John Smith (USA) vs Stepan Sarkisyan (URS) - 1989 World Championships

1989 World Championships pool match between John Smith (USA) and Stepan Sarkisyan (URS)

[@philr182]

Smith’s duckunder with his head on the opposite side was unstoppable. His opponents thought they had head control but John lowered his level better and faster than anyone, and they never saw it coming. He hit it 3 times in this match.

[@mikegreco4122]

That low shot he kept firing off was very effective too. Its a perfect strategic move, he either got it, or sat back to defend it. That kind of move is the product of a great wrestling mind. But yeah, that duckunder was brutal. Even if the opponent saw it coming it didnt matter, it was executed so overwhelmingly the best his opponent can do is escape.

[@laydenyump3619]

Can you explain it more in depth? I’m a first year wrestler who’s trying to understand how and why things are effective and how people like John Smith(looking him up because I trained with Pat 2 weeks ago) are able to hit these moves more effectively than others

[@RelentlessDjango]

​@laydenyump3619 It's all in the set-up. The duck works when the opponent is push back. Throwing the elbow/arm by as you duck/ change levels is the key. What finishes it is wrapping the arm around the waist(turning the corner) immediately.

[@jomamackdaddy]

The duck on the opposite side works because wrestlers usually react by moving their near leg back. If they move their near leg back, then their opposite leg has to stay stationary. The same rule applies for an outside single. Make them move their inside leg, and then they are vulnerable to the opposite side.

[@MarkSmithhhh]

That duck was absolutely filthy

[@chriswilley88]

Thank you USA Wrestling for posting these old matches from these legends and good quality.

[@valiantthor-]

John Smith way ahead of his time. He was avoiding the push/step out - before it even existed.🔥🔥🔥

[@kallepikku4991]

You'd still get a passivity call and then penalty after few stepouts even back then. Just not as quickly as today.

[@MarkSmithhhh]

​@@kallepikku4991 what did passivity result in? Choice to the other guy?

[@salvajeasp757]

You can tell John Smith was way stronger than he looked. Elite athleticism

[@JHDIII]

3:03 - That Suplex Was Technical!!!

[@thebeast8875]

Crazy power

[@graceandtruthfellowship4347]

John Smith was something this sport had never seen, and will never see again. I know their will be great wrestlers, but none will ever be this ahead of their time

[@MrPbs100]

Spencer lee

[@n.h6001]

Wow those adidas combat speeds have truly been around forever haha

[@williamoleary9330]

And this is one of the reasons I’m a subscriber Thank you USA Wrestling

[@dawsonrull2343]

They move with crazy speed

[@oRealAlieNo]

Amphetamines

[@chrishnah]

@@oRealAlieNo all the modern NCAA matches they move even quicker

[@baberkhan1472]

Khabib sent me here

[@marcelogodoy6736]

Talking with DC about John Smith? Crazy good !

[@Carlos-fh8wk]

Pocahontas sent me here

[@nh6402]

And DC sent him here🤝

[@FOUNDEDEARTHBROTHERS]

@1:47, that was a bad decision. All he did was make John angry. That next takedown was intense. I learned how to do a low single before the internet era by watching the John Smith VHS tape called "How low can you go?" He changed the sport and offensive game for sure.

[@lawsonransom8318]

I could outside single sweep anyone, ever, whenever I wanted.

[@JesseStevenTrumm3992]

@@lawsonransom8318 To anyone huh? I’m calling bs

[@lawsonransom8318]

@@JesseStevenTrumm3992 ok old ladies and toddlers.

[@Daffodildepp]

@@lawsonransom8318 who did you learn from

[@lawsonransom8318]

@@Daffodildepp my older brother. Then my coach redesigned it because I dislocated my shoulder. The idea was never to get caught in a sprawl. It worked.

[@stevehdd9929]

Love how cool he was about winning. Trying to teach that to Junior. Grace in victory and defeat.

[@AlejandroGonzalez-wo5fk]

3:07 BEAUTIFUL!!

[@metdasunrise9647]

Yuup. Wrestling at its finest

[@user-eh2ht1hz8u]

Отличная борьба!Смотрел на одном дыхании!

[@user-vy9xe6bq9z]

Только раз Саркисян выиграл у Смита на кубке мира, все остальные встречи - мимо кассы.

[@gregorydryden7865]

yes it was a great wrestling match, both wrestlers were top of the world at that time.

[@erikowings6729]

John Smith was indeed someone special

[@wiedzmincoen2319]

мощная схватка, конечно. поинтереснее, чем у многих тяжеловесов.

[@Cochise6666]

John Smith was dreaded by Russians for that unstoppable single leg.

