Reaction to a recent YouTube video highlighted sumo’s growing international footprint — and the challenges that come with a raised profile overseas.
On June 5, Eddie Hall, the 2017 winner of the World’s Strongest Man competition, released a video on his personal channel, in which he took on various British amateur sumo wrestlers, and more than held his own in the ring.
The 20-minute clip currently has over 2.4 million views, and the legendary strongman’s social media accounts have subsequently been flooded with comments urging him to not only represent Britain in the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo, but actually fight in the professional ranks in Japan.