Russian Nationals Preview: 57kg, 86kg & 125kg

Russian Nationals Preview: 57kg, 86kg & 125kg

Here is a breakdown of everything you need to know about the second day of the 2017 Russian Nationals, which starts at 3 AM ET on Tuesday and is being held in Nazran, Ingushetia.

Jun 12, 2017 by Andrew Spey
Russian Nationals Preview: 57kg, 86kg & 125kg
By Seth Petarra

The Russian National Championships is one of the deepest, toughest tournaments of the year. For three days, the best wrestlers from all four corners of the Russian Federation converge to help determine (but not ultimately decide) the Russian world team. Below is a breakdown of everything you need to know about the second day of the tournament, which starts at 3 AM ET on Tuesday.

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57 Kilograms

Being a post-Olympic year, 57kg has seen its fair share of shake-ups both domestically in Russia and internationally. Olympic champion Vladimer Khinchegashvili of Georgia and Olympic runner-up Rei Higuchi of Japan have both moved up to 61kg. Longtime Russian rulers are gone, and new talents have asserted themselves. With all that being said, let's look at who's going to be competing for the right to represent Russia at 57kg in Paris.

Who's Not Competing

Fifth-ranked Nariman Israpilov, the 2013 world bronze medalist, is out with an injury. Two-time world champion Victor Lebedev is retired, and 2016 Yarygin runner-up Rustam Ampar went 0-1 up at 61kg.

Title Contenders

No. 4 Zaur Uguev: A two-time cadet world champion from 2011 and 2012, Uguev was inactive from the sport due to a positive drug test for a banned diuretic at the 2013 junior world championships, where he beat Rio Olympian Suleyman Atli of Turkey in the 50kg finals. After serving his two-year suspension, Uguev has come back with all cylinders firing and really showed himself as the favorite to win it with his performance this year at the Yarygin, where he thrashed No. 5 Nariman Israpilov and No. 6 Artem Gebek. Since then, Uguev has registered bronze medals at the Yasar Dogu and European championships, with losses to Atli and Giorgi Edisherashvili of Azerbaijan. Uguev's domestic resume also includes a win over multiple-time junior world medalist Khasanguseynov Badrudinov.

Uguev's strong suit from his feet is his underhooks, which he'll reload into a seatbelt and then throw it by into a head inside single that he'll finish by coming out the back door and going Iranian finish. He also has a nice right side head inside single re-attack, and he'll snap guys down into a front headlock and go inside trip either side. Also, Uguev has a strong gut and head pinch as well. And when he goes left-side underhook throw-by, he'll convert it into a head outside single, or he'll go fireman's carry.

One issue with Uguev is that he can struggle to generate offense if guys can clear out of his underhooks. This will leave him extended, as Edisherashvili took advantage of at Euros. Uguev is also susceptible to the claw series, which Atli used against him at the Yasar Dogu.

No. 6 Artem Gebek: A Yarygin champion from 2013, Artem Gebek actually has a win over Uguev dating back to the Kunaev Tournament in November 2016. This year, Uguev returned the favor to him when he tech-falled Gebek in the Yarygin finals. Gebek was picked as the World Cup rep for Russia, where he was able to notch a 5-2 win over European champion and No. 2-ranked Giorgi Edisherashvili of Azerbaijan as well as over No. 16 Tony Ramos of the United States. Gebek has a strong domestic resume, highlighted by wins over No. 14 Rasul Mashezov, No. 5 Nariman Israpilov, No. 4 Zaur Uguev, No. 8 Zelimkhan Abakarov, No. 15 (61kg) Ismail Musukaev, and No. 17 Azamat Tuskaev.

From his feet, Gebek is an incredibly solid fundamental wrestler with great head hands defense who stuffs guys shots down to a front head with a left underhook well. Offensively, Gebek likes to go right club to right-head outside single and then left club to left-head inside single. He'll also look to double off from there or chase the corner and get the far leg.

No. 8 Zelimkhan Abakarov: Despite a strong showing at the 2016 tournament in memorial of Yusup Abdusalamov, Abakarov didn't really show up on most people's radar until he won a bronze medal at this year's Yarygin. While at the Yarygin, Abakarov beat No. 14 Rasul Mashezov and Abasgadzi Magomedov. Outside of the Yarygin, Abakarov is coming off a bronze medal finish at the Dan Kolov up at 61kg.

