Date of Competition: September 13

Five of the last six years, there’s been a force in Greco-Roman wrestling at heavyweight. There could even be an asterisk for the one year Mijain Lopez of Cuba didn’t win a World or Olympic championship.

People say if Lopez was born in the U.S., he’d probably be a linebacker in the NFL right now, but the Cuban is an iconic figure in wrestling who shows no signs of stopping at the ripe old age of 29.

Lopez will always remain a heavy favorite in any World Championship he enters and despite his reluctance to compete in events outside of the Worlds, he’s proven he doesn’t need to.

It’s hard to predict who might give Lopez a challenge. American Dremiel Byers, a three-time world medalist and 2002 World Champion, has given chase, as have a score of others.

Byers has won all three types of medals at the World Championships and faced Lopez in the finals in 2009 before slipping to fifth a year ago.

Youri Patrikeev of Armenia was a silver medalist a year ago for Armenia after competing several years for Russia. Youngster Riza Kayaalp has established himself as a viable contender after finishing with a bronze medal last year. 

The European Championships are a solid barometer of what to expect at this weight, although the ordering might be different. A World Champion in 2006, Russia’s Khassan Baroev slipped to seventh last year. He won the Europeans, beating Kayaalp in the finals. Patrikeev finished third, as did multiple-time world silver medalist Mihaly Deak-Bardos of Hungary.

Last year’s other bronze medalist, Nurmakhan Tinaliev of Kazakhstan, didn’t wrestle at the Asian Championships. Instead, Yessengeldy Zhalgasbaev did and finished fifth.

Winning the Asian Championships this year was Iranian Bashir Asgari Babajanzadeh. He also finished second at the Pytlasinski Cup behind Ismael Guezel of Turkey, a former World Championships participant. 

Slipping off the pace at the Europeans were a pair of fifth-place finishers at previous World Championships – France’s Yannick Szczpaniak and the Czech Republic’s Marek Svec. They finished 18th and 16th respectively at the Europeans. 

Others to watch: 
Ivan Ivanov (Bulgaria) – 5th at Pytlasinski Cup
Qiang Meng (China) – 2nd at Asian Championships
Revaz Chelidze (Georgia) – 3rd at Golden Grand Prix (Baku)
Heiki Nabi (Estonia) – 5th at European Championships
Johan Magnus Euren (Sweden) – 5th at European Championships
Mindagaus Mizgaitis (Lithuania) – 2008 Olympic Bronze 

2010 World Championships
120kg/264.5 lbs. – Gold – Mijain Lopez (Cuba); Silver – Youri Patrikeev (Armenia); Bronze – Riza Kayaalp (Turkey); Bronze – Nurmakhan Tinaliev (Kazakhstan); 5th – Dremiel Byers (United States); 5th – Marek Svec (Czech Republic); 7th – Khassan Baroev (Russia); 8th – Lukasz Banak (Poland); 9th – Johan Magnus Euren (Sweden); 10th – Guram Pherselidze (Georgia)

2009 World Championships
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Gold - Mijain Lopez Nunez (Cuba); Silver - Dremiel Byers (USA); Bronze - Jalmar Sjoeberg (Sweden); Bronze - Riza Kayaalp (Turkey); 5th - Nico Schmidt (Germany); 5th - Ioseb Chugoshvili (Belarus); 7th - Aleksandr Anunchin (Russia); 8th – Mihaly Deak-Bardos (Hungary); 9th - Rafael Barreno (Venezuela); 10th - Marek Svec (Czech Republic)

2008 Olympics Games
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Gold - Mijain Lopez (Cuba); Silver - Khasan Baroev (Russia); Bronze - Mindaugas Mizgaitis (Lithuania); Bronze - Yuri Patrikeev (Armenia); 5th - Yannick Szczepaniak (France); 5th - Jalmar Sjoberg (Sweden); 7th - Dremiel Byers (USA); 8th - Mihaly Deak-Bardos (Hungary); 9th - Liu Deli (China); 10th - Anton Botev (Azberbaijan)

2007 World Championships 
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Gold - Mijain Lopez (Cuba); Silver - Khassan Baroev (Russia); Bronze - Dremiel Byers (United States); Bronze - Yuri Patrikeev (Armenia); 5th - Yannick Szczepaniak (France); 5th – Mihaly Deak Bardos (Hungary); 7th - Iosef Chugoshvili (Belarus); 8th –David Saldadze (Uzbekistan); 9th - Georgiy Tsurtsumia (Kazakhstan); 10th – Muradyan Tuichiev (Tajikistan)

2006 World Championships 
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Gold - Khasan Baroev (Russia); Silver - Mijian Lopez (Cuba); Bronze - Sergei Artsiukin (Belarus); Bronze - Ismail Guzel (Turkey); 5th - Jalmar Sjoberg (Sweden); 5th - Mihaly Deak-Bardos (Hungary); 7th - Masoud Hashemzadeh (Iran); 8th - David Vala (Czech Republic); 9th - Dremiel Byers (United States); 10th - Mizgaitis Mindaugas (Lithuania)

2005 World Championships 
120 kg/264.5 lbs.- Gold - Mijial Lopez (Cuba); Silver - Mihaly Deak-Bardos (Hungary); Bronze - Sergei Artsiukin (Belarus); Bronze - Yetka Yilmaz (Turkey); 5th - Georgi Tsursumia (Kazakhstan); 5th - Mindaugas Mizgaitis (Lithuania); 7th - Juha Ahokas (Finland); 8th - Kostayantyn Stryzhak (Ukraine); 9th - David Vala (Czech Republic); 10th - Serguei Mourieko (Bulgaria)