's, and not heavyweight. Heavyweight is a way different ball game. The contrast in athletic abilities at that weight is astronomical. Karelin will be more athletic at age 60 than some guys are right now in their absolute prime.

That being said, there are probably at least a hundred guys who could beat him. He doesnt train, hes much older, and there are a lot of super talented heavyweights who fly under the radar because the #1 guy in their country is a BAMF

What is a BAMF?

 

[cjd]

You hear about this from guys like Jake Herbert who wrestled in, and in Jake's case almost won, the world championships and then returned to NCAA competition only to go undefeated.

Herbert got silver at worlds (in 2009) a few months after he graduated, actually. Kyle Snyder is a better example ;-)

What is a BAMF?

Bad-ass Mother F****er

 

[dsdoubled]

Herbert got silver at worlds (in 2009) a few months after he graduated, actually. Kyle Snyder is a better example ;-)



Bad-ass Mother F****er

Good call. I'm really just recalling an interview Jake did where he mentioned how easy it was wrestling college kids after wrestling overseas against "men with hair on their backs and hair on their chests and on their knuckles...". He mustve done a couple grand prix or invitationals overseas after his sophomore and/or junior years.

 

[dsdoubled]

100% he would beat a lot of guys at the world championships. I have watched 2 of my Olympic coaches beat the piss out of guys from weak countries who represent at the world championships. Both coaches were in their 50's, and not heavyweight

Who are the coaches you're referring to? I'd really like to know.