Pan-American Championships Preview

Tuesday, February 20, 2024 - 12:21 By Gaurav Bhatt

ACAPULCO, Mexico (February 20) --- The sun-soaked city of Acapulco, Mexico, gears up to host the Pan-American Wrestling Championships from February 21st to 24th, drawing the region's elite grapplers across Freestyle, Greco-Roman, and Women's Wrestling.

The tournament precedes the Pan-American Olympic Qualifiers, which can have only those countries participating in the Pam-American Championships.

Let's delve deeper into each style and highlight some of the most anticipated clashes.

Freestyle Wrestling

All eyes will be on world champions Kyle DAKE (74 kg) and Kyle SNYDER (97 kg), who will take the mat on Friday and Saturday.

Dake can expect to run into four-time World medallist Geandry GARZON (CUB). Dake won the last contest between the two during his run for the repechage bronze at the Tokyo Olympics. The 74kg field also features two-time medallists Hernan GUZMAN (COL) and Cesar ALVAN (BRA).

In the 97kg category, Snyder can run into familiar foe Arturo TORRES (CUB). The 2016 Olympic champion Snyder is looking for his sixth gold at the Pan American Championships. Torres, meanwhile, will look to avenge his three defeats in the finals against Snyder — including in the gold-medal clash last year in Buenos Aires.

The 74kg category will feature five-time medallist at the event Pedro MEJIAS (VEN), Pan-Am Games bronze medallist Osmany MARTINEZ (CUB), and Spencer LEE (USA) who makes his international debut as a three-time age group world champion.

Cuban Alejandro VALDES TOBIER will bring his experience to the mat in the 65kg category. The reigning Pan-Am Games champion and two-time world medallist — who lost last year’s final to John Michael DIAKOMIHALIS (USA) — will take on contenders such as three-time bronze medallist Agustín DESTRIBATS (ARG) and US senior world team member Nicholas LEE (USA).

Elsewhere, Yurieski TORREBLANCA (CUB) will look to double up on his 86kg gold from last year.

CUB Defending champion Oscar PINO (CUB) is set to compete in Acapulco, with his sights set on winning a sixth Pan-Am title. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Greco Roman

Oscar PINO (CUB) will be out to defend his Greco-Roman 130kg title in Acapulco. The 30-year-old is hunting for his sixth gold medal at the event to add to his four World medals. Cohlton Schultz (USA), who finished runner-up at the PanAm Games last November, would aim to halt the Cuban juggernaut.

Also on the quest for back-to-back golds are Americans Spencer WOODS and Kamal BEY, and Daniel HECHAVARRIA (CUB).

Bey can expect to fight his 77kg nemesis, Yosvanys PENA FLORES (CUB). In 2019, the Cuban defeated Bey in the Pan-Am Championships final before Bey edged Pena Flores for the 77kg crown in Buenos Aires last year. At the Pan-Am Games in November, Bey settled the score with a win over Pena Flores en route to the continental gold.

Woods, who took home the 82kg gold last year, has moved up a division to set up a potential clash with reigning 87kg gold medallist Hechavarria.

usa Olympic champion Helen MAROULIS (USA) headlines the women's wrestling entries. She'll wrestle at 57kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Women’s wrestling

The women’s competition will be highlighted by world medallists from the U.S.: Helen MAROULIS (57 kg), Kayla MIRACLE (62 kg), Macey KILTY (65 kg), and Adeline GRAY (76 kg).

Six-time world champion Gray returns to the Pan American Championships looking to add to her collection of three gold medals at the event.

Maroulis, three-time world and 2016 Olympic champion, can run into some resistance from last year’s bronze medallist Angela Alvarez (CUB).

Kilty’s 65 kg opponents will include 2022 silver medallist Miki ROWBOTTOM(CAN), while Miracle can run into Maria SANTANA (CUB), who finished runner-up at the Pan Am Games.

World medallist Diana WEICKER (CAN) will return to defend her 55kg title.

Catch all the action from the Pan-American Championships live on UWW+.

#JapanWrestling

World Champs Morikawa, Ishii Set Up Clash in 68kg Final

Friday, May 22, 2026 - 12:40 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (May 22) -- The first of what could be several clashes of Japanese women titans was set up when reigning world champions Miwa MORIKAWA and Ami ISHII advanced to the 68kg final at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Championships in Tokyo on Friday.

