Who's your favorite sumo wrestler?

Sumo is plain boring "sports". 2 fat guys trying to shove each other out of the ring, interesting, very... I'd rather see women' sumo
Prolly the fastest and shortest sports out there. A match lasts less than 5 secs, where is the fun?

I have no favourite sumo wrestlers since I don't follow the sports. I have heard of Akebono aka Chad Rowan, the first gaijin sumo wrestlers to receive an Akebono title. Konishiki got married to a very beautiful news reporter. This guy is huge and the wife is petite, I read from the newspaper.

However, if you want to see sumo from a movie perspective, I highly recommend seeing Sumo do, sumo don't. Directed by the same director highly acclaimed Japanese movie, Shall we Dance! Highly recommend as well! A link to the movie review http://www.kfccinema.com/reviews/comedy/sumodo/sumodo.html

sumo is boring

I used to follow sumo a bit, but it has been a few years since I've seen or heard a peep. My favorite back then was Takanohana (don't know what his name is now) because he embodied the newer "more athletic" ^_^; sumo wrestler. It's always fun to watch little guys beat out the behemoths.

Hmm...I wonder what happened to him and his brother Wakanohana....

i saw this prog in travel channel abt japan, and there was a slot where they were discussing abt sumo. i never really think about the sport anyway but the sumo soft toy is cute though

I love sumo!!!!!!!!!

Takanohana

My goodness... Sumu is MEGA-HUUUUUUUUUUUGE in Hawaii!!!! Sometimes you'll actually see sumo covered in our local sports casts, and actually be the leading story, ahead of other American sports like basketball, baseball, etc. Two reasons:

1) Virtually all the gaijins participating are from Hawaii (Akebono, Konishki, Musashimaru, etc.)

2) The Japanese culture that dominates Hawaii. Many of the nth-generation Japanese Americans in Hawaii just love it!

It's so big, they've actually set up stables (training facilities) in Hawaii to train up-and-coming locals.

As for me... I get a kick out of the "referee" who runs around with that fan-looking device. Sounds like he's screeming something like "Ai ai ai ai ai", sort of sounding like the beginning to Ozzy's "Crazy Train". LOL!

--- groink

I think konishki has retired.

Takanohana rules.

I ever watch one programm bout sumo If I'm not wrong it is discovery channel programm or something like dat...n strangely I saw some little guy *Compare * to other big guy can handle his opponent which size is double than him..I admire Sumo wrestler cause their original pick for their carrer...U maybe already heard Mom n dad prefer u to be a office worker than anything else..so I think da one who choose da job suitable with their heart is desire is brave...n I think sumo is part of da old J culture..so they kind of maintain da old traditional way ne..

Kinda slim pickings, now that the Ake-Taka Jidai is dead and kaput.

My all-time fave is Kotonishiki, who retired a few years ago. Terao and Akebono were fun to watch too. I liked Wakanohana better than Takanohana.

I like Asashoryu, for his combiniation of speed and power (I haven't seen a tsuki-oshi guy that small in some time). Musoyama is also a personal favorite; I'm glad he made it to ozeki.

Takamisakari looks too brittle to ever make it past sekiwake. Tochiazuma is a choker (like Kaio).

By the way, I am old enough to have seen Chiyonofuji on the dohyo in his prime. We may never see the likes of him again (unless Asashoryu goes zensho for the next three basho).


That is all.

just watched some highlights of the haru basho from osaka. i'm surprised at the number of non japanese doing it now. i don't just mean mongolians or koreans either. lots of westerners doing it, too.
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Dang, you must've used a bathysphere to pull this thread from the murky depths...

bmwracer wrote:

Dang, you must've used a bathysphere to pull this thread from the murky depths...

yep. just testing my diver's watch.
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http://www.facebook.com/kenjimlewis
also on twitter @71digiboy

kenjilina wrote:

yep. just testing my diver's watch.

Good one.

Kotooshu!

And not just cause I'm a white guy.
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I used to be an avid fan of sumo when I was younger. I still follow it, but not nearly as fervently as before. As a little kid in Hawaii, my first sports idol was Dai Yokozuna Taiho (I know I'm aging myself here), primarily because he was the favorite rikishi of my sumo-crazy relatives.

I missed the Kitanoumi and Chiyonofuji eras, but began following sumo again in the 90's with the Big 3 from Hawaii and their rivalry with Taka/Waka and company. That was a great time to be a sumo fan.

Sumo, as its followers know, has been in decline in recent years. There are several major reasons for this, but the end result is a precipitous drop in the level of competition. It speaks to the fall of this sport that its most popular active rikishi--Takamisakari-- while very entertaining and someone who gives his all in very bout, is basically a journeyman sumotori.

Right now, I'm thinking about attending the Sumo Tournament in LA this June 7-8.

http://www.sumotour.com/

dochira wrote:

Right now, I'm thinking about attending the Sumo Tournament in LA this June 7-8. http://www.sumotour.com/

Cool.

If you have time we should hook up for some fine Japanese dining.

bmwracer wrote:

Cool. If you have time we should hook up for some fine Japanese dining.

Sounds good. I'm planning to give the organization a call to find out what tickets are left.

just started following Sumo on TV-Japan (channel 483 on Verizon FIOS television) - saw a couple of foreigners get sacked or thrown off into the crowd. Not pleasant for those sitting very close, but still amusing to watch.
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