Taha Akgul, Riza Kayaalp are two living legends of Republic in wrestling

By Emre Asikci

ISTANBUL (AA) - The international titles and medals that Taha Akgul and Riza Kayaalp have accumulated are a testament to their prowess in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, representing Türkiye on the world stage.

There have been countless names that rank among the best in the disciplines based on skill level in the more than 100 years of history of professional wrestling in Türkiye.

Yasar Dogu and Hamza Yerlikaya are considered by many to be two of the best wrestlers ever.

Akgul is one of the most dynamic freestyle wrestlers of all time to compete in the men's 125kg category. He was known for his creative technique and high-level athleticism.

The great Turk was a 10-time European champion and three-time world title holder.

He managed to grab two medals, including gold in the Rio 2016 Olympics and a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

The 32-year-old collected a bronze medal at the 2023 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

Akgul, who is a wrestler for Ankara ASKI Sports Club, has been the chair of the Athlete Commission of the Turkish National Olympic Committee since 2016.

- Riza Kayaalp

Kayaalp kicked off his professional career in 2007 and quickly gained prominence, becoming a household name.

At 24 years old, he was known for impressive feats of strength, agility and showmanship, and was able to adapt to any wrestling style.

Kayaalp has been competing for Türkiye in the 130kg weight class of the Greco-Roman style. Throughout his time on the national team, he collected a silver medal in Rio and a bronze apiece in 2012 London and Tokyo in 2020.

Apart from Olympic medals, he has 12 European titles in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023 and a silver medal in 2011.

The 34-year-old was crowned champion at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships in Serbia and became the first Turkish wrestler to win a fifth world title.

He beat Iran's Amin Mirzazadeh in the men's Greco-Roman 130kg final.

Winning World and European titles, Kayaalp jumped to the top of the 2022 United World Wrestling (UWW) ranking.

The victory put Türkiye in the top spot in the 2022 seniors Greco-Roman team rankings with 125 points.