Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling champion Musa Evloev named his dream team — a lineup of the greatest wrestlers in each weight category — during the “Borba+” podcast with Tigran Avanyan. In the 97 kg weight class, the Russian did not include himself but chose Armenian champion Artur Aleksanyan, emphasizing his exceptional consistency and long-standing presence at the top of world wrestling.
“97 kg — that’s Artur Aleksanyan, because since 2011 until today, Artur has maintained this level. I admire Artur because, if it were me, I couldn’t do it, I wouldn’t be able to compete like that. He never loses this level of wrestling, so it’s definitely Artur Aleksanyan,” said Evloev.
This recognition is particularly significant given the history of personal clashes between the two wrestlers. In major tournaments, Evloev often came out on top:
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Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Final: Evloev — Aleksanyan 5:1
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2020 World Cup (Serbia), Qualification: Evloev — Aleksanyan 5:1
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2019 World Championship, Semifinal: Evloev — Aleksanyan 5:0
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2018 World Championship, Semifinal: Evloev — Aleksanyan 3:1
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2017 World Championship, Final: Aleksanyan — Evloev 3:1
Despite this, it was Artur who earned a place in Musa Evloev’s “dream team” thanks to his unmatched longevity in the elite ranks of Greco-Roman wrestling.
Evloev also included another Armenian wrestler who represented Russia — Varteres Samurgashev.
Musa Evloev’s Dream Team:
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55 kg: Nazir Mankiev (Russia)
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60 kg: Islambek Albiev (Russia)
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63 kg: Varteres Samurgashev (Russia)
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67 kg: Saeid Esmaeili (Iran)
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72 kg: Abuyazid Mantsigov (Russia)
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77 kg: Roman Vlasov (Russia)
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82 kg: Selçuk Çebi (Turkey)
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87 kg: Hamza Yerlikaya (Turkey)
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97 kg: Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia)
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130 kg: Aleksandr Karelin (Russia)