Taha Akgul Is a Force at 125kg

Taha Akgul Is a Force at 125kg

Hammer: Taha AkgulTurkey's Taha Akgul is one of the most aggressive heavyweights you will find at any level. Not many 125kg guys can keep up with the pace h

Aug 11, 2016 by Michael Malinconico
Taha Akgul Is a Force at 125kg

Hammer: Taha Akgul


Turkey's Taha Akgul is one of the most aggressive heavyweights you will find at any level. Not many 125kg guys can keep up with the pace he sets—sometimes, not even himself. But make no mistake! He is one of the best pure wrestlers at any weight in the men's freestyle division.

Hardware:
2013 World Bronze Medalist
2014 World Champion
2015 World Champion


Watching Akgul progress over the years has been amazing. He has developed a style of wrestling that is both fun to watch and impressive. When Akgul's offense is clicking, no one can keep up. Even when he puts himself at a disadvantage by burning up most of his energy in the first period, it's still a blast to witness.

Scouting Report:

Pros
-Determined to get a single leg on everyone he wrestles
-One of the best leg laces around

Cons
-No gas tank


Akgul's leg lace is a thing of beauty. He uses every part of his body to secure his locks. In his 2015 world final, watch him use his right knee to push his opponent's knees together. Getting the legs together is only half the battle—you still have to turn him. One of the things Akgul is doing better then everyone else in the world right now is using his legs when he turns someone with his lace. Everyone knows we should be running our feet when we've got a gut wrench, and not everyone incorporates their lower body when wrenching over a leg lace, but they should. 




Watching Akgul is always interesting—he's either going to put points on the board, or fall over trying. In a 125kg weight class dominated by big, lumbering giants, Akgul wrestles with the pace and the agility of a middleweight. Plus, he won a world title in a pair of Matflexs—TWICE.