Yojiro Uetake
Undefeated in Stillwater, twice golden for Japan
- Born
- January 12, 1943, Ōra, Gunma, Japan
- Nationality
Japan- Height
- 165 cm (5′5″)
- Style
- Complete speed technician
- Weight
- 57 kg
- Active
- 1963–1968
- Status
- Retired · age 83
The record
Oklahoma State college record with three NCAA titles (1964–1966)
2 Olympic golds
The story
ojiro Uetake connected Japanese and American wrestling like few athletes before him. Born in rural Gunma, he enrolled at Oklahoma State and never lost a college match, going 58-0 and winning three NCAA titles. In the middle of that run he went home to win Olympic gold at the 1964 Tokyo Games, beating Aydın İbrahimov in the semifinal despite a dislocated shoulder and rallying from 1-0 down against Hüseyin Akbaş in the final. He defended the bantamweight title in Mexico City in 1968, becoming the first Japanese wrestler with two Olympic golds. One rival said Uetake was always a split second ahead of him. He later took his wife's family name, Obata, coached Japan's Olympic team and ran a hotel business.
- Olympic champion (1964, 1968)
- NCAA champion ×3 (1964, 1965, 1966)
- Big Eight champion ×3
- National Wrestling Hall of Fame Distinguished Member (1980)
- FILA International Wrestling Hall of Fame (2005)
- Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame (2015)
Defining matches
- 1964WINvs Aydın İbrahimov (Tokyo Olympic semifinal, 2-0, with a dislocated shoulder)
- 1964WINvs Hüseyin Akbaş (Tokyo Olympic final, came back from 1-0 down)
- 1966WINNCAA final (third NCAA title, finishing 58-0)
- 1968WINMexico City Olympics (second straight bantamweight gold)
Guard your legs with motion: Uetake kept his feet moving and his hands and body in position so opponents rarely got a clean shot, then attacked when they overreached. Drill stance-and-motion rounds where your partner may shoot only when you leave an opening.
2007–2024
