Sporting events often find themselves
at the center of political conflict. At times, the environment surrounding the
event itself exceeds the mere spectacle of competition. This was the case in
1996 when American Kurt Angle and Iranian Abbas Jadidi reached the Olympic
finals in the men’s 100kg weight class. By 1996, United States settled into its
role as the world’s sole super power. The Soviet Union, America’s former
nemesis, collapsed five years earlier. Without communism as an ideological enemy,
the US shifted its focus to the rise of radical Islam and the anti-western
governments in the Middle East; specifically Iran. Meanwhile, the historically anti-imperialist
nation of Iran was under the control of Ayatollah
Ruhollah Khomeini, and that guy fucking hated the west. This
animosity between the two nations played out in 1996, but instead of on a battlefield,
the tensions boiled over on a wrestling mat. The two competitors entered the
match with the weight of national pride resting firmly on their shoulders; moreover,
the match itself went on to exemplify the global narratives held at the time by
the United States and Iran.
For
many Americans, Iran easily filled the antagonistic void left by the collapse
of the Soviet Union. The two nations already had a history of disliking each
other. One of the first major hostilities between the US and Iran began when 66
Americans were taken hostage while working in the American embassy in Tehran.
Additionally, Iran also backed Hezbollah, a terrorist group responsible for
airliner hijackings, kidnappings, and attacks on the US and its allies.
Furthermore, the rise of jihadist groups in the region only fueled American
bitterness for the Middle East as a whole. On television, the Iron Sheik, with
his Iranian flag in hand, was the most hated heel in the World Wrestling
Federation. Also, in the box office hit “True Lies,” Arnold Schwarzenegger shot
Islamic nationalists at helicopters to blow them up. American cynicism of the
Middle East peaked during the Iraq War in 1991, and resurged after the bombing
of the World Trade Center in 1993. Though Iran was not involved in either the
Iraq War or the WTC bombing, by the mid 90’s Americans began seeing the whole
Middle East region as the new “Evil Empire.”
On
the other hand, Iranian animosity towards the US began in 1953 when a CIA
backed coup overthrew the democratically elected Mohhammed Mosaddeq; to
reinstate the more western friendly yet highly disliked Shah. After the Iranian Revolution of 1979 overthrew the
Shah, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini came into power riding a wave
of resentment towards the United States. The resentment grew stronger when the
US gave Saddam Hussein weapons and cash during the Iran-Iraq war. Moreover, hatred
of the US reach an all-time high in 1988 when the United States shot down a passenger
airliner flying out of Iran. Needless to say, this act only further infuriated the
Iranian people. In fact, the Persians were so pissed that they even ran a
postage stamp depicting the American carrier shooting down Iran Air Flight 655.
Even when the US invaded Iraq (Iran’s regional rival) during the Gulf War,
Iran’s disdain for the US led them to offer humanitarian aid to the Iraqis.
Thus, going into the 1996 Olympics finals, both Kurt Angle
and Abbas Jadidi must have been aware of the political tension between their
respective nations. How much that pressure served to motivate each man is
arguable. After all, who is to say either man would have wrestled any easier if
they had been facing a Japanese wrestler, or an Italian, or any other opponent
without the added political enmity. What is undeniable is the atmosphere in
that arena. The American and Iranian fans in the stands felt the heat of
political rivalry. The energy in the crowd is evident when watching the
walk-ins. Angle entered first, eagerly he ran towards the mats and leapt onto
the platform ready to go. Then from the other side of the arena, Jadidi calmly approached
the mat amidst chants of, “USA, USA, USA,” seemingly dismissing the crowd.
The match started and Angle came out aggressive, but it was
Jadidi who scored the first point with a picturesque leg lace. Once back on
their feet, Jadidi looked to widen his lead with a takedown only to be reversed
by Angle thereby bringing the match to a tie. As time ran down, Jadidi become the
aggressor and nearly scored a throw to win the match. Jadidi’s aggression was
rewarded and Angle was put down. Jadidi went right to work for a chance to
score using his trusty leg lace. Unfortunately for him, Angle’s will proved too
strong and despite the best attempts from Jadidi, Angle survived the onslaught.
Suddenly, with only 30 seconds left, Angle shot a low single and put Jadidi on
his butt. Driving with every ounce of strength he had left after 7½ grueling
minutes, Angle tried to score, but Jadidi refused to wilt. In the end, the match
ended in a tie, and the outcome was left in the hands of the judges.
As
the referees deliberated, the American anxiously waited, hopeful that his hard
work was enough to sway the judges; while Jadidi hovered over the referees
vigilant of a system he did not trust. Finally, the announcement was made and Kurt
Angle got the gold leaving Jadidi in disbelief. Suddenly the theme from Rocky
started playing, barely audible over the roaring Atlanta crowd. Angle ran laps
around the arena with the Stars and Stripes draped across his back, while
Jadidi was left dumbfounded. Futilely trying to change the minds of the
officials.
In
the end, the match only served to reaffirm already existing narratives in each
country. For Jadidi, the ’96 Olympics only reaffirmed the already existing
belief that playing by western rules was pointless. The system was rigged. After
the games he said, “I'm upset because they took
what was mine.” Jadidi continued, “I am respectfully asking the press of the
United States and the wrestling federation to hear my protest and give me what
is truly mine.'' For Angle, the win confirmed the American adage that hard work
pays off, and the American spirit, despite all odds (Angle had a broken neck
and had his coach murdered before his Olympic run), can persevere past
anything.
The competitors personified the national pride of their
respective countries and played out the political tensions that existed between
the US and Iran. But as spectators, we will never know just how much Angle and
Jadidi saw this match as a chance to represent their country against its
political enemy. Angle eventually seized the magic surrounding that match to
start a successful career as a professional wrestler. As for Jadidi, even after
disputing the decision, he made it a point to assure everyone his ire lied with
the officials and not the American people. Regardless of whether or not the two
men bought into the narrative surrounding their match, it was a moment where
history and martial arts collided to create an almost palpable tension in the arena.
Whether they knew the significance of that match or not does not matter. It was
more than just an Olympic final; to the fans it was a culmination of the
political, historical, and cultural tensions between two rival nations, but though
the fans projected this tension onto the wrestlers, Angle and Jadidi just
wrestled.
