Japan’s Masanosuke Ono is on fire! After a Friday filled with action, Bo Bassett, who won three matches, hit a tough spot in the 65-kilogram semifinal against Makoto Hosokawa. The 17-year-old Bassett put up a great fight but fell short, sending Hosokawa to the final. Bassett will now be aiming for bronze on Saturday. Meanwhile, Hosokawa is set to clash with Iran’s Ali Mahmoud Khorramdel for the gold. And it seems Japanese dominance isn’t just limited to Bassett—another top athlete also fell to the impressive wrestling skills of another Japanese competitor.

Masanosuke Ono defeated Marcus Blaze with a score of 7-2. Despite this setback, Blaze isn’t out of the game yet. With two years still left in his U20 eligibility, he’s expected to make a strong comeback and contend for a World Gold Medal in the future. For now, Blaze will have another shot at a bronze medal at the World Championships, with his match set for tomorrow afternoon.

At 61 kg, Marcus Blaze kicked off his tournament with a swift first-period pin against Dohyung Kim of Korea, executing a fireman’s carry to get Kim on his back for the fall at 1:16. Blaze then dominated Amir Hamayun of Turkmenistan in the next round, securing an 11-1 technical fall. In the quarterfinals, Blaze overcame Jamal Abbasov of Azerbaijan, taking an early 2-0 lead despite a passivity call against him.

Abbasov managed a step-out but struggled to mount any significant offense against the powerful Blaze. However, Blaze’s semifinals didn’t go as planned, as he faced Masanosuke Ono of Japan, a 2024 Senior Asian Championships bronze medalist at 65 kg. But at the same time, Blaze, the 2023 U17 World Champion at 55 kg and a Senior National Team member at 57 kg couldn’t replicate his earlier successes. However, a similar thing happened with Bo Bassett.

Bo Bassett’s stellar year of achievements with little setback

Bishop McCort’s Bo Bassett is really making a name for himself in the wrestling world! This year has been a whirlwind for the junior, as he’s smashed records with the Crushers, snagged a PIAA Championship, taken down a former NCAA champ, and recently clinched a win at the Pan American Games. Now, at just 17, he’s gearing up to compete at the U20 World Championships in Spain.

Bassett charged into the tournament, picking up three big wins to reach the semifinals. He faced a tough opponent in Japan’s Makoto Hosokawa and, after that loss, is now set to wrestle for bronze on Saturday morning. With plenty of Division I teams eyeing him, Bassett’s performances are definitely catching attention and setting him up for an exciting future.