Sumo in America!

[arnisador]

http://www.indystar.com/articles/7/235559-2547-036.html

For the first time in two decades, a Grand Sumo tournament will be held in the United States, running Oct. 7-9 at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino.

 

[AnimEdge]

Are these serouse sumos or just fat people looking from some moeny

 

[arnisador]

It's for real. A Grand Champion will even be there.

 

[AnimEdge]

Isnt he that one big American guy?That won in Japan?

 

[arnisador]

No, he's retired. This one, Asashoryu, is originally from Mongolia.

 

[Dronak]

I'm pretty sure this is real. The sumo mailing list I'm on has had a lot of messages lately about sumo in Las Vegas. As I'm nowhere near that area and not planning on going to it, I've been deleting them all. But yes, AFAIK, this is real.

 

[arnisador]

It's nice to see them making an effort to bring it to the States.

 

[arnisador]

The 18 April issue of Newsweek has more info. (pg. 11). One thing I found amusing: "The Japan Sumo Association, which seldom sends its athletes abroad, accepted the invitefrom Las Vegas on the occasion of the city's centennial year. (One stipulation: that the athletes travel on two planes so the sport isn't wiped out in a crash.)"

They hope to get 12,000 spectators per night at $75 (and up) per person and are building an authentic dohyo at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Apparently, 41 wrestlers are coming.

 

[Eldritch Knight]

Asashoryu's the man, but hey, you can't dispute the awesome power of Musashimaru. Any word on this being broadcast?

 

[arnisador]

No, but surely they'll try, right?

 

[AnimEdge]

Yah another negitive point with no comment for me for something i posted a month ago! Weeee im on a roll

 

[AnimEdge]

Yay another neg point from this post!, that makes it 3 from one post! i wonder what the record is

 

[jkdhit]

i know that theres going to be a sumo event here in nyc sometime in october too

 

[Troy Ostapiw/Canada]

Sounds like fun, I saw sumo in Tokyo Japan, very cool. If you get the chance to go do it.

 

[arnisador]

Here's the story:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051010/od_nm/sumo_usa_dc

The tournament got off to a slow start, with only about half of the 12,000 seats at the Mandalay Bay event center filled on the first day. On Saturday and Sunday, however, the arena was three-quarters full with wildly cheering fans.

While the show may not have been the sell-out draw that promoters hoped for, casino guests saw plenty of other spectacles, such as sumo wrestlers standing in line at the famous Las Vegas all-you-can eat buffets, laying down $500 bets at the blackjack tables and cramming into hotel elevators.

 

[arnisador]

Jay Leno did a joke about this tonight...just about how would you like to have the middle seat on the flight they came over on, but even still, I was glad to see the event get any national attention!

 

[arnisador]

Again on Jay Leno, they did a segment last night where his announcer interviewed some wrestlers, had a "match" against some, etc. Lots of footage.

 

[mantis]

dont we have lots of sumo wrestlers?
thanks to McDonalds...

 

[hongkongfooey]

We are the fattest nation on Earth, so Sumo is appropiate. I could do it if I didn't have to were a fat guy thong.

 

[Henderson]

fat guy thong.

:barf: