Size(height) of wrestler decreasing?

[Shomishuu 0]

take a look at the picture in my forum profile

thats me against ishide.

i am 168cms and was about 80 kilos at the time (now 95)

does he look much bigger?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well I'd have to say yes, what with the difference in the arms and the 'chanko and beer' base he has available to call on. Eye of the beholder? Maybe....

[sekitori 492]

Hm, I posted some pictures of tallest-ever wrestlers ages back. I think these 4 mentioned above suffered from giantism, a hormonal disorder which indeed makes people grow very tall. They usually suffer from a lot of medical problems and die young... Sumo as a freak-show aspect.

Here's that thread.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When this occurs in childhood, it's known as gigantism. In adults, it's called acromegaly. It's usually due to excess growth hormone caused by a benign tumor of the pituitary gland.

Here is more information:

http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/endo/pubs/acro/acro.htm

The reason this condition was more prevalent in the past is that there was no treatment to stop its progression. I believe that giant sized rikishi did exist. It's quite possible for untreated gigantism to produce adults who are 228 cm (7 feet 6 inches) tall--and even taller than that.

The most famous pituary giant of modern times is probably Andre the Giant (223cm, 7 feet 4 inches) . The tallest one I ever heard of was 272 cm (8 feet 11 inches).

And no, Shaquille O'Neal of the L.A. Lakers and Miami Heat at 7 feet 1 inch is not a pituitary giant. He's just a very large human being. (Hugging...)

[_the_mind_ 0]

When this occurs in childhood, it's known as gigantism. In adults, it's called acromegaly. It's usually due to excess growth hormone caused by a benign tumor of the pituitary gland.

Here is more information:

http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/endo/pubs/acro/acro.htm

The reason this condition was more prevalent in the past is that there was no treatment to stop its progression. I believe that giant sized rikishi did exist. It's quite possible for untreated gigantism to produce adults who are 228 cm (7 feet 6 inches) tall--and even taller than that.

The most famous pituary giant of modern times is probably Andre the Giant (223cm, 7 feet 4 inches) . The tallest one I ever heard of was 272 cm (8 feet 11 inches).

And no, Shaquille O'Neal of the L.A. Lakers and Miami Heat at 7 feet 1 inch is not a pituitary giant. He's just a very large human being.  (Lifting weights...)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

this is true, i have seen things about it. however, normally people who have this condition are not very athletic due to the constent growth, coordination is usually a big issue, along with inability to be generally athletic. some are athletic and do play sports and go to a top level, but in general i think its safe to say without the NBA someone with this condition wouldnt normally have made it in most sports. i would think sumo would be no exception given that this condition is not usually have a heavy build to go along with it. while Andre the Giant was very heavy later in his life, when he was younger he was slim and nicely built. hardly in the powerful stocky build we know rikishi to be today. the talk of these huge rikishi make me wonder though because given their height im curious the weight they had along with them. their height numbers seem to dwarf even Raiden, and he had to be quite a giant of his time. as i dont recall his exact high and weight but i want to say he was around 6'5 and 380lbs? over 200 years ago.

[Asashosakari 18,959]

this is true, i have seen things about it. however, normally people who have this condition are not very athletic due to the constent growth, coordination is usually a big issue, along with inability to be generally athletic. some are athletic and do play sports and go to a top level, but in general i think its safe to say without the NBA someone with this condition wouldnt normally have made it in most sports.

Well, as Chiyozakura already mentioned, the only one of these four giants who actually competed was Shakagatake. The other three merely did a ceremonial dohyo-iri.

the talk of these huge rikishi make me wonder though because given their height im curious the weight they had along with them. their height numbers seem to dwarf even Raiden, and he had to be quite a giant of his time. as i dont recall his exact high and weight but i want to say he was around 6'5 and 380lbs? over 200 years ago.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

FWIW, from the always-valuable Yubiquitoyama database:

Shakagatake - 223 cm / 7'4", 172 kg / 379 lbs

Ozora - 227 cm / 7'5.5", 131 kg / 289 lbs

Ryumon - 226 cm / 7'5", 169 kg / 373 lbs

Ikuzuki - 227 cm / 7'5.5", 169 kg / 373 lbs

I wouldn't classify any of those guys as particularly heavy for their height. (Ozora, of course, must have looked downright anorexic.) For comparison, Raiden:

Raiden - 197 cm / 6'5.5", 169 kg / 373 lbs

That's a good sumo body even by today's standards, but not terribly huge either. Takanonami is just about the same height and weighed in at 160 kg (353 lbs) at the end of his career, and I don't think anybody would say that he "looked heavy", unlike e.g. Akebono and Musashimaru.

Edited September 7, 2005 by Asashosakari

[_the_mind_ 0]

i agree. i was thinking takanonami is simular in size to Raiden also, however while he was just slightly taller then average now(a little more then slightly) and didnt reach that heavyer weight untill later in his carear, possibly 250 years ago he might have seen extremely "gigantic" given the size of average people and average rikishi. however, i know very little of the size of the average rikishi of Raiden's time. i have read the old threads about him, but they more mention him vs. people of his time, not necissariliy rikishi of his time. it seemed to me he vs the average person of his time, not to average rikishi of his time, would make him of currently being simular in comparison to a rikishi of around 7'0(ish..maybe a little more) and 600lbs, given the difference in size of the "average person" now and then. i recall doing this in my head after reading the threads about Raiden, although i cant recall exactly. but for his time he was probably a small giant compared to the people who had this actual medical condition of "giantism". he was just very large for his time.

Picture Takanonami vs a 5'8 rikishi who weighs around 270lbs. thats kind of how i picture Raiden vs the average rikishi of that time. however these marvels of growth whom where significantly bigger(even in current standards) would not fit the bill, but probably didnt have the sumo ability Raiden did, that can almost be garunteed.