From his feet, Abakarov is great with a 2-1, and when he gets it left it left side, he'll look to drive through on a double. When he gets it on the right side, he'll look to throw it by into a Merkle or a go-behind and transition right into a gut or lace. Along with that, Abakarov has a crafty cross-ankle pick that he can hit off of his right-side 2-1. He's also strong for the weight and hard to take down.

Medal Contenders

Khasanguseynov Badrudinov: After finishing as runner-up at last year's World Juniors, Badrudinov has continued to make steady strides . This year at the Yarygin, Badrudinov was able to notch a win over 2014 national runner-up Omak Syuryun. He then went on to lose 2-2 to Artem Gebek and 10-1 to Zelimkhan Abakarov. Badrudinov has domestic wins over Omak Syuryun, Abasgadzi Magomedov, and Nikolai Ohlopkov, but outside of those guys, Badrudinov has a strong international win over No. 18 Andrey Yatsenko.

Badrudinov has stingy defense and likes to snatch up a 2-1 and turn into a keylock on the right side, which he'll then throw-by quickly into a Merkle. Along with that, he'll also look to elbow pass to a Merkle and to go 2-1 pass into a high seatbelt and then to a Merkle. When he isn't Merkleing (I believe that's a word), Badrudinov likes to go left underhook throw-by to a body-lock finish. Badrudinov doesn't shoot a lot, and because he Merkles so much, he leaves himself open to get Petersoned. But the guy has a great gas tank and his funky style and relentlessness has given people problems in the past. Plus, if he has now developed senior-level strength (which I believe he has), he should be able to implement his game plan effectively at the Russian Nationals.

Watch Badrudinov take out Daton Fix at the 2016 Junior World Championships in the video below. Fix would later go on to earn the bronze medal at the tournament in Macon, France.



No. 14 Rasul Mashezov: Fifth at last year's Russian Nationals, Mashezov is coming off a similar finish at this year's Yarygin, where he notched a win over No. 15 Rustam Ampar, while taking losses to No. 6 Artem Gebek and No. 8 Zelimkhan Abakarov.

Mashezov prefers more of a counter-based game, centered around a strong whizzer kick that he does well to expose guys, with along with a savvy Merkle that he hits when defending a head-outside single-leg attempt. When he does shoot, Mashezov likes to go with an inside control throw-by into a high crotch, which he did well against Ampar in their match at the Yarygin.

No. 17 Azamat Tuskaev: The 2014 junior world champ is coming off a bronze medal finish at the U-23 European championships, where he lost in the finals to No. 3 Suleyman Atli of Turkey. Tuskaev's domestic resume includes wins over No.15 (61kg) Ismail Musukaev and No.12 (61kg) Viktor Rassadin.

Tuskaev is positionally sound wrestling out of a strong stance, often going into a three-point stance. Offensively, he has a strong front headlock and has a good left underhook throw-by to a head-inside single-knee pound out to backdoor Iranian finish. Or if the guy whizzers down hard that side, he'll cut across double.

The thing about Tuskaev is he only operates in two modes, and they entirely depend on his level of competition. If he's stronger than his competition, he'll be active and go after them. However, if they are at his level or stronger than him, or if they effectively clear his ties, he'll shut down and do absolutely nothing the whole match. This inability to adapt is why I can't really trust Tuskaev to perform well in big matches consistently.

Dark Horses

Omak Syuryun: A national runner-up in 2014, Syuryun is coming off a title earlier this year at the President's Cup of Buryatia over Dasha Sharastepanov up at 61kg. While Syuryun has been inconsistent since his 2014 runner-up finish, he's still managed to notch good domestic wins over No. 8 Zelimkhan Abakarov and No.12 (61kg) Viktor Rassadin. On his feet, Syuryun likes to pressure with heavy inside control and looks to get double underhooks and hit foot sweeps off of it. Syruyan will also throw those underhooks by and hit a body lock, or he'll sometimes go left underhook throw-by to a high crotch.

86 Kilograms

Even with the news that three-time world/Olympic champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev will move up to 97kg, Russia can still boast of the legendary depth at 86kg for which it's so well known. The man who is the heir apparent to Sadulaev's top spot at 86kg is Dauren Kurugliev, with Shamil Kudiyamagomedov not far behind.

Who's Not Competing

Sadulaev has moved up to 97kg.

