Higuchi

[BigTimeFan 1,141]

Lost in the USA day one debacle we didn't talk too much about Mr Higuchi from Japan. His road to the finals has been insane. Check it out:

 

Qualification round he beats 2x world champ, Yang Kyong Il by TF

1/8 he beats Lachinau from BLR, 7th in last year worlds (his "worst" opponent) 10-0

1/4 he beats Bonne Rodriguez 2014 world bronze medalist 8-4

1/2 he beats 1x world champ 4x world medalist (silver 2015, gold 2014) Rahimi

 

To make it more interesting Rahimi beat Lebedev in the 1/4 round 6-1 who himself was a 2x world champ (2010, 2011). 

 

Higuchi will meet Khinchegashvili this evening in the finals. Khinchegashvili is last year's world champ (who defeated Rahimi) and 2014 world silver medalist (who Rahimi defeated). Should Higuchi pull it off, he will have defeated 3 world champs and a world bronze medalist to get there. In addition since Khinchegashvili beat Aliyev, himself a 2x world champ, to get to the finals, he will also have defeated two people who each defeated a 2x world champ on the same day he won. 

 

So who is Rei Higuchi? In short, nobody I've ever heard of. Rei Higuchi, unless they got his name messed up, has done virtually nothing internationally. He barely wrestled in at the senior level, he took 21st in the junior world championships at 60kg last year and 8th in the cadet worlds in 2013. He did beat Dumov this spring in the Ziolskowski Open in Poland. That's about it. 

 

Anyone know anything about him? I didn't see his matches. 

[wrestlingnerd 3,004]

Good comments but why you gotta play Hubbard like that? He beat you to the punch.

[BigTimeFan 1,141]

Good comments but why you gotta play Hubbard like that? He beat you to the punch.

Ha. I was kind of surprised no one wrote about it, I think everyone's focusing on the JB thread. 

[HurricaneWrestling 1,123]

I think he's a 20-year old student at Nippon Sport Science University.

[BigTimeFan 1,141]

I think he's a 20-year old student at Nippon Sport Science University.

Lol! Definitely. 

[BigTimeFan 1,141]

Gold Medal match now @ 57kg.  

[BigTimeFan 1,141]

Higuchi up 1-0 after the first period. He's been in on at least two shots and took a shot clock point. He's really slick.

[BigTimeFan 1,141]

Higuchi up 3-0! TD.

[BigTimeFan 1,141]

3-2 now. 

[BigTimeFan 1,141]

All tied up with Higuchi behind.

[Billyhoyle 2,480]

Awful, Awful passivity call on the guy who was on the attack the entire match.  

[BigTimeFan 1,141]

Higuchi loses 3-3 with the Georgian having stalled the last 30 seconds there is a challenge.

[BigTimeFan 1,141]

Awful, Awful passivity call on the guy who was on the attack the entire match.  

AGREED!

[BigTimeFan 1,141]

Higuchi is awesome. He has a huge future. He kind of screwed up getting flipped ... and then the guy stalled it out. 

[TheRealOne9050 267]

I can't believe what I'm reading right now. Guys, Higuchi was wrestling Khinchegashvili, one of the very best wrestlers in activity right now. It's a shame on this board he's regarded as being a bum. I get everybody fell in love with Higuchi, me too, but let's not get carried away.

[BigTimeFan 1,141]

I can't believe what I'm reading right now. Guys, Higuchi was wrestling Khinchegashvili, one of the very best wrestlers in activity right now. It's a shame on this board he's regarded as being a bum. I get everybody fell in love with Higuchi, me too, but let's not get carried away.

I saw the match and am aware of Khinchegashvii's accolades and I don't think he's a bum. I simply think that the call of passivity on Higuchi was sketchy both in the moment and in the context of the match. And I think that Khinchegashvii stalled for the last thirty seconds.

[Billyhoyle 2,480]

I can't believe what I'm reading right now. Guys, Higuchi was wrestling Khinchegashvili, one of the very best wrestlers in activity right now. It's a shame on this board he's regarded as being a bum. I get everybody fell in love with Higuchi, me too, but let's not get carried away.

I just don't like the refs deciding the match like that by calling passivity on the guy who had done almost every offensive move the entire match and was controlling the ties/positions.  

[TheRealOne9050 267]

I saw the match and am aware of Khinchegashvii's accolades and I don't think he's a bum. I simply think that the call of passivity on Higuchi was sketchy both in the moment and in the context of the match. And I think that Khinchegashvii stalled for the last thirty seconds.

 

Yeah I know you didn't think that, I was referring mostly to those who shout robbery out loud, it seems to me a little over the line. Also I don't think he was stalling at the end, he was skillfully holding Higuchi's arm to (pretend to) transition into a 2 on 1 tie.

[TheRealOne9050 267]

I just don't like the refs deciding the match like that by calling passivity on the guy who had done almost every offensive move the entire match and was controlling the ties/positions.  

 

I agree with you on the ref being the deciding factor. But I believe Khinchegashvili was controlling the ties quite well, even without taking shots.

[BigTimeFan 1,141]

Yeah I know you didn't think that, I was referring mostly to those who shout robbery out loud, it seems to me a little over the line. Also I don't think he was stalling at the end, he was skillfully holding Higuchi's arm to (pretend to) transition into a 2 on 1 tie.

Right. Saying someone was robbed suggests some kind of corruption, as if the ref was deliberately intending to throw the match one guys way. That's way over the line and it seemed like nothing more than a garden variety bad call (the passivity on Higuchi). 

[WrestleMGL 8]

This year's final was eerily similar to London 55kg final, where the aggressor lost. Maybe UWW owed one to Khinchegashvili. Higuchi san was the bronze medalist at Mongolia Open in 2015 and he upped his game by light years.  

[newyorkwrestler 258]

he will win in tokyo