Otoguro out for Paris

[CHROMEBIRD]

Stale news by now, but still pretty shocking to see Otoguro lose his spot on Japan's Olympic team. I know he's a little banged up still, but does anyone think he got jobbed at the Emperor's cup? He was clearly not happy with the two overturned calls at the end of the match, but I've only seen the highlight clips floating around on social media.

I don't know anything about Kiyooka, the guy who beat Otoguro, other than he DNP at U23s. Was this the dude who beat McKenna and Desribats at Zagreb(?) last year?

Either way, pretty brutal for Japan's wrestling federation to not at least give a returning Olympic champ a wrestle-off for the spot after losing one tournament by a razor thin margin. @CA_Wrestler?

[bnwtwg]

There are times the Iran/Russia "we pick the team" model works and there are times the US/Japan "may the best competitor win" model works. This is likely very good news for the rest of the world. Otoguro publically commented multiple times he had trouble staying motivated after his world title and I'm sure that is even more true after running the table in front of the home crowd during the Tokyo olympics. Throw in the shocking loss to Musukaev, who did win worlds in his defense, and you have to wonder if the fire is still there or if he is just so engrained that he was going through very high quality motions. 2025 will be an interesting season to say the least.

[CHROMEBIRD]

He seems to attribute his recent performances to that mysterious foot injury that's been plaguing him. With so little mat time since Tokyo I can see why people speculate that he may be ready to hang it up, though I think he's still pretty young.

[mspart]

The flame leaves people at different times.   Perhaps the flame to be the best in the world doesn't burn brightly for him anymore. 

mspart

[Takuto_Otoguro]

That's tough. He lost in the semis. The guy who beat him did win the final. I wonder what happens if this Kiyoka guy fails to qualify at the asian qualifier. Did that not happen in the 2020 qualifier where higuchi missed weight and so Takahashi got the shot at the last chance qualifier? 

[CA_Wrestler]

On 1/7/2024 at 4:09 PM, CHROMEBIRD said:

Stale news by now, but still pretty shocking to see Otoguro lose his spot on Japan's Olympic team. I know he's a little banged up still, but does anyone think he got jobbed at the Emperor's cup? He was clearly not happy with the two overturned calls at the end of the match, but I've only seen the highlight clips floating around on social media.

I don't know anything about Kiyooka, the guy who beat Otoguro, other than he DNP at U23s. Was this the dude who beat McKenna and Desribats at Zagreb(?) last year?

Either way, pretty brutal for Japan's wrestling federation to not at least give a returning Olympic champ a wrestle-off for the spot after losing one tournament by a razor thin margin. @CA_Wrestler?

As far as Kiyooka goes, that's the older brother of Moe Kiyooka, who wrestles at 53kg and 55kg for the women.  She beat Okuno(2023 55kg World Champion) in the finals of the Emperor's Cup.  I was watching live, but Otoguro's foot injury was definitely bothering him during the entire match.  

Unfortunately for Japan and fans of Otoguro, that's how the qualification process is.  Let's say *if* for some reason (as the previous poster above me mentioned).....if Kiyooka doesn't qualify the weight at the Asian qualifiers as Higuchi famously didn't due to weight, then and ONLY then will the Japan Wrestling Federation have the power to send somebody else besides Kiyooka--enter Otoguro OR Ono(who placed second at the Emperor's Cup).  Then Otoguro/Ono would have to compete at the last chance qualifier to qualify the weight for Paris.  Then after that, Kiyooka and Otoguro/Ono would have a wrestle-off.

 

As far as Kiyooka goes, he's had mixed success internationally.  He didn't compete at the 2023 Zagreb Open, but he did win the Dan Kolov ranking tournament last year where he beat Destribats in the quarters.  At U23 he DNPd and lost both matches.  In the 2023 Meiji Cup(June) he placed 7th at 65kg.  Otoguro won that tournament.

As far as the match goes I'm re-watching it because I remember when I watched it live, I thought Otoguro was robbed:

-Hand fighting until close to 5:00 when Otoguro took a shot and didn't score.  Kiyooka was warned for stalling.

-Restart in center, more hand fighting, Kiyooka trying to get a right underhook while Otoguro works a 2 on 1.  Otoguro drops down on the right at 5:00 to try and snatch the leg, but nothing.  Both back to center and hand fighting again.

-Around 4:40 another stalling call and they restart in the center.  4:31, Kiyooka snaps Otoguro and goes left side single, scramble with Otoguro on top, Kiyooka below, Kiyooka comes out the back to get 2, then is able to lock up a lace and send Otoguro OOB, 4-0 Kiyooka. 4:14.  Otoguro's foot injured again.

-Restart in the center, more hand fighting, 3:24 Otoguro called for stalling.  Right before the break, Otoguro gets in, but Kiyooka with a whizzer and they start going OOB, but...Otoguro sneaks a leg in and flips Kiyooka over for 2.  Otoguro locked up a lace and turned Kiyooka, but they were already called OOB with 1.76 sec left.

