2019 International Rankings - Men's Freestyle

97 KG Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS)

There were many tough calls to make at this weight class. For example, Salas beat Gadzhiev recently but also lost to Ibragimov. Gadzhiev, however, beat Odikadze and Ibragimov lost to the relatively unknown Belarussian, Dzianis Khramiankov, at the Medved. Khramiankov later lost to Ty Walz at the same tournament. Walz remains just outside the top 20, however, due to his loss in the finals of the Medved to Rio bronze medalist Saritov, who checks in at #20.

Ovsyannikov's move up to #11 was an easier call thanks to his runner-up finish at Russian Nationals. It was likewise easy to move Alborov down after his shameful loss to Shabanibenger, a match that also earned the Azeri a red card for his blatant illegal strikes against the Iranian at the Yasar Dogu. If there was a ranking for unsportsmanlike conduct, Alborov would be a clear #1.

Two newcomers to the rankings are Nurov and Olejnyik. Nurov won the Tblisi and Olejnyik took second at the Ziolkowski. 

Questions or comments? Contact Andrew Spey (@speywrestle) and Dan Lobdell (@wrestlingnomad) on Twitter.

Unlock these rankings, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In