
Retired judo star Aaron Wolf announces move to professional wrestling
KYODO NEWS - 10 minutes ago - 16:51 | Sports, All
Tokyo Olympic judo gold medalist Aaron Wolf announced Monday he is embarking on a new career in professional wrestling.
The 29-year-old, who retired from judo earlier this month, has joined major grappling promotion New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Wolf won men's 100-kilogram judo gold at his home Olympics in 2021 and finished seventh at the Paris Games three year later.
The Tokyo native, born to a Japanese mother and American father, is already a popular media personality, making regular television appearances.
With his move into the theatrical world of professional wrestling, he follows in the footsteps of countryman Naoya Ogawa, who won heavyweight judo silver at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics before becoming a pro wrestler.
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Tokyo Olympic judo gold medalist Wolf Aaron, who retired from the sport earlier this month, is embarking on a new career in professional wrestling. The 29-year-old was born to an American father and a Japanese mother. A judoka with a remarkable combination of power and stamina, Wolf represented Japan in two Summer Games, in Tokyo and Paris. His greatest achievement was winning gold in the 100-kilogram division at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. He retired from judo following his last match on June 8. Wolf on Monday announced that he will take up professional wrestling and has signed with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, or NJPW. Wolf told reporters that he had recorded and watched pro wrestling matches since his days at university, and dreamed of taking up the sport after accomplishing all he could in judo. He said he was able to achieve his ultimate goal of winning gold at the Tokyo Games, and took part in the 2024 Paris Games thinking it would be his last Olympics. He added there is nothing left for him to do in judo, and he will make the switch to the world of professional wrestling, which he adores. He also said he has to swallow his pride as an Olympic gold medalist in judo. He said he will be starting from scratch in pro wrestling, and he will do his utmost without wasting a single second. Wolf will make his debut as a professional wrestler next January.


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Retired judo star Wolf announces move to professional wrestling
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo Olympic judo gold medalist Aaron Wolf announced Monday he is embarking on a new career in professional wrestling. The 29-year-old, who retired from judo earlier this month, has joined major grappling promotion New Japan Pro Wrestling. Wolf won men's 100-kilogram judo gold at his home Olympics in 2021 and finished seventh at the Paris Games three years later. He is scheduled to debut at a New Japan event at Tokyo Dome in January. Wolf, a longtime fan of professional wrestling, decided to make the switch after last summer's Olympics. "I had wanted to go into pro wrestling once I thought I could walk away from judo with no regrets," Wolf said at a press conference in Tokyo. "I am excited to challenge myself on a new stage." The Tokyo native, born to a Japanese mother and an American father, is already a popular media personality, making regular television appearances. With his move into the theatrical world of professional wrestling, he follows in the footsteps of countryman Naoya Ogawa, who won heavyweight judo silver at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics before becoming a pro wrestler. Japan's Hidehiko Yoshida, the 78-kg gold medalist in Barcelona, and Satoshi Ishii, the 2008 Beijing Games heavyweight champion, both went into mixed martial arts after retiring from judo.


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