#CanadaWrestling

Wrestling.Ca: Where are they now? – Bob Molle

Tuesday, January 18, 2022 - 02:34 By Wrestling Canada

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Bob Molle has lived an incredible life, although he says he is “just getting going.” His accomplishments include a silver medal in wrestling at the 1984 Olympics, two Grey Cup championships as a player for Winnipeg Blue Bombers, national championships as a wrestler and coach, an author, a public speaker and now a successful business coach. Molle explains that when he looks back at his life, what means the most to him are the relationships he developed along the way.

Born and raised in Saskatoon, Molle remembers that it was his high school coach that introduced him to the sport of wrestling. While he had always wrestled in the backyard as a kid, he had not considered formally participating in the sport until he was asked to try out. He loved the sport from the word “go”.

Wrestling became Bob’s third competitive sport, alongside football and hockey. It was not long before Molle’s affection for wrestling grew and his passion and abilities began to shine when the coach of the University of Saskatchewan team invited him to join their practices.

In 1980, Molle lost in the final of the national championship to his now lifelong friend, Nick Kiniski.  After the match, Kiniski suggested he come out to Simon Fraser University (SFU) so they could train together. Molle wanted to play football too, so he saw SFU as a “double opportunity.”

Molle continued to compete in both sports at SFU and was the first student to receive full scholarships in two sports. After capturing his first two (of four) national championships, World Cup and Pan-American Games bronze medals, Molle went on to win a silver medal at the 1984 Olympics – all by the age of 21. The following year, he made the transition to professional football after being drafted in the first round of the 1985 CFL draft by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Three short years later, Molle and the Bombers won the Grey Cup. He had an Olympic medal and a Grey Cup championship by the age of 26. While he had found success in both individual and team sports, it was the lessons from his wrestling career that propelled him to his next challenge. “In wrestling, you are on your own. When you win or lose you are by yourself. You can’t say it was someone’s fault or we could have played better as a team. In wrestling, you have to look in the mirror. There is beauty in that because you have to ask yourself how can I do better?”

Pursuing goals is something Molle takes to heart. His next challenge was taking over the wrestling program at the University of Manitoba. Molle explains that while he did know if he would be a good coach, the more he did it, the more naturally it came to him. When he traveled with the football team, he took the opportunity to recruit top talent to the university. This led to two national championships.

After his football career, Molle took the lessons of strong relationships and finding good talent to the corporate world as a business coach. He knew that mutual trust was key to teambuilding and success. These were the keys to helping his clients and building his own business through referrals.

Today, as a business coach, Molle helps companies build solid internal relationships and strong connections with stakeholders to whom they are responsible. He recruits talent and helps build teams that work. He works with a number of companies across the country and no matter what the business, the key is finding the right people to work together. Like any team, Bob starts with an assessment of the roster, the talent level and looks for gaps in communication or execution. With the right people in place and an understanding of how they can complement each other, he helps take his clients to the next level.

When Molle looks back on all his accomplishments, it is the relationships he formed that stand out as his biggest highlight. “I am nearly 60 and still have many of the relationships I made during my time in wrestling. I always say once you are part of the wrestling family, you are always part of the family.” He continues to support those in the wrestling community in any way that he can.

Molle has taken the lessons he first learned in the wrestling room and added to them each step of his life journey and no plans of ever retiring. He makes time for the things he enjoys in life like his family and exercise, but remains focused on his continued personal growth. He is always asking himself, “What can I do better?”

For more information on Canadian wrestling, visit https://wrestling.ca or follow them on Instagram and Twitter!

#wrestlebishkek

Kusaka stuns Makhmudov, Bishkek crowd for Asian gold at Greco 77kg

Monday, April 15, 2024 - 16:50 By Ken Marantz

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BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 15) -- Nao KUSAKA (JPN) accomplished what he came to do, and silenced the Kyrgyzstan crowd by denying them what they most wanted to see. As a bonus, he also happened to spoil his opponent's 25th birthday.

Kusaka stunned reigning world and Asian champion Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) 4-2 in the Greco 77kg final at the Asian Championships on Monday in Bishkek, gaining revenge for a close loss to the Kyrgyz superstar in the semifinals at last year's World Championships.

