CA_Wrestler

UWW is actually streaming it on Youtube

lol

Meiji Cup is going to be insane next year. Shidochi and Okuno have to win the tournament to force a playoff match against Fujinami and I'm sure Fujinami will also enter that tournament to try and win the spot outright. Same goes for the other world number 1s at Olympic weights-Ozaki and Tsugumi Sakurai.

The biggest shocker of the tournament, Motoki gets the winning td with 22 sec left on Ozaki. Ozaki almost scored multiple times after that in the last 10 seconds, but Motoki's defense was very good. Motoki wrestled the best tournament of her life. Great match.

Forgot to mention this since it's the women's section, but Otoguro teched his way to the 65kg finals. He hasn't competed since the Olympics. As I've mentioned plenty of times, he and his brother(also a wrestler) are in the military and that could be why he hasn't competed in a while. Taishi Narikuni, who teched Zain in the 70kg world finals this year was slated to compete in Greco at 67kg as well as FS at 70kg, did not compete. I'm wondering if he got sick, injured or just messed up his body too much trying to cut to 67.

When all of the best wrestlers go to Olympic weights, fun things are going to happen: 50kg- Susaki dominates Yoshimoto in the finals. Yoshimoto is clearly the 2nd best 50kg in the world, but Susaki is just on a different level. Umi Ito easily techs Irie in one of the bronze matches. Irie should have just competed at 53kg and saved herself from cutting weight. In the other bronze match, Sakurai techs the high schooler, Morikawa. 53kg- Okuno wrestles great and beats Shidochi in the semis to face Fujinami in the finals. That's the first time she's officially beat her former college teammate. Their all-time record against each other is Shidochi 8 to Okuno 1. Fujinami teched her opponent to make it to the finals. If Okuno can wrestle at the same level as her semis match, the finals against Fujinami is going to be very interesting. The last time they met in the Meiji Cup finals back in June, it was really close and Fujinami won 4-0. 57kg- Nanjo pins Natami to win in the finals. Next year's Meiji Cup will be interesting with Risako dropping back down to this weight and Sakurai coming back again. Nanjo, Natami and Risako were all in the same college/club and practicing against each other for a long time. 62kg- Ozaki easily techs everybody to make it to the finals. In a big shocker, Motoki(2022 59kg senior bronze) beats Olympic champ Kawai 9-2 in the semis to set up a finals match against Ozaki.

Ok.....Fujinami is the #1 seed. I get it just because she won the Meiji Cup at that weight, but I thought they would have put Shidochi at #1. Anyways, Shidochi and Okuno are on the bottom half and they'll most likely meet in the semis.

I really do think Shidochi has the edge right now only because of her competing more recently at a higher level. I think it might also depend which side of the bracket all 3 of them are in because 2 of them will on one side FOR SURE. I'm guessing Okuno will be on the same side as Fujinami due to the fact that Shidochi just won in Belgrade, Okuno won U23 and Fujinami hasn't competed since the Asian championships in April.

Forgot about 76kg. 17 year old Ayano Moro(2022 U20 world champion) beat Yamamoto(20yrs old, 2022 national collegiate champion at 76kg) in the 76kg finals, 4-3. Moro hasn't lost within Japan since the 2017 Jr HS national championships, where she place 2nd. However, I do think that when Kagami is back healthy, she'll win the Meiji Cup next year and win the playoff match. 53kg is going to be insane.

50kg- Hanano Sakurai shockingly, completely outwrestles Yuki Tanaka(Irie) and wins 7-0, then loses in the semis to Yoshimoto by tech. Susaki completely dominates Nanami Irie in neutral/mat wrestling by tech(worse than the times she's lost to Fujinami) and sets up another Susaki vs Yoshimoto match in the finals. 57kg- In a result I'm not shocked by, Sae Nanjo squeaked by Tsugumi Sakurai, 5-4. When Sakurai had beaten Nanjo earlier this year, it was by a td right at the buzzer. That sets up a teammate vs teammate match in the finals vs Sara Natami. Nanjo looked really, really sharp. 59kg- Risako beats good friend and club teammate, Akie Hanai in the semis then wins the weight in a close match against Metro Police Officer, Sakano(competed at the World Cup). Didn't look in top form yet. 68kg- Ishii beats Morikawa 5-2 in the finals. 72kg- Niikura won in a close match. In mens fs.....completely surprised by Rei Higuchi teching Yuki Takahashi at 57kg. All of their past matches have been razor thin.

Susaki with a quick tech over Nakamura, former 2016 U20 WC Umi Ito about to tech another high schooler who is entered. Both are on the same side of the bracket as Nanami Irie. Yuki is on the same side as Remina Yoshimoto and Hanano Sakurai(Tsugumi's sister)

Looks like when Cheeks was a freshman in hs

55kg- Kiyooka(2022 U23 55kg gold, 2022 U20 55kg gold) wins in a close match, 2-0 65kg- Mahiro Yoshitake(2022 U20 65kg gold) wins in a close match, 5-3 Unless I'm missing something, it looks like the 68kg and 76kg finals didn't take place yet. I quickly scrubbed through the video on mat A of the finals and didn't see the matches. Finals 68kg- Ishii(2022 senior world silver) vs Morikawa(2021 65kg senior world silver, 2022 65kg senior world gold). 76kg- Yamamoto(2019 U17 73kg bronze, also competed at the World Cup in Iowa at 76kg) vs Moro(17 years old, 2022 U20 76kg gold)

I went to sleep after I posted and missed everything, but I figured Kagami injured her elbow even more since it looks like she had to forfeit 2 matches. There were a very small amount of competitors at 76, so they went Nordic.

68kg 2nd round is going to be interesting... Ishii(2022 senior world silver) vs Miyaji(2021 senior world silver) Imai(Japanese military) vs Furuichi(2022 senior world bronze/Japanese military)

Kagami with a tough first round win against Yamamoto One of the high schoolers just won her opening round match by pin

Japan's #1 at 76kg Yuka Kagami is wrestling now

You have three high school competitors here at 65kg.

The same wrestler has to win the Emperor's Cup AND the Meiji Cup to be the rep at whatever weight. All of the best wrestlers are going for the Olympic weights. if the same person doesn't win both, there will be a playoff between the winner of each tournament for the world team spot.

The one to watch at this weight is Moe Kiyooka and pretty much nobody else unless any of the top 3 at 53kg bump up for next year's national tournament after losing this weekend.

Like right now, two teammates are wrestling against each other and they're both lower tier.

They all dropped to 53 or went up to 57

Haha, yeah but you know what I mean

I can understand why Nanami did just because she lost to Okuno not too long ago right before U23, been destroyed by Shidochi and has literally never been close to beating Fujinami. That would be like if Dom had a sister that was also a medal contender, but went into senior nationals at the same weight.

I'm hoping not because seriously.....why would they both go 50kg?