World Championship Sumo (WCS) has lined up the first group of sumo wrestlers who will compete across three inaugural tournaments in January and February, highlighted by the Sunday, February 18th WCS Tournament taking place at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Entering the dohyo for the east coast’s biggest sumo events in years will be Egypt’s Abdelrahman “Sandstorm” Shalan, Brazil’s Rui Aparedico de Sá Jr., Russia’s Soslan Gagloev, Bulgaria’s Martin Marinkov and India’s Navneet Bhati, as these gargantuans look to deliver “The Biggest Show On Earth” on their way to eventually being crowned the first ever International Sumo League (ISL) World Champion. Leading up to the February 18th event, these fighters will be amongst those competing in a pair of Club Sumo tournaments on Thursday, January 25 and Thursday, February 8 from White Eagle Hall in Jersey City, New Jersey.
“I am thrilled and excited to bring this world class group of Rikishi to take part in our upcoming World Championship Sumo events,” said Noah Goldman, President of the International Sumo League. “Our sumo wrestlers demonstrate the highest combination of athleticism, speed, power and size to make these upcoming sumo matches ‘The Biggest Show On Earth’. The Rikishi are coming from all over the world to bring their explosive power into the dohyo (sumo ring), and demonstrate the skill and diversity of our Sumo in 2024.”
The first professional sumo wrestler from Africa, Shalan previously competed in the Otaki stable in Japan and won his first tournament, eventually reaching the highest rank of maegashira 1 in November 2015. Prior to his career in Japan, Shalan won silver at the 2008 junior Sumo world championships, gold in a 2009 amateur championship in Bulgaria and bronze in the 2010 World Junior Championships. The 31-year-old has also competed in MMA for the Rizin promotion and recently coached the Egyptian team at the 2022 World Games.
Weighing in at over 380-pounds, Rui Jr. has put together an impressive rolodex of accomplishments representing his native Brazil. Before hitting the international circuit, he was a 22-time Brazilian champion and a ten-time South American champion. Amongst that international experience, Rui Jr. most recently earned a bronze medal at the 2023 World Combat Games.
Standing at 6’5” and tipping the scales at over 350 pounds, Gagloev was an amateur freestyle wrestler in his native Russia before outgrowing weight limits and moving into sumo. He competed in Magaki stable in Japan and reached Sekitori status at just 18-years-old, the youngest foreign rikishi to achieve that rank. His run in Japan saw him reach the Makuuchi rank, the top sumo division. His accolades included taking part in the 2014 US Sumo Open, where he lost to the eventual champion.
A standout in the martial art of sambo, Bulgaria’s Marinkov has spent years in the discipline, racking up accolades around the world, representing his country’s national team in various European and World Championships. He’s earned three second place finishes in World Championship events and multiple first places in European championships. The 33-year-old stands at 6’3” and hits the scales at over 280 pounds.
A 27-year-old from India, Bhati has excelled in the competitive powerlifting and deadlifting competitions, in addition to experience in American football. His most recent action has seen him excel in the world of professional wrestling, with his athleticism and style earning him a significant online following.
