Barry Davis - Sergei Beloglazov, Bruce Baumgartner - David Gobejishvili, Cael Sanderson - Yoel Romero, John Smith - Stepan Sarkissian, Jim Scherr - Makharbek Khadartsev, Lincoln McIlravy - Daniel Igali. The list of historic wrestling rivalries is a long one. Right at the top, however? Kyle Snyder - Abdulrashid Sadulaev. I truly believe that we are living in the midst of the time of the greatest wrestling rivalry of all time. Here’s why.

Below are the three main reasons that make the Snyder - Sadulaev so great. And why you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to witness wrestling history happen before your eyes next week.

The Skill and Accolades Between The Two

Sadulaev isn’t just widely considered to be the current best pound-for-pound wrestler on the planet, but one of the best of all time. His combination of technique + power and speed for someone of his size is truly remarkable. He has used these skills to win two Olympic titles and four World titles. Since winning his first senior World title in 2014 he only has one blemish on his record: the 2017 World finals to Kyle Snyder.

Partly because we are living in the golden age of USA Wrestling with guys like Gable Steveson, David Taylor, Jordan Burroughs, and Kyle Dake, and partly because he is in the same weight class as Sadulaev, I feel like people forget just how good Kyle Snyder is. Kyle Snyder has done nothing but win World and Olympic medals. He won the spot over Olympic champion Jake Varner in 2015 and has never failed to bring home hardware since. 

Also, don’t forget, while Sadulaev has gotten the W in the last two meetings, Snyder won match one. Kyle is one of two people on the entire planet that can say they’ve beaten the great Sadulaev. That alone makes him a legend. Don’t think it’s completely out of the realm of possibilities for Kyle to do it again.

Watch Kyle Snyder - Abdulrashid Sadulaev I below.

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The Team Title Component

This rivalry isn’t just Snyder vs Sadulaev, it’s USA vs Russia. The two countries are the two main forces in wrestling right now. Two of the three times the two have met, it hasn’t just been to decide an individual World/Olympic title, but a team title as well. That adds a whole lot more excitement and pressure to a match. 

With 97 kg being the final men’s freestyle weight to compete, there is a very good possibility that the 97 kg final could once again decide the team title. Russia isn’t bringing all of their big guns, their team will be tough, and Sadulaev is going. For the seventh-straight year, Kyle Snyder will be Team USA’s 97 kg rep.

Modern Access To Wrestling & Wrestlers

This is no fault of the older athletes and their rivalries that I mentioned at the beginning of this article. They are just a victim of their time. However, the ability to watch matches live is huge. A fan could maybe catch an Olympic final on TV if they were watching at the right time when John Smith was wrestling. Now, however, it doesn’t even matter if you have a TV or not. You can watch live on the FloSports app!

Not only do we now have the ability to watch live, but we have preview content, technique videos, full match archives, and the ability to get to know athletes' personalities via interviews and social media. This plays a large role in becoming a fan of athletes. I said earlier we are living in the golden age of USA Wrestling, but we are also living in the golden age of wrestling in general. Luckily, it’s only going to get better.

Round IV. Olympic champion vs Olympic champion. USA vs Russia. Team title on the line. Are you really going to miss it? The 97 kg finals will go down Tuesday, October 5th at noon EST on FloWreslting. Do yourself a favor and don’t miss out on the opportunity to watch wrestling history live.