"From the time I lost at the World Championships, I've been aiming at getting revenge," Kusaka said. "To win on the opponent's home soil is a major achievement in my wrestling life."

All five weight classes had the defending champion in action, but only the Iranian pair of Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) at 87kg and world champion Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) at 130kg managed to hold onto their titles. For Alizadeh, it was a fourth straight gold, while Mirzazadeh earned the third of his career.

Yu Chol RO (PRK) knocked off defending champion Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) in the 55kg final to give the DPR Korea its second gold in its return to the continental championships after a five-year absence, while unheralded Yerzhet ZHARLYKASSYN (KAZ) was a surprising champion at 63kg.

Nao KUSAKA (JPN)Nao KUSAKA (JPN) celebrates after beating Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) in Bishkek. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

For 2022 world U23 bronze medalist Kusaka, the memory he will take home of the crowd at Bishkek Arena falling silent after witnessing the vanquishing of two-time defending champion Makhmudov will be as valuable as the gold medal.

"It felt great," the 23-year-old said of turning the roars to a hush. "It's the best. As the 'heel', I have etched my name here. It's really a great feeling. It makes me glad I took up wrestling."

Kusaka's win came without actually scoring a technical point. He gained a passivity point and, while he was trying for a turn, Makhmudov was assessed a 2-point penalty for leg blocking after a challenge to put the Japanese up 3-0.

It seemed inevitable that Makhmudov would get his chance on top and when he did, his throw at the edge failed to turn Kusaka and he received only one point for a stepout. A challenge by the Kyrgyz side was denied, giving Kusaka a 4-2 lead that he made stick until the end.

"He got me into the air, but sometimes you get lucky and it's limited to only one point," Kusaka said. "My opponent is probably thinking, I'm glad it was here [and not the Olympics]. But to me, this is a big win."

The 7-5 loss he was dealt by Makhmudov last September in Belgrade has been both a source of irritation and inspiration. Anticipating the rematch, he has studied the video of the match religiously and intensified his training, including grueling sessions with sumo wrestlers to work on putting pressure on his opponents.

After the World Championships, Kusaka spent a month on a self-funded training trip to Germany and Hungary with the aim of raising his level and gaining international experience ahead of the Paris Olympics. While there, he participated in Bundesliga matches and practiced with stars Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) and Zoltan LEVAI (HUN).

Even in Japan, Kusaka said he has to contend with the aura that emanates from Makhmudov, who also has an Olympic silver medal to his credit. Incidentally, Lorincz, who won the 77kg gold at the Tokyo Olympics after beating Makhmudov in the final, awarded the medals to the 77kg medalists in Bishkek.

"I've realized lately that in this internet world, Makhmudov has hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram, while only a few Japanese have maybe tens of thousands," Kusaka said.

"He has videos of his big throws, and people around me say, 'Makhmudov is amazing! How can you beat a monster like that?' But I'm like, 'It's not really like that.'

"Anyway, if you think truly in your heart you can beat someone, it is not impossible. I think this win provides a good example for the wrestling community. I want to convey that if you stick to your beliefs, if you stick to your style, you can definitely be a world-beater. I want to prove that."

This year, he finished third at the Zagreb Open, where he lost to Levai in the fourth round. Before Paris, Kusaka intends to enter the Budapest Ranking Series in June in order to help his chances of being seeded at the Olympics.

Makhmudov had accepted the reality of the defeat and he is ready to move on.

"What happened, happened," he said. "I know that no matter how much I try, I won’t be able to change anything. I want to train harder in the future and prove that I’ve been coming back all the time and will come back again. There is a little time left before the Olympic Games, but I’ll try my best to compete successfully there."

Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI)Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) won his third career Asian title. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

In other action, Mirzazadeh showed once again how unstoppable he is from par terre, as he rolled Minseok KIM (KOR) two times for all the points he needed in a 5-0 victory in the 130kg final.

"I really practiced hard for this and tried a lot to be able to create a significant difference with the other competitors and it makes me happy," Mirzazadeh said.