[@QueekHeadtaker]

weird thing to say in a match where he didn't score on any single legs, and got scored on the only time he got in on one. It was his duck which was the main weapon.

[@johhatomii3560]

Are they weak legged?

[@johhatomii3560]

@@QueekHeadtaker probably cuz he still had it when he needed it

[@ncommerce]

@@QueekHeadtaker Well, but that's the whole thing. You're afraid to work on the outside, because you KNEW that low single was coming, so you push inside on him to prevent it, and boom he disappears, and you're facefirst on the mat. They play off each other.

[@djalalmalaev5285]

Джон Смит конечно легенда. Замечательное противостояние этих борцов. Но если правильно оценить последнее действие, то Саркисян выиграл. Это моё мнение, только и всего.

[@randallarmstrong1840]

John Smith was such a badass!

[@trent395]

John Smith the GOAT

[@vincentwinkleblech3614]

Needless to say, as a Heavyweight the LOW SINGLE was not a move for me. That said, how I loved to watch him perform it no matter how much his opponents knew it was coming. He is a legend !

[@jameshamrick7709]

these old singlets are an interesting look

[@tonycrabtree3416]

I think smith intentionally wore a size too big. lol

[@joaquinmaria1581]

I like the spandex under the singlet looks cool

[@chuckerroo5977]

Johns best move by far is his will to win

[@ukaszkonopinski2302]

Exactly!

[@davidlegas8066]

One of the greatest.

[@mattmusto3073]

Wish i had both those shoes right now

[@michaellee5934]

This isn't the 1989 gold medal match. Smith defeated Gary Bohay (CAN) for gold in 1989 after besting Sarkisyan in the early rounds. Smith and Sarkisyan wrestled for gold at the 1988 Olympics.

[@usawrestling]

Sorry this was pool match in 1989 and we have correct that. you are correct about Smith defeated Gary Bohay (CAN) for gold in 1989 as we posted that match last week. Thanks for keep us on our toes

[@champyelcaballo1530]

Nice call kid!!! I was wondering the same thing!! This certainly was a tough match though!! Everyone was so scared of that single leg they would defend if for a few minutes and then John would take over!!! I still have my John Smith wrestling shoes. My son used them for his final match in Bakersfield last year!!

[@Jwaters1000]

so what was the score of the match? i thought he should have had points on that throw out of bounds

[@JHDIII]

5:40 - Wonderful Leg Sweep By John Smith!

[@bigfakelaugh6209]

Very clearly Sarkisyan’s move. Smith got launched.

[@JHDIII]

@@bigfakelaugh6209 Heh, sorry about that, I double checked just now.

[@JHDIII]

@@bigfakelaugh6209 Still a good move, though. 🙂

[@JHDIII]

John's Par Terre Is Amazing, Too!

[@us-Bahn]

The disturbance at the end from the crowd? Was that because the person kept screaming hysterically?

[@davidrowe4006]

It would be nice to see the clock or score.

[@user-es8xj4xw6n]

Красавчик

[@tmt1675]

I feel like the Adi Stars shoulda been smiths shoe. I mean those mat wizard looking smiths were around the same time same era but u see a ton of Smith in Gumby. Same build same key attributes of speed and technique and scrambling without the stocky shredded build. I’m sure through his OK State lineage he hooked up Oliver with Adidias. Those Olympic Brutes he’s rocking here we’re my first shoes ever but his style just screams the pioneer for adidas wrestling . You feel like the light weight combat speeds would make a guy lightening fast even faster.

[@thxClaude]

Bro i see you everywhere

[@keyshawnstewart]

How many points did get for the throw at 3:10

[@markcummings6856]

Sweet.

[@kmacksmcdonald6475]

I hope Ben Kueter of Iowa can be a wrestling legend too. He is a freshman this year

[@mehrdoddimcheh5973]

Smith was the best absolutely legend

[@jeffallen6754]

Every kid in America had that John Smith singlet in the late eighties made them in any color you wanted as long as it was red or blue lol.

[@matthewodonnell2535]

Steroids vs no steroids and the better wrestler still wins

[@lizardman1303]

Is it normal for the ref to start so fast before the guys get into position

[@WrestlingUniversity]

7:15

[@skeletonshorror5184]

Technique > Steroids 💀🔥

[@toddm6999]

Smith never played the Russian bear muscle game constant attacks and relentless leg takedowns

[@us-Bahn]

Crazy that John Smith is only 5’-7” and appears to tower over the diminutive Sarkissian. Do all wrestlers in this weight class need to be shorter than U-boat seamen?

[@jamesraptis8107]

Sarkissian is a tank. Technique beat strength.

