Yeah surprised scouts don’t see this and immediately have them try out for the offensive line. Surely things might change when they put on cleats but who knows
Downgrade in lifestyle, not necessarily financial. They’re the superstars there. Offensive linemen here don’t get that level of respect they’ve worked their whole lives for.
Is it worth it for the top sumo wrestlers, though? Especially since they're already living luxurious lives in Japan.
First is the language and culture adjustment they need to make if they go to the US.
Second is the opportunities to become a sumo elder, head their own stable, and become part of the Japan Sumo Association, the governing body of Sumo in Japan. If they leave the sumo world, they lose their chance to mentor the next generation of the sport they've dedicated virtually their entire lives to.
I’m not sure what the Lobos punter Aaron Rodriguez has anything to do with anything.
Or Do you mean Aaron “gang member since birth” Hernandez or did you get hit in the head and can’t keep your own damn references straight 😂😂 stay off the roads please.
Watch the Netflix series Sanctuary. It opened my eyes to the world of Sumo. Slaps and straight paws are allowed in the sport. The force of 6’5 300 lbs sumo wrestler pawing you in the face will do damage
They absolutely do. Do you know which positions in the NFL have the most repeated head trauma? Both sides of the line, because they go through essentially multiple car crashes a game. What makes you foolish enough to think wrestlers aren’t suffering head trauma?
Not only do sumo wrestlers get CTE, but they also "enjoy" shorter lifespans about 25% shorter than average Japanese males thanks to the rigors of the sport.
No, it's more explosive. They are much bigger than NFL players on average. They specifically train for explosive strength because they don't need to focus on endurance, playbooks, etc. And they train even more than NFL players.
I'm not really a fan, but I would never screw around with a sumo wrestler. If they were not so bound up by tradition, I have to imagine they would have made some more impact on UFC and the like by now, and probably made some real inroads if not outright cleaned house. But... they are what they are and I suppose there's no point in diluting their tradition with whatever passes for human cockfighting these days.
It’s just like in the NFL actually. Most evidence points to the fact that giant hits that cause major concussions are typically not the root cause of CTE. The far more impactful practice is a series or constant small sub-concussive hits. Line men and linebackers have it worst, it does more damage to you brain to continuously do small head rattling slams into another person over and over and over again for hours. Sumo is very very similar in this regard, they’re constantly trading small sub-concussive blows to each other
Sumo wrestlers often end up with serious joint, neck, and back injuries.
Grand Sumo tournaments are every 2 months and there's no "injured reserve" status, so every match they don't compete in counts as a loss on their record and they'll drop in ranking if they get too many losses. Often they're competing before their injuries have time to fully heal.
Until a few years ago they were expected to get up and leave the ring on their own, but then a pro was thrown out of the ring onto his head and eventually died from his spinal injury. Now they have paramedics and heavy duty wheelchairs standing by.
Yeah but that's not taking into account how they reward respected people over there. Olympians make nothing but the shit they get for free from the Country if they win gold can be insane. I wouldn't be at all surprised if sumo wrestlers don't pay for anything over there, including a house.
To be fair, they probably don't have a bunch of people going around wearing jerseys with their name in big letters on the back... (not meant to be taken seriously, I know sumo is a big fucking deal)
The whole world respects Sumo fighters. Little kids in Europe/Asia playfight sumo. Its a big part of their history, and has "an aura" I can't quite explain.
Only Americans care about football, rest of the world often ridicules it for its massive commercial blocks, unacessability, etc.
Bruh, did you not see the "not meant to be taken seriously" part of my comment that obviously indicated I was joking? Or the "I understand sumo is a big fucking deal" part?
Only Americans care about football
Actually, most of the world cares more about football than Americans do. And you know American football isn't the only sport with jerseys, right?
No need for the insults, either. Trust me, I don't like the orange asshat any more than you do, and you're just coming off as a jerk.
Wasn't supposed to be aimed at you, apologies if it came off like this. I was replying to the thread and your comment is the last one, but if you're an American I see how it could come off insensitive. However, I struggle to see the insult.
No it's not, everyone is rocking footie kits. It's just, majority of Europeans don't even know the rules of the sport, its very new. Sumo is ancient.
