1989 John Smith vs Sergei Beloglasov

[dave151550]

John Smith Greatest Wrestler Ever.

[zk92000]

People just don't want to give John Smith the credit. John was a machine......

[omisunra]

i remember the back story here... They were paid cold cash to put this event on. it was the only way they got Sergei to agree

[mvpTAYLORmvp7]

Hah John smith is te best and I live in the city were it started-- DEL CITY!!!

[caseyshattuck]

@GrapplerGabE Complete destruction by John Smith!! Clearly Sergei made the right decision to retire!

[888zzz]

@GrapplerGabE Sergei won gold in the 1988 Olympics.

[zk92000]

That far side single at 02:07, .....Jesus !

[ABUDHABICOMBATCLUBOA]

that single at 0:57 is fucking beautiful :)

[zcratsley]

1:37 why did the ref stop that? wasnt it just a simple hammer lock?

[snoopyofdoomxx]

@zcratsley A little late, but it's potentially dangerous. The hammer lock can injure by moving the arm high

[zcratsley]

@snoopyofdoomxx true, but everyone does that on a regular basis in NY and its never called.

[snoopyofdoomxx]

@zcratsley If it goes past 45 degrees or more then that's when they usually call it.

[jwgacyful]

I could watch Smith's low singles all day

[HILLlaxin]

Beloglazov was paid to throw this match...

[jwgacyful]

@HILLlaxin how do you know that Mr. Expert?

[HILLlaxin]

@jwgacyful because my coach coached with sergei for several years and is one of his best friends and i also spent two weeks wrestling with sergei last summer in singapore

[jwgacyful]

@HILLlaxin So please enlighten us further, how much was he paid, by whom, and why?

[jwgacyful]

@HILLlaxin I'd also like to see some concrete proof of such a bold and slanderous statement. perhaps he and others just say he was piad to throw it because he's a sore loser and doesn't want to admit that he got owned?

[HILLlaxin]

@jwgacyful obviously by john smith and his coaches and its pretty obvious why. i dont know exactly how much but if i had to guess it'd be in the 10-20 thousand range and if you knew what you were talking about you would know that international wrestling has always been pretty corrupt and you would also know that sergei is just too good to be beaten by smith

[jwgacyful]

@HILLlaxin that's laughable. but even if that were true, what would that say about Beloglasov?

[jwgacyful]

@HILLlaxin you should also have proof to back up such allegations. In the absence of proof all of your statements are nothing more than hearsay.

[HILLlaxin]

@jwgacyful oh is that laughable? ok faggot. and if you must know sergei's wife pushed him into it because she was tired of all the other russian greats coming home with fat bribes and not sergei. you dont know what you're talking about. get educated if your gonna argue something

[jwgacyful]

@HILLlaxin yes, it is laughable, and thanks for showing your ignorance by stooping to low level name calling. you still offer no proof. everything you say is just talk. your hero either got his ass whooped or sold out for peanuts because his wife obviously wears the pants in their relationship. congratulations, you just got owned.

[HILLlaxin]

@jwgacyful ok how about your hero needing to pay him off to win? yeah good one. its more illegal to bribe than to take a bribe buddy.

[snoopyofdoomxx]

@jwgacyful Lol, a wrestler that has a chance of winning a world championship giving it away for a mere 10,000-20,000 dollars. That's kinda funny.

[jwgacyful]

@snoopyofdoomxx thats what i said!

[paver1surf1]

@HILLlaxin Yes you are probably correct John Smith was just a “B” level wrestler and bribed his way to 4 world championships and 2 Olympic golds. He had no chance against Sergei. I here the bribe was a syphilitic hooker and some vodka. He probably overpaid by including the hooker.

[jwgacyful]

@paver1surf1 thank you...........

[Geno8675309]

Sergei was coaching at Lehigh Univ when he trained for this match. He hardly got a chance to get in shape for it and was beyond his prime but of course still had huge heart and technique.

[7DavidKim]

So i guess they named a roll after one of the beloglasov brothers, can anyone give me more information about that?

[7DavidKim]

where's the respect to sanderson?

[Scotswrestler]

LMAO. @ mrpoopdaddy, apparently you do not know the right way to cut weight haha. You don't starve yourself for 9 days you overhydrate the whole week and then 2 days before the dual meet or tourny you stop drinking water or any liquids. then you go and run or go to wrestling practice and go as hard as you can. but the whole time you still eat food so when you do wrestle you aren't all burnt out.

[Ston394]

@limagsp , St*u, Don't be rude, he isn't lying

[limagsp]

leonardthemaster. stop lying. if u could roll with sergei, then i probally knocked out mike tyson. dumb kid.

