Most Physically Gifted Wrestlers of All Time

[Laviledor727 0]

Who were the strongest wrestlers of all time, from a purely physical standpoint? Who had the most brute, crushing strength? Who had the most explosive power? 

Who was the strongest pound for pound or muscle for muscle*? Who was the absolute strongest?

I'd say overall, Yoel Romero and Mark Schultz, speedier and stronger respectively. George Hackenschmidt was a strongman and he broke tons of weightlifting records in the 1900's - with his arms ourstretched like a cross, he could carry 90 lbs in each hand. He was likely considerably slower than Romero and Schultz. Aleksander Karelin in the same league as them but on the lower end, although he has the most absolute strength. 

Danny Hodge, Lee Kemp, Artur Taymazov, Karam Gaber, and Sadulaev come to mind, but they're just below that highest tier. Yandro Quintana closely followed by Jordan Burroughs in this second tier for their insane explosiveness.

If you could make a top 5 or top 10 and why they're in that placing, it'd be great. I don't really know enough to do that myself.

 

*Issue is Anthony Robles and Zion Shaver. How strong would they be for their weight class if they had a full body? If it's strictly their upper body strength vs. mass, of course they'd be the strongest pound for pound.

Edited July 28 by Laviledor727
visual stimulation/corrections

[hammerlockthree 1,913]

Said in OP but I always think of Mark Schultz

[Plasmodium 1,548]

Eldar Kurtanidze should be in this discussion. 

[jeffrideal 111]

Brock Lesnar?

[Major Kong 11]

Lee Kemp was phenomenally strong. My roommate wrestled him in college and said he was on a completely different physical level than other top guys.

[Cradle1 232]

Ivan Yarygin was a beast ahead of his time.

[DIWalkOn 5]

pure strength - Shorty Hitchcock 

Edited July 29 by DIWalkOn

[Lunaticfringe 18]

Artur Taymazov

Edited July 29 by Lunaticfringe

[gimpeltf 1,402]

9 minutes ago, Lunaticfringe said:

Artur Taymazov

I think he bought some of those gifts

[tightwaist 388]

Mark Schultz has to be at the top of this list.  

 

[Voice_of_the_Quakers 62]

Lee Kemp is the best and most physically gifted wrestler I ever personally saw wrestle. 

But, as we continue this conversation, I would encourage participants to look beyond body type when describing "physically" gifted.  Bruce Baumgartner was accurately described as a moving brick wall, but does not have the "look" of Alexander Karelin.  

Edited July 29 by Voice_of_the_Quakers

[VakAttack 2,563]

Karam Gaber

[GoNotQuietly 835]

If you take a combination of: Power, Strength, Agility, Balance, Flexibility, Anaerobic endurance, and Proprioception/Body Awareness into account, our current team has some all-time athletes on it: Dake, Burroughs, Cox, and Taylor are all up there with M. Schultz, K Monday, N. Carr, etc.


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[vsnej 190]

On 7/28/2020 at 3:04 PM, Plasmodium said:

Eldar Kurtanidze should be in this discussion. 

 

I saw this match at NYC/MSG and was amazed by Eldar's physique for his heighth.

Textbook throw at around 5:25 during the infamous "clinch" period in Freestyle.

[Obelix 15]

 

I need to throw Daniel Igali's name in the mix. I wrestled with him in college, and there were some times when he was in the mood where I was absolutely helpless. 

[fadzaev2 313]

This is a tough question...you can't just go by body build.....some guys are deceivingly strong.  Some guys wrestle with technique rather just strength.

[BadgerMon 169]

On 7/28/2020 at 5:03 PM, Major Kong said:

Lee Kemp was phenomenally strong. My roommate wrestled him in college and said he was on a completely different physical level than other top guys.

Like trying to get a T-Rex out of position. 

[BadgerMon 169]

Gonna throw Kenny Monday's hat into the ring. The man was a wreckin' machine, who could shoot or throw. Sort of like his friend Nate Carr. Both lightning fast.

[Jim L 232]

I saw J'den Cox warming up and drilling as a FR at NCAAs and he stood out on a mat full of great wrestlers. He was the quickest, smoothest wrestler I ever saw.

Plus he has the best sweat glands of all time

[MPC 14]

Karelin has to be at the top of the list- no one has ever been able to replicate his lift dominance

[grappler111 8]

Karelin, Taymazov, Romero, Revaz Nadareishvili...

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[lost 104]

Hard to vote against karelin since he was able to accomplish a measurable physical feat against competition (reverse lift) that no one in that weight class has been able to reliably do before or since.

[BigTimeFan 943]

I’m going to add Sergei Belaglazov. Incredible from where position. Quick. Strong. Huge tank. 

[fullnelson 112]

All those mentioned are certainly worthy candidates, but I'll add another who should/would have been the only wrestler in the world to have won 3 World titles in 3 different styles. 

In 1982 I witnessed Greg Gibson do 30 pull-ups AFTER an hour+ practice. Greg won World Championships in Greco and Sambo, and was royally screwed in 1981 World Freestyle Finals, when he gutted the East German 3x, only to have the mat judges rule 2&2 each time resulting in an 11-10  heartbreaking loss. He and Mark Schultz had the best gutwrenchs in US history imo.

[Jim L 232]

23 hours ago, fullnelson said:

All those mentioned are certainly worthy candidates, but I'll add another who should/would have been the only wrestler in the world to have won 3 World titles in 3 different styles. 

In 1982 I witnessed Greg Gibson do 30 pull-ups AFTER an hour+ practice. Greg won World Championships in Greco and Sambo, and was royally screwed in 1981 World Freestyle Finals, when he gutted the East German 3x, only to have the mat judges rule 2&2 each time resulting in an 11-10  heartbreaking loss. He and Mark Schultz had the best gutwrenchs in US history imo.

I remember a story about Gibson going through Marine basic training with no intention of continuing his wrestling career and when he broke the record for the obstacle course at 200+lbs, the Marines learned about his wrestling background and got him back wrestling again.  

Also, He was still at the Olympic Greco Roman trials into his late 40s.