Matt Ghaffari
Matt Ghaffari | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born | Siamak Ghaffari (1961-11-11) November 11, 1961 (age 62) Tehran, Imperial State of Iran | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Seven National Championships, four World Cups, two Pan-American Games, seven Pan-American championships (including double titles in 1989-90), and 13 Grand Prix tournament titles. He represented his adopted country six times in World Championships and was twice named the United States Olympic Committee Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year.
Early life
Born in Tehran, Iran, Ghaffari came to the United States at a young age, he attended Paramus High School in Paramus, New Jersey.[4]
Greco-Roman wrestling career
He was runner-up to Aleksandr Karelin at the 1995 Karelin Cup.[5] 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.[4] Ghaffari was a seven-time United States wrestling champion and a two-time USA Olympic Committee Greco-Roman Athlete of the Year.[6] Ghaffari ended with a 0–23 record against Karelin.[7][8]
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.[9]
Mixed martial arts career
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.[10]
Mixed martial arts record
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 | ![]() | TKO (punch) | UFO Legend | August 8, 2002 | 1 | 0:56 | Tokyo, Japan |
Professional wrestling career
Matt Ghaffari | |
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Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Matt Ghaffari[11] |
Billed height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm)[11] |
Billed weight | 280 lb (130 kg)[11] |
Debut | 8 December 2002[11] |
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.[12]
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.[13] They held the championship until April 29, 2003, when they lost it to Hashimoto and Ogawa.[13]
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).[14]
Championships and accomplishments
- Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE
- NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Tom Howard[13]
- ZERO-ONE O-300 Super Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[15]
References
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Matt Ghaffari". nwhof.org. Retrieved August 10, 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.
- ^ "Honoree: Matt Ghaffari". National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ^ 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.
External links
- Official website
- v
- t
- e
- Keiji Sakoda and Samoa Joe
- Mike Rapada and Steve Corino
- Shinjiro Otani and Yuki Ishikawa
- Emblem (Masato Tanaka and Shinjiro Otani)
- Jon Heidenreich and Nathan Jones
- OH-gun (Naoya Ogawa and Shinya Hashimoto)
- Matt Ghaffari and Tom Howard
- C. W. Anderson and Steve Corino
- Shiro Koshinaka and Takao Omori
- Shinya Hashimoto and Yoshiaki Fujiwara
- Shinjiro Otani and Takao Omori
- Masato Tanaka and Wataru Sakata
- Kohei Sato and Ryoji Sai
- Aibo Tag (Ikuto Hidaka and Minoru Fujita)
- Steve Corino and Y2P-160kg
- Wild Child (Manabu Nakanishi and Takao Omori)
- Kohei Sato and Yoshihiro Takayama
- Stepbrother Tag (Minoru Fujita and Takuya Sugawara)
- Charles Evans and Mr. Wrestling 3
- Osamu Namiguchi and Ryoji Sai
- Kamikaze and Kohei Sato
- Ikuto Hidaka and Munenori Sawa
- Akebono and Shinjiro Otani
- Masato Tanaka and Zeus
- Shito Ueda and Yusaku Obata
- ZERO64 (Akebono and Daisuke Sekimoto)
- Kamikaze and Shinjiro Otani
- Dangan Yankees (Masato Tanaka and Takashi Sugiura)
- Daisuke Sekimoto and Kohei Sato
- James Raideen and Masato Tanaka
- Hartley Jackson and Taru
- Akebono and Shogun Okamoto
- Kai and Yusaku Obata
- Hideki Suzuki and Kohei Sato
- Shogun Okamoto and Yutaka Yoshie
- Masato Tanaka and Yuji Hino
- Chris Vice and Taru
- Masato Tanaka and Takuya Sugawara
- Masashi Takeda and Yuko Miyamoto
- Towa Iwasaki and Tsugutaka Sato
- Quiet Storm and Yuji Hino
- Shinjiro Otani and Yumehito Imanari
- Gajo and Tomohiko Hashimoto
- Junya Matsunaga and Takafumi
- Kubota Brothers (Hide Kubota and Yasu Kubota)
- Junya Matsunaga and Tsugutaka Sato
- M2J (Kengo Mashimo and Naka Shunma) (current)