One of the biggest stories of the Greco portion of the European Championships took place at 98 kg, where multi-time World champ Artur Aleksanyan (ARM, world no. 1) defeated #3 ranked Dimitri Timchenko (UKR). The result in and of itself was not surprising; it is merely that a match-up such as this taking place in a round-of-16 makes it somewhat of a novelty given the participants. Timchenko was seen as a strong contender, obviously, but these kinds of pairings often occur at World-level tournaments just like this one. And it is not as though this was a back-and-forth battle. It wasn’t. Aleksanyan did what he does. But it is a fun match to take a closer look at.
First Period
Aleksanyan appeared more explosive from the outset. He might have thought it was necessary. Timchenko likes to go high on opponents, locking up front headlocks and other scoring holds using his height, which at times serves him well. Aleksanyan moved right in after a little hand-fighting to isolate Timchenko’s arm. Aleksanyan’s strength is put on display right here, as he ties up Timchenko’s left arm and basically bullies him down the mat. You do not see this type of dynamics often in the heavier weights, which is what makes it all the more startling.
At the :29 mark, Aleksanyan fights off a front-headlock attempt from Timchenko and instantly locks around the Ukrainian’s body for a lift attempt. He doesn’t get full elevation, but it’s good enough for four. This set the tone. When Aleksanyan is aggressive early, he usually stays that way. In this period, he was aggressive early.
Following the throw, the officials of course had to hold a consortium to figure out the points. Plus, Aleksanyan had to heal himself with his Wolverine powers after apparently kicking himself in the stomach with Timchenko’s leg. At the re-start, Timchenko himself got aggressive. Being down 4-0 to a World champ will do that to a man. Both wrestlers battled for inside position for the better part of a minute; Timchenko quickly attempted an arm spin but got back up right away. His urgency was matched evenly by Aleksanyan’s defensive posture, as it looked like the Armenian was biding his time for the next opportunity. It wouldn’t come again until the second, as the two clashed and clashed until the period expired.
Second Period
Timchenko knew he had ground to make up and began wrestling like it, attempting to bait Aleksanyan in with two-on-ones, drags, and anything else he could muster to disrupt his opponent’s footing. However – Aleksanyan was hunting for points, as well, and the two seemed locked at an impasse. Before long, the official beckoned Timchenko to go in par-terre, which would lead to the bout’s conclusion.
Aleksanyan quickly wrapped his arms around the Ukrainian’s waist, gutting him one way and then another. There’s your four spot to end the match. Luckily for Timchenko, he didn’t have to sweat too much wondering whether or not he was going to hit the repechage. Aleksanyan didn’t exactly dominate the field on his way to the finals quite the way he took apart Timchenko, but there were not a bunch of tense moments, either.
The Greco Roman European Championships usually give you some intriguing match-ups early in the tournament, and this year was no different. But this one has to be the highlight simply because it provides a nice glimpse at what Aleksanyan has been capable of under these rules. He is still young, too, which makes his current run and overall career achievements thus far even more impressive.
Check out the full match. It won’t take too long.