Title Contender

No. 3 Dauren Kurugliev: Although he has yet to place at Russian Nationals, Dauren Kurugliev's growth this year has been absolutely incredible. Kurugliev won the prestigious Yasar Dogu, the revered Ivan Yarygin Memorial invitational, and the European championship. He's beaten the Nos. 5-, 6-, 8-, 11-, 15-, and 16-ranked wrestlers in the world. His domestic resume includes wins over No. 10 Anzor Urishev, No. 14 Vladislav Valiev, No. 16 Ahmed Magamaev, No.18 Alexander Zelenkov, and Arsen Ali Musalaliev.

From his feet, Kurugliev is a left-foot lead and has a strong head inside, left-side single, and powerful double that he'll shoot across the body. He sets these shots up really well with pump fakes. Kurugliev also has some heavy hands on him that contribute to his stingy defense.

No. 7 Shamil Kudiyamagomedov: Having won the 2016 Yarygin and European Championship, Kudiyamagomedov was long seen as the guy to take over Sadulaev's spot when he moved up to 97kg. These lofty expectations were shot down when Kudiyamagomedov placed fifth at the Yarygin, losing to No. 6 Javad Ebrahimi and No.14 Vladislav Valiev. But since then, Kudiyamagomedov has recovered with a runner-up finish at the Dan Kolov, notching strong wins over Georgian national runner-up Irakli Mtsituri and Olympian Gwan Uk Kim. Kudiyamagomedov's domestic career is strong, with wins over No. 3 Dauren Kurugliev, No.10 Anzor Urishev, No. 14 Vladislav Valiev, No. 4 (97kg, now competing for Romania) Albert Saritov, Arsen Ali Musalaliev, and Soslan Ktsoev.

From his feet, Kudiyamagomedov is a left-foot lead and has a strong left-head inside sweep single and can go outside step high-C on either side. He also has a strong right side head outside single. Add onto that Kudiyamagomedov's great positioning and strength for the weight plus solid par-terre work and you get a guy who's a handful to stop when he's on.

No. 10 Anzor Urishev: An Olympian in 2012, Urishev put his name back on the map with a runner-up finish at the Baku GGP, losing to Kudiyamagomedov in the finals. While there, he was able to beat European runner-up and No. 8-ranked Alexander Gostiev along with 2015 junior world champ and No. 13 Mojitaba Goleij. Urishev has a strong domestic resume, highlighted by wins over No. 3 Dauren Kurugliev, Soslan Ktsoev, No. 14 Vladislav Valiev, No. 18 Alexander Zelenkov, No. 16 Ahmed Magamaev, and retired world champ Abdusalam Gadisov.

From his feet, Urishev likes to left-hand arm drag into a go-behind and has a good left-side head outside single that he'll finish by chasing the far leg. He's also got a nice ankle pick on either side and strong go-behinds on both sides.

Check out this throw back to 2013 as Kudiymagomedov downs Urishev at in the finals of the Russian Nationals.



Medal Contenders

No. 14 Vladislav Valiev: The 2013 junior world champ is coming off a strong bronze medal finish at the Yarygin, where he beat returning No. 7 Shamil Kudiyamagomedov. Other than that, Valiev registered a strong win at the World Cup in February over 2016 Olympic bronze medalist No. 9 Sharif Sharifov of Azerbaijan. Valiev has domestic wins over Kudiyamagomedov, No. 3 Dauren Kurugliev, and No. 18 Ahmed Magamaev.

Valiev has a strong head inside single to the left side he gets off a left side underhook throw-by. Off that same left-side underhook throw-by, he can also go to a body lock and throw from there. Off of his snatch single, Valiev will drive across with a double and convert into a gut. One thing that isn't a strength for Valiev is his cardio, which can be a big hinderance.

Soslan Ktsoev: Although he has yet to compete outside of Russian Nationals since the 2015 Ali Aliyev, Soslan Ktsoev will a serious threat to medal if he shows up in peak form. The 2010 world bronze medalist has strong domestic wins over the likes of No. 3 Dauren Kurugliev and No. 14 Vladislav Valiev.

From his feet, Ktsoev is strong and possesses an explosive double that he'll get from inside control. He'll also use inside control to throw-by into a duck and blasting right through. Off his double, Ktsoev does a good job chaining it into a head inside single on the right side. He also has some absolutely dirty throws with a great double overs and a nice body lock.

