#worldcupiowacity

Six Must Watch World Cup Pool Match-Ups

Wednesday, April 4, 2018 - 16:29 By Eric Olanowski

Share this article

Taking an in-depth look at six of the best World Cup pool match-ups. These are potential matches-ups and are subject to change as different nations have more than one wrestler per weight class. 

1. Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) v. Thomas GILMAN (USA) (57kg) 

The United States and Japan will meet in session two of the World Cup and the dual will be kick-started by a rematch of the 57kg 2017 World Championships gold medal bout between Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) and Thomas GILMAN (USA).

In the world finals, Takahashi captured his first world title by using three two-point moves to win the bout, 6-0. If Gilman expects a different result, he's going to have to do two things. First, close the distance on his shots. Takahashi used the distance of Gilman shot selection to pick up all of his takedowns in that finals bout.

Second, Gilman needs to eliminate emotion but also use the hometown crowd in his favor. The former Hawkeye wrestled for the University of Iowa and will be making his return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the first time since competing for the black and gold.

2. No.1 GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) v. No.5 Daniyar KAISANOV (KAZ) (74kg) 
This session one match-up is a rematch of the 74kg Asian Championships semifinals. In that match, Ganzorig bolted out to a 4-0 lead but began to fade near the two-minute mark. Kaisanov, who’d been unsuccessful in getting to his left side swing single finally picked up his first takedown as the clock neared the one-minute mark. After an immediate low-level gut on the right side, Kaisanov tied the match, 4-4.

With 45 second left, Ganzorig established position with an underhook on the ride side and pulled the Kazak into a double leg, driving him to his back to take the 8-4 lead. This would be the match determining takedown as Ganzorig defeated Kaisanov, 8-6.

Photo: Three-time world champion, Haji ALIYEV (AZE). 

3. Haji ALIYEV (AZE) v. Alejandro Enrique VALDES TOBIER (CUB) (65kg)
Alejandro Enrique Valdes Tobier will be welcomed to his third World Cup by three-time world champion and Olympic bronze medalist, Haji Aliyev.

Aliyev, who is known for being one of the most technically sound wrestlers in the world will have to be comfortable wrestling in close quarters as most of Vales Tobier's comes from an underhook. If Aliyev happens to give up a takedown, he has to be aware that Vales Tobier will be looking to get to his high gut on the left side.

The key for Vales Tobier to come out on top of this match is to eliminate hesitation. His dominant position is his over/under and can not hesitate when he established his position.

Photo: World bronze medalist, Aslanbek ALBOROV (AZE). 

4. No.1 LUVSANDORJ Turtogtokh (MGL) v. Aslanbek ALBOROV (AZE) (92kg)
In his sixth World Cup appearance, world bronze medalist Aslanbek Alborov will have the opportunity to wrestle current world No. 1, Luvsandorj Turtogtokh (MGL). 

The biggest question for the Mongolian is how is he going to adjust to Alborov's unconventional left side head outside single?

The reason Alborov's single gives his opponents issues is that he uses his right hand as a decoy to roll his head outside for his single leg. For Mongolia to pick up a win here, it's going to take two things. Luvsandorj will have to place high importance on controlling the left hand, and he'll have to keep the Azeris head on the inside of his right hip. Alborov strives when his head slips to the outside where he's able to come to his feet and double off.  

Photo: No.11 Takashi ISHIGURO (JPN). 

5. No.11 Takashi ISHIGURO (JPN) v. J'den COX (USA) (92kg)
This match could go a few ways as both guys are incredibly light on their feet, but both also slow down immensely when they fall into tie-ups.

For Cox to knock off the No.11 ranked wrestler in the world, he has to finish his shots with urgency. Historically, Ishiguro has struggled with quick finishers. 

Cox finds closure in dictating the pace of his matches. He's most comfortable in relying on his defense in close matches, and Ishiguro cannot allow that to happen if he wants to beat the world and Olympic bronze medalist. 

Photo: Junior world champion Nurmagomed GADZHIYEV (AZE). 

6. Nurmagomed GADZHIYEV (AZE) v. Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) (97kg)
If I'm on the Cuban coaching staff, I'm tying Reineris Salas Perez' elbows to his hip before he wrestles Nurmagomed Gadzhiyev. The junior world champions right side ear-to-ear set up for his arm-drag is something that has to be addressed before the explosive Cuban steps on the mat! 

Salas Perez, known for his patient, laid back and calculated style of wrestling must roll his head to get left ear-to-ear to negate that arm-drag of Gadzhiyev.

To beat the Cuban Olympian, Gadshiyev is going to have to compete six total minutes. For the Azeri, it's important to understand that Salas can put points on the board in a heartbeat, so no lead is safe. 

