It appears that Penn State wrestling fans won’t have to wait long to see Masanosuke Ono make his debut.
Speaking with Zach Seyko on the Locked on Nittany Lions Podcast, the voice of Penn State wrestling, Jeff Byres, said he expects Ono to compete at 133 pounds.
Penn State fans wondering what this would mean for World Medalist Marcus Blaze need not fear: Byers expects Blaze to compete at 141, although he didn’t say when.
“My expectation would be 133,” Byres said. “I think that’s just his more natural weight, and I think that’s where it probably makes the most sense just from a lineup standpoint right now for Penn State.”
“I think eventually Marcus will make the move up to 141 and it will be a little bit for an adjustment period for him to make that move up, but that’s I think what I would anticipate, anyway, for the upcoming season.”
We all know what Ono can do in the freestyle world.
He’s won a Senior World Championship, for crying out loud.
He’s been committed to Penn State since March 2025 and started training with Nittany Lions Wrestling Club before that, but is that enough time to pick up folkstyle to the point where Ono is a national title contender?
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“I think that’s the expectation anyway,” Byers said. “Again, it’s certainly an adjustment when you’re talking about the mat wrestling in folkstyle, but I think it’s something he’s excited about. His takedown ability obviously translates to both styles, and that’s something that he is extremely good at creating scoring opportunities and preventing opponents from being able to score on him. So, again, I think it’s going to be fun to watch him have the opportunity to compete. I know it’s something that he’s excited to have that chance.”
133 is a loaded class this year, with defending national champ Jax Forrest returning for Oklahoma State and national runner up Ben Davino coming back to Ohio State.
Ono beat Davino in freestyle, 4-0 at RAF 12 in Cleveland in August, and NSN caught up with Ono after the bout.
“If the coaches say, ‘hey, let’s go 157,” Ono said, “I need to do it. So, I mean, I don’t think about that, you know?”
Penn State Wrestling: At What Weight Will Masanosuke Ono Compete? He Doesn’t Care
Ono also talked about the transition to folkstyle.
“(Transitioning to folkstyle is) very difficult for me,” he said. “You know, I’ve done freestyle all my life. So this last year, I’ve focused on folkstyle. And then, you know, like we have Marcus Blaze, Braeden Davis. Like any coach, they take me down every time. So, you know, it’s hard for me, but I mean, that’s what I found. I’m excited about competing in folkstyle. So it’s good.”
