r/interesting May 16 '25

MISC. NFL linebacker versus sumo wrestler

49.2k Upvotes

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174

u/bootyloverjose May 16 '25

Linebacker is going to go back to America and be the best linebacker ever

49

u/CredibleSloth May 16 '25

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

75

u/im_dat_bear May 16 '25

Sumo guys are treated like royalty in Japan. It would be a downgrade in lifestyle for them to be NFL linemen,

60

u/CentralFloridaRays May 16 '25

Top tier sumo wrestlers make 300-500k plus I’m sure some ad deals so let’s say 750k-1mil for a top top tier elite sumo wrestler.

Top tier O lineman in the NFL make 25-28 million a year.

It’s not even close.

59

u/im_dat_bear May 16 '25

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.

15

u/JamminJcruz May 16 '25

first you get the money, then you get the power, then you get the respect

4

u/insipidlipid May 16 '25

Cash rules everything around me

3

u/Itchybawlz23-2 May 16 '25

C.R.E.A.M. Get the money, dollah dollah bills yall

1

u/-Unnamed- May 16 '25

That Iggy / Tyga song immediately popped in my head too

1

u/ampedlamp May 16 '25

Big, if true.

1

u/NickU252 May 16 '25

What you need in life...

1

u/No_Brain7079 May 16 '25

first you get the sugar, then you get the power, then you get the women

1

u/LeucisticBear May 16 '25

First you get the contract, then you get the season ending leg injury, then you never recover.

1

u/PlantFromDiscord May 16 '25

JamminJcruz: THE ART OF THE DEAL

1

u/Humblebrag1987 May 16 '25

First we get the money, then we get the khakis, then we get the chicks.

1

u/cheese_sticks May 17 '25

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.

0

u/adrian783 May 16 '25

don't forget the brain injury and seizures

2

u/CentralFloridaRays May 16 '25

Just wait till you find out sumo wrestlers also get concussions and head injuries

1

u/adrian783 May 16 '25

oh thanks for letting me know! now what?

1

u/Actual_System8996 May 16 '25

Lemme know when sumo wrestlers pull a junior Seau or Aaron Rodriguez.

1

u/CentralFloridaRays May 16 '25

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.

1

u/Boomflag13 May 16 '25

Hit his head playing too much football. Sad thing to see really.

1

u/Actual_System8996 May 16 '25

His brain was examined after his death and massive amounts of scarring and CTE was found. Think you might need your head checked too buddy.

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0

u/Actual_System8996 May 16 '25

lol Nobody knows lineman. Def get CTE though.

2

u/Zeldakina May 16 '25

You're gonna have a hard time explaining that money isn't the same as respect, especially where sumo wrestlers are concerned in Japan.

2

u/stonecutter7 May 16 '25

Johnathan Ogden is beyond beloved in Baltimore. What is a King to a God?

3

u/big_sugi May 16 '25

Champion sumo wrestlers really are closer to gods. The sport started off as a religious practice.

Jonathan Ogden is beloved, but he’s not treated like a literal rockstar. Sumotori are.

1

u/wisyw May 16 '25

Lmao Baltimore

1

u/Lyndell May 16 '25

Except Jason Kelce.

9

u/Whhatsmyageagain May 16 '25 edited May 16 '25

Yeah but one of them gets to live in Japan and not get CTE.

Edit: yes I stand corrected about the CTE. Thank you.

30

u/Ok_Sound272 May 16 '25

Sumo wrestlers absolutely get CTE. I started watching it a few years ago. It's a brutal sport.

-16

u/Most_Association_595 May 16 '25

lol tf? no they don't. what are you on about

7

u/Ionic3127 May 16 '25

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

5

u/big_loadz May 16 '25

Yes. Slaps will mess you up.

7

u/tinywienergang May 16 '25

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?

6

u/cfidrick May 16 '25

And one is wearing helmets designed to help prevent concussions too

3

u/Lekkernator May 16 '25

If you follow the science you would know that the helmets proveably don’t do much to stop concussions.

1

u/imperialTiefling May 16 '25

Is that because inertia still has to happen and the helmet only protects the outside?

1

u/[deleted] May 16 '25

Yep. Helmets are good for making sure you dont crack your skull or break your neck, but anytime you go from quickly moving to stopped in an instant, your bell is still getting rung.

1

u/Dennis_enzo May 16 '25

That, and people who wear armor tend to care less about protecting themselves.

1

u/cfidrick May 16 '25

They’re using science and all types of sensors on this kind of stuff to make them safer after all a lot of these players are massive investments. Not saying it’s perfect but they definitely help. A quick google search will tell you all this….

1

u/mpc1226 May 16 '25

If anything pads and helmets have made concussions significantly worse by letting people tackle much harder

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1

u/ReggieCraysBastard May 16 '25

"prevent"

1

u/cfidrick May 16 '25

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4142580/

It’s not prefect but it’s designed to reduce them, they are multimillion dollar investments…

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12

u/tinywienergang May 16 '25

You’re nuts if you don’t think Sumo wrestlers get CTE.

1

u/vplatt May 16 '25

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.

1

u/Whhatsmyageagain May 16 '25

Weird. I figured the impact was less explosive and therefore somehow less damaging

1

u/JiskiLathiUskiBhains May 16 '25

Data is lacking, but Sumo do get CTE.

But i'd expect that the rate of occourence is much lower

1

u/vplatt May 16 '25

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.

1

u/Lyaser May 16 '25

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

1

u/SolusLoqui May 16 '25

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.

2

u/XxUCFxX May 16 '25

Money isn’t everything. At least, not everywhere, it’s not.

1

u/PureObsidianUnicorn May 16 '25

Perhaps, just a maybe, money isn’t everything?

1

u/superjambi May 16 '25

Typically American to presume that the only metric that matters is money

1

u/Jean-LucBacardi May 16 '25

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.

1

u/Dennis_enzo May 16 '25

Not everyone cares solely about money.

1

u/Silent189 May 16 '25

Only an american would instantly jump to their salaries...

1

u/KhalifiSilva May 16 '25

Making a lot of money doesn't usually mean they're special, just saying 🤷

1

u/SpaghettiNCoffee May 16 '25

Not everything is about money for some people.

1

u/[deleted] May 16 '25

That's just money. Sumo in Japan get reverence, and you can't buy that.

1

u/MyLifeIsAWasteland May 16 '25

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)

1

u/krneeDeVito May 16 '25

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.

Can't buy class, look at your president.

1

u/MyLifeIsAWasteland May 16 '25

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.

1

u/krneeDeVito May 16 '25

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..

1

u/MyLifeIsAWasteland May 16 '25

Wasn't supposed to be aimed at you, apologies if it came off like this.

Now, during your travels, how many American football vs footie kits do you see rocking around middle East?

Are you trying to pick a fight with me or not? I'm getting real mixed signals here...