How to say "wrestling" in Japanese

• レスリングCommon
  nounThe loanword for wrestling as a sport: use it when talking about the competitive sport itself, its rules, matches, and athletes, as in Olympic wrestling.
  喫茶店きっさてんに入はいったら、二人ふたりの青年せいねんがテレビでレスリングの試合しあいを見みていた。↗

  As I entered the café, I found two young men watching a wrestling match on television.
• 格闘かくとうCommon
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers wrestling as physical grappling or close fighting rather than the named sport, and figuratively struggling with a problem or task — getting to grips with something difficult.

Use 「レスリング」 for wrestling as a sport — the competitive sport itself, its matches and athletes; use 格闘 for wrestling as physical grappling or close fighting, and for figuratively wrestling with a problem or task.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• レスリングwrestling
• 格闘かくとうstruggling (with a problem, task, etc.)