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Popular strongman, TV personality and content creator Eddie Hall decided to try something new on his YouTube channel recently. The 2017 World’s Strongest Man shared his debut in sumo, where he put on the mawashi and took on some fellas in a small British sumo gym, under the watch of trainer and former British champion Steve Pateman.
Eddie Hall vs. Sumo champion
Check out what happens below when Eddie takes on British sumo champion Bangor (4:23) in a friendly scrimmage.
Hall outweighed Bangor by 165 lbs , but the more experienced wrestler was able to get Hall to touch the mat with a katasukashi (under shoulder swing down). Hall was able to get a yorikiri (frontal force out) in a later scrimmage, though.
Throughout their scrimmages, Hall seemed in awe that the smaller man was able to move him around the ring utilizing leverage and tried and tested sumo techniques. Hall also seemed shocked at how good of a workout he was getting.
After he the friendly workout, Hall took on Bangor again and the rest of the gym in an in-house tournament (8:36).
This time Hall was able to get the best of Bangor. Clearly he’s a fast learner!
Hall then took on Rob, who was also 165 lbs smaller than him. Hall was able to push Rob back, but put his foot out of the ring just before he could get the force out.
Next he faced Deep, who was bigger than the others, but still almost 70 lbs smaller than Hall. This was a close one, which would probably require a torinaoshi (immediate rematch) in actual sumo. However, since we’re in a generous mood, I call this an utchari (backward pivot throw) win for Hall, reminiscent of what Wakamotoharu was able to do to Hokuseiho at the recent May Tournament.
Hall then took on Courtney, who actually outweighed him by 22 lbs. It took a lot of effort, but Hall was able to get the yorikiri there.
He then faced Bangor again and, this time, handled him easily. His second bout with Deep, didn’t go so smoothly, with Deep able to catch the strongman with a quick katasukashi. Hall then beat Rob again with a quick oshidashi (frontal push out). He then beat a tired looking Courtney with a picture perfect yorikiri.
The wins got Hall into the final where he took on Deep again. Hall won the bout with another oshidashi.
Eddie Hall could have a future in sumo
After getting his medal, Eddie Hall talked with Steve Pateman about the experience. Pateman expressed how impressed he was with Hall’s ability to pick up the sport so quickly. The pair then chatted about the upcoming Sumo World Championships, which are to be held in Tokyo in October.
Hall said he’d love to give that a go. And Pateman seemed to think that was possible.
So watch this space!
And don’t be surprised if Hall keeps at this. He seemed to have a lot of fun and reverence for the sport. At 35 he’s no spring chicken, but he could compete seriously, against other amateurs, for the next couple of years if he really wants to. His physique gives him a tremendous advantage over many other folks doing this. That paired with his ability to learn quickly could be a great combination (so long as his enthusiasm continues).
No matter what happens, though, I personally enjoyed seeing someone come into the sport (without judgment) and just give it an honest go.
If you’d like more sumo content check out my Substack Sumo Stomp! There you can find news and analysis on Grand Sumo (including a report card for all of the rikishi who competed in makuuchi in May). I’m also working on some stories about the sport that take us out of Japan, too.
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