List of Biggest Sumo Wrestlers In The World

Have you ever seen two overweight people wearing nothing but shorts slamming into each other? If yes, then people, you might have seen the biggest sumo wrestlers fight. Sumo wrestling is an ancient sport which is one of the most popular among Japanese nationals and many people around the world. The first documentation of this sport came from a Kojiki manuscript, which dates back to the 8th century. Since then, sumo wrestling has been a part of military training, sports, and ceremonies in the royal court and has given rise to some of the biggest sumo wrestlers ever. People of Japan enjoy sumo wrestling because it’s easy for people to understand as it involves only a few techniques. A match ends when a sumo pins the other sumo to the ground or pushes him outside the ring called Dohyo.

Japan has more than 650 Sumo wrestlers, and being a Sumo wrestler is not a piece of cake. It takes years of dedication and hard work to make your name as one of the best sumo wrestlers in the world. Sumo wrestlers have to eat more than 10,000 calories to maintain their weight and size. By looking at their picture, you might not be able to tell, but most Sumo wrestlers are over 300 pounds and have an average height of 6 feet. In this blog, we will talk about some of the biggest Sumo wrestlers ever to grace the Dohyo.

1. Orra Satoshi

Orra Satoshi is officially the biggest sumo wrestler in history ever documented. He was a Juryo champion in 2005. Juryo is the second highest division in the ranking system of Japanese Sumo wrestling. With a height of 6 feet 3 inches and weighing 294 kilos or 648 lbs, Satoshi is not slow at all; in fact, he is known for his extreme athleticism. He also had a successful career in the lower division and won many championships and prizes, including the Jonokuchi- championship and Gino-sho and kanto-sho. People attribute this success to him being one of the biggest sumo wrestlers in the world.

2. Konishiki Yasokichi

Konishiki Yasokichi, also known as ‘the Dump Truck,’ was an American Sumo wrestler from Hawaii. He is one of the most famous Sumo wrestlers of all time. He came to Japan to compete in Sumo wrestling in the 80s and 90s. Known for his size, strength and athleticism, Konishiki made a big impact on the sport of Sumo wrestling as he brought more eyes to it. He was 6 feet 1 inch and weighed over 600 lb, making him one of the biggest Sumo wrestlers ever. He was 18 when he started Sumo wrestling and gradually rose through the ranks. He became a Sekiwake (third highest rank in sumo wrestling) in 1987 and a Yokozuna (highest rank in all of sumo wrestling) in 1992, making him the first American to achieve the title.

3. Yamamotoyama Ryuta

Yamamotoyama Ryuta is a Japanese Sumo wrestler who has won several championships throughout his career. He was born on May 8, 1984, weighed around 600 lbs, and was 6 feet 4 inches tall, making him one of the biggest Sumo wrestlers in the world. He started his career in 2004, and after three years, he was promoted to the highest-ranked division of Sumo wrestling, Makuuchi. He was very popular among the fans as he was fun to watch and very professional inside the Dohyo.

However, he never achieved the title of Yokozuna as he was caught in a match-fixing and was forced to retire by the Japanese Sumo Association.

4- Kenho Mitsuo

Kehno Mitsuo is another great sumo wrestler who is well-known in the world of Sumo wrestling. Mitsuo stands at 5 feet 11 inches and weighs 250 kg or 550 pounds, making him one of the biggest sumo wrestlers in the world. He was well known, especially for his grappling skills and pushing and thrusting techniques. In his career, he fought in 71 Basho (sumo wrestling tournaments) in various divisions. He had participated in a whopping 486 matches in his entire career, out of which he won 204, lost 192 and had a draw 80 times.

His fights were fun to watch as he was very aggressive with his pushing and thrusting techniques. Mitsuo’s first experience in the Makushita division (3rd highest division in sumo) was not a very good one, as he lost six of his seven bouts. Then he moved down a division where he saw a lot of success, winning 61 bouts and having 17 draws.

5. Tominohana

Tominohana is another one of the biggest sumo wrestlers in the world. He was 6 feet 1 inch and weighed around 242 kg or 532 lbs. He is also regarded as one of the most disciplined Sumo wrestlers ever. Unfortunately, Tominohana was a fan favourite who had a very short career spanning only 5 years. Rather than pushing and thrusting, he emphasised grappling techniques. However, his favourite technique was Yorikiri (Force-out), in which he pushed his opponents out of Dohyo. He won at least half of his matches through this technique. This is why, even after a very short career, he is still considered a formidable opponent in Dohyo.

Honouring the Giants Who Dominated the Dohyo

There you have it: the biggest Sumo wrestlers in the entire world. The sport of Sumo wrestling is very respectful and fun to watch, and these sumo wrestlers have made a mark on their sports based on their size alone. Moreover, the other accolades of these sumo wrestlers are also worth noting. Sumo may not be a world-recognised game, but it does take a lot of work and dedication to excel in it. These sumo wrestlers are the living embodiment of hard work and dedication.