#JapanWrestling

World Champs Morikawa, Ishii Set Up Clash in 68kg Final

Friday, May 22, 2026 - 12:40 By Ken Marantz

Share this article

TOKYO (May 22) -- The first of what could be several clashes of Japanese women titans was set up when reigning world champions Miwa MORIKAWA and Ami ISHII advanced to the 68kg final at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Championships in Tokyo on Friday.

Morikawa, the world champion at 65kg, had her hands full in grinding out a 3-2 win over world U20 champion Rey HOSHINO in their semifinal, scoring the decisive takedown off a counter in the final minute.

Ishii, the current 68kg world champ, had little trouble piling up the takedowns in a 10-0 victory over former world champion Masako FURUICHI.

Morikawa got the best of Ishii at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships last December, winning 5-3 to earn a trip to the Asian Championships, where she had to settle for the silver medal.

This time there is more at stake in the final on Saturday, as the Meiji Cup is serving as the final qualifier for this year's Asian Games, to be hosted by Japan, and the World Championships.

Winners of both the Emperor's Cup and Meiji Cup automatically earn places on the national team; if they are different, a playoff is held between the two at the end of the day.

Given the stakes, Morikawa knows Ishii will be coming at her with all guns blazing, knowing she need to beat Morikawa twice to earn a national team berth.

"That [Emperor's Cup win] doesn't matter," Morikawa said. "In that match, I went all out to the end and came up with the victory. I think that tomorrow, she will really be coming after me. I have to show the willpower and guts to not give in. I will do my utmost to secure the national team place in one fell swoop."

Morikawa naturally would not reveal what strategy she has for Ishii, but says she will rely on what her coach, four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO, comes up with.

"She's really good with her attacks, and my strong point is defense," Morikawa said. "Kaori will devise a plan, and I'll just go along with that."

Yuka KAGAMI (JPN)Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) reached the 76kg final at the Meiji Cup. (Photo: wrestling-spirits.jp / Takeo Yabuki)

In other semifinals on the second day of the four-day tournament at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym, Paris Olympic champion Yuka KAGAMI moved a step closer to returning to the global stage by making the 76kg final.

Kagami posted a slim 2-1 victory over Ayana MORO, with all of the points scored on the activity clock, to set up a meeting with Yasuha MATSUYUKI, who dealt her a stunning loss in the final of the Emperor's Cup, which was her first competition since Paris.

"I came to realize that last time, the fighting spirit that I had at the Olympics was taking a nap," Kagami said. "For these five months, I have prepared to come here and definitely win the title, then the playoff."

At 53kg, world champion Haruna MURAYAMA outlasted longtime rival and former Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI 2-1 -- with all points scored on the activity clock -- to set up a final against Moe KIYOOKA for the second straight year.

Murayama defeated Kiyooka, the world 55kg champion in 2024, twice last year -- 3-1 in the final, then again 4-1 in the playoff -- to make the team to the World Championships in Zagreb, where she claimed her fourth career gold.

Kiyooka came back to win the Emperor's Cup title in Murayama's absence, and will be looking to avenge last year's losses as she attempts to fill the void left when Olympic champion Akari FUJINAMI moved up to 57kg.

In a tragic incident, Taishi NARIKUNI's bid to repeat the Freestyle-Greco double that he accomplished at the Emperor's Cup ended when he suffered a serious eye injury in his Greco 70kg quarterfinal -- which he won nonetheless, but then was easily beaten in the semifinals.

Facing Takara FUKUZAWA in the last eight, Narikuni took a hard shoulder to the eye, which knocked him woozy for awhile. He managed to continue on, finishing up a 5-0 victory. But, wearing a patch over his right eye in the semifinals against Hajime KIKUTA, he went down 8-0 in 28 seconds.

Narikuni was scheduled to also take the mat later in the day in the Freestyle 72kg final, but would end up defaulting that match. Family members said he was taken to the hospital and was diagnosed with a broke cheek bone below his eye and would undergo surgery on Saturday.

As defending Freestyle 97kg champion Arash YOSHIDA awaited his final, it was a tough day for rest of his family, whose Iranian father runs the kids wrestling club where the siblings got their start in the sport.

Keivan YOSHIDA, Arash's older brother who preceded him as 97kg champion in 2024, was ousted in the semifinals at 125kg, losing 11-1 to Hosei FUJITA.

Just moments later on an adjacent mat, younger brother Ariya YOSHIDA was dealt a tough 10-9 loss at 79kg to Kanata YAMAGUCHI.

In the final, Yamaguchi will face another wrestler with Iranian heritage, newly crowned Asian champion Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI, a 10-0 winner over Kohei KITAMURA in the other semifinal.