Akebono, Konishiki, and Musashimaru walk at Waikiki Beach during the prime of the Hawaiian sumo takeover
This is a list of all sumo wrestlers who are from the United States of America. The first American to join professional sumo was Japanese-American Shoji Joe Hiraga from Los Angeles, California, who joined Kasugano stable in January 1934. However, he retired in May 1937 after failing to make it out of jonidan. In January 1968, Jesse Kuhaulua, better known as Takamiyama became the first non-Japanese to reach makuuchi and became a pioneer for Hawaiian wrestlers following in his footsteps. He was followed by fellow Hawaiians Konishiki, who was the first foreigner to reach the second-highest ozeki rank in 1987, and Akebono, who became the first foreign-born yokozuna in 1993. Musashimaru reached the yokozuna rank in July 1999, becoming the second American to achieve sumo's highest rank. However, after Musashimaru's retirement in November 2003, the number of Americans joining sumo has significantly decreased.
As of 2025, there have been 32 sumo wrestlers to list their birthplace as the United States, with 25 coming from Hawaii, 3 from California, 2 from Texas, 1 from Washington, and 1 from Missouri. Of the 32 American sumo wrestlers, 8 have reached the elite sekitori ranks.
This page also includes a separate list of Japanese sumo wrestlers of American descent.
American Sumo Wrestlers[]
- Names in bold indicate a still active wrestler.
- Green row indicates wrestler reached the elite sekitori ranks.
| Ring Name | Real Name | Hometown | Debut | Highest Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hiraga | Shoji Joe Hiraga | Los Angeles, California | 1934.01 | Jonidan 23 |
| Takamiyama | Jesse James Wailani Kuhaulua | Happy Valley, Maui, Hawaii | 1964.03 | Sekiwake |
| Araiwa | Carroll Lee Martin | Oceanside, California | 1968.11 | Makushita 33 |
| Matsuryuyama | Robert Masao Suetsugu | Seattle, Washington | 1975.09 | Makushita 24 |
| Wakanonada | John Robert Collins | Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii | 1976.07 | Makushita 55 |
| Wakayashima | Reid Asato | Waianae, Oahu, Hawaii | 1976.07 | Sandanme 32 |
| Wakatakami | Bryn Henry George | Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii | 1977.07 | Makushita 40 |
| Takanoumi | Philip McKinley Smoak | San Antonio, Texas | 1981.05 | Jonokuchi 29 |
| Konishiki | Saleva'a Fuauli Atisano'e | Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii | 1982.07 | Ozeki |
| Gosetsu | Raymond Roland Lyman | Nanakuli, Oahu, Hawaii | 1982.11 | Sandanme 86 |
| Narushio | Emmanuel Kaehuaea Jr. | Nanakuli, Oahu, Hawaii | 1983.01 | Jonidan 23 |
| Junyo | Isaac Faaili Tago Roe | Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii | 1983.03 | Jonidan 132 |
| Takamio | Sione "John" Tekeriri Feleunga | Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii | 1986.07 | Makushita 2 |
| Takamikuni | Taylor Tuli Wily | Laie, Oahu, Hawaii | 1987.03 | Makushita 2 |
| Musashibo | William Molina | Waianae, Oahu, Hawaii | 1987.09 | Jonidan 59 |
| Akebono | Chadwick Haheo Rowan | Waimanalo, Oahu, Hawaii | 1988.03 | Yokozuna |
| Sentoryu | Henry Armstrong Miller | Ferguson, Missouri | 1988.07 | Maegashira 12 |
| Shinnishiki | Vincent Devoux | Carson, California | 1988.07 | Sandanme 10 |
| Nanyonishiki | Jeremiah Peter Onosai | Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii | 1989.05 | Sandanme 24 |
| Musashimaru | Fiamalu Penitani | Waianae, Oahu, Hawaii | 1989.09 | Yokozuna |
| Ozora | Troy Levi Talaimatai | Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii | 1989.09 | Makushita 13 |