It was the first time in three matches that the Iranian didn't end it with enough gut wrenches from par terre, but it still got the job done. Mirzazadeh had beaten Kim previously in the first round of the Tokyo Olympics, where he ended up taking a disappointing fifth by losing to the legendary Riza KAYAALP (TUR) in the bronze-medal match.

Mirzazadeh lost to Kayaalp again in the final of the 2022 worlds, but gained his revenge and his first world title in the gold-medal match last September in Belgrade. That makes him a leading candidate to end the hopes of Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) for an unprecedented fifth Olympic gold in Paris.

"I think it was a really great start for further preparation for the Olympics," Mirzazadeh said. "From tomorrow, when the competition ends, I have to start training and trying to make my people happy with the title in the Olympics."

At 87kg, Alizadeh maintained his dominance of Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ), beating him at the Asian Championships for the fourth year in a row and in a second consecutive final.

Alizadeh was never really challenged and clinched a 5-0 victory with a 2-point throw from par terre at the edge in the second period.

Alizadeh had beaten Tursynov in the first round in both 2021 and 2022 before defeating him 8-0 in last year's final in Astana. The 33-year-old Tursynov does have an Asian gold medal, won back in 2014.

Yu Chol RO (PRK)Yu Chol RO (PRK) defeated defending 55kg champion Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) in the final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

At 55kg, the DPR Korea's Ro, whose last appearance on the international wrestling scene ended with an eighth-place finish at the 2019 Asian Championships in Xi'an, made a big leap with a 9-0 victory to dethrone Iran's Dad Marz.

"Today is the biggest holiday in Korea -- 'The Day of the Sun' -- on this day, I wanted to gift my gold medal to my country and I would like to say thank you to my parents and friends," Ro said. "I would like to become the world champion."

Ro, put into par terre in the first period, took full advantage by reeling off a pair of rolls before Dad Marz appeared to squirm his way out of a third. But the Iranian was assessed a 2-point penalty for leg blocking to make it 7-0.

That caution also put Dad Marz back on the bottom, and Ro responded by muscling him over to end the match at 2:08 for his fourth technical fall in four matches.

Yerzhet ZHARLYKASSYN (KAZ)Yerzhet ZHARLYKASSYN (KAZ) hits a four-point throw against Ayata SUZUKI (JPN) in the 63kg final during the Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

In the 63kg final, Kazakhstan's Zharlykassyn came out of nowhere to snatch the gold with a nail-biting 6-6 victory on criteria over two-time 60kg bronze medalist Ayata SUZUKI (JPN).

Suzuki, the Asian Games silver medalist, started strong with an arm throw for 2 and a gut wrench. But his aggressiveness worked against him when Zharlykassyn countered an arm throw for a takedown, which he followed with a nifty 4-point throw that would end up being the criteria decider.

In the second period, Suzuki slipped out of a whizzer for a takedown to tie it up at 6-6, but all of his efforts to score the go-ahead point were thwarted.

"I was confident of not giving up points from standing," Suzuki said. "To give up points on my attack, and then the 4-pointer, I need to think more about the timing of my attack and the attack itself."

Prior to Monday, Zharlykassyn's only notable accomplishment was a bronze medal at the 2022 Asian U23 Championships -- won in a field with just four entries. He fell in the first round at the World U23 Championships in both 2022 and 2023.

Sajjad ALBIDHAN (IRQ)Sajjad ALBIDHAN (IRQ) won the bronze medal at 55kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Albidhan takes bronze for Iraq's first medal since 2021

In the bronze-medal matches, Sajjad ALBIDHAN (IRQ) gave Iraq its first Asian medal in three years with an impressive victory by fall over Taemin KIM (KOR) at 55kg.

Albihan got two rolls off par terre in the first period, then turned Kim over after a takedown in the second before applying the finishing touch.

Iraq's last medal at the Asian Championships came in 2021 when Mustafa AL OBAIDI (IRQ) won a bronze medal in Freestyle 86kg. The last Greco-Roman medal came in 2020, won by Sajjad's elder brother Hussein, at 77kg in New Delhi.

Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ), the 2023 Asian U23 champion, picked up his first senior medal when he rode a five-point first period to a 5-2 victory over Jasurbek ORTIKBOEV (UZB) for the other bronze at 55kg.

The highlight of the match may have been when Ortikboev actually scored with a "flying squirrel" -- the desperation move losing Greco wrestlers use at the end of a match in which they leap over their opponent on the unlikely chance they can grab on and roll them over.

At 63kg, Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI), who was dethroned as champion in the semifinals by Suzuki, assured he won't be going home empty-handed when he cruised to a 10-0 victory over Haodong TAN (CHN).

Mohammadi made the rare decision of opting to remain standing after receiving a passivity point in the first period, and it paid off with a stepout, after which he added a takedown. He repeated the process in the second period before ending the match in 4:38 with an arm-trap roll.

The other 63kg bronze went to Chan KIM (PRK), who was leading Dokyung JUNG (KOR) 9-2 when his opponent was forced to default in the second period after reaggravating a rib injury he had suffered earlier in the day.

In a battle of veterans at 87kg, Asian Games bronze medalist Masato SUMI (JPN) scored two gut wrenches from par terre en route to a 7-3 victory over Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ), giving the Japanese his first Asian medal since winning a silver in 2018. Azisbekov was denied a fourth career Asian medal.

Rahimjon UZOKOV (UZB) earned his first major medal with a 6-0 victory over Seunghwan LEE (KOR) for the other 87kg bronze. Ozokov's first points came from a head butt penalty at the beginning of the match, after which he scored a gut wrench from par terre for a 5-0 lead.

At 130kg, 2022 Asian U23 champion Erlan MANATBEKOV (KGZ) gained a passivity point and stepout, with a fleeing point tacked on, in the first period, and that was enough to vanquish Islomjon RAKHMATOV (UZB) 3-0. Rakhmatov ran out of gas in the second period and never pressed enough to get a chance at par terre.

Lingzhe MENG (CHN), last year's losing finalist at 130kg, completely overpowered Ganzolboo BUYANTOGTOKH (MGL), forcing him out at will for six stepouts which, combined with fleeing points tagged onto the final two, resulted in an 8-0 victory in 1:49.

At 77kg, Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ), last year's 72kg champion, got a gut wrench from par terre and held on for a 4-3 victory over Amir ABDI (IRI). For what it's worth, it completes the full set of Asian medals for Magomadov, who was a silver medalist in 2020.

Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB) picked up the other 77kg bronze, wriggling out of the bottom of par terre to score a takedown and three consecutive rolls in the first period for an 8-3 victory over Yeonghun NOH (KOR).

 

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Day 5 Results

Greco-Roman

55kg (12 entries)
GOLD: Yu Chol RO (PRK) df. Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) by TF, 9-0, 2:08

BRONZE: Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ) df. Jasurbek ORTIKBOEV (UZB), 5-2
BRONZE: Sajjad ALBIDHAN (IRQ) df. Taemin KIM (KOR) by Fall, 3:42 (9-0)

63kg (12 entries)
GOLD: Yerzhet ZHARLYKASSYN (KAZ) df. Ayata SUZUKI (JPN), 6-6

BRONZE: Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) df. Haodong TAN (CHN) by TF, 10-0, 4:38
BRONZE: Chan KIM (PRK) df. Dokyung JUNG (KOR) by Inj. Def., 3:24 (9-2)

77kg (13 entries)
GOLD: Nao KUSAKA (JPN) df. Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ), 4-2

BRONZE: Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) df. Amir ABDI (IRI), 4-3
BRONZE: Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB) df. Yeonghun NOH (KOR), 8-3

87kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) df. Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ), 5-0

BRONZE: Rahimjon UZOKOV (UZB) df. Seunghwan LEE (KOR), 6-0
BRONZE: Masato SUMI (JPN) df. Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ), 7-3

130kg (12 entries)
GOLD: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) df. Minseok KIM (KOR) by 5-0

BRONZE: Erlan MANATBEKOV (KGZ) df. Islomjon RAKHMATOV (UZB), 3-0
BRONZE: Lingzhe MENG (CHN) df. Ganzolboo BUYANTOGTOKH (MGL) by TF, 8-0, 1:49