Whose the Best HW Freestyle Wrestler in the World Right Now?

[Madmick]

I was just curious. I thought I'd download some video and watch. I only wrestled one summer in junior high (I played ball), and obviously my interest is submission grappling, but as most in here probably know, no one can match wrestlers for positional control and takedowns.

Being a HW myself, I wanted to get an idea how the best in the world move in that sport.

Oh, and I realize wrestling has multiple division above 200 (at least in high school). My hypothetical fighting weight would be between 235-250. So that's what I'm looking for.

Thanks.

 

[Rory McDonell]

These are the top 10 ranked heavyweights in the world as of February. The weight class goes from 210 -265. I've seen Rodriquez and Tolly wrestle in person, and they are both outstanding.

To give you an idea of the athleticism of these guys, I saw Rodriguez do a back flip after practice. A 270 pound man doing a backflip with ease is quite a sight.

120 KG/264.5 LBS.
1. Ayden Polatci (Turkey)
2. Alexis Rodriguez (Cuba)
3. Tolly Thompson (United States)
4. Kuramagomed Kuramogomedov (Russia)
5. Otto Aubeli (Hungary).
6. Liang Lei (China)
7. Ali Reza Rezaie (Iran)
8. Rares Chintoan (Romania)
9. Innokentiy Zykov (Russia)
10. Artur Taymazov (Uzbekistan)

 

[Madmick]

I'm a bit surprised there aren't more Americans in there (given that it's the HW division).

Do other countries wrestle freestyle in high school? I know it's all folkstyle in the US.


Thank you.

 

[Rory McDonell]

USA is the only country in the world that wrestles folkstyle. Some schools here in Canada train folkstyle and wrestle in NAIC's, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

The USA has a decent wrestling team internationally, certainly in the top 10, but Russia (and former soviet countries like Georgia) produces the best in the world hands down. For instance 6 out of the top 15 HW in the world come from former soviet countries, compared to one American.

Iran and Cuba round out the top three.

 

[Madmick]

USA is the only country in the world that wrestles folkstyle. Some schools here in Canada train folkstyle and wrestle in NAIC's, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

The USA has a decent wrestling team internationally, certainly in the top 10, but Russia (and former soviet countries like Georgia) produces the best in the world hands down. For instance 6 out of the top 15 HW in the world come from former soviet countries, compared to one American.

Iran and Cuba round out the top three.

Cool. So Russia's bigger than just Karelin. How greatly do you think his iconic status there draws talent into the sport? Was Russia just a powerful a juggernaut before him? Is wrestling their biggest sport? I know they're great ice skaters, weightlifters, and gymnasts, and they used to be the ONLY hockey gods.

It's strange- "soccer" is kinda the default #1 for every country in the world but the USA.

 

[Madmick]

BTW, and I apologize in advance for applying a stereotype, but did you see our USA girls curling team at Turin?

Goddamn!! They may suck at the sport, but who fuggin' cares?!!!

I used to make jokes about that sport, but I got entranced this olympics watching it late at night on cable. Curling fucking rules. It kicks the shit out of bowling as the greatest beer sport in the world

The Korean chicks were pretty hot too.

 

[Madmick]

Well, I found a short video on Tolly here:
http://www.realprowrestling.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=225&Itemid=121#

No such luck on the other guys. Dang, that's frustrating. I bet I could download a million videos of The Undertaker. That just sucks.

 

[Wrestler_Piper]

Stephen Neal vs. Andrei Shumilin
Stephen Neal vs. Ayden Polatci

Neal was a world champion in 1999. Andrie was a multiple time world medalest. Ayden is now the world champion and has a few other world level medals.

 

[Wrestler_Piper]

ttt

 

[Amy Robinson]

As far as US wrestlers go some of the best are- Tolly Thompson, Steve Mocco, Cole Konrad Tommy Rowlands, Daniel Cormier, Damion Hahn, Nick Preston, and Garrett Lowney.

 

[hbkhoo]

The US heavyweight pool will always be diluted by football. A lot of our top notch heavyweights in high school pursue football scholarships because there just aren't many wrestling scholarships around. Frequently, a stud wrestler will find not a single wrestling program in his state, and there is no comparison in terms of the prestige or career opportunities between the two. In Iran and other countries, the wrestlers are the national heroes, it's tough to compete with that.

 

[Hockeyfight]

That real pro wrestling thing seems a lot like the IFL

 

[Madmick]

TTT.

This thread is ever-renewable. More vids of the big guys are always appreciated by yours truly.