European digital TV provider to show American sumo wrestling

[Gaijingai]

https://www.digitaltveurope.com/2023/12/04/exclusive-fite-to-add-sumo-wrestling-and-arm-wrestling-to-offering-in-2024/#close-modal
blah!

[Yamanashi]

1 hour ago, Gaijingai said:

https://www.digitaltveurope.com/2023/12/04/exclusive-fite-to-add-sumo-wrestling-and-arm-wrestling-to-offering-in-2024/#close-modal
blah!

They're apparently referring to All-Star Sumo:

https://www.allstarsumo.com/

No weight class, ex-Japanese and Mongolian rikishi w/ some non-Ozumo Americans, and your favorite Egyptian rikishi ...

[Asashosakari]

Those eight listed sets of vital stats and career achievements are confusing me.

[Katooshu]

Well, I wasn't convinced, but the promise of a giant jumbotron won me over

[Koorifuu]

Soo... It'd be too easy to infer that "pro sumo" is ozumo, "pro [division] champion" is an ozumo yusho of any kind, and "pro Sumo elite division" means it's a former makuuchi.

The participants who got those listed as accolades are on the very top, so we could also infer that they're the top attractions, so those particular achievements take priority over the others.

If that's the case, then I wonder why the Egyptian competitor is on the bottom half and doesn't list anything from ozumo? Is this a conscious attempt to hide it in his particular case, or might it be that it isn't good ol' forum member boody_sumo?

Edited December 6, 2023 by Koorifuu

[Koorifuu]

Anyway, breaking down the first three names in the list with some speculation.

• JAPAN
• 6'4" 570lbs
• Pro Sumo elite division
• Pro Sumo (12 years)
• Pro divisional champion (2x)

Yawn.

• JAPAN
• 6'3" 480lbs
• Pro Sumo (10 years)

Slight discrepancy in ozumo career length, as it was actually 11~12 years, and that he got a sandanme yusho - but given his showman experience, perhaps Hishofuji?

• MONGOLIA
• 6'0" 260lbs
• Pro Sumo elite division
• Pro Sumo (11 years)
• Pro divisional champion

A former Mongolian sekitori subjecting himself to this, besides the fact that an eleven-year career is fairly short for that specific group, my guess was that this was someone who fell to Yaochogate. Nobody seems to fit this to a T, so I might be wrong.

Koryu is slightly taller & heavier, and never got any yusho.
Hakuba is considerably taller and won two yusho.
Hoshikaze and Hoshihikari actually check out for the most part, except they were never in makuuchi.

... and there's also the distinct possibility we're gonna see karaoke remotes being thrown around, too. Despite the massive discrepancy in weight.
 

[Yamanashi]

4 hours ago, Koorifuu said:

• MONGOLIA
• 6'0" 260lbs
• Pro Sumo elite division
• Pro Sumo (11 years)
• Pro divisional champion

I checked into this, too:

9 rikishi with Mongolia shusshin had 10 or 11 years in Ozumo (I figured they'd stretch the numbers a little).

Of those, 4 reached Makuuchi (the Pro Sumo Elite division)

Of those, 2 gained Yusho at any level (Pro divisional champion):

Hakuba and Takanoiwa

It's probably Hukuba (who turned 40 this year).  Of course, it could be one of the Juryo 1 guys (Hoshihikari, 39), if they fudge the numbers.

I would love it to be Takanoiwa.  My fantasy is Takanoiwa showing up for a bout, and it plays out like the Senate committee scene in Godfather 2:

"Who is that man sitting in the audience?"  "His name is Byambadorj Davaanyam.  He is a close acquaintance of one of the combatants.  He is here to support him in his effort."

[Tsuchinoninjin]

The Egyptian isn’t boody but Ramy Elgazar. Osunaarashi was never close to 500+ lbs

[Koorifuu]

1 hour ago, Yamanashi said:

I checked into this, too:

9 rikishi with Mongolia shusshin had 10 or 11 years in Ozumo (I figured they'd stretch the numbers a little).

Of those, 4 reached Makuuchi (the Pro Sumo Elite division)

Of those, 2 gained Yusho at any level (Pro divisional champion):

Hakuba and Takanoiwa

It's probably Hukuba (who turned 40 this year).  Of course, it could be one of the Juryo 1 guys (Hoshihikari, 39), if they fudge the numbers.

I would love it to be Takanoiwa.  My fantasy is Takanoiwa showing up for a bout, and it plays out like the Senate committee scene in Godfather 2:

"Who is that man sitting in the audience?"  "His name is Byambadorj Davaanyam.  He is a close acquaintance of one of the combatants.  He is here to support him in his effort."

They went through the trouble of specifying Yamamotoyama had won two yusho, so I started by presuming that this mystery ex-makuuchi Mongolian had won a single one, hence why I edged towards the Hoshi juryo duo. The others are more decorated.

... but I got a feeling it is indeed Takanoiwa. 

[Asashosakari]

After doing some research of my own yesterday, I'm pretty sure the 11-year pro Mongolian is Hoshihikari. He's doing sumo stuff in Australia apparently, according to his LinkedIn profile, so he's got the English language background for it. (And searching the forum just reminded me that he was also announced for another of these sumo entertainment ventures a while ago.)

BTW, they do seem to be using "pro elite division" to mean any sekitori appearance (which tripped me up at first, too). The 12-year Japanese guy is definitely Hishofuji.

[Koorifuu]

On 06/12/2023 at 18:48, Asashosakari said:

The 12-year Japanese guy is definitely Hishofuji.

I'm shocked that Yamamotoyama is not in, particularly if they've got the budget to make Hoshihikari fly across the Pacific.

[Yamanashi]

The other Mongolian may be Mendsaikhan Tsogt-Erdene, whose height and weight match and has won the US Open twice as indicated.  I don't have a trace for him in Ozumo; can anyone comment on that?

[Katooshu]

Guess the banzuke, bizarro edition

Edited December 8, 2023 by Katooshu

[Koorifuu]

3 hours ago, Yamanashi said:

The other Mongolian may be Mendsaikhan Tsogt-Erdene, whose height and weight match and has won the US Open twice as indicated.  I don't have a trace for him in Ozumo; can anyone comment on that?

All the data checks out, indeed. Their website doesn't mention any "Pro Sumo" for him, either.

[Reonito]

On 08/12/2023 at 10:17, Yamanashi said:

The other Mongolian may be Mendsaikhan Tsogt-Erdene, whose height and weight match and has won the US Open twice as indicated.  I don't have a trace for him in Ozumo; can anyone comment on that?

This is the guy who goes by "Mendi", right? I haven't been able to find any background on him at all outside the US Open