Discuss here.

I need to watch more RINGS but I did like his performances from 1993 and 1994. Obviously selling in shoot style is more subtle than what people expect from pro style wrestling bit I felt like he was one of the Russians who came to RINGS and totally understood how to sell in that setting.

I like Kopylov a lot, and I'll take the excuse to watch the whole RINGS run again, but I don't expect to see him in my top 100.

Is Kopylov top 25 for just shoot-style? I'd lean "no" to that question. He's maybe the 5th best Russian shoot-style guy- MAYBE. Shouldn't be seriously considered.

For Russian guys in RINGS, I think he is #2. Zouev could be two and I'll be interested in re watching more of his matches.

I really enjoyed the Kopylov/Han series and, even though he was outshone by Han, I enjoyed Kopylov's role as scrappy matworker who was gonna hold off from taking the rope break for as long as possible to see if he could work a counter. Everything else I saw Kopylov in he was kinda dull. Not bad, but just not terribly interesting. Ultimately, I don't think I have seen enough to think about ranking him. I'm super-excited to see more Han though.

Who are the 4 better Russian shoot style guys?

Who are the 4 better Russian shoot style guys?

Don't know, but Han and Zangiev would be in contention, but I wouldn't put Hashimikov above him. I did enjoy Gregory Veritchev in FMW, but not that much. I think Kopylov was better overall than Zangiev, but Zangiev was always fun to watch.

 

Anyway, I do like me some Andrei Kopylov. Not the best ever, but he really understood selling well and was definitely one of the better RINGS guys. He was a very good foil for Han and I'd like to review more of him in the future.

Wow, I was thought of Kopylov as really bland compared to Volk Han, although Han was clearly on another level. I have only ever seen the matches he had with Volk Han, and thought that they weren't of an exceptionally high caliber compared with some of my favourite Han matches, with Tamura, Maeda, Vrij, and so on. I will have to watch more of him though to make a fair judgment.

For early RINGS, Kopylov was the best non-Han foreigner at putting together matches. Zouev, Zaza, and Orlov may have had flashier high spots but they couldn't work a full match - well Zouev eventually became okay but it took three or four years of regular work.