Matt Ghaffari
Matt Ghaffari | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | Siamak Ghaffari November 11, 1961 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Cleveland State University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 1984–2000 2002–2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sports career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Amateur wrestling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event | Greco-Roman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University team | Cleveland State Vikings (1981–84) Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (1979–80) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Sunkist Kids | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Martial arts career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Division | Heavyweight | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mixed martial arts record | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By knockout | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Siamak "Matt" Ghaffari (/ɡəˈfɑːri/ gə-FAR-ee;[1] Persian: سیامک غفاری, Persian pronunciation: [siːɒːmæk-e ɢæˈffɒːɾiː]; born November 11, 1961, in Tehran, Imperial State of Iran) is an Iranian-born American Greco-Roman wrestler, MMA Fighter and professional wrestler. Ghaffari was a two-time USA Olympic team member, obtaining a silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games. Ghaffari finished his career with the most Greco-Roman World and Olympic medals by a United States wrestler. Ghaffari is considered the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler in American history,[2] and is regarded as the standard for Greco-Roman wrestling in the United States.[3]
In all, he won six national championships,[4] four World Cups, two Pan-American Games, seven Pan-American championships (including titles in 1990 and 1992 in freestyle wrestling), and 13 Grand Prix tournament titles.[1][5] He further represented his adopted country six times in World Championships and was twice named the United States Olympic Committee Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year, in 1996 and 1998.[6]
Early life
[edit]Born in Tehran, Iran, Ghaffari came to the United States at a young age, he attended Paramus High School in Paramus, New Jersey.[7]
Greco-Roman wrestling career
[edit]He was runner-up to Aleksandr Karelin at the 1995 Karelin Cup.[8] While representing the United States at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympic Games and 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games, Ghaffari reached the final of the heavyweight Men's Greco-Roman 130 kg division at the latter, where he lost 0–1 to Russian overwhelming favorite Aleksandr Karelin in overtime.[7] Ghaffari was a six-time United States wrestling champion and a two-time USA Olympic Committee Greco-Roman Athlete of the Year, in 1996 and 1998.[3] Ghaffari ended with a 0–23 record against Karelin.[9][10]
Ghaffari is currently the only American to win a combined four World and Olympic medals in Greco-Roman. Also, he holds 3 American Records the Most World and Olympic total medals, plus he was 4-time World Cup Champion, also 9-time Pan-American Champion. Ghaffari is the 2-time US Olympian and 2-time US Olympic team alternate.
In 2013, Ghaffari was inducted in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member.[11]
Mixed martial arts career
[edit]In 2002, Ghaffari fought in the Tokyo Dome in front of 28,000 spectators at a mixed martial arts bout in UFO- Universal Fighting-Arts Organization against judo Olympic Silver Medalist Naoya Ogawa. Ghaffari managed to take Ogawa down and attack him with a brief ground and pound, but back to standing, Ogawa landed a punch which shifted Matt's left eye contact lens and forced him to quit.[12]
Mixed martial arts record
[edit]| 1 match | 0 wins | 1 loss |
| By knockout | 0 | 0 |
| By submission | 0 | 0 |
| By decision | 0 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 |  Naoya Ogawa | TKO (punch) | UFO Legend | August 8, 2002 | 1 | 0:56 | Tokyo, Japan |
Professional wrestling career
[edit]| Matt Ghaffari | |
|---|---|
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Matt Ghaffari[13] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm)[13] |
| Billed weight | 280 lb (130 kg)[13] |
| Debut | 8 December 2002[13] |
In 1996, Ghaffari was scouted by professional wrestling promotion World Championship Wrestling and was featured in several vignettes, but did not sign up with the company.[14]
After his stint in MMA, Ghaffari started to work in the Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE, where he won the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship with Tom Howard on December 15, 2002, by defeating Shinya Hashimoto and old opponent Naoya Ogawa.[15] They held the championship until April 29, 2003, when they lost it to Hashimoto and Ogawa.[15]
In 2004, Ghaffari made an appearance for HUSTLE, pinning Ogawa after a beatdown from the heel faction Monster Army (Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Dusty Rhodes Jr., Giant Silva and Dan Bobish).[16]
Championships and accomplishments
[edit]- Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE
- NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Tom Howard[15]
- ZERO-ONE O-300 Super Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[17]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Matt Ghaffari". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
- ^ Ford, Bob (June 23, 2000). "Avon Lake's Ghaffari wins first match in Olympic wrestling trials". Morning Journal. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ a b "Matt Ghaffari". nwhof.org. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ Ford, Bob (June 23, 2000). "Avon Lake's Ghaffari wins first match in Olympic wrestling trials". Morning Journal. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
- ^ Klingman, Kyle (September 10, 2020). "10 U.S. World medalists who deserve a closer look". Trackwrestling. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
- ^ "Ghaffari, Matt". Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame. November 23, 2009. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
- ^ a b Robbins, Liz. "OLYMPICS; Wrestler Two Victories From Dream", The New York Times, June 24, 2000. Accessed October 17, 2007. "To advance, Ghaffari had to pull out a trick he first used two decades ago at Paramus High School in New Jersey.... At 38, and a loss away from retirement, Ghaffari is still crafty and accomplished, compiling more Olympic and world championship medals than any other Greco-Roman wrestler with four."
- ^ "Matt Ghaffari". www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
- ^ Romano, John (June 22, 2000). "PAYING THE PRICE". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ "Fall of a Giant". cornellsun.com. September 29, 2000. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ Matt Ghaffari. National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
- ^ Hawaii Martial Arts News & Rumors – August News Part 2
- ^ a b c d "Matt Ghaffari". wrestlingdata.com. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
- ^ Dimitri Groell, Jan Niedbala, La face cachée du catch: Ring, Coulisses & Business
- ^ a b c "NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Champions". Pro Wrestling ZERO-1. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
- ^ "HUSTLE Results: 2004" (in German). PuroLove.com. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
- ^ "NWA ZERO-ONE O-300 Super Heavyweight Champions". cagematch.net. Retrieved July 6, 2016.