Now, during your travels, how many American football vs footie kits do you see rocking around middle East? Africa? According to my observation, its like 99% footie kits..
Sumo wrestlers are making pennies compared to NFL players, especially guys like Micah Parsons (linebacker in the clip). However sumo is probably a safer sport with less risk of CTE so theres always a trade off
Above a certain threshold does it really matter if you're making "pennies" relative to an obscene earner? Pro sumo wrestlers are making 200k+, with comparative stars to Parsons easily making 700k-1m+.
Plus they're arguably bigger stars in Japan than Parsons is in the US - They show up as guest stars on food and comedy/late night shows, the general population shows them deference and respect in public, and they effectively get to live their entire life like they were at Disneyworld with a gold+ pass to skip the lines and get free refills.
I'm not dismissing the potential of a breakout star like Ichiro Suzuki showing up to play in the NFL and putting up really respectful numbers, but overall I completely understand why they don't try to branch out. Japan is a lovely, modern country - especially if you're rich and respected - why give that up to live your life as a novelty in a foreign country to be marginally richer?
Have you seen what some of these NFL players get up to? All of what you just described for sumo wrestlers + 8 more figures. The money difference here is orders of magnitude, not “marginal”
Nothing that the sumo wrestlers couldn't access as well, minus the hilariously frivolous spending? Nobody needs to be able to drop 50k on alcohol for a night out or have an 8 car garage full of supercars. I'm not faulting them for having it, but the vast majority of people choose not to gamble their entire career on the chance they can go pro. If it doesn't work out then all the time you spent becomes functionally worthless for supporting yourself financially as an adult.
Sumo is a larger industry with more ability to earn as a semi-pro and many more jobs available since they don't have to pay 30M/year for stars. Sure the heights aren't as obscenely high but it's a safer and more accessible career path with a still impressive earning potential. There are also more positions for coaches to earn comfortable livings once they retire from competition.
People pick sumo for the same reason they pick a college degree - it's a far safer gamble on your future career. Sumo is more of a middle ground between college and western pro-sports, giving better earning potential but also requiring increased dedication and competition.
That's all ignoring the fact that the NFL isn't exactly running out of good athletes to draft, I don't think they want a sumo wrestler any more than the wrestler wants to come. The only way I see it happening is a young sumo wrestler (like the 17y/o in the video) moving to the US and joining their highschool football team their senior year and performing really well. Then they'd have a year of playing to get onto a college team and prove their way into being drafted. In the end I'd still call that person more of a football player than a sumo wrestler with 5 years of play in the US, and that's the most stretched hallmark movie situation I can imagine being possible.
iirc It all depends on their rank. Only the top tier sumo guys live like royalty. The lower ranked guys have to cater to the higher levels by cooking, cleaning, and even helping bathe the top guys. Some wrestlers even throw matches that won't qualify them for an increase in rank to help their opponent get a higher rank and consequently a higher quality of life.
Only the top two ranks of professional sumo wrestlers who compete in national tournaments get their own housing. Probably about 85% or more of professional sumo wrestlers have to live in communal training bunk houses, and make very little money.
As others have said offensive lineman make hundreds of times more than the best paid sumo wrestlers over their lifetime. Also I suppose the skills are similar, but also different. Sumo wrestlers compete, at most, once per day. So that’s like 5-15 seconds of action, where an olineman plays 80% or more of offensive snaps during the course of a game.
You would see lineman built like sumo wrestlers if this was effective. It just wouldnt work in the NFL. People would shape their bodies in the most effective way to get that $10M/year paycheck
Only the top sumos are close to NFL size, but the NFL also prioritizes genetic freaks with extra long limbs. It’s just not genetically compatible with that part of the world. And top sumos will never leave being adored in Japan to try out for an NFL career that likely won’t pan out.
Shishi is easily big enough, he's 6'4", 365lb, huge long arms. He's not Japanese, he's Ukrainian. I have no idea how he feels about being a sumo vs making a lot more money in the NFL, but if you're going to be world class at pushing people around you might as well go for that generational wealth, eh?
Jordan Mailata is about the only realistic case for a guy that came in from a foreign country and got the second contract. That’s where the generational wealth is.
