Before coming to the United States, Miron Kharchilava won several Soviet national wrestling championships. Competing for the University of Findlay, he was the 167-pound NAIA national champion in 1995 and was named the tournament’s outstanding wrestler. Born in Abkhazia, a former Soviet republic, Kharchilava wrestled for the Soviet National Team from 1985-1991. In 1991, he came to the United States and eventually enrolled at the University of Findlay. His first-place finish in the NAIA championships helped the Roughnecks capture the 1995 team title.

Kharchilava also won several international championships and scored individual victories over Nate Carr (1988 Olympic bronze medalist), Pat Santoro (2-time NCAA champion), and Casey Cunningham (1997 NCAA Division 1 champion). In 2003, he was an assistant coach at Ohio State University when the Buckeyes placed 3rd in the NCAA national championships. Miron operates a wrestling training facility in Dublin, Ohio.