Wilson vs. Fadzaev is the new “Bout of the Week” on USA Wrestling Members-Only website
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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
11/24/2004
USA Wrestling has updated its new "Bout of the Week" on USA Wrestling's Members-Only website The featured match this week is the 1990 Chris Wilson vs. Arsen Fadzeav men's freestyle match from the Canada vs. Soviet Union dual meet at the Goodwill Games in Seattle, Wash. This matchup is between the greatest wrestler of his era and one of the best of all time, Fadzaev, and a tremendously talented star who had the style and confidence to beat him, in Wilson. If you look at their career accomplishments, there should have been no doubt about who would win this match. But if you ever saw a Wilson vs. Fadzaev match, you realize why the sport of wrestling can be so interesting, and why nothing can ever be taken for granted. If you look at Arsen Fadzaev's biography on the FILA database, there are 22 major entries. Fadzaev won 20 gold medals, 1 silver medal and a 13th place that really should not be on the list. He was among the most dominant athletes ever, with perhaps the most efficient technical skills of any freestyle wrestler of his generation. Of these events, Fadzaev won six World Championships gold medals and two Olympic Games gold medals, competing at 68 kg (149.5 lbs.). The silver medal came in 1989, when Fadzaev moved up one weight class to 74 kg (163 lbs.) where he lost in the gold-medal finals to a much bigger 1988 Olympic champion Kenny Monday of the United States. Other golds came in the Espoir World Championships (twice), the European Championships (four times), the World Cup (twice), the Super World Championships (twice) and other major events. That 13th place came in the 1996 Olympics, when he came back after four years off the mat and represented Uzbekistan in the tournament, nowhere near the athlete he had been when he retired after winning his 1992 Olympic title. Wilson also started his career as an Espoir World champion in 1987 (for athletes 20 years old and under). He went on to become what some believe was the greatest Canadian to ever wrestle in freestyle. His position in Canadian history lasted at least until the nation later won World and Olympic golds with naturalized citizens Giya Sissaouri and Daniel Igali. Wilson never won a World or Olympic gold medal, but he had a legitimate shot at doing it. In 1991, he won a World silver medal, losing to Fadzaev in the finals. He was eighth at the 1992 Olympic Games, another tournament won by Fadzaev. Many believe Wilson's best shot for gold came in 1993, when the World Championships were held in his native Canada. Wilson opened the tournament with a win over Arayik Gevorkian of Armenia (who later won numerous World titles). In the second round, he faced Russian Vadim Bogiev, and the bout ended at 2-2. Bogiev was given a very controversial decision, to the dismay of the home crowd (Bogiev later won the 1996 Olympic gold). Wilson battled back from the disappointment for his fans, winning the bronze-medal match where he beat American Townsend Saunders (who was a 1996 Olympic silver medallist). Wilson wrestled a few more events, but never entered another World meet or Olympic Games. The Toronto World Championships was his swan son. When Wilson and Fadzaev met in a dual meet on one of the side mats at the Goodwill Games in Seattle, Wilson had already scored a victory over Fadzaev in a previous event. That came at the 1989 World Cup, where Wilson scored a victory over Fadzaev. However, at that event, Wilson was defeated by American star Nate Carr. When Fadzaev beat Carr in the USA vs. USSR dual meet (something he did every time they met), Fadzaev emerged with the individual gold medal. The 1990 Goodwill Games was a dual meet tournament, and the teams entered had to wrestle in a number of dual meets. One of the preliminary matches for the powerhouse Soviet team was against Canada, a solid team not expected to give Soviets much of a challenge. Unless you were looking for it, fans in the arena may have missed this classic battle between Fadzaev and Wilson. As he had in past meetings, Wilson kept the match with Fadzaev close. There was no doubt a clash of styles here, and Wilson always seemed to have his best stuff ready for Fadzaev. When Wilson emerged as the winner again, his celebration was excited and spirited, something witnesses will never forget. Both Wilson and Fadzaev are often still seen at major wrestling events, such as the Olympic Games. Wilson does the wrestling television commentary for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and was matside calling the action as recently as the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Fadzaev was in the charter group of superstars inducted into the FILA International Wrestling Hall of Fame, and is often among his peers when the World Championships and Olympics are held. This popular feature will be changed on a regular basis, allowing members to enjoy many of the greatest matches in wrestling history. Posted in the archive section of the Members Only web page was the 1990 John Smith vs. Stepan Sarkissian men's freestyle match from the Goodwill Games. Many other entertaining and historic matches are in the archive section for the Bout of the Week. USA Wrestling has done a complete redesign and expansion of its Members-Only website, providing all USA Wrestling members with an impressive new resource stocked with interactive learning tools and entertaining features. The web page is still available for all to view and sample for a short time. This will allow those not familiar with the site to enjoy the contents and become familiar with the features. Once the sampling period ends, this on-line resource is available free of charge only to current members of USA Wrestling, one of the most exciting benefits of joining the organization. At that time, USA Wrestling members will need to enter the number from their 2004-05 membership card into an entry form, and the exciting new Members-Only page will become available to them. RECENT BOUTS OF THE WEEK PLACED IN ARCHIVE 1990 John Smith vs. Stepan Sarkissian men's freestyle match 2004 Sunkist Kids International Open men's Greco-Roman gold-medal matches 2004 Sunkist Kids International Open men's freestyle gold-medal matches 1990 Bill Scherr vs. Alexei Golovko men's freestyle match 2004 Cael Sanderson vs. Moon Eui Jae men's freestyle match 2004 Rulon Gardner Olympic semifinals and finals men's Greco-Roman feature 2004 Sara McMann vs. Stavroula Zygouri women's freestyle match 2004 Toccara Montgomery vs. Kristie Marano women's freestyle match 2004 Joe Williams vs. Joe Heskett men's freestyle match 2004 Eric Guerrero vs. Mike Zadick men's freestyle match 2004 Cael Sanderson vs. Lee Fullhart men's freestyle match 2004 Dennis Hall vs. Brandon Paulson men's Greco-Roman match 1996 Townsend Saunders vs. Pat Santoro men's freestyle match 1988 Mark Fuller vs. T.J. Jones men's Greco-Roman match 1988 Nate Carr vs. Andre Metzger men's freestyle match 2004 Jared Frayer vs. Eric Larkin men's freestyle match 1987 Bill Scherr vs. Greg Gibson men's freestyle match 1992 Dennis Koslowski vs. Andrzej Wronski men's Greco-Roman match 1989 Jim Scherr vs. Makharbek Khadartsev men's freestyle match 2003 Sally Roberts vs. Marianna Sastin women's freestyle match 1996 Melvin Douglas vs. Mike Van Arsdale men's freestyle match 1988 Ike Anderson vs. Buddy Lee men's Greco-Roman match 1996 Tom Brands vs. Jang Jae-Sung men's freestyle match 2004 Eric Larkin vs. T.J. Williams men's freestyle match 1992 Rodney Smith vs. Cecilio Rodriguez men's Greco-Roman match 1988 Rico Chiapparelli vs. Lukman Jabrailov men's freestyle match 2003 Kristie Marano vs. Ewelina Pruszko women's freestyle match 1999 Stephen Neal vs. Andrei Shumilin men's freestyle match 2003 Cael Sanderson vs. Sajid Sajidov men's freestyle match