Snyder beats Tazhudinov again, US retains three RAF belts
Snyder, Dake and Blades kept their belts in Moscow, Nolf beat Khaniev after the trash talk, and Rider handed the room to Bedelyon.
Big news
Snyder beats Tazhudinov again, Americans retain three belts at RAF Moscow
Kyle Snyder beat Akhmed Tazhudinov again to keep the RAF Light Heavyweight belt, 10-5 per Basch, 11-5 per Flo. Down the card, Vito Arujau teched 2016 Olympic champ Soslan Ramonov 13-3, Jordan Burroughs teched Magomed Kurbanaliev 10-0, Bo Nickal beat 2008 Olympic gold medalist Shirvani Muradov 11-8 and Zahid Valencia beat Ibragim Kadiev 9-5. Kennedy Blades retained with a 10-0 tech over Vusala Parfianovich, her fifth straight tech at RAF. USA Wrestling's count: three belts retained, five more American wins over Russian opponents.
Again! Kyle Snyder takes out Tazhudinov, 10-5, to retain the Light Heavyweight title at RAF Moscow.
Snyder just gassed Taz so hard he wouldn鈥檛 come back to the center!!
MOSCOW was electric. Sold out crowd. Matches were crazy.
Why it matters: Snyder's RAF hit list, per @benaskren, is now Taz twice, Sadulaev, Aitmukhan and Matrashvili, and Nick Kosko put it plainly: it seems like Snyder will be at 97 kg until he is 40. Our take: Zahid beating Kadiev, who beat Dake 11-4 at a Ranking Series earlier this year per Basch, is the Moscow result with the most 86 kg weight behind it.
- Next week: RAF says a full US replay stream is coming, per Basch.
- Our take: who RAF books against Snyder next, with Taz beaten twice and Sadulaev already on the list.
Results and matchups
Dake edges Kadimagomedov 7-6 on last-second step-out, Pyles defends call
Kyle Dake got a step out with 2 seconds left to beat Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov 7-6 and keep his RAF Cruiserweight title, per Justin Basch and FloWrestling. MoscowWillie scored the finish as a push out plus one for a lost challenge, and Christian Pyles called it "step out 1. Very easy call actually," saying Dake threw him out of bounds. Zebulin Miller replied to @JoeKania3, whose post is not in front of us, laughing off the idea of Americans getting gifts in Russia, then posted #AmericaGetsAllTheBreaksInRussia. Dake's review: "That was fun! God bless!"
1 Dake what鈥檚 the issue?
That was fun! God bless!
Anyone who still thinks Dake can't win 86 is cooky.
Why it matters: Pyles used the night to reopen the 86 kg argument, saying Zahid showed up in tourist shape and still embarrassed the World #1, and that anyone who thinks Dake cannot win 86 is "cooky."
- Our take: whether Dake and Zahid land in the same 86 kg bracket is the pending question, with both holding Moscow wins.
Nolf rallies past U20 World champ Khaniev 5-5 on criteria
Ismail Khaniev, this year's U20 World champ and Russia's 79 kg world team rep, said before the match, per CH脡's translation, that they would straighten Nolf out and make him say Khaniev is very good in a few days. He led Jason Nolf 4-3 after two periods. Nolf got a late takedown to win 5-5 on criteria over a guy Flo and Kozak both list at #2. Pyles posted "Bingo. CDP's gameplan lol." and Kozak just posted "lol."
I've heard Nolf say that im not bad we will straighten him out and make him say im very good in a few days
Jason Nolf comes back to beat Ismail Khaniev 5-5 on criteria!
JASON NOLF BEATS #2 ISMAIL KHANIEV!
Why it matters: Our take: a win over a current Russian 79 kg team member says Nolf is still a live body at the senior level in freestyle, not a nostalgia booking.
