Who are the tallest sumo wrestlers in the world? A detailed list

Taller sumo wrestlers can have a few advantages in the ring. First, they often have a more extended reach, which can be handy for grabbing their opponent's mawashi (belt). This can give them more control during a match. This article provides the names and details of the tallest Sumo wrestlers ever.

The height and weight can make it harder for shorter opponents to manoeuvre around them or push them out of the ring. Of course, being tall also means they have a larger target for their opponents to aim for, so it is a bit of a trade-off.

Tallest Sumo wrestler of all time

How tall are Sumo wrestlers? Only wrestlers standing on a height of over 2.00 meters (6 ft 7 in) or above are included. The following is a list of the heaviest professional sumo wrestlers.

10. Chad Rowan (Akebono Taro): 203 centimetres (6 feet 8 inches)

Former American professional sumo wrestler Akebono Taro was born in Waimanalo, Oahu, on May 8, 1969. He debuted with the Azumazeki stable in March of 1988. In September of 1990, he made makuuchi, and since then, he has won 11 titles at the highest level, including six special awards, four kinboshi, and two grand slams. He retired in January of 2001 as the 64th yokozuna.

At a weight of 233 kilograms (514 pounds) in March 1999, Akebono was not only one of the most prominent sumo wrestlers ever but also one of the tallest Japanese Sumo wrestlers at 203 centimetres (6 feet 8 inches).

After wrestling as "Taikai" for his first competition, he changed his shikona to "Akebono" for his second. Later, George, his younger brother, started calling himself a Taikai shikona. He quickly climbed the ranks of the minor leagues, where he posted an undefeated record. He played in 12 events before being elevated to juryo in March 1990.

9. Seikichi Hosotani (Kumonryu Seikichi): 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in)

Born in Joetsu in the prefecture of Niigata, Kumonryu Seikichi died on December 29, 1808. He debuted in the ring in November 1787 and competed for the Tokiwayama stable until his retirement.

Around 1765, Seikichi Hosotani entered the world in Joetsu, Niigata. Standing at 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in), he towered over many of his contemporaries. He was never able to regain his ozeki status and spent the bulk of his post-ozeki career as a sanjak. He left sumo in October of 1798 and never returned.

8. Yukichi Higashiya (Shiramayumi Hidaemon): 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in)

In the ring, he was known as "Shiramayumi" until November 1858, when he changed his shikona to "Hiuchinada". In October 1861, Yukichi briefly competed as "Komagatake", but by November 1862, he had returned to wrestling as Shiramayumi. From November 1866 until his death in November 1868, he wrestled under the shikona name "Urakaze".

In 1865, he took over the Urakaze stable while still competing as a wrestler, which is against the rules today. He was only 39 when he passed away on November 9, 1868, but he had a successful wrestling career.

Shiramayumi presumably had gigantism or acromegaly due to his height of 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in). He originally went by Yukichi Higashiya but adopted the name Okuemon as an adult.

7. Akijiro Iwamoto (Musashigata Inosuke): 2.09 m (6 ft 10 in)

Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa, is where Akijiro Iwamoto was born on August 5, 1841. Before changing to "Musashigata" in March 1871, he competed under the shikona "Minasegawa". He stood at 6 ft 10 in (2.09 m).

In January 1879, he was promoted to sekiwake, and in his first year at that rank, he posted an impressive 7-0-1-2 draw record. He was ranked at the san'yaku level for four years until his demotion back to the maegashira rankings in May 1883. In May of 1885, he ended his sumo career.

6. Mitsuo Noda (Fudoiwa Mitsuo): 2.13 m (7 ft 0 in)

When it comes to yotsu-sumo, Fudoiwa was more of a grappler than a pusher or a thruster. He was the Showa Era's tallest makuuchi wrestler at 2.13 m (7 ft 0 in).

Fudoiwa reached the komusubi level in just his third makuuchi tournament. It was significant for Fudoiwa to defeat Yokozuna Akinoumi on day 6 of this tournament by uwatenage because Akinoumi had halted his stablemaster Futabayama's 69-match winning run. In January of 1954, he ended his sumo career.

