This is Aleksandr Karelin - a man who's athletic ability can only be described as freakish. His
incredible strength, combined with an agility that belied his immense size lead him to
completely dominate the world of Greco-Roman wrestling for 13 years. But he wasn't just
stronger and faster than his opponents, he was smarter too. This warrior-philosopher literally
had a PhD in Suplexes, making him perhaps the world's most terrifying intellectual.
Aleksandr Karelin was born in 1967 in the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist
Republic. He weighed a whopping 12 pounds (5.5 kg) at birth, and showed no intention
of letting go of his largeness, outgrowing his father by age 13. In his childhood he excelled
at every sport he took up - boxing, weightlifting, volleyball, basketball,
skiing and swimming. But there was one sport that called to him more than all the rest - wrestling.
His massive physique meant Karelin was competing as a super heavyweight from the age of just
16. This was a teenager who could snap you in half. His coach was initially skeptical of him,
believing his natural size and strength afforded him a laziness that meant he rarely had to push
himself to his limits, and thus would never become an exceptional athlete. This skepticism
quickly changed when he oversaw Karelin's training and realised he was only too happy
to train like a man possessed every single day. In boreal forests he spent hours rowing and
running, often with a large log on his back. He could do 50 chin-ups in a minute and is
said to have clean and pressed 420 pounds (190 kg). He regularly bench pressed 450
pounds (204 kg) as part of his workouts. He focused on his agility as well though,
being capable of backflips and the splits. In short, Karelin trained like a madman - his words,
not mine, though I'm inclined to agree. The intensity of his routine paired with
his natural gifts made him one of the most dominating athletes of all time.
He was undefeated in Greco-Roman wrestling from his start in 1982 until 1987. At the USSR
championships in 1987, a 20-year-old Karelin faced reigning Russian and European champion
Igor Rostorostsky and lost by a single point (0-1). Determined to avenge his first ever loss,
Karelin came back the following championships and beat Rostorostsky,
while recovering from the flu and a concussion. He then returned to being undefeated, for 13 years!
He amassed 12 gold medals in European Championships, 9 gold medals in world
championships, and 3 gold medals at the Olympics - for the Soviet Union in 1988,
for the Unified Team of the former Soviet Union in 1992, and for Russia in 1996.
For 13 years he terrorised the world of wrestling. His speed meant he could outmaneouvre you,
his technique meant he could outwrestle you, and his strength meant he could do
whatever the hell he wanted to you. His signature move was a reverse bodylift,
typically only seen in the lighter weight divisions and practically unheard of for
super heavyweights. But Karelin was so strong, he didn't have a problem picking up a 280 pound
man and slamming him on his head. This move became known as the Karelin Lift,
and many a match ended with a super heavyweight ragdolling around in Karelin's arms.
Come the 2000 Olympics, Aleksandr Karelin had a single loss to his name,
and 887 wins. For the past six years not one person had even scored a single point
against him. In the finals he faced Rulon Gardner from team USA. Unlike the experienced Karelin,
this was Gardner's first Olympics. He was a simple dairy farmer, but he did have one advantage going
into the match - his massive frame. How much of an advantage this was
quickly became apparent, as early in the match Karelin went for his signature lift,
but was unable to hoist the massive Gardner up. The first round ended with no points.
The second round began in a clinch, during which Karelin briefly released his grip to re-position
his hold. This was a mistake however, as due to a recent rule change, Karelin breaking his
hold meant Gardner would be awarded one point. The second round ended and with just one point
between the wrestlers, the match went to overtime. The Karelin Lift was attempted once again, and was
once again unsuccessful. For the first time in 13 years, Aleksandr Karelin was defeated, 1-0.
Now, supposedly Karelin hadn't been aware of the recent rule change that awarded Gardner
his one and only point. Did he complain? Nope, he very graciously admitted defeat,
leaving his shoes on the mat as a sign of his retirement. He had 889 matches in his career,
won 887- some of which while badly injured, and lost two, each by only a single point. So
good was Karelin, that his nickname was "the Experiment", and many believed conspiracies
that claimed he was somehow designed or groomed by the Soviet Union to be an inhuman athlete.
Aleksandr Karelin is still widely considered to be the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler in human
history, and one of the greatest athletes of his time. But Karelin was no mindless brute.
He was descendant of intellectuals who had been exiled to Siberia in the past. He was a student
of literature, poetry, opera and ballet. He holds a degree in law, as well as a PhD in
sports science. His PhD is titled: "Methods of execution of suplex throw counters". Incredible.
Karelin is the sort of fella you can easily imagine living thousands of years ago. An
unbeatable warrior with a mind for science and the arts. I imagine if he had lived that long
ago we'd still be talking about him to this day. Instead we get to live at the same time as him,
and bear witness to his incredible feats with our own eyes. This is why he is not just considered
a hero in Russia, but across the world. Shortly before his wrestling retirement,
he served with the Russian tax police and retired with the rank of colonel.
I'm always telling you guys not to mess with the tax man and this is another great example.
In 1999 Vladimir Putin invited this Russian hero to enter politics, and he did. He has remained
with the government ever since. In 2020 he was appointed senator in the Federation Council.
So he's a statesman too - maybe we'll see him bust out some of the wrestling moves
on his political opponents. I'd love to see a politician take a power bomb. Speaking of which,
why not powerbomb that subscribe button and Karelin Lift my sub count? That way you'll
get to see a new video from me every week, on top of the massive catalog of videos I've
already made. And why not follow me on Twitter too? Alrighty then, I'll see ya next week.