There's Russia And Then Everybody Else!

[lauden swain]

I guess Russia did not want to lose this dual on their home turf. Just look at the lineup that shutout our US Team. Our US Team was also well represented but didn't stand much of a chance against these guys on this night! I wish that I could get the video of this dual.

http://www.themat.com/index.php?page...rticleID=15959


Lauden

[Tofurky]

I read this article last night and my first thought when seeing Russia's line-up was, "these guys never stood a chance of winning." The team that the United States sent is no slouch team in terms of the rest of the world, but like Lauden's title to this thread says, "There's Russia and then there's everyone else." Now, we know that Russia isn't sending this team to compete here next week, but the team they are sending is going to be so very tough. There is no one team in the world in wrestling that even resembles the depth of the Russians. While I carry high hopes for the American team, I won't be surprised one bit if this group of Russians pull off some upsets against our guys.

[Maximus]

"lauden" and "Furky" I would be interested to hear why "it's Russia then everybody else"? Not results, because I can read those, but why are the Russians so far ahead of the U.S. and the rest of the world for that mater?

AND, if it works over there, why can't USAW make it work over here? As in, do what they do.

Thanks,

[WGC]

I don't know for a fact, but I have seen it on themat.com where the Russians are very well compensated. Top USA Wrestlers barely live above poverty.

I know I have seen where past USA medalists were given a one time bonus of say $3,000 for placing at the World Championships. Now I don't know how much the stipends are, but I thinking if they are more then $15,000 for a year for the top guy, I'd be surprised. That is why most need to be an assisant coach that pays maybe $25,000.

Keep in mind these are the top guys, I suspect guys 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 on the ladder receive very little money. I suspect that is major factor in wrestlers having to quit to make a living to support a family...

[Tofurky]

I'll take a stab at some reasons.

I think that there are a lot of factors that for whatever reason make the Russians the runaway favorites in this sport almost every single time they step on the mat. One difference between the Americans and the Russians is the aggression factor. Americans continue to maintain the Dan Gable mentality of "be all over them every second of the match." While I am NOT saying that this is wrong, I think that it makes for more mistakes when you are constantly forcing action. If you look at the Russians, almost to a person they are very cautious and deliberate in their actions. They are superb counter wrestlers and extremely aggressive wrestlers will often times put themselves into bad positions and the Russians are waiting for that. One exception to that rule seems for the Americans seemed to be (to a degree) John Smith. He wasn't a Tom/Terry Brands/Iowa-type of guy. His technique was nearly flawless--not that the Iowa guys aren't among the most technically proficient wrestlers around--but he wasn't considered a brawler like the Iowans.

That being said, and I do not know this first hand having heard it from people who have wrestled top Russians and been in those rooms, is that while we are focusing on "out lasting" the world, the Russians are focusing on "out wrestling" the world, meaning that their technique is about as perfect as it comes. Americans seem to make up for any lack of technique through conditioning and strength, but the Russians are busy perfecting technique above all else. For example, look on youtube for a match with Adam Saitiev and Yoel Romero from Cuba. Romero not only dwarfs Saitiev physically, but he is one of the best technicians on earth. Saitiev doesn't throw, doesn't lift and doesn't out power Romero. Instead, he out positions him, out works him and flat out, out wrestle the guy.

Folkstyle vs. freestyle. I don't know that I need to beat this horse anymore than it already has been.

Another one is that they have more opportunity to wrestle competition outside of their clubs at tournaments through out the country more frquently than Americans do. The top US guys do to, but that doesn't make for a whole lot of depth when your second and third ranked guys aren't able to make many of these tournaments where the top competition is. America doesn't have as many tournaments as Russia does, so it makes it harder for the Americans to test what it is they are using in the room.

Lastly, money. Russian wrestlers don't struggle like American wrestlers do in that the sport is far more highly regarded in that country than it is here. From no lack of adequate training facilties to earning money to live on, Russians take care of wrestlers who compete where American wrestlers are asked to choose between being poor and wrestling full-time or earning a living and supporting their families through full-time work and wrestling part-time. That is a major disparity between the nations.