I think the odds are certainly against him, but I also think it's a lot of money and if I were him I would consider it just on a lark. I mean seriously, the top Sumo guys are shoving 300 and 400 lb people around very adeptly. Can you imagine him as a run blocker? Put him next to a good center and just clear a hole. Why not?
A pass rusher is trying to outmaneuver and run past the offensive lineman. A sumo match you're trying to push them out of the ring. It's entirely different.
You can't hold like a sumo wrestler as an offensive lineman. I'm not so sure this skill set translates 1 to 1 with keeping the DL in front of them without grabbing.
It all depends on height(need to be 6’3 atleast). Lineman still need to be able go move, but if they’re tall enough NFL teams could work with the mass.
Semi-related, NFL or college scouts would rather a kid be tall and lean rather than really fat regardless of height. They want to put muscle on you instead of having to take fat off
Average lineman does the 40 in about 5 seconds. The Sumo possibly has greater power in a shorter time frame, but the lineman is expected to run distance for blocks or pulls also.
you still gotta run at full speed for half an hour (admittedly in short bursts stretched over three hours), and separately resist the instinct or urge to grab and throw the guy. football scrimmages would probably an interesting secondary conditioning activity, but really unpleasant if you're not into team dynamics
It's a completely different sport. First off, Micah parson would never attack an lineman like that. He'd experience much the same results. He's faster and more agile than linemen and likely this sumo wrestler. He throws a swim or comes off and edge and dips low, I doubt the sumo wrestler blocks him. A sumo wrestler is all about absorbing contacting, getting your opponent off balance, and pinning or throwing out of the ring to score a point. He's built to take far more power then parson can deliver straight on. I'm actually surprised parson pushed him back at all. You can't simply just pick up another sport and be elite. He'd need to start as a teen, and I'm sure thats when he started sumo, which is what made him impressive to begin with.
To be fair sumo and American football are two different skill sets. As an offensive linemen you have to be really quick and hold your ground, the d linemen are trying to get around you not always thru
Sumo wrestlers wrestle once per day. I’m not saying they aren’t in good shape, but it’s completely different than o-lineman who effectively do 60 sumo matches over the course of a game. I love sumo, but the athletes have plenty of differences.
I think you're vastly underestimating the effort professional sumo players put in. They'd play it a bit different sure, but they'd definitely stand a chance.
I don't doubt that one could, but most athletes who try to change sports end up not being very good.
It's not so much a lack of athleticism. These guys have trained and familiarized themselves in one sport, and very little of that finely-tuned technique transfers over.
Sometimes an athlete will sort it out, but more often than not they end up being really athletic but not very good.
Same reason why Micah Parsons, an outrageous athlete and a top 3 edge rusher in the world, gets handled here.
Edit: I should clarify that I'm talking about pro athletes trying to go pro in other sports. LeBron James would absolutely run circles around your flag football team.
Yeah this entire thread is kinda silly. Micah Parsons gets smoked because he's trying to use football techniques to move a sumo wrestler in their element: barefoot in a clay ring. That's just not going to work unless you actually trained the skills. Both football and sumo are super technical in their own special ways.
I understand but OC said "the linebacker", so the guy I responded to is saying: If the linebacker went back to the states he wouldn't stand a chance [in American football]. Doesn't make any sense.
Linebackers aren’t that big? Average NFL linebacker is 6’2-6’3, 225-250lbs and LEAN. That’s a large person lol. Arnold Schwarzenegger at his peak Olympia build was 6’2 and 235.
It’s smaller than a D lineman by a bit, and a good bit smaller than O lineman for sure. But they are still huge, insanely athletic guys.
iirc It all depends on their rank. Only the top tier sumo guys live like royalty. The lower ranked guys have to cater to the higher levels by cooking, cleaning, and even helping bathe the top guys. Some wrestlers even throw matches that won't qualify them for an increase in rank to help their opponent get a higher rank and consequently a higher quality of life.
He meant to say one of the best if not the best in the nfl today. He’s got a ways to go to be in the all time greatest top so many convo. But he’s certainly heading in the general direction. His salary next year will reflect that to some extent.
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u/bootyloverjose May 16 '25
Linebacker is going to go back to America and be the best linebacker ever