Could a rikishi make it in the NFL Draft? I'm at the Rollertown Showdown in Dallas, Texas this weekend, but my friend Tyler was kind enough to join us and break down what sumo skills translate to American football and vice versa. What do you think? How would a rikishi fare in NFL or college football and who would you pluck out of American Football to try their hand in the dohyo?

Email us! [email protected]

Check out John Gunning's most recent take on the subject:

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2026/02/11/sumo/sumo-vs-nfl/

Music:

https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/musical-virtual-koto-shamisen-and-shakuhachi-vst-by-shamikoto-festa-in-autumn-folk-okinawa-30255/

https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/musical-knto-015-94499/

Solo episode this week but we have some grumbles about injuries to Onosato, Fujinokawa, and Nishikifuji as well as Chiyomaru's new life post retirement and a couple new recruits (Christopher Lee Bill and Nicolas Tarasenko). Then we switch gears to talk about places you can look if you want to start following sumo news yourself and digress a bit to talk about One Championship's current struggles and how the system Hakkaku and the JSA maintain keep them resilient against similar pressures.

0:00 Intro

0:24 News (Injuries, Chiyomaru, and Debutants)

13:48 How Japanese Papers Cover Sumo

25:37 How the JSA keeps Sumo resilient where other combat sports suffer

31:50 Outro

Email Me! [email protected]

Do you wanna start some kind of Japanese Language / Sumo club?

Have thoughts on something I said? Lemme know!

Audio Sources:

https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/technology-printing-press-506323/

https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/musical-ragtime-logo-standard-version-116100/

https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/people-004846-muay-thai-fight-51548/

https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/musical-virtual-koto-shamisen-and-shakuhachi-vst-by-shamikoto-festa-in-autumn-folk-okinawa-30255/

Not the most joyous episode, but we finally have a verdict on the Isegahama / Hakunofuji violence incident from the JSA. Former Yokozuna Terunofuji has been demoted 2 ranks in the elder pyramid but will not lose his stable. Instead the 5 elders at the stable will administer the stable as a council.

For sumo though, violence still needs to be pushed out of the wrestlers' home lives and with that in mind I was lucky enough to have a friend who happens to be a psychologist specializing in trauma, PTSD, and working with military veterans to talk turn around my negative mentality and start me thinking on positive routes to growth going forward. I hope our free flowing conversation where he guided me from frustrated and despondent to fired up and ready to affect change can help you like it did me.

0:00 Intro

1:43 News (Superstar Tour, Takayasu Healthy, Onosato Practicing)

4:02 Summary of JSA Ruling

10:40 Criticism from Nikkan Sports

13:22 History of Violence in Sumo

16:19 How do you grow past violence and trauma?

Articles:

https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202604090000577.html?Page=3

https://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2026/04/11/articles/20260411s00005000231000c.html

https://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2026/04/11/kiji/20260410s00005000416000c.html

https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202604090000621.html

https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202604090001214.html

https://hochi.news/articles/20260409-OHT1T51139.html?page=1&utm_abtest=C

https://hochi.news/articles/20260411-OHT1T51349.html

Music:

https://pixabay.com/music/modern-classical-classical-253217/

https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/musical-virtual-koto-shamisen-and-shakuhachi-vst-by-shamikoto-festa-in-autumn-folk-okinawa-30255/

Goose from the Sunday Morning Sumo Show joins us to finally break down the infamous "12 wins is not a yusho" quote from former Yokozuna Kisenosato / current Nishonoseki Oyakata after Kirishima's 12-3 Ozeki repromotion. Before that we do a quick merry go round with the news briefly touching on Enho's prospectus post promotion, a past stars basho, and injuries with the spring tour including Aonishiki's broken toe.

Email Us!!! [email protected] 

Follow Goose and SMSS!

https://www.youtube.com/@SundayMorningSumoShow/streams

Sound FX

https://pixabay.com/music/beats-epic-west-coast-g-funk-type-beat-shake-210671/

https://pixabay.com/music/beats-epic-west-coast-g-funk-type-beat-shake-210671/ 

Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/musical-virtual-koto-shamisen-and-shakuhachi-vst-by-shamikoto-festa-in-autumn-folk-okinawa-30255/

Nick is back and so is Kirishima! The Once And Future Ozeki wins his 3rd Yusho over Yokozuna Hoshoryu and Maegashira surprise Kotoshoho. Join us to review the March Tournament that was and look forward to the future, complete with our Yung-zeki Sweepstakes update.