[leonardthemaster]

I just got gut-wrenched by Sergei on the mat 4 hours ago.and at 54 years old. He can still crush my rib cage easy.

[teamkennedy2009]

I was there, this was an awesome weeklong exp. for me. Sergey and his other teammates spent the week in my highschool practice room (South Eugene HS) ......John Smith was 14.5 lbs heavier.....I remember Sergey telling us that.......still it was pretty cool.....

[st23an]

beloglasov was hardly under sized or old, he was 33 and much bigger than john smith

[CubanColonel]

33 is hardly the ideal age to be engaging in world-class wrestling events. If not, ask legendary Kenny Monday, who was "only" 35 when he was torn to pieces by a much younger Saitiev during the 1996 Olympics. Age does matter, and so does size. This was not Beloglazov ideal weight. Besides, he came out of semi-retirement for this fight. Having said this, I do not decrease my level of respect for John Smith. He was the best American wrestler of all times and he deserves my admiration.

[361Ocerg]

@CubanColonel Kenny Monday hadn't competed since 1992, that's four years of rust and he still took 6th. Sergei won the Olympics the year before. It's not like he was retired for four years like KM, plus this match wasn't even close

[thutchin]

There was no weigh-in for this match, and Sergei naturally weighs about 135, while Smith cuts to get down to 136.5

[reggie1154]

Smith had alot of huge wins, but this isn't one. Beating a retired, undersized Beloglasov makes for great exhibition, nothing else!!!

[GuineaPigNYC]

agree, Beloglazov was brigther in his wrestling, but undersized , tired, retired... this is a sport...

[joshyoo410]

wow. these guys are so freaking quick!

must be exhausting to move that fast haha.

[Dylan81z]

Great match, both are great wrestlers who dominated their respective divisions. Sergei was brought out of retirement by the USSR because they were trying to find somebody to beat Smith.

[riv0376]

It is impossible and foolish to argue who is the greatest. One thing you can to do is to appreciate those aspects of their game in which they excelled at. Smith on his feet with takedowns and Sergei in par teir getting turns. Also if you want to include Bouvaisa with his defense and counters, and Karelin for throws.

[fightingfan21]

smith's style is so innovstive. I love it

[martinezrick21]

Great fight! Any idea of where I can get a list of all the World Champions during the 1980s and 90s. I've been searching for a while but to no avail. Thanks for posting!

[wrestle4life234]

Wikipedia might actually have it.

[dimka171]

hey both are great wrestlers and the match was awsome.............respect to smith and sergei, and instead of raggin on one guy or another lets just be happy that both guys wrestled and we got to see it.

[BombG1982]

Right around the 4:38 mark, Smith just absolutely lets him get in on his leg because he knows he can easily counter him. Watch and learn how its done. Anyone else here have the John Smith Brute red-white-blue shoes circa 1988?

[BombG1982]

His low single is truly legendary. If you can master one aspect of wrestling like that....top, bottom, neutral, you will have awesome success. Smith is one of the all-time greats

[Enisey]

This bout is fun to watch but doesn't prove that someone is greater than the other one in the grand scheme of things. They are both legends in their respective weight classes.

[Enisey]

I actually thought Beloglazov did pretty well, being smaller (he was overpowered a bit, but hey weight classes are for a reason) and coming out of retirement. Fairly close fight IMO. And BTW 1 exibition fight on a home soil doesn't make you a GOAT. Saitiev lost to Murtazaliev 2 times, he was simply dominated by Murtazaliev but later when it mattered Saitiev beat him and then got his 3rd Olympic gold.

[Acfeiln]

Man I just got back from a wrestling camp of Smith's and I got to learn from him it was freakin' bomb! This guy is insane

[wrestle4life234]

I think Smith had the highest winning percentage of any American wrestler wrestling internationally. But Baumgardner with his 13 world/olympic medals, is the most decorated.

[TylerBHSwrestling]

smith is strait up the best wrestler on his feet ever!

[Dussout]

hey osetin.....Fadzaev got beaten by Monday and Canadian Chris Wilson upset him too. Monday I understand but Wilson?? He's a fellow canadian and i like him but come on Fadzaev should not be losing those matches. Belaglasov never lost those type of matches pal. He was way more dominant than Fadzaev.

[osetin1989]

Btw...new SUPER star is growing up...Khadjimurat Gatsalov...he will be GOAT one day...just remember my words...

[osetin1989]

Smith is great! and Beloglazov is great! But they both NO competition to Arsen Fadzaev, and if someone will argue this, u will be stupid...Fadzaev is the best...

[customfitch]

Beloglazov with more world titles. End of story.

[Mozambique19]

it doesn't matter if someone isn't in their prime or not...if you win a match at that time...you're the best at that time, and it still doesn't matter because John Smitch was amazing. Period.