-BREAK-

-restart, hand fighting.  Kiyooka trying to work a 2 on 1, but Otoguro having none of it.  Both trying to work right underhooks, 2:42 left.  Back in the center, Otoguro almost hits a duck, but Kiyooka backs out.  More hand fighting, working for underhooks, etc in the center, 2:00 remaining.  Restart in the center, Otoguro warned.  Hand fighting, Otoguro snap and shot but nothing, 1:38.  Kiyooka working underhooks, shoots and nothing.    Hand fighting, Otoguro reaches under for the far side leg, but Kiyooka hops out of the way, 1:25.   Otoguro trying to get an underhook in, nothing.  :54 sec left Kiyooka snaps Otoguro, gets Otoguro's right leg and Otoguro hips out.  Kiyooka was in deep on that leg.  :48 left.  Action going crazy, :43 Kiyooka shoots and gets under.  It looks exactly like before when they scrambled and Kiyooka came out the back, BUT Otoguro chest wraps Kiyooka with :38 left!  In the same motion as Kiyooka was getting flipped over for exposure, he swung onto Otoguro's left leg while both are on the mat and Otoguro hips into Kiyooka and flattens him out, Kiyooka underneath :30 left.  Kiyooka still has one leg and he sucks it in and starts standing up, but Otoguro chest wraps him AGAIN.  Keep in mind, Kiyooka wasn't initiating any takedown, he was trying to stand up while holding Otoguro's right leg.  In that same motion after Kiyooka got chest wrapped, Otoguro chest wraps Kiyooka AGAIN.  As Kiyooka flips over, he rolls out behind Otoguro, but the ref called OOB.  Score now is 8-4, Otoguro with 22 sec left.  Kiyooka thinks he got a td, but they gave Kiyooka 1 for reversing the position.  Score is 8-5 with :20 left.  Kiyooka's coach throws the brick in and they go to replay.

When Otoguro hit that second chest wrap and Kiyooka spun around, I'm pretty sure they're saying that Kiyooka was out, but Otoguro's entire body was in bounds.  Score is now 8-5, then the score changes to 8-6, then the score changes to 6-6!!!!!!!!  Otoguro goes over to his coaches and is basically WTF is going on and he's pissed because of the score.  Matside ref is telling him to get back to center.

-They restart with :20 left.  Both are trying to score, then around :16, Otoguro tries a snap, but Kiyooka gets down to Otoguro's leg.  Otoguro tries a chest wrap, but Kiyooka drops down and gets to Otoguro's leg again and comes out the side looking for control, Otoguro basically goes into the splits defending it.  Otoguro gets up and gets out on top of Kiyooka with 6.35 left and is trying for a crotch lift, 3.42 sec left AND LIFTS Kiyooka OVER with 1.18 sec left.  Ref scores 2 for Otoguro with .76 sec left.  At 0:00 2 points is added to the scoreboard for Otogruo, 8-6.  Blue brick comes flying in for some reason.  Big review, going over multiple camera angles and they seem to be focusing on back exposure for both of them on that crotch lift.  I think what they're looking at specifically is when Otoguro initiated the croth lift, Kiyooka's back didn't go past 90 degrees, but Otoguro's did.  The PA announcer then says the challege is successful, the crowd goes crazy, Kiyooka goes crazy, the ref is motioning for Otoguro to come back to center.  Otoguro is motioning about the back exposure to the matside judge and Otoguro gets a yellow card.  Of course Otoguro is pissed.  One of Otoguro's coaches are looking at the matside judges like WTF are you thinking while Kiyooka shakes the other one of Otoguro's coaches hand.

Final score was 6-6.....I still don't know how they gave Kiyooka the win if the score was tied.  Otoguro had the final 2 scores.  They gave that yellow card after they declared Kiyooka the winner.

-

-

Edited January 11 by CA_Wrestler

[CA_Wrestler]

Sorry if the images are small.  I can re-upload larger

[CA_Wrestler]

When I said the final 2 scores, I meant that Otoguro had the last 2 takedowns and he somehow lost when it was tied, 6-6 at the end of regulation.

[bnwtwg]

15 hours ago, CA_Wrestler said:

if Kiyooka doesn't qualify the weight at the Asian qualifiers as Higuchi famously didn't due to weight, then and ONLY then will the Japan Wrestling Federation have the power to send somebody else besides Kiyooka--enter Otoguro OR Ono(who placed second at the Emperor's Cup).  Then Otoguro/Ono would have to compete at the last chance qualifier to qualify the weight for Paris.  Then after that, Kiyooka and Otoguro/Ono would have a wrestle-off.

We don't want any of the above at olympic last chance. That is a very, very bad scenario.

[CA_Wrestler]

1 hour ago, bnwtwg said:

We don't want any of the above at olympic last chance. That is a very, very bad scenario.

I agree.  Realistically, there is a very high chance of Kiyooka not qualifying the weight at the Asian Championships based on past performances internationally because Dan Kolov was 1st and U23 was DNP

[mspart]

We don't think we can win Pan Ams and get qualified that way at this weight?   Remembering Zain last time, it is something to consider.  

mspart

[bnwtwg]

39 minutes ago, mspart said:

We don't think we can win Pan Ams and get qualified that way at this weight?   Remembering Zain last time, it is something to consider.  

mspart

65 is deeper at Pan Ams than the last quad and with no repchage/wrestleback it is a dangerous proposition. Austin Gomez is an absolute wild card and can have anyone counting the lights in the gym as quickly as he can be teched. Destribats has proven himself to be a gamer on the world scene. The USA rep is the favorite no doubt but we should absolutely not be counting our eggs before they hatch.