| Hey Lee, Sumo is somewhat unique in sports. It DOES favor heavy-weights. The art of sumo can be compared to that of an interior lineman in American football where upper body strength and balance are tested. But there are significant differences. Pro football linemen have tremendous speed to chase down runners or rapidly shift to support, say, an end-around play. But the sumo ring or dohyo is only 15 feet in diameter, so different skills are required. Lower body flexibility, for example. Many sumo wrestlers can perform full leg splits. The idea is to maintain a low center of gravity, avoid injuries, and improve performance. Wrestlers often train to reach a 180-degree split with their torso touching the floor. In terms of a sumo wrestler who was a great champion, but of excellent body build, there was Chiyonofuji, nicknamed "the Wolf" and who was the heartthrob of Japanese female sumo fans in the 1980s. |