Valery Rezantsev
One move, ninety-eight percent of his wins
- Born
- October 8, 1946, Novomoskovsk (then Stalinogorsk), Russia
- Nationality
- Soviet Union
- Height
- 176 cm (5′9″)
- Style
- Push-down pressure wrestler
- Weight
- 90 kg
- Active
- 1965–1976
- Status
- Retired · age 80
The medals
2 Olympic golds; 5 world titles
The story
alery Rezantsev came to wrestling late, switching from bicycle racing in 1963, and wrestled only at 90 kg. Between 1970 and 1976 he won seven straight global titles for the Soviet Union: world championships in 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974 and 1975, and Olympic gold in Munich and Montreal. Russian sources say about 98 percent of his wins came from one technique, the 'bychok', a shove with the head, shoulder or chest that knocked opponents down to par terre. He was once told opponents would figure the move out within weeks; a decade later they still had not. His Montreal title hinged on a late score against Bulgaria's Stoyan Nikolov that earned him a 6–6 decision. He wrestled for Dynamo Almaty, later coached, and was among the first ten inductees of the FILA Hall of Fame in 2003.
- Olympic champion, 90 kg (1972, 1976)
- World champion (1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975)
- European champion (1970, 1973, 1974)
- Soviet champion (1970–1975)
- FILA International Wrestling Hall of Fame, first ten inductees (2003)
- Order of the Red Banner of Labour
- Honoured Coach of Russia (1996)
Defining matches
- 1970World title Edmonton (first of five)
- 1972Olympic gold Munich (90 kg)
- 1976WINvs Czesław Kwieciński (Olympics, 9–3)
- 1976WINvs Stoyan Nikolov (Olympics, 6–6, awarded the bout after a late score; clinched second gold)
Learn the push-down to par terre: break his posture from the tie-up, then drive him to the mat with your head and shoulder in one explosive burst. Rezantsev won most of his matches by repeating one simple entry until opponents could not stop it.
