Former Judoka Aaron Wolf to Pursue a Career in Pro Wrestling
Reporting on Aaron Wolf becoming a pro wrestler, MLB pitcher Shota Imanaga's return following an injury, the Urawa Reds' exit from the Club World Cup and more.
Aaron Wolf attends a news conference on June 23, 2025, in Tokyo. (©SANKEI)
Retired judoka Aaron Wolf is launching a new career as a professional wrestler.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medalist in the men's 100-kg division has joined New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
At a news conference in Tokyo on Monday, June 23, NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi spoke about Wolf's commitment to becoming a wrestler.
"Wolf has shown his dedication and passion for pro wrestling," Tanahashi told reporters.
The NJPW executive added that "should he make his debut, he will be the first Japanese gold medalist to come into professional wrestling. I have high expectations, and I would like to see him debut [at Wrestle Kingdom 20] on January 4, 2026, in Tokyo Dome." NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi (left) and Aaron Wolf pose for photos at a news conference on June 23. (©SANKEI)
Wolf, who finished seventh in the same weight class at the 2024 Paris Olympics, retired from judo on June 8.
He'll now begin the journey in his new sport, which he says he's a big fan of, as someone eager to learn.
"I won't waste a second of this time to prepare," Wolf, 29, told the news conference. ["But] I fully understand that I will be starting from zero."
While looking ahead to this new challenge, Wolf also spoke about his judo career and the fact that he felt the timing was right to retire.
"I had wanted to go into pro wrestling once I thought I could walk away from judo with no regrets," the 2017 world champion said, according to Kyodo News. He then said, "I am excited to challenge myself on a new stage."
A passion for wrestling fueled his decision.
"I will be moving on to pro wrestling, which has always been my dream," Wolf was quoted as saying by The Sankei Shimbun . "If you ask me why pro wrestling, it's because I like it." Aaron Wolf defeats South Korea's Gu Ham Cho in the men's 100-kg final at the Tokyo Olympics on July 29, 2021, at Nippon Budokan. (Annegret Hilse/REUTERS)
A son of a Japanese mother and an American father, the Tokyo native doesn't intend to fully abandon his judo roots when he steps into the wrestling ring.
"I really believe that you can't build a house without a strong foundation," he said on Monday. "My first love is judo though, and I won't throw that away. I would like to bring some aspects of that with me [in pro wrestling]."
He'll join other prominent judoka who've moved on to other sports. Naoya Ogawa won the 95-kg division silver medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics before becoming a pro wrestler and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. Satoshi Ishii, the 2008 Beijing Games heavyweight champion, and Hidehiko Yoshida, the 78-kg gold medalist in Barcelona, also launched post-judo careers in MMA.
In 1972, future politician Antonio Inoki established New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He passed away in October 2022. JUDO | Aaron Wolf, Shori Hamada Add to Japan's Impressive Gold-Medal Haul Chicago Cubs starter Shota Imanaga pitches against the St Louis Cardinals in the first inning on June 26 at Busch Stadium. (Jeff Curry/IMAGN IMAGES/via REUTERS)
Chicago Cubs starter Shota Imanaga, who had been sidelined since May 4 with a left hamstring strain, returned to the starting rotation on Thursday, June 26.
In the series finale against the St Louis Cardinals, Imanaga held the hosts to one hit in five scoreless innings. The Cubs won 3-0 at Busch Stadium.
The only hit Imanaga (4-2) allowed was a first-inning single to Masyn Winn. Imanaga walked one and struck out three in his 77-pitch outing.
After his first game in many weeks, Imanaga admitted he was eager to pitch again.
"I realized that leaving a hole in the rotation would jeopardize my position as well as the team's, and I wanted to be as prepared as I could be when the game came around," he said, according to NHK.
Imanaga added, "I need to spend each day without regrets so that when the game comes, I will have prepared to the utmost of my ability."
A day before his first start since coming off the injured list, Imanaga spoke to reporters about his physical condition.
"I'm 100% back and I'm prepared to throw," he said in St Louis.
"Thankfully, it wasn't an injury with the shoulder or the elbow, so I was able to throw throughout the whole [recovery] process, and I feel like that good feeling that I had before the injury, that's still there and I was able to maintain that." ODDS and EVENS | Viewpoints on Sports News from Recent Days Urawa Reds' Yusuke Matsuo (right) competes against Monterrey's Stefan Medina in a 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Group E match at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on June 25. (Kirby Lee/IMAGN IMAGES/via REUTERS)
After a 3-1 defeat to Argentina's River Plate in their opening match at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, things didn't improve for the Urawa Reds in their final two matches in Group E play.
The Reds lost 2-1 to Italy's Inter Milan on Saturday, June 21 in Seattle. Urawa grabbed the lead in the 11th minute on a Ryoma Watanabe goal, and Inter stormed back with two late goals to beat the J.League club.
On Wednesday, June 25, Mexico's Monterrey topped Urawa 4-0 in Los Angeles. SPORTS SHORTS | Urawa Reds Drop FIFA Club World Cup Opener Naomi Osaka in a May 2025 file photo. (Aleksandra Szmigiel/REUTERS)
In a tuneup tournament for Wimbledon, Naomi Osaka was eliminated in straight sets in the second round on Tuesday, June 24.
American No 5 seed Emma Navarro defeated the four-time Grand Slam singles champion 6-4, 6-4 at the Bad Homburg Open in Homburg, Germany.
Patrick Mouratoglou, Osaka's coach, said she is taking steps to become a better player after returning to competition in 2024 following maternity leave.
"I know what it's going to take for her to go to the next level, and I drive her to the next destination," Mouratoglou said in a short video posted on his Instagram page. He then said, "I know we're not that far."
The French coach added, "I know the results are not great, as good as we expect them to be. But I see the progress."
Osaka triumphed 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-4) in a first-round match against Serbia's Olga Danilovic on Monday.
The University of Oxford ekiden squad was disqualified for a rule violation in the second annual UK Ekiden after it finished the 114-km race ahead of Ritsumeikan University by 4 minutes, 28 seconds on June 20.
As a result, the Kyoto school ascended into first place.
What led to the University of Oxford's disqualification?
"Organizers stepped in after they passed their relay sash outside of the designated area," BBC reported.
Thirty-one teams, including 16 university squads, participated in the race that started in Windsor and moved along the Thames Path en route to King's Meadow in Reading and back. Racing the UK Ekiden Through 160 Years of Ties
Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
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