After retiring from sumo, Fudoiwa found work as an auditor for a Kumamoto-based development firm. On April 15, 1964, at age 39, he passed away.

5. Han-gyu Park (Hakutozan Fukudo): 2.17 m (7 ft 1.5 in)

In October of 1927, Park signed with the Takasago stable and began his professional career. Already, he towered over the current sport's tallest competitor, sekiwake Dewagatake.

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It is possible that he was born with the name "Bok-don Park" before deciding to go by "Han-gyu Park" instead. Hakutozan, at 2.17 m (7 ft 1.5 in), towers above every other sumo wrestler since the end of the Showa era. The 1960s saw his passing.

4. Hisatomi Amano (Shakagatake Kumoemon): 2.23 meters (7 feet, 4 in)

Hisatomi Amano was born in 1749 in modern day Yasugi, Shimane. His gigantism likely contributed to his height of 2.23 m (7 ft 4 in), making him significantly taller than many of his fellow citizens. The shikona "Shakagatake Kumoemon" was his during his time in Edo Sumo.

Later in his career, Shakagatake became ill; his skin turned pale, and his eyes glazed over. On February 14, 1775, at the age of 26 and in the prime of his wrestling career, he passed away.

Shakagatake is the tallest ozeki in sumo history at a height of 2.23 meters (7 feet, 4 inches), making him one of the tallest wrestlers in the sport's history. He probably had a condition like acromegaly or gigantism that made him abnormally large. His Waraji, or straw sandals, were reportedly 38 centimetres in length.

3. Yoshigoro Harihara (Ryumon Yoshigoro): 2.26 m (7 ft 5 in)

Yoshigoro Harihara was born in the area that is now Suo-Oshima, Yamaguchi, sometime around the year 1807. He wanted to see how he would fare in the more challenging Edo sumo after beginning his career with the Osaka sumo.

Despite joining the Jinmaku stable and being scheduled to debut in Edo in October 1828 as the shikona "Ryumon Yoshigoro," he never made it out of Osaka. On February 14, 1833, at age 26, he passed away in Osaka. After Ikuzuki and Ozora, Ryumon, at 2.26 m (7 ft 5 in), he was among the world's tallest Sumo wrestlers.

2. Ozora Buzaemon (Sakaguchi): 2.27 m (7 ft 5 in)

Sometime in the year 1796, Sakaguchi was born in the area that is now called Yabe, Kumamoto. In 1827, because of the Sankin-kotai policy, he accompanied a feudal lord on a journey to Edo (modern-day Tokyo). After settling in Edo, he took up sumo wrestling, eventually becoming a member of the Katsunoura stable.

In March 1827, he debuted under the shikona "Ozora Buzaemon". At 2.27 m (7 ft 5 in), he is equal in height to Ikuzuki, making them the two tallest sumo wrestlers in history. Because of his stature, he was featured in the tabloids and souvenirs featuring his handprints or woodblock prints were hot sellers. He later died on September 5, 1832.

1. Yosaku Sumiya (Ikuzuki Geitazaemon): 2.27 m (7 ft 5 in)

Yosaku made his Edo sumo debut in October 1844 and was already in the top makuuchi division. He wrestled under the shikona "Ikuzuki Geitazaemon" given to him by the lord of Hirado Domain. Standing at 2.27 m (7 ft 5 in), he is the tallest recorded sumo wrestler.

He rarely participated in any actual bouts and was more of an attraction due to his gigantic size. The only tournament he participated in was in November 1846, where he finished with a 3-2-5 record. He died on May 24, 1850, while still an active wrestler and was only 23.

Ruling out

One of the tallest and heaviest wrestlers today is Akebono at a height of 203 cm (6 ft 8 in). The first yokozuna Akashi stood at 2.58 m (8 ft 6 in), but his historical existence is not on the list. Another one of the tallest active sumo wrestlers is Hokuseiho, who stands at 2.04 meters (6 ft 8 in).

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