PROFESSOR GASHEVSKI # Armwrestling # Armpower.net

Posted: September 2024

A few questions first!

Why "The Professor"?

According to the athlete himself, it's because "I never give up and always fight the best I can!"

How is he today?

Cvetan responds briefly:

"I am ready to fight!"

Why did he announce his retirement?

He answers, "I felt tired."

Why did he come back?

Gashevski: "I feel better when I train!"

Full Name: Cvetan Gashevski (Цветан Гашевски)

It's time to reveal whom I was introducing. Indeed: he doesn't use a comb and hasn’t gone gray yet, despite being in armwrestling for many years.

Born July 15, 1970 in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, he has lived and trained his entire life in Gorna Oryahovitsa. He began training for armwrestling in 1991, which means he has spent 33 years in the sport. He is now over 50 years old and still in excellent shape. As I remember, he announced his retirement a few times. Cvetan himself wrote that it was only once. He retired but came back—more on that later. In his hometown, he founded and runs the Gorna Oryahovitsa Armwrestling Club.

Training: He initially did athletics. Then (probably due to the encouragement of a family member), he took up armwrestling.

These were mostly weight training sessions focusing on arm and forearm muscles. He trained diligently, and as he recalls, "I fought, lost, trained, and lost again."

He looked for a path to mastery, analyzing what he was doing wrong and why he wasn't seeing results. He competed in tournaments across Europe and the United States but still wasn't satisfied with the results.

A crucial moment in his career came. Supposedly, there are no "accidents," only "signs." In 1995, while on vacation in Bulgaria, Igor Achimedszyn, President of the European Armwrestling Federation (EAF), happened to be there. They met. Igor Achimedszyn was passionate about armwrestling and gladly introduced Cvetan to training and competing. This had a huge effect! Gashevski traveled to Russia (Moscow) for Achimedszyn's famous "Golden Bear" tournament in 1998 and won!

Gashevski began to win regularly. Since 1996, very few athletes could challenge him.

The mid-1990s was a time when knowledge of training could only be gained through personal contact, learning from better competitors, and practicing together. Today, there are popular channels and thousands of training tips. Is that better? It doesn't matter—it’s just different. Every future champion could use a "sign" or "accident" to elevate their skills.

Gashevski trained with weights (half of his training) and at the table.

Igor Mazurenko speaks about his method:

"For Cvetan, sparring at the table with his students was key. Often, as in boxing, the opponents would change with each duel. The hands were always strapped. Gashevski claims this is safer for the athletes and results in fewer injuries."

Zloty Tur, early 21st century.

At the second Zloty Tur, he defeated Alexey Voevoda, Grigori Bondaruk, and Rustam Babayev. It was then that Igor Mazurenko called Cvetan the "Professor of Armwrestling."

PeSzy: Igor, what can you add now (in 2024)?

Igor Mazurenko:

"Like many champions, Gashevski announced his 'retirement' around 2005 or 2006, but... But he came back and is still great. Now, after all these years, I believe he fully deserves a place in the Hall of Fame alongside stars like John Brzenk. Gashevski is the only athlete to have defeated Rustam Babayev in his weight category (right arm)."

2000-2005 – Absolute Dominance!

Five consecutive European Championship titles for the right arm at 75 kg.

Zloty Tur 2001, where he won the 73 kg title, and in Las Vegas at the Ultimate Armwrestling tournaments in 2005 and 2006, where he claimed two titles in the 80 kg category. These events were the biggest professional tournaments in the world, attracting the best competitors.

Experts on Gashevski

Engin Terzi:

"He mastered every technique! He could fight endlessly! A sprinter and a marathon runner in one! He had a lightning-fast start and great endurance. He could fight endlessly. He mastered every technique and became a true professional! We all started calling him 'The Professor' because of his skills and versatility. He fought a 6.5-minute match against Yoshinobu Kanai in the USA—an unforgettable battle! He then went on to win the PAL League spectacularly. In 2001, at the World Championships in Poland, he achieved two great victories, defeating Maxim Maximov and Bondo Hubulov after long, exciting matches. He amazed us all, being both as fast as a sprinter and as durable as a marathon runner. His entire career was simply amazing. Besides his athletic skills, we all admire his personality and behavior."

Krasimir Kostadinov:

"One of the best in the world! Incredibly dynamic and at the same time durable! Few understood the nuances of our sport like he did!"

Monika Duma, competitor and referee:

He was always friendly and nice. Focused during competitions. Despite his great knowledge and skills, he always approached his opponent with humility, never showing his superiority. His fights were always exciting and interesting.