[tennistar7652]

John Smithis the takedown master, simply put.

[cheezpuffdaddy]

Smith gives a low single clinic.

[afshar600]

I don't like how matches like this are allowed to happen. Beloglasov is obviously nowhere near his prime. And Bouvaisa is not the GOAT.. He got 9th last year. That ruined it. The GOAT is destined to be Gatsalov. He hasn't been beaten since his Olympic debut in '04 and won't lose again anytime soon. I bet he wins this year, the Beijing Games next year and then retires.

[papaooomaumau]

I consider both greats but Bouvassia Saitiev is destined to be the GOAT and without a doubt Alexander Karelin is the GOAT of Greco Roman. The only reason Saitiev lost to Slay is because Slay stalled the entire match.

[mannnimmmskd]

slay was the one that took saitiev down with that double leg

[papaooomaumau]

If you watch the match, Saitiev pushed the action and shot many more times than Slay. Slay backed up the whole match until he shot that double. Backing up is passivity. Slay should have lost.

[swimhurl]

Slay kicked Saitievs ass and was winning 3-0. Its only because he let up that Saitiev was even in the match at the end.

[brands1]

yes slay did take him down, he also went for a gut wrench were saitiev countered, held him, and got nothing for it, he got ripped off a bit there, plus u say smith is the best? he had a style that no1 had seen be4 an he retired at the right time, his 92 olympic gold, shouldnt have been a gold, he lost to the cuban who was wise enough to counter his style

[swimhurl]

John Smith is much better then Saitiev ever was or will ever be.

[TWM2975]

Uhm... you're wrong. The results speak for themself. Not to mention that this was an exhibition match and Smith had a solid 10 lbs. on Beloglasov as you watch this. Oh, did I mention that Beloglasov also came out of retirement for this while Smith was peaking in his competitive career?

[wrestle4life234]

I watched this while ago and I learn the shot that he hits like 4 times in this video, the outside elbow tie to a high crotch.

[addicc]

Beloglasov was about 10 lbs lighter then smith in this match

[ostatement]

It looked like Beloglasov was indeed slightly smaller. But this was not a "rather close" match, nor was the match with Lewis particularly close, just more perfunctory on John's part: unquestionably the GOAT

[swimhurl]

The defensive sequence from 4:20 to 4:30 is another reason why Smith was the GOAT...who else would be able to get out of that kind of situation?

[sembroni]

A Champion in every time! John Smith proposed in that years a different way of fighting from all the others. His talent there is as a teacher.

[jonsmith1971]

Anatoli, Sergi's Brother, told me that it was a money match. You're all decieved. Sergei is the Greatest. I would have loved to wrestle like him more than any wrestler ever.

[eezerik]

score was rather close. I wouldn't say he's the GOAT. even though he beat sergei. Randy lewis went 1-2 with him in the trials in all close matches. But had so much more trouble wrestling gable he admitted.

GO GABLE

[pjmac88]

hes the greatest freestyle american if thats what you mean

[92DoverTiger112]

Dude he is the greatest of all time, hands down....That high-crotch was lightning quick, and low single was a thing of beauty!

[brands1]

I wouldnt say that he is THE greatest of all time, but he is up there, if i had to say who i thought was the greatest of all time, i would say Bouvaisa Saitiev, you watch any of his matches an you will know why.

[ekkeman]

Beleglozov looks so tiny compared to Smith. It had to be a combined class. Smith is the GOAT though.

[lukeh148]

What does GOAT mean?

[amazingspimoley]

Greatest Of All Time

[CIFchamp]

are you kidding? smith is the one that is small compared to beloglazov

[CSchruppNMU]

Um, no. Everyone knows that Sergei wrestled up a weight class and even came out of retirement. He was obviously not in his prime.

[curtdone]

are you stupid john is much better than sergei

[CSchruppNMU]

Am I stupid? No, obviously you're the ignorant one. MUCH better? Wow...you obviously know nothing about wrestling at all. I believe Sergei has two more gold medals than Smith. Case closed.

[curtdone]

who cares if he wasn't in his prime. He came out of retirement just because he thought he could winbut he didn't. So john smith is better.

[swimhurl]

To really say whether one was better than the other you would need to have more matches between the two wrestlers. Simply saying Beloglasov is better because he has more golds is inaccurate. Rememember Smith retired at 27 while still really young. He could have likely won gold through at least the 1996 Olympics had he continued.

[MedicineWarrior]

Wasn't S

mith the most decorated wrestler ever?

[TWM2975]

WRONG! He came out of his retirement because he was given a lot of money for the match--nearly $10,000 USD.

[mikeploftus]

this is the one fight i have always wanted to see,

thank you