Abdulrashid Sadulaev gets his hand raised after a victory at the Olympic Games (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Kyle Snyder, 2016 Olympic gold medalist in men's freestyle at 97 kilograms/213 pounds, is eager to take on the Russian Tank.
Media reports indicate that Abdulrashid Sadulaev, 86-kilogram/189-pound gold medalist at the Rio Olympics known by a number of nicknames including The Tank, is planning to move up to 97 kilos for the upcoming Russian Championships ... possibly setting the stage for a Snyder vs. Sadulaev meeting on the mat in the future, perhaps at the 2017 World Championships.
Snyder seemed almost gleeful at the news that Sabulaev may be entering his weight class, judging by this message on his Twitter account: "It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping and Sadulaev is coming up to 97kg."
Snyder also expressed his eagerness to take on Sadulaev in traditional media.
"My gut reaction is excited, happy," Snyder told NBCSports.com. "When I first saw it, I smiled because this is like an exciting wrestling match for the wrestling community, wrestling fans, and it's an exciting match for me. It motivates me to continue to grow and continue to improve in wrestling."
Snyder has the utmost respect for his potential Russian rival, calling him the best pound-for-pound wrestler in the world.
The Ohio State heavyweight had the opportunity to see Sadulaev in action at the 2016 Olympics, seeing The Tank roll over his opponents in four matches by 28-1. (Snyder scored 28 points to his four opponents' 8 points at the Olympics.)
"[Sadulaev] has got a very good stance," Snyder said. "It's very difficult to get to his legs and to break his positioning. He's a very good finisher once he gets your leg, and he's very good on top."
Although just 21 years old, Sadulaev has built an impressive resume -- and reputation -- on the mat. The Dagestan native is undefeated in senior-level international competition since November 2013. In addition to winning Olympic gold in Rio, Sadulaev won back-to-back World freestyle titles in 2014 and 2015. However, Sadulaev has not wrestled since the Olympics, reportedly because of various injuries.
Snyder, who is also 21 but six months older than Sadulaev, has made an impression in wrestling. Beyond his gold medal from the 2016 Summer Olympics, the product of Maryland has also tallied gold at the 2015 World championships and the Pan Am Games the same year. In addition, Snyder has won back-to-back heavyweight titles at the 2016 and 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships for Ohio State.
Will Snyder face Sadulaev at the Worlds? First, both men have to earn a spot on their respective World freestyle teams. Snyder will have his opportunity at the 2017 World Team Trials in June.
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