Penn State wrestling adds world champion: Japan’s Masanosuke Ono commits to Cael Sanderson
Penn State wrestling just landed a huge commitment from Japanese world champion Masanosuke Ono, who will join the Nittany Lions next season. Ono, only 21 years old, is considered one of the best pound-for-pound wrestlers globally, having won the U20 World Championship, senior level World Championship, Japan national championship, and a bronze medal at the 2024 Asian Championships ¹.
Ono’s impressive resume includes victories over world champion Vito Arujau and Olympic champion Zaur Uguev. He also defeated three-time NCAA champion Spencer Lee in a closely contested match earlier this year ².
Although Ono has primarily competed in freestyle wrestling, he’s eager to learn folkstyle wrestling and compete for Penn State. He’s expected to wrestle at either 133 or 141 pounds, but Ono jokingly mentioned he could compete anywhere from 125 to 157 pounds ¹ ³.
Ono’s commitment is a massive coup for Penn State, which is looking to replace three All-Americans in the upcoming season. With Ono on board, the Nittany Lions are poised to remain a dominant force in college wrestling ⁴.
