Olympic wrestling champion Balboshin describes legendary grip strength

Nikolai Balboshin, a 1976 Olympic champion and five-time world champion in Greco-Roman wrestling, shared stories about his exceptional grip strength in an interview. Balboshin explained that he could judge opponents by their handshake before matches, determining how difficult the bout would be based on their grip. During matches, he would squeeze opponents' forearms near the elbow to restrict blood flow, causing their hands to swell and become unusable. He recounted instances where opponents' arms would go numb and they couldn't continue fighting. Balboshin once broke a dynamometer at a medical examination when he exceeded its maximum reading of 120 units. In his autobiography, he described his "friendly handshake" as a signature move that few could withstand, and even recalled making the King of Sweden's hand crunch during a 1977 World Championship medal ceremony, noting with satisfaction that the king would remember him forever.