Recruiting, transfers, coaching
Rider promotes Bedelyon to head coach, Hangey to Deputy AD
John Hangey is moving to Deputy Athletic Director at Rider, and the program named Nic Bedelyon head coach for 2026-27. Bedelyon has been at Rider 14 years, the last four as Associate Head Coach, and Doug Umbehauer and Tyler Klinsky stay on as assistants.
He knows exactly what it takes to continue building our program with grit, purpose, and a true Bronc mentality.
A natural transition for a program that has had tremendous consistency and success at the NCAA tournament under Hangey.
Why it matters: Per WrestleStat, Rider has produced an NCAA All-American in each of the last four seasons under Hangey. Our take: this is a continuity hire, not a rebuild.
Takes and analysis
Pyles' Cael thread: 88% bonus rate, Tirapelle calls 159-0 unbreakable
Pyles' favorite Cael Sanderson stats: 159-0 with an 88% bonus rate in the 2 point takedown, 3 point nearfall era, only four of 19 decisions within 3 points, 18 of 20 NCAA tournament matches won by bonus. In the 2002 final at 197, Jon Trenge went pin, pin, pin, major to get there and got majored 12-4. Tirapelle told @CoachFronhofer that four titles at four weights is just a kid growing in college, with the 4x, beating Taylor and no redshirt as the amazing parts, then told @eclipsegut he is more impressed by moving up in-season to beat the higher class champ like Ben Askren did. Sparks, replying to @ChaelSonnen, said you could debate that he is the greatest college wrestler of all time and pointed to never taking a redshirt, without naming Cael in the post.
Everyone knows about Cael's 159-0 record. But you maybe didn't realize his bonus rate was 88%.
There may be another undefeated college career, but not one like that. It鈥檚 one of those unbreakable records.
4x champ. Beat Taylor. No redshirt. Those are all amazing. But the 4 different weight thing...meh.
Why it matters: Tirapelle's point is the one that lands on today's college wrestlers: by his math it would take them 8 seasons to wrestle 159 matches, so the record stands no matter how the GOAT debate shakes out.
Quick hits
Burroughs vs Caliendo set for RAF 14 in Vegas October 23
RAF announced it and Basch relayed: Jordan Burroughs gets Mikey Caliendo at RAF 14 on October 23 in Las Vegas, on Fox Nation. Burroughs has two techs at RAF in the books after the 10-0 over Kurbanaliev in Moscow.
Taina Fernandez headlines Iowa recruiting visit this coming weekend
Ross Bartachek confirmed @TannerLafever's report that Iowa has a big recruiting visit this coming weekend, headlined by three-time U17 World champion Taina Fernandez. Fargo champ Brooke Huffman, U17 World teamer Eve Skrocki and WNO winner Ryleigh Sturgill are also visiting.
Possible 141 rematch: Stanich vs Bassett when Virginia Tech visits Lehigh
Per Basch, Virginia Tech travels to Lehigh for a dual in early November, which sets up a possible 141 rematch between Stanich and Bassett with the #1 spot on the line. Basch says both guys want the match.
Zahid heads straight from Moscow to Armenia for Stepan Sargsyan Cup
Cowboy RTC sends Zahid Valencia and Izzak Olejnik at 86 kg, Cameron Amine at 74 and Joey McKenna at 65 to the Stepan Sargsyan Cup September 11 and 12, with LVRTC's Killian Delaney at 57. Basch notes winners of any UWW event qualify for the 2027 world team trials in Olympic weights, and MoscowWillie says Zahid's USA to Moscow to Armenia travel has been brutal.
Wrestling Nomad: three-point takedown inflates blowouts, not middle scoring
The Wrestling Nomad says the college folkstyle scoring numbers making the rounds line up with the two main concerns about the three-point takedown: it will not increase scoring in the middle because the worse wrestler is now better off playing even more defense, and it will somewhat inflate the top and exacerbate mismatches. In a reply to @MatSavant, Nomad added that his own rough total-points numbers for roughly the last 15 NCAAs show 4-point near fall scoring cratered after a while. The chart Nomad was reacting to is not in front of us, so the specifics are unconfirmed.