Heaviest Sumo Wrestlers of All Time

Sumo is the national sport of Japan, and the ancient form of wrestling dates back to the Yayoi period (circa 300 B.C.-250 A.D.). After a match-fixing scandal in 2011, the sport is on the way back up thanks to talented rikishi (wrestlers) and the emergence of several high-profile grand champions. 

There has always been a ritualistic beauty and depth to sumo that has carried on for thousands of years. At the center of this tradition are the rikishi, the professional sumo wrestlers who live regimented lives. Their every move is dictated by their sumo stables, down to the food they eat and the clothes they wear. This is all in preparation to compete in professional sumo tournaments; one honbasho tournament, for instance, lasts 15 days, and top-ranked wrestlers can expect to wrestle each day.

To win and be elite in sumo, you have to be big. Really big. These are the biggest sumo wrestlers of all time, based on their weight in pounds.

Born: May 10, 1979 (Miyazaki, Japan)

Stable: Isegahama

Bottom line: Anju made his sumo debut in 1998, at 18 years old, and spent his career out of the Isegahama stable.

Anju wrestled professionally until 2008, and finished his career with a record of 184-191-73 across all four divisions he competed in. The highest rank achieved for Anju was Sandanme 94, and he went 2-5 in that division. 

Born: Nov. 19, 1985 (Kumamoto, Japan)

Stable: Kise

Bottom line: Higonoryu made his sumo debut in 2004 and has wrestled the majority of his matches in the Jonidan division, where he posted a record of 238-250 overall. 

Attached to the Kise stable for his entire career, Higonoryu has had one of the more lengthy careers of any rikishi on this list. His career record after his most recent match in March 2022 was 343-399. 

Born: July 7, 1991 (Kagawa, Japan)

Stable: Oguruma

Bottom line: Amakaze has one championship to his name, winning a title in the Juryo division in 2013 after making his debut as a rikishi in 2007. 

Amakaze has become one of the more popular rikishi in recent memory thanks to his outgoing personality. He loves food and travel and a video of him attempting a 40-yard dash went viral in 2015. 

Born: March 18, 1992 (Ishikawa, Japan)

Stable: Kise

Bottom line: Another rikishi competing out of the powerful Kise stable — stables are known as “heya” in Japan— Takaryu made his sumo debut in 2014, when he was 22 years old. 

While Takaryu hasn’t wrestled since May 2021, he’s actually been a high climber as far as the sumo divisional ranks, with the majority of his matches coming in the ultra-competitive Makushita division, where he has an overall record of 118-120.