Tag - wrestling

 
 

WRESTLING

Wang Tao jumps on his opponent during the Supercard From Shanghai event in Shanghai on Sept. 14. Wang, 23, ran away from home at the age of 17 to become a professional wrestler.
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Sep 24, 2024
No pain, no gain: Chinese pro wrestlers fight for mainstream glory
Despite a promising potential domestic market, China's pro wrestling community continues to struggle for recognition and financial stability.
Comedian Yuriyan Retriever takes on the role of Japan’s most hated heel, Kaoru “Dump” Matsumoto, in “The Queen of Villains.”
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Sep 20, 2024
Yuriyan Retriever is Japan's biggest heel — and proud of it
The comedian takes on the role of Kaoru “Dump” Matsumoto, a real-life rule-breaking brawler in women’s professional wrestling, in Netflix's “The Queen of Villains.”
Yuka Kagami celebrates with her medal after winning the women's 76-kg freestyle wrestling event on the final day of the Paris Olympics on Sunday.
OLYMPICS
Aug 12, 2024
Japan finishes third on medal table after strong showing at Paris Olympics
Japan won 20 gold medals at the Paris Olympics for its best showing at an overseas Games.
Gold medalist Nao Kusaka celebrates after winning the men's 77-kg Greco-Roman event at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday.
OLYMPICS
Aug 8, 2024
How wrestler Nao Kusaka used sumo to win Olympic gold
A timid and kind-hearted boy, Kusaka reached the top by developing resilient legs in the sumo ring and fully dedicating himself to his craft.
Nao Kusaka celebrates with the Japanese flag after his win over Kazakhstan's Demeu Zhadrayev in their men's Greco-Roman 77 kg wrestling final match at the Champ-de-Mars Arena in Paris on Wednesday.
OLYMPICS
Aug 8, 2024
Nao Kusaka wins gold for Japan in Greco-Roman wrestling
Kusaka triumphed in the 77 kg division of men's Greco-Roman wrestling, while teammate Yui Susaki took bronze in the 50 kg women's freestyle.
Yui Susaki reacts after losing in the opening round of the women's 50-kg freestyle wrestling competition at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday.
OLYMPICS / Wrestling
Aug 7, 2024
'I didn’t know if it was real': Yui Susaki suffers shock wrestling defeat
Susaki had won 24 international tournaments in a row and was undefeated in her 94 matches against foreign wrestlers until Tuesday.
Japan's Kenichiro Fumita (below) wrestles China's Cao Liguo in their Olympic men's Greco-Roman 60-kg gold-medal match at the Champ de Mars Arena in Paris.
OLYMPICS
Aug 7, 2024
Fumita's road to Greco-Roman gold began right after silver disappointment in Tokyo
Fumita's gold medal came three years after his silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 prompted him to change his strategy.
Kenichiro Fumita celebrates after his win over China's Cao Liguo in their men's Greco-roman 60 kg wrestling final match at the Champ-de-Mars Arena in Paris on Tuesday.
OLYMPICS
Aug 7, 2024
Japan's Kenichiro Fumita wins Greco-Roman gold in 60 kg
Fumita claimed the first wrestling gold of the Paris Olympics by beating Cao Liguo of China, who settled for silver.
Nadezhda Sokolova competes against Elizaveta Smirnova in the 50kg women's final at the Russian Pre-Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Championship at the Live Arena venue outside Moscow on May 1.
OLYMPICS
Jun 4, 2024
Russian wrestlers set on competing in Paris Olympics
The Games have been racked by Ukraine-related controversy in the buildup to their July 26 start.
Sareee holds Konami by the limbs during a Sukeban event in Miami on Dec. 6. A unique form of Japanese wrestling that mixes fashion and theatrics has arrived in the United States.
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Dec 14, 2023
Can Sukeban make Japan-style female wrestling fashionable with Americans?
In Japanese women’s wrestling, athletes perform theatrical, hard-hitting punches and clever defenses while telling a story with their moves and costumes.
Vagaries in Japanese law mean single mothers are sometimes left without financial support from their former partners.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Oct 23, 2023
Documentary shines a spotlight on Japan’s single mothers
"The Ones Left Behind" explores the successes and struggles of single mothers in modern Japan.
Kazuki Paul Tsuyukusa with his dog Sunny in Fukuoka
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Sep 9, 2023
Kazuki Paul Tsuyukusa: 'It’s better to live without being noticed everywhere.’
A former rikishi, Kazuki Paul Tsuyukusa has swapped his sumo stable for the life of a salaryman.
Japan Times
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Jun 12, 2023
AEW to lean on partnership with New Japan Pro Wrestling in fight against WWE
The AEW and New Japan co-branding will be put to the test later this month at a joint production in Toronto known as Forbidden Door.
Japan Times
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Apr 25, 2023
Top Indian wrestlers demand arrest of ex-federation chief
The Indian Olympic Association formed a panel to investigate allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation in January, but the athletes say there has been insufficient action since then.
Japan Times
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Apr 4, 2023
Endeavor and WWE join forces to create live-combat tag team
Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel and WWE boss Vince McMahon are betting that traditional TV companies and video-streaming giants will continue to pay top dollar for the rights to show live events.
Japan Times
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Nov 9, 2022
WWE plans long-term push in Africa with tryouts and partnerships
The world's top pro wrestling promotion is joining other major North American sports leagues, such as the NBA and NFL, who have targeted the continent as a growth market.
Japan Times
SPORTS
Oct 23, 2022
Antonio Inoki: A career remembered in an open-hand slap
The late former wrestler was known for taking on the likes of Muhammad Ali with his own brand of combat, but his personality ensured he always had something to offer his fans.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?