Morikawa, the world champion at 65kg, had her hands full in grinding out a 3-2 win over world U20 champion Rey HOSHINO in their semifinal, scoring the decisive takedown off a counter in the final minute.

Ishii, the current 68kg world champ, had little trouble piling up the takedowns in a 10-0 victory over former world champion Masako FURUICHI.

Morikawa got the best of Ishii at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships last December, winning 5-3 to earn a trip to the Asian Championships, where she had to settle for the silver medal.

This time there is more at stake in the final on Saturday, as the Meiji Cup is serving as the final qualifier for this year's Asian Games, to be hosted by Japan, and the World Championships.

Winners of both the Emperor's Cup and Meiji Cup automatically earn places on the national team; if they are different, a playoff is held between the two at the end of the day.

Given the stakes, Morikawa knows Ishii will be coming at her with all guns blazing, knowing she need to beat Morikawa twice to earn a national team berth.

"That [Emperor's Cup win] doesn't matter," Morikawa said. "In that match, I went all out to the end and came up with the victory. I think that tomorrow, she will really be coming after me. I have to show the willpower and guts to not give in. I will do my utmost to secure the national team place in one fell swoop."

Morikawa naturally would not reveal what strategy she has for Ishii, but says she will rely on what her coach, four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO, comes up with.

"She's really good with her attacks, and my strong point is defense," Morikawa said. "Kaori will devise a plan, and I'll just go along with that."

Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) reached the 76kg final at the Meiji Cup. (Photo: wrestling-spirits.jp / Takeo Yabuki)

In other semifinals on the second day of the four-day tournament at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym, Paris Olympic champion Yuka KAGAMI moved a step closer to returning to the global stage by making the 76kg final.

Kagami posted a slim 2-1 victory over Ayana MORO, with all of the points scored on the activity clock, to set up a meeting with Yasuha MATSUYUKI, who dealt her a stunning loss in the final of the Emperor's Cup, which was her first competition since Paris.

"I came to realize that last time, the fighting spirit that I had at the Olympics was taking a nap," Kagami said. "For these five months, I have prepared to come here and definitely win the title, then the playoff."

At 53kg, world champion Haruna MURAYAMA outlasted longtime rival and former Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI 2-1 -- with all points scored on the activity clock -- to set up a final against Moe KIYOOKA for the second straight year.

Murayama defeated Kiyooka, the world 55kg champion in 2024, twice last year -- 3-1 in the final, then again 4-1 in the playoff -- to make the team to the World Championships in Zagreb, where she claimed her fourth career gold.

Kiyooka came back to win the Emperor's Cup title in Murayama's absence, and will be looking to avenge last year's losses as she attempts to fill the void left when Olympic champion Akari FUJINAMI moved up to 57kg.

In a tragic incident, Taishi NARIKUNI's bid to repeat the Freestyle-Greco double that he accomplished at the Emperor's Cup ended when he suffered a serious eye injury in his Greco 70kg quarterfinal -- which he won nonetheless, but then was easily beaten in the semifinals.

Facing Takara FUKUZAWA in the last eight, Narikuni took a hard shoulder to the eye, which knocked him woozy for awhile. He managed to continue on, finishing up a 5-0 victory. But, wearing a patch over his right eye in the semifinals against Hajime KIKUTA, he went down 8-0 in 28 seconds.

Narikuni was scheduled to also take the mat later in the day in the Freestyle 72kg final, but would end up defaulting that match. Family members said he was taken to the hospital and was diagnosed with a broke cheek bone below his eye and would undergo surgery on Saturday.

As defending Freestyle 97kg champion Arash YOSHIDA awaited his final, it was a tough day for rest of his family, whose Iranian father runs the kids wrestling club where the siblings got their start in the sport.

Keivan YOSHIDA, Arash's older brother who preceded him as 97kg champion in 2024, was ousted in the semifinals at 125kg, losing 11-1 to Hosei FUJITA.

Just moments later on an adjacent mat, younger brother Ariya YOSHIDA was dealt a tough 10-9 loss at 79kg to Kanata YAMAGUCHI.

In the final, Yamaguchi will face another wrestler with Iranian heritage, newly crowned Asian champion Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI, a 10-0 winner over Kohei KITAMURA in the other semifinal.

Pan-American Championships Preview

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World Champs Morikawa, Ishii Set Up Clash in 68kg Final