Retired judo star Wolf announces move to professional wrestling
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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