Iranian Goat.

[GrandOlm]

I dislike that term, all it means usually in common speak is the best current/very recently retired player (people like Christian Pyles revel in being prisoner of the moment  hype mongers and will angrily dismiss anyone from older generations). People try to conflate it with most decorated. Even when the modern athlete is objectively not the most decorated, some like Pyles will still just lie about that or proudly spout wrong information. If you corner the Pyles of the world, they love the strategy of saying current athletes are objectively higher level so the facts, details don't matter (by that logic, nothing he is hyping now matters since 50 years from now today's athletes will be inferior to the future ones, but funny enough he doesn't take that stand).   

So the "GOAT" is Yazdani. And in 15 years it will be someone else. 

The closest thing to Gable might be Takhti. He was one of the (or the first?) Iranian Olympic gold medalists. He transcended just wrestling by becoming something of a political figure, revered as an ideal of a courteous-chivalrous wrestler. He had a famous exhibition match against Medved. I think the cultural impact is most Gable esque. Of course Takhti had silverware to back it up, but that's how I associate it more. 

If it's just most decorated, Movahed is a six time world level medalist, with 2 asian games, and won the Olympics. He's objectively number one in that regard, pretty clearly imo. But Gable is not America's most decorated wrestler, so I wouldn't think of Movahed as an Iranian Gable. 

Edited May 28 by GrandOlm

[jross]

13 hours ago, Husker_Du said:

Kadem Rasoul or Hassan Cherati 

Greco

• Sourian: 7 major medals (1 Olympic gold, 6 World gold).

Freestyle

• Movahed: 6 major medals (1 Olympic gold, 5 World gold).
• Yazdani (Cherati): 8 major medals (1 Olympic gold, 1 silver, 3 World gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze). | "The Greatest"
• Takhti: 6 major medals (1 Olympic gold, 2 silver, 2 World gold, 1 silver). | "Jahân Pahlevân"
• Habibi: 4 major medals (1 Olympic gold, 3 World gold)
• Khadem: 4 major medals (1 Olympic gold, 1 bronze, 2 World gold).

[roguetrader]

22 hours ago, ionel said:

 

No rattlesnake? 

I've eaten rattlesnake - tastes like chicken. All the game meats are OK, but antelope is hard to like - sausage mixed with pork and spices its tolerable, barely. Elk is the best, hands down. Best goat I ever had was in a Nepalese truck stop, late at night while trekking (solo) and I was hungry. Lots of Bones, but chased it down with a a few Kingfisher 22oz Indian lagers.

[El Luchador]

9 hours ago, jross said:

Greco

• Sourian: 7 major medals (1 Olympic gold, 6 World gold).

Freestyle

• Movahed: 6 major medals (1 Olympic gold, 5 World gold).
• Yazdani (Cherati): 8 major medals (1 Olympic gold, 1 silver, 3 World gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze). | "The Greatest"
• Takhti: 6 major medals (1 Olympic gold, 2 silver, 2 World gold, 1 silver). | "Jahân Pahlevân"
• Habibi: 4 major medals (1 Olympic gold, 3 World gold)
• Khadem: 4 major medals (1 Olympic gold, 1 bronze, 2 World gold).

I don't consider Takhti a modern era wrestler. I think that excludes him. 

[CHROMEBIRD]

27 minutes ago, El Luchador said:

I don't consider Takhti a modern era wrestler. I think that excludes him. 

Gotta remember what GOAT stands for, man.

[Tripnsweep]

I don't know why people overlook Movahed so much. 

[Irani]

On 5/28/2025 at 5:37 AM, jross said:

Greco

• Sourian: 7 major medals (1 Olympic gold, 6 World gold).

Freestyle

• Movahed: 6 major medals (1 Olympic gold, 5 World gold).
• Yazdani (Cherati): 8 major medals (1 Olympic gold, 1 silver, 3 World gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze). | "The Greatest"
• Takhti: 6 major medals (1 Olympic gold, 2 silver, 2 World gold, 1 silver). | "Jahân Pahlevân"
• Habibi: 4 major medals (1 Olympic gold, 3 World gold)
• Khadem: 4 major medals (1 Olympic gold, 1 bronze, 2 World gold).

This is a very good list, Ebrahib Javadi would be added if he had managed to win an olympic gold.

I think Habibi would generally be considered the most dominating.  If it weren't for his freak loss in 1960 Rome, he would be mentioned as one of the all time greats, not just among the Iranians.

Here is the video of that loss https://youtu.be/j9DJ2KVNSTk As you can see he was dominating, and then got caught and got pinned.

 

[Irani]

Also for those of you looking for goat recipe, based on the attached, you are better off looking in India, China or Nigeria

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1388078275736024

[Irani]

On 5/27/2025 at 9:23 PM, GrandOlm said:

 

The closest thing to Gable might be Takhti. He was one of the (or the first?) Iranian Olympic gold medalists.

Technically Takhti was the second Iranian Gold Medalist.  Habibi got his a day or two earlier in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics

[El Luchador]

22 hours ago, Irani said:

Technically Takhti was the second Iranian Gold Medalist.  Habibi got his a day or two earlier in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics

Is Barzegar not considered to be one of the greats? 

[Irani]

10 hours ago, El Luchador said:

Is Barzegar not considered to be one of the greats? 

No, going by memory he only had one world gold, one Olympic silver and maybe a couple of other world medals

my criteria for goat is someone who truly dominate their weight class and has at least one Olympic gold medal.

based on the above, I would go with either Habibi , Movahed or Rasul Kadem.  I love Hassan, but he is not the goat in my book

 

Edited Wednesday at 01:45 AM by Irani

[Gilemard]

I think the iranian goat is Rasoul Khadem. Mainly for two reasons, firstly he beat Makharbek Khadartsev to get his world and olympic gold medals. If Khadem hadn't won over Khadartsev he would be 7 times world champion and 3 times Olympic champion, i.e. he would be Buvaisar Saitiev level (All time GOAT). But because of Khadem he seldom makes GOAT lists. 

Secondly, after his 1996 Olympic gold Khadem retired at the age of 24 in my opinion because of financial reasons. Then in the 1998 world championship in Tehran there was no eligible 130 kg wrestler for Iran so the federation convinced Khadem to return after and wrestle two weights up from his original weight of 90 kg. Khadem won most matches easily until the final where the Cuban wrestler, Alexis Rodriguez, gamed planned him with the size difference resulting in a silver medal. The only other wrestler I can think of that has wrestled at a higher weight than their optimal with success is Gatsalov. 

For these two reasons I would put Khadem at the top of any iranian list.     

Edited Wednesday at 07:20 AM by Gilemard

[Irani]

3 hours ago, Gilemard said:

 

Secondly, after his 1996 Olympic gold Khadem retired at the age of 24 in my opinion because of financial reasons. 

He retired because of a knee injury.  I agree that he is a strong candidate for the goat discussion 

[Gilemard]

1 hour ago, Irani said:

He retired because of a knee injury.  I agree that he is a strong candidate for the goat discussion 

Yes, I know that is why I wrote in my opinion. I think financial issues was a major factor for him retiring at 24. 

[Irani]

7 hours ago, Gilemard said:

Yes, I know that is why I wrote in my opinion. I think financial issues was a major factor for him retiring at 24. 

I am not sure Inunderstand what you mean by “financial reasons” .  He definitely retired because of his knee

we Are in agreement about his greatness.  The list of people he defeated is pretty impressive