Wrestling Weekend That Was: Spencer Lee announces match with Japan’s Masanosuke Ono at Xtream Arena in February

Flowrestling announces super match between world champions Spencer Lee and Masanosuke Ono, of Japan. Iowa men trounced Wisconsin in Big Ten Conference dual opener. Iowa women and University of Northern Iowa won NWCA National Duals titles and more during the Wrestling Weekend That Was.

LEE VS. ONO SET FOR FEB. 26 AT XTREAM ARENA

Spencer Lee turned heads Monday, appearing on the Flowrestling Radio Live podcast and announcing that he will face Ono in a freestyle match Feb. 26 at Xtream Arena in Coralville. The bout will be the co-main event on a card with a match between former Penn State four-time NCAA champion and former Arizona State two-time national titlist Zahid Valencia.

“I’m super excited for the opportunity,” Lee said on FRL. “He’s a stud.”

Lee, Iowa’s two-time Hodge Trophy winner, three-time NCAA champion and five-time All-American and current Hawkeye Wrestling club member, earned an Olympic silver medal at 67 kilograms in August. He is also a three-time age-level World champion. Ono garnered attention, winning a U20 and Senior level World title in 2024. Two of the world’s best lightweights will clash at a catch weight (something between their current classes).

“As a competitor, I want to wrestle the best guy in the world,” Lee said. “He’s a weight above me, so I figured it would be a lot of fun to put on a show match.”

Lee and Ono aren’t strangers, meeting when Lee traveled to Japan for vacation before he started his post-collegiate international competition. He received multiple invitations to train, but he hadn’t trained in a couple months and was still recovering from injury. Lee did stop at one of the universities and wrestled Ono in a practice.

“I remember thinking this kid is really athletic and really good,” Lee said. “I didn’t know who he was and never heard of him. It was cool to see in the next year he was a World champion in juniors and seniors. I kind of got a feel for him before he kind of came on the scene.

“I was shocked with how explosive fast he was. That’s what really got to me. He felt so smooth.”

Lee has not competed since the Olympic Games in Paris, but will return to the country this weekend, wrestling in Nice, France. He also plans to wrestle in another competition before his match with Ono.

“I’m getting back into competing again and getting ready for this 2025 season,” Lee said. “It’s going to be fun. I’m excited to compete and get on that world stage again.”

Kudos to Lee, Ono, Flowrestling and others. Wrestling needs more events that highlight its top competitors and garner more attention from fans, including mainstream sports fan. This event could check all the boxes. More information on other matches and tickets will be available in the near future.

IOWA MEN BLANKS WISCONSIN

The Hawkeyes were so dominant in their 45-0 dual win over the Badgers. Iowa improved to 7-0 this season. Winning isn’t what stands out as much as how the Hawkeyes hammered Wisconsin. Seven bonus-point matches and three possible backups adding the other three decisions. The only reason the “possible backup” is used because Joey Cruz is competing with Kale Petersen, Jace Rhodes was behind Ryder Block earlier and still has Cullan Schriever at the weight and Miguel Estrada is filling in while NCAA finalist Jacori Teemer is out with injury.

The Hawkeyes outscored another Big Ten school 118-28 in match points. They almost had a 30-takedown edge. The statistics were staggering, as well as the fact that the last time Iowa lost to Wisconsin was in 1945. It was an impressive performance, coming out of the holiday break.

UNI, IOWA WOMEN WIN NWCA NATIONAL DUALS TITLES

UNI continued its strong season with a championship in the NCAA Division I bracket of the National Wrestling Coaches Association Multidivisional Duals Saturday at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. The Panthers handled No. 14 South Dakota State, 31-3, in the finals, getting a 6-5 decision from Jared Simma over SDSU’s No. 7 and former Southeast Polk prep Cade DeVos. It was UNI’s second dual victory over the Jackrabbits, winning on criteria in the season-opening dual.

UNI opened with wins over Sacred Heart (38-7) and Ohio University (48-3) on Friday. The Panthers beat Northern Colorado, 38-3, in the semifinal to start Day 2. UNI went 35-5 over the weekend posting an 18-2 mark in the last two rounds. UNI was unbeaten at 133 pounds, 141, 149, 157, 165, 184 and 197.

Iowa women won their second straight NWCA title. Last year the Hawkeyes edged North Central (Ill.) College by a point. This time, Iowa posted a 28-13 victory. Olympic silver medalist and Hawkeyes 160-pounder Kennedy Blades won by 11-0 technical superiority over No. 7 Tiera Jimerson. Teammate Kylie Welker followed with a pin, decking No. 3 Brittyn Corbishley in 41 seconds to seal the victory.

Iowa also won seven bouts in a 33-11 semifinal win over McKendree (Ill.) University.

Coe finished sixth in the NCAA Division III field. The Kohawks opened with a 29-22 win over Concordia-Moorhead, falling to The College of New Jersey in the second round. Coe added consolation victories over Albion (38-7), No. 6 Alvernia (34-15) and No. 9 Baldwin-Wallace (26-21). No. 7 Castleton topped Coe, 22-14, in the placing round.

LINN-MAR WINS HOME DUALS TOURNAMENT

Linn-Mar won its annual Lions Duals tournament Saturday. Linn-Mar went 5-0 to earn the team title. The Class 3A No. 7 Lions beat 2A No. 8 Mount Vernon (45-29), No. 12 Pleasant Valley (52-26) and Clear Creek Amana (48-28). Linn-Mar also added lopsided wins over Marion and LeMars.

Pleasant Valley placed second, CCA was third, Mount Vernon and Cedar Rapids Xavier rounded out the top five.

ALBURNETT WINS TOURNAMENT AT HIGHLAND

Alburnett captured the team title at the Gary Curtis Invitational at Highland on Saturday. The 1A second-ranked Pirates totaled 322 points, pulling away from 1A No. 3 Wilton and winning by 106 points.

Alburnett Coach Clayton Rush and his staff her mainstays in the finals corner. Eleven Pirates wrestled in the Pirates with Atlee DeWitt (113), Rowdy Neighbor (126), Preston Klostermann (138), Cooper Franklin (144), Reece Klostermann (150), Dawson Becker at 157, Shayden Washburn (175) and 215-pounder Eaghan Fleshman winning titles. Alburnett showed its balance with all 14 wrestlers placing fifth or better.

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com