The 1990’s was an unforgettable decade in international wrestling. The Soviet Union, the most successful wrestling nation in the world, dissolved in 1991. Most former Soviet republics competed as a single Unified Team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, winning medals in 16 of the 20 weight categories, before separately thereafter.
Over 400 wrestlers representing 75 nations competed at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. It marked the final time Olympic wrestling had 20 weight categories as the number of Olympic weight categories decreased after 1996.
The 1990’s saw legends Aleksander KARELIN and Bruce BAUMGARTNER cement their legacies in wrestling, and all-time great Buvaisar SAITIEV begin his rise to greatness.
Read More: Top Wrestlers of the 1990’s