Last week, Living MMA released a new video featuring highlights from the 2022 Grand Prix Zagreb Open, which took place in January. This has become a near annual tradition for the European video production company, as they began filming the Zagreb tournament in ’17 and have continued to do so each year with the exception of ’20.
Their videos are artfully crafted and tend to emphasize some of the more dramatic elements Greco-Roman has to offer in an effort to tantalize a wider audience. US athletes have often been included in clips, as well, and are again this year — just not in the most flattering light, perhaps. In the video’s open, Tanner Farmer (130 kg, NYAC/IRTC) can be seen on the wrong end of a gutwrench, and Diego Romero (60 kg, NMU/NTS) is shown being headlocked. At the ’22 event this past January, Randon Miranda (60 kg, Rise RTC) and Robert Perez III (67 kg, Sunkist) both placed fifth to lead the American squad.
The video is available for view below.
Russia Wants Outsiders
The Russian Wrestling Federation is in the process of determining a competitive calendar geared towards bypassing United World Wrestling’s banning of the Eastern Bloc powerhouse.
Two weeks ago, UWW, in following suit with virtually every major sports organization across the globe, declared a moratorium on all Russian (and Belarusian) athletes and officials, resulting in what is essentially an open-ended blacklisting of the two nations through the foreseeable future. There is no set date for when RUS and BLR participants will once again receive permission to participate in UWW events; wrestling’s main sanctioning body said only that they “will continue to monitor the situation in Ukraine and make any further immediate decisions as the situation evolves.”
RUS and BLR have thus far missed out on the U23 European Championships, and will also be excluded from the Senior version of the event later this month in Budapest. Russia’s Olympic Committee was already displeased with the worldwide ban. Their wrestling federation — one of the sport’s most successful and influential — is attempting to take an adaptive approach in light of the circumstances.
One of Russia’s main objectives currently is to bring in athletes from other nations for events. What this might entail is not yet clear, but federation president Mikhail Mamiashvili seems to indicate a variety of options are up for discussion with the apparent aim to provide Russian athletes with suitable competition. “Our federation has proposed an interesting format for attracting athletes from abroad so that they are not afraid of the shouts of public organizations,” Mamiashvili said. “These will be open competitions that will give the strongest athletes the opportunity to compete. There may be professional leagues and club competitions. There is a wide range of issues that are being worked out.”
Listen to “5PM50: Mr. Fantastic Benji Peak” on Spreaker.
Listen to “5PM49: Robby Smith on coaching, fatherhood and mentors” on Spreaker.
Listen to “5PM48: Austin Morrow and Gary Mayabb” on Spreaker.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FIVE POINT MOVE PODCAST
iTunes | Stitcher | Spreaker | Google Play Music