Email Us!!! [email protected] 

0:00 Intro

0:38 Kirishima Wins

10:54 Hoshoryu and Kotoshoho Runner-Ups

20:13 Onosato Pulls Out

22:30 Aonishiki Stumbles

31:12 Yung-zeki Update (Yoshinofuji, Hakunofuji, Atamifuji, Fujiryoga, Oho)

51:10 Outro

Sound FX

https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/musical-brass-fanfare-with-timpani-and-winchimes-reverberated-146260/

https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/film-special-effects-slow-cinematic-clock-ticking-405471/

https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/musical-soft-piano-100-bpm-121529/

https://pixabay.com/music/folk-lagoon-vibe-369934/

Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/musical-virtual-koto-shamisen-and-shakuhachi-vst-by-shamikoto-festa-in-autumn-folk-okinawa-30255/

Just a quick solo instant reaction for you before Nick and I can really dig deep next week with our full review. I loved the basho and just wanted to talk about Kirishima's imminent Ozeki re-promotion and the apparent diverging paths of our runners up Yokozuna Hoshoryu and rank-and-filer Kotoshoho.

Sean and Larry hopped on to speculate (we have NO new information, we're just trying to talk things out loud) on what is happening to Onosato, Discuss Aonishiki's derailed Yokozuna bid, and cover the 6 contenders we DO have including Yokozuna Hoshoryu!

0:00 Intro

1:00 News: Onosato

16:22 Old Guard Resurgence? (Aonishiki Talk)

27:51 6-1 Contenders including Hoshoryu

42:52 Outro

Phil is back to break down some of the rikishi who we know are coming into the Osaka Stormy Basho at less than 100%. We open with a brief discussion of the Isegahama affair, so no offense taken if you wanna skip that first 7 minutes or so because its a bummer and we don't have the whole story.

0:00 Intro

1:08 News - Isegahama Update

7:06 Injury Report - Onosato's Shoulder

12:30 Injury Report - Hoshoryu's Knee

15:23 Injury Report - Midorifuji's Heart

19:59 Injury Report - Enho's Ankle

26:27 Injury Report - Hakunofuji's Knee

30:14 Injury Report - Nishikifuji's Elbow and Neck

33:12 Injury Report - Wakatakakage's Elbow

35:53 Hot or Cold Injury Edition

42:50 Outro

Its a little haphazard but here is a link to the various articles we were references as we did our best to find solid reporting on the injuries referenced.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DvwncUPfpt16RT6STOKjcxYGOj_KnEi02X8xXMga9UE/edit?usp=sharing

Questions or comments? Email us! [email protected]

Nick is back! And we're here to breakdown some news, the banzuke, bounceback performances for our 2 Yokozuna Onosato and Hoshoryu as well as the potential for Aonishiki to 3-peat and punch his own Yokozuna ticket. We'll also give an update on our 2026 Yung-zeki Sweepstakes and pick out darkhorses and favorites for the Osaka Stormy Basho: 2026 Edition.

0:00 Intro

1:38 News

7:55 Preview: Onosato and Hoshoryu

12:27 Preview: Aonishiki

17:33 Preview: San'yaku Talk

24:00 Preview: Joijin & High Rankers

29:00 Preview: Middle Maegashiras

32:00 Preview: Low Maegashiras

34:20 Yung-zeki Update

44:45 Dark Horses

46:35 Favorites

Sound Effect by Breakz Studios from Pixabay https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/musical-breaking-news-intro-logo-2-314321/

Music by ReneSchulze1984 from Pixabay https://pixabay.com/music/search/preview/

Sound Effect by Paweł Spychała from Pixabay https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/household-whistling-kettle-302354/

Music by Mikhail Smusev from Pixabay https://pixabay.com/music/build-up-scenes-tense-suspense-background-music-376385/

Sound Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/nature-boiling-water-61271/

Music by Dvir Silverstone from Pixabay https://pixabay.com/music/main-title-heroic-glory-200752/Sound Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/musical-virtual-koto-shamisen-and-shakuhachi-vst-by-shamikoto-festa-in-autumn-folk-okinawa-30255/

Phil hopped on to join me for some discussion of new recruits, both big and small, bodytypes in sumo, and some This or That with our banzuke predictions for March!

Questions, Comments, Concerns: Email us! [email protected]

0:00 Intro

0:35 Corrections

2:00 News - Daishoho, Ryouma, and Middle Shool Recruits

7:40 Bodytypes in Sumo and BMI

25:20 This or That - Banzuke Edition

25:50 Atamifuji vs Yoshinofuji

31:50 Ryuden vs Fujiryouga

34:08 Kotoeiho vs Asasuiryu vs Wakanosho

39:08 Outro

Music Cues:

Breaking News Intro - https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/breaking-news-intro-logo-2-314321/

Sergio's Magic Dustbin - https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN2300012&Search=Search

INPULSMUSIC - https://pixabay.com/music/trap-cuban-latin-trap-beat-469610/

Syntheway - Virtual Koto Shamisen - https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/musical-virtual-koto-shamisen-and-shakuhachi-vst-by-shamikoto-festa-in-autumn-folk-okinawa-30255/