Ivan Sokolov/Story

Past
A quiet and seemingly unassuming fighter, Sokolov is a gold medalist in the Olympic freestyle 87kg class. He has few big moves and isn't flashy at first glance, but has a very tenacious fighting style as expected of a wrestler. In particular, his variety of tackles, and the throws derived from them are unrivaled in both speed and power. At the request of the Russian Wrestling Association, he participated in the regional qualifiers. He made it through to the final round without a hitch. He usually works as a physical education teacher at a high school.

Interview
The final qualifying league entrants have been determined in the Northern Asia Regional Qualifiers. The top qualifier from the region was Ivan Sokolov. He is an Olympic gold medalist in the 87kg freestyle wrestling category. In Japan, wrestling is a sport that has a strong impression of being simple, but the excellent skills of wrestling, which has a long history and is the origin of many martial arts, will surely be a threat in the tournament. We interviewed Sokolov directly in his home, not long after his win at the regional finals.

Interviewer: First of all, congratulations on your determination in advancing to the final round.

Sokolov: Thank you.

Interviewer: How are you feeling so far?

Sokolov: ......Not bad, I guess.

Interviewer: Some of the invited contestants have already been announced, is there anyone in particular you are interested in?

Sokolov: ......No, not particularly. ......However, I am interested in a young Japanese contestant I saw on TV the other day. I've read articles about him in magazines... Self taught...

Interviewer: Ah, that's Gai Tendo, yes? What is it about him that draws your attention in particular?

Sokolov: ......He looked fairly young. ......His body wasn't very big either...

Interviewer: It's true that Tendo is quite young at 17 years old. I can't say that he is blessed with much of a physique either.

Sokolov: ......I agree. But he'll probably be in the finals.

Interviewer: In the finals? What is it about him that makes you think he's that good?

Sokolov: ......He changes his fighting style ever so slightly depending on the opponent. He's a smart fighter.

Interviewer: I see. Are you confident that you can win a fight against him?

Sokolov: ......Oh, I can win.

Interviewer: Then I hope a card with Tendo will be realized. I'm looking forward to seeing you in action on the day.

Sokolov: I'm... looking forward to it.