| Taikai | George Leiola Rowan | Waimanalo, Oahu, Hawaii | 1989.09 | Jonokuchi 39 |
| Kamikiiwa | Wayne Mahelani Vierra Jr. | Hau‘ula, Oahu, Hawaii | 1990.07 | Sandanme 22 |
| Koryu | Eric Cosier Gaspar | Waimanalo, Oahu, Hawaii | 1990.09 | Makushita 49 |
| Nanfu | Pierson Kaleo Kekauoha | Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii | 1990.09 | Makushita 1 |
| Sunahama | William Tyler Hopkins | Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii | 1990.09 | Juryo 5 |
| Yamato | George Haywood Kalima | Waimanalo, Oahu, Hawaii | 1990.11 | Maegashira 12 |
| Wakachikara | Glenn Haywood Kalima | Waimanalo, Oahu, Hawaii | 1991.03 | Makushita 26 |
| Daiki | Percy Pomaikai Kipapa | Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii | 1991.11 | Juryo 10 |
| Kagamifuji | Jason Michael Walker | Killeen, Texas | 2002.09 | Jonokuchi 23 |
| Musashikuni | Fiamalu Musashimaru Penitani | Makaha, Oahu, Hawaii | 2013.05 | Makushita 26 |
| Hikarumusashi | Daniel Ailua | Makaha, Oahu, Hawaii | 2025.01 | Jonokuchi 14 |
Japanese Wrestlers of American Descent[]
- Names in bold indicate a still active wrestler.
- Green row indicates wrestler reached the elite sekitori ranks.
| Ring Name | Real Name | Listed Birthplace | Debut | Highest Rank | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyonishiki | Harley Ozaki | Chikujo, Fukuoka | 1938.01 | Maegashira 17 | Harley Ozaki was born in Pierce, Colorado, to agricultural Immigrants from Fukuoka. He is sometimes recognized as the first foreigner to reach makuuchi. |
| Tamaasahi | George Isomura | Hachioji, Tokyo | 1965.07 | Makushita 23 | George "Sadao" Isomura is a third-generation Japanese American from Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. |
| Takano | Joji Takano | Kurate, Fukuoka | 1974.03 | Jonidan 34 | Joji "George" Takano was born to a Japanese mother and his father was an African American Marine who belonged to the Iwakuni Base. |
| Tatsumi | Edward Tatsumi Yamamoto | Tokyo | 1988.09 | Jonokuchi 44 | Edward Tatsumi Yamamoto was born in California and is the son of Japanese actress Satomi Oka. He used Tokyo as his hometown when joining sumo. |
| Matenro | Ken Shirata | Asahi, Yamagata | 1991.07 | Makushita 12 | Ken Shirata was born in Yamagata, but was raised in New York since the age of 3. He obtained permanent residency for the US in 2002. |
| Daishoyu | Marvin Lee Sano Jr. | Arakawa, Tokyo | 2006.01 | Makushita 18 | Marvin Lee Sano Jr.'s father is of African American descent and is from New Orleans, Louisiana. |
| Fujinoumi | Jun Saito | Watari, Miyagi | 2009.09 | Makushita 47 | Jun Saito was born in Watari, Miyagi, to a Japanese mother and an American father. He attended Cut Bank High School in Cut Bank, Montana. |
| Fujinohana | Rei Saito | Watari, Miyagi | 2009.09 | Sandanme 16 | Rei Saito was born in Watari, Miyagi, to a Japanese mother and an American father. He attended Cut Bank High School in Cut Bank, Montana. |
| Wakaichiro | Ichiro Kendrick Young | Nagasaki, Nagasaki | 2016.11 | Sandanme 32 | Ichiro Kendrick Young was born and raised in Houston Texas. He used Nagasaki as his hometown due to the one foreigner per stable policy as Musashigawa stable was already home to Hawaiian Musashikuni. |
| Ryuga | Corvin Ryuga Delzatto | Yokosuka, Kanagawa | 2018.09 | Jonidan 80 | Ryuga was born in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, to a Japanese mother and an American father of Italian descent. |
| Otani | Masatada Otani | Okinawa, Okinawa | 2022.07 | Makushita 27 | Otani is a quarter American through his mother's side as his grandfather was American. |