92 kg Preview & Predictions - 2024 Senior World Championships
92 kg Preview & Predictions - 2024 Senior World Championships
A full preview with predictions for the 92 kg weight class at the 2024 Senior World Championships.
The 2024 Senior World Championships are set to take place in Tirana, Albania with men’s freestyle wrestlers taking the mat October 30-31. The 92 kg weight class will be the most anticipated of any weights at this year’s World Championships with three multiple-time world champions in the bracket - Abdulrashid Sadulaev, David Taylor, and Karan Ghasempour. Check out the article below for a full preview and predictions for this incredible weight class at worlds.
The Favorites
- Abdulrashid Sadulaev, AIN (RUS)
- David Taylor, USA
- Kamran Ghasempour, IRI
As mentioned above, these 3 wrestlers have all won the world championships more than once making this bracket one of the deepest of all time. What’s especially remarkable is that none of the above wrestlers will be seeded an all could be randomly drawn on the same side of the bracket!
Of these three world-class wrestlers, Abdulrashid Sadulaev is the most accomplished with 5 world titles, 2 Olympic golds, and 1 world silver medal. Sadulaev has only suffered three losses in his 10-year international career and has been incredibly dominant in his historic run on the senior level. Though he’s nearing the end of his career, Sadulaev has evolved from a dynamic scorer to one of the best defensive wrestlers in the world. He hits his chest wrap on anyone who gets to his legs and he still possesses lightning-quick go-behinds. Once on top, Sadulaev converts his gut wrench with an amazingly high frequency. Sadulaev is almost unbeatable and he should be considered the favorite of the big three to come away with gold in Tirana.
Sadulaev's win over Kyle Snyder in the 2021 World Finals:
With three world titles and an Olympic gold, David Taylor is the next most credentialed wrestler in the bracket after Sadulaev. Taylor has gone on record saying this will be his last tournament as a competitor before he transitions full-time into coaching. The task is tall for him, but Taylor might possess the perfect skills to defeat Sadulaev - Taylor has some of the best leg attacks in the world combined, outstanding conditioning, and unmatched scrambling. If Taylor can defeat Sadulaev and Ghasempour to win gold, he’ll have his storybook ending to a remarkable career.
David Taylor's win over Hassan Yazdani at the 2023 World Championships:
Kamran Ghasempour is a two-time world champion winning the 92 kg weight class in 2021 and 2022 where he defeated J’den Cox both years. Ghasempour is a power wrestler with outstanding baseline defense and relies heavily on his underhook. In both matches against J’den Cox, Ghasempour was able to win low-scoring bouts. He definitely possesses the skill to defeat Sadulaev and Taylor but he’ll likely need to put up more offense than he did with his matches against Cox. Ghasempour’s excellence has gone largely unnoticed - overshadowed by Hassan Yazdani. However, Ghasempour is only 27 years old and might just be entering his prime. If he wins in Albania, he’ll be a hero in Iran and will absolutely be recognized as one of the pound-for-pound best in the world.
Ghasempour's win over J'den Cox in the 2022 World Finals:
The Contenders
- Batyrbek Tsakulov, SVK
- Miriani Maisuradze, GEO
The above wrestlers are far behind the top 3 at this weight but are the most likely to compete for a bronze or silver (if somehow the big 3 are all on the same side of the bracket). Both Tsakulov and Maisuradze are past world medalists - Tsakulov won world silver at 97 kg in 2022 while Maisuradze won bronze at 92 kg that same year. Tsakulov has the more impressive wins with multiple victories over 2024 Olympic silver medalist Givi Matcharashvili as well as over Ben Honis, Vladislav Baitsaev, Elizbar Odikadze, Amir Firouzpour, and several other top wrestlers at 92 and 97 kg. Maisuradze doesn’t have nearly the hitlist that Tsakulov has but his past experience at worlds makes him an interesting competitor to watch in this bracket.
Tsakulov's win over Matcharshvili at the 2022 World Cup:
Sleepers & Landmines
- Illia Archaia, UKR
- Mattew Finesilver, ISR
- Ben Honis, ITA
Ben Honis and Matt Finesilver are familiar to college wrestling fans so will start with the unknown in this category - Illia Archaia. The Ukrainian doesn’t have the accolades to suggest he’ll challenge any of the favorites in Albania but he’s had a few excellent results in the past that fit him perfectly in this category. In fact, Archaia defeated J’den Cox back in 2021 at the Ziolkowski in Poland. Archaia hasn’t been able to replicate that result since but that win alone makes him a darkhorse to watch at 92 kg.
Archaia's win over J'den Cox:
Matt Finesilver is a wrestler to watch in this bracket for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, Finesilver has quietly accumulated some fantastic wins on the senior level. His most notable was over eventual 2023 92 kg world champion Rizabek Aitmukhan. Finesilver defeated Aitmukhan 8-2 at the Hungarian Ranking Series Tournament just 2 months before Aitmukhan won senior worlds. Beyond the on-the-mat results, Finesilver represents Israel internationally and Iran has an “unwritten rule” forbidding them to wrestle Israel. That means if Finesilver draws Ghasempour at any point in the tournament, Ghasempour will forfeit. This could happen in the very first round and will create spectacular anticipation around the 92 kg draw.
Ben Honis has also accumulated some solid wins on the senior level and will be a wrestler to watch in the 92 kg bracket. The Cornell All-American was just 1 match away from qualifying for the Paris Olympics at 97 kg. Honis has notable wins over Samuel Scherrer and Radu Lefter on the senior level and he’ll be one of the biggest wrestlers in the weight. I don’t expect Honis to medal but I wouldn’t be surprised if he puts together a few wins to make a medal match.
Who Will Win Worlds At 92 kg?
I will be absolutely shocked if someone other than Sadulaev, Taylor, or Ghasempour wins gold in Albania. So, who am I picking to win this legendary bracket? David Taylor. I think that he has the perfect style and ability to match and defeat both Ghasempour and Sadulaev. I don’t think Ghasempour has the offensive ability to keep up with Taylor and I think Taylor’s offense and scrambling is just a bit better than Sadulaev’s defense. Regardless of what happens, this tournament will be incredible to watch from start to finish and has the potential to go down as one of the best brackets in history!
Full 92 kg Medal Predictions:
Gold: David Taylor, USA
Silver: Abdulrashid Sadulaev, AIN (RUS)
Bronze: Kamran Ghasempour, IRI
Bronze: Batyrbek Tsakulov, SVK