[@mehmetatlgan6903]

Türkiye'de Yusuf cambaz diye bir güreşçi var yaşar doğu turnuvasında Türkiye'de bu John Smith i sayı tuşuyla yenmişti çok sürpriz bir güreş olmuştu yıllar önce bunu çoğu insan bilmez bile gerçekten çok ilginç 😊

[@arhiv1990]

Я понимаю что это не возможно, но хотелось бы увидеть схватку Смита с Фадзаевым или Сайтиевым. Интересно кто бы победил?

[@jdoe4275]

Another mauling brought to you courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue.

[@jerrybobteasdale]

That Sarkisyan is quick.

[@daytonasayswhat9333]

Speed, technique and flexibility versus brute strength.

[@MaxwellFaro]

Dude in blue is enormous

[@yesbutactuallyno8305]

Bills to pay the skillz!

[@zaurs8073]

Smith - the best ! Sarkisyan- the stone...

[@sugarskulllyfe5890]

cRAZY how differnt internation styles are.... these eastern european wrestlers love just using crazy strength and beating on people

[@meinname6843]

0:34

[@definitelynottigerwhitten5865]

2:49 didn't even flinch

[@ianshue2890]

While I don’t think he’s the greatest of all time, I think John Smith is one of the best of all time

[@lizardman1303]

Who’s the greatest I’m just watching a random video

[@huntleydavis6727]

@@lizardman1303 Jordan Burroughs

[@nicksfitnesslifestyle599]

@@huntleydavis6727 ah I would say cael Sanderson

[@huntleydavis6727]

@@nicksfitnesslifestyle599 yeah, I agree. College at least 100 percent

[@ianshue2890]

@@lizardman1303 well if I did say my opinion all hell would break lose on this comment

[@blackout2430]

Never watched wrestling before till now. Why did the ref stand them up? 2:28

[@xmikex902x]

Such a nasty duck under. He kept hitting it or using it to chain into something else

[@Eau669]

Rocky 4

[@liukang85]

look at the size difference. But JS bested him, still 🔥

[@williamoleary9330]

Revenge is better served at the World Championships....

[@javiddamir4515]

USA!🇺🇸USA!🇺🇸USA!🇺🇸

[@tomwalker389]

0:08 What the hell did he pull out of his tights?

[@jeffallen6754]

Hankey

[@michaelwatt9401]

Each wrestler is responsible for his own blood and is therefore required to show some sort of cloth before the match starts. Most people use a regular handkerchief.

[@randolphlex714]

Smith was a cat

[@markbrouk7857]

Lex brought me here

[@sleekostrich4367]

What episode?

[@Scrooks1]

How many cautions does the Russian get? He was slapping John in the face repeatedly.

[@jeffallen6754]

Been that way for decades yeah, even before Trump when dealing with Eastern Block wrestlers, especially Russian.

[@emilioalvarez2940]

He isnt russian hes Armenian. That's not a russian name or mug

[@HighwaymanZ2]

This guy was juiced

[@us-Bahn]

Smith’s shoes are of no interest to me. It’s the white finger tape he uses that combined an expandable matrix with a fixed polymer coating that was years ahead of its time.

[@haldir3120]

Just saw Khabib talking with DC about this Match

[@dekutrash6214]

was just gonna say here because khabib and dc

[@connorrowley2849]

When other dudes coach shook Johns hand like a asshole and John looked back at him

[@gulamalakbarli6547]

that "other dudes coach" is Ivan Yarygin, a beast and a fuckin legend of wrestling

[@connorrowley2849]

@@gulamalakbarli6547 bro I was born in 1999 chill

[@bigtxsmiler]

​@@gulamalakbarli6547 yes, he was a beast, and he hated that scrawny American that schooled his boy right there! Back then losing at that level could still bring some consequences back home.

[@brianjackson3726]

Priceless glare by Smith.😂

[@chademery9169]

At the beginning of the match Sarkisyan is grabbing John Smith’s singlet when he ties up. See that a lot with the Russians.

[@Deniz-dm9vm]

худой высокий против низкого и коренастого

[@augustxiii2580]

And itd be that easy. Over.

[@MarkSmithhhh]

That duck is so dirty

[@user-vy9xe6bq9z]

засудили Стёпу внаглую.

[@georgi9362]

🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲✊️✊️✊️💪💪💪

[@augustxiii2580]

Ana Liza. Out! Qlal

[@allahakbar7449]

Саркисян бросил его на 2 балла не засчитали, судейская несправедливость, беспредел !!!

[@diver20671]

Wrong

[@meljaber9855]

I got here coz Khabib told me to 🤪