Sumo Wrestlers

[CD Lee]

How do you guys think a top level Sumo wrestler would do in NHB? I know a few have gone in and done poorly, but that would be like a BJJ blue belt showcasing BJJ in NHB. Yarbourough was 600+ pounds and could barely move when he fought.

I have watched these guys on ESPN, the good ones, and they seem like them would do pretty well due to their balance, and they are very strong. Some are very fast too.

[MightyB]

A true Yokozuna would do really well. He'd have size, speed, and toughness on his side.

I'm also becomming a Sumo fan like you thanks to ESPN2.

[CD Lee]

Yeah, once you get past those huge ugly rear-ends. My wife will not let me watch it if she is in viewing distance of the TV!

The Yokozuna guys are really much more skilled than I used to think. Extreemly strong and well balanced, and they can manipulate energy on an expert level as far as I can tell. Plus, those slaps to the face look pretty brutal from where I sit. Those guys take them well, but I think those face slaps would hurt some fighters.

[MightyB]

When I think UFC, I think two guys going to the ground. How the Heck do you get a Sumotori to the ground. I mean these guys are huge, and keeping from being thrown while throwing the other guy down is pretty much their whole curriculem.

[Leto]

Those slaps would wreck a smaller man...there's 400 + pounds behind those strikes. In the first UFC there was a Sumo wrestler...he fought an average sized savate guy, I think. He rushed in throwing those slaps, the kickboxer stepped aside and let the weight carry the sumo into the fence. Knocked the sumo's tooth out with a kick, then knocked him out whith a punch to the head. Also broke his hand on the sumo's forehead knocking him out. That kickboxer wasn't stupid...(except for the punch to the forehead...if a man has no neck, don't punch him in the forehead)...he knew those palms would have sent him flying.

[CD Lee]

Agreed. I am not really sure how you would get a top level Sumo guy down.

When Gene Hackney fought that Yarburough Sumo, 680 a the time, before he went to 800+, he was not doing too well at first. Yarburough actually, busted open the UFC cage gate by walking into it! I don't think anybody has done that since. Hackney actually got the Sumo down by slapping in on the cheek hard. Once the Sumo was down, Hackney got to his side, and decided to use a ridge hand strike over and over to his head. Guess he did not want to break his knuckles.

The ridgehand did no good preserving him, as Hackney busted up his hand real bad finishing the big guy.

But Yarburough is not top level Sumo by any stretch of the imagination.

[Chang Style Novice]

Yeah, but who are you going to find to fight them in their weight class?

[CD Lee]

Like I said, I have not seen any NHB in the past two years. I just thought they would be in the heavyweight class, just like in Boxing. I thought over 200 was a class, and there was no weight limit?

[Chang Style Novice]

I know that most events have weight classes, but I don't know what they are and don't care enough to check. I do know that if I was a 230 (say) lb fighter, and someone offered me a fight with a 700 lb Yokozuna, I'd think twice and maybe more than that before taking the bout, if I took it.

And if I was a Yokozuna, treated like a superstar and pulling down millions in prizes and endorsements, I wouldn't even think about entering an NHB event.

[CD Lee]

And if I was a Yokozuna, treated like a superstar and pulling down millions in prizes and
endorsements, I wouldn't even think about entering an NHB event.

Yeah. That is a fact. Same thing with boxing. The very best strikers in the world will never fight in NHB for the same reasons. You have seen what an incredible difference Vitor's ability to strike can make on almost anybody, and he can't strike like top level boxers. I think he had the basic talent go make money in boxing. I wish he would have been a pro boxer sort of.

This Brazilian, 'Freitas' is pretty darn good too.

But, when you consider how much Vargas and DelaHoya just pulled down, 14 million?, you can understand why.

[Crimson Phoenix]

Good point: the guys are already considered half-gods in Japan, why the hell bother with a NHB?

[Chang Style Novice]

Still, it'd be pretty hilarious to watch some 230 lb bjj guy buttscoot a 700 lb sumotori into his guard...and smother to death (ok, unconsciousness) underneath the gargantua.

And yes, I know that none but the most foolish of bjj guys would try such a thing.

[Former castleva]

Grappling against them might go out of the window,unless you really know how to redirect.
But to take advantage of their unfit and sloppy appearance and movements could help,striking kicking in (with kicking)
Yes,they have strong bones to keep all the fat and muscle bouncing around but that would basically be the case,I think (sumo wrestlers die young)

[Merryprankster]

Fatigue makes cowards of us all.

I think they'd be a force. Those guys are amazing. I love watching Sumo, and one of my favorite guys is an Ozeki--he's got a really short name, and I can't think of it off the top of my head right now.... I also dig on Takanohana

Anyway, back to my first comment--I've seen them restart Sumo matches due to fatigue after the match went about a minute. This is a real problem.

[TjD]

well, if your pushing around another 700+ lb monster of a man, i dont care who you are your going to get tired rather quickly after a minute

a sumo vs a normal human probably wouldnt get fatigued nearly as quickly. pushin around a 200lb guy is like a bicep curl

one of the most memorable matches i saw was watching one sumo drop the other guy down by doing a full split!
they may be large and appear to be unhealthy, but theyre insanely strong and at least that guy was **** flexible and they got the mass advantage. a sumo guy in nhb would definately be a force