No. 16 Ahmed Magamaev: Coming off a bronze medal finish this year at the Yarygin, Ahmed Magamaev looks like he could be a sleeper pick to medal depending on how the bracket plays out. He's posted strong domestic wins over Soslan Ktsoev, Akhmed Magomedov, and No. 18 Alexander Zelenkov. Magamaev likes to get a left-side 2-1 and snap it down to set up his double or a cross pick, and he's got a nice gut wrench to go along with it.

Dark Horses

Arsen Ali Musalaliev: A Yarygin runner-up and a junior world champ, Musalaliev is considered one of Russia's best if not somewhat inconsistent prospects. This year, Musalaliev is coming off a bronze medal finish at the U-23 European Championships, where he was upset by Murat Erturk. Although Musalaliev has posted some up-and-down results, that doesn't dampen the fact that he has posted strong domestic wins over No. 3 Dauren Kurugliev and Akhmed Magomedov. Along with those victories, he has a win over 2015 U-23 European runner-up Magomedgadsi Khatiyev at last year's Ali Aliyev.

Musalaliev likes to go with a head-outside low single or head-inside low single on the right side, and for both he'll finish it on the mat by splitting the guy's legs, shelving it, and driving through. He'll also hit a head-outside sweep low single on the left side and finish that by chasing the corner and getting the far leg.

125 Kilograms

Russia has had problems developing heavyweights for a while now. The weight class may have had good results lately, but it was in all actuality only two guys deep: three-time world champ Bilyal Makhov and five-time world champ Khadzhimurad Gatsalov. With Makhov not competing at all this year and Gatsalov retired, Russia's depth issues can no longer be avoided. Russia needs to develop a consistent medal threat outside of the aforementioned multiple-time world champions, and this is the year to see if it is capable of doing so.

Who's Not Competing

Makhov has confirmed he will not be competing this year due to injuries. Gatsalov has retired and is coaching Kazakhstan's national team. Muradin Kushkov, a 2013 world rep, is out for the year with a knee injury.

Title Contenders

No. 7 Alan Khugaev: Due to the absence of Makhov and Gatsalov, Khugaev and former 97kg wrestler Vladislav Baitsaev have emerged as the most likely guys to represent Russia come Paris. Baitsaev is back down to 97kg, so this makes the 2014 European runner-up Khugaev the favorite to win. This year, Khugaev has beaten Anzor Boltukaev to win the the Yarygin and Robert Baran to capture the Yasar Dogu. Domestically, Khugaev has wins over Anzor Khizriev and Kazbek Khubulov.

No.11 Baldan Tsyshipov: A bronze medalist last year at Russian Nationals, Baldan Tsyshipov has won the Mongolia Open and President Cup of Buryatia, beating 2016 national champ Muhamgazi Magomedov in both finals matches. Tsyshipov also earned a bronze medal at the Baku GGP in November 2016. Domestically, Tsyshipov has wins over No. 7 Alan Khugaev and Muhamgazi Magomedov.

Medal Contenders

Anzor Khizriev: Bronze last year at the Yarygin and Russian Nationals, Khizriev isn't ranked due to his inactivity, but I'd still consider him to be a serious threat to medal here. Khizriev's got a strong domestic resume, punctuated by wins over Kazbek Khubulov and Murad Kushkov.

No. 15 Adlan Ibragimov: A bronze medalist from last year's Yarygin, Adlan Ibragimov is a bumped-up 97kg guy who was able to pick up a win over No. 16 Nick Gwiazdowski at the Yarygin this year. Domestically, he has a strong win down at 97kg over No.13 (97kg) Rasul Magomedov.

Kazbek Khubulov: Last year's junior world champion, Khubulov looks to be Russia's future at this weight, although he's struggled a bit up at the senior level, with his best finish being fifth at the Yarygin. Domestically, he has a strong win over 2016 national champ Muhamgazi Magomedov.

Dark Horse

Batraz Gazzaev: Inactive since the 2016 Intercontinental Cup, Batraz Gazzaev is going to be the X-factor here as he's a good 97kg who's grown well into 125kg. Gazzaev has a title last year at the Intercontinental Cup over No.16 Nick Gwiazdowski to prove it. Domestically, his best wins are over Anzor Khizriev and No. 13 Vladislav Baitsaev.