These Are The Russians You Are Going To Want To Watch At U23s
These Are The Russians You Are Going To Want To Watch At U23s
Russia will be the favorite to win it all in Serbia. Here are 5 of their wrestlers you'll want to keep an eye on.
Unsurprisingly Russia is bringing a heavy-hitting squad to the U23 World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. With six wrestlers in the senior level international rankings, they will be the odds-on-favorite to win.
2021 Russian U23 World Team
57 kg: #16 Ramazan Abdurakhimov (Dagestan/Khanty-Mansi)
61 kg: #20 Artur Chebodaev (Krasnoyarsk)
65 kg: Ibragim Abdurakhmanov (Dagestan)
70 kg: #11 Rezuan Kazharov (Kabardino-Balkaria)
74 kg: #16 Chermen Valiev (Ossetia)
79 kg: #11 Magomed Magomaev (Dagestan/Bryansk)
86 kg: Zagid Karimov (Dagestan)
92 kg: #8 Azamat Zakuev (Crimea)
97 kg: Shamil Gadzhialiev(Dagestan)
125 kg: Saypudin Magomedov (Dagestan)
*Ranking denotes senior level international ranking
Obviously, you should watch all of these wrestlers as much as you can. Anybody Russia sends to an age level World Championships is almost always a medal threat if not capable of making a run at gold. For this article’s purpose, however, I wanted to hone in on a select few.
65 kg: Ibragim Abdurakhmanov
Abdurakhmanov has been competing regularly on the senior level since 2019. While competing at 61 kg in 2019 he got all the way up to #9 in the international rankings by beating Abasgadzhi Magomedov. Yes, the same Abasgadzhi that beat Daton Fix in the World finals. Now, Abasgadzhi avenged that loss at Russian Nationals, but only by a score of 4-2.
Abdurakhmanov moved up to 65 kg in 2021 where he’s seen limited action. This will only be his 3rd time at the weight. The other two were a bronze at Ali Aliev and making the team. With the depth Russia has at 65 kg, there’s a chance once this dude is done with the U23 circuit we rarely see him again. However, with a win like Abasghazi, there’s a chance he breaks through.
USA rep: Dom Demas
70 kg: Rezuan Kazharov
70 kg is the deepest weight at this tournament. My friend Jon Kozak wrote about it HERE. To summarize, Rezuan Kazharov has been on a tear the past year and notching high senior level wins by taking bronze at Yarygin and gold at the Ali Aliev.
“U23 Worlds will help show if Kazharov is ready to move into the top 5 in the world at 70kg or if he’ll remain in the lower half of the top 20.” - Jon Kozak
Watch Resuan Kazharov’s 2021 Aliev final below
USA rep: Brock Mauller
74 kg: Cherman Valiev
Cherman Valiev has been on the scene a while. As just a teenager Valiev beat Frank Molinaro at the 2017 Senior World Cup. In 2020 he won Russian Nationals and in doing so was their rep at the 2020 Individual World Cup, where he took 5th. He was Russia’s only guy who didn’t bring home gold besides Rashidov, who got injured.
After losing to eventual World bronze medalist Evgheni Zherbaev in the semifinals of 2021 Russian Nats, Valiev moved up to 74 kg where he’s already won a European U23 gold medal. The Ossetian has a good double is decent in scrambles.
Watch Valiev beat Frank Molinaro at the 2017 World Cup below.
USA rep: Peyton Robb
79 kg: Magomed Magomaev
Magomed Magomayev probably isn’t the best guy on the team for Russia, but with the lack of international depth at this weight here in Belgrade, he’s the title favorite. Currently ranked #11 on the senior level, Magomaev is a young guy with a lot of potential. His lone big result that got him in the international rankings was a bronze at the 2021 Medved. It will be good to get another opportunity to watch young Dagestani here.
USA rep: Mikey Labriola
92 kg: Azamat Zakuev
Azamat Zakuev was Russia’s rep at this tournament the last time it was held in 2019 and failed to medal. Since then he’s shown improvements, however. He’s now Russia’s #2/#3 guy at this weight on the senior level.
92 is a tough weight that includes a 2021 Senior World medalist, Osman Nurmagomedov (a Dagestani that represents Azerbaijan), so a medal is once again not guaranteed. Seeing if he can get it done this year with a good Russian transfer in the bracket will be a fascinating thing to watch.
Watch Azamat Zakuev’s 2021 Russian Nationals bronze medal match below
USA rep: Nino Bonaccorsi