Sumo and Soccer don’t Mix

The rather rotund player wearing a “Rooney” England t-short in the video above is neither Ronaldo nor Frank Lampard nor Wayne Rooney himself. That is sumo grand champion Asashoryu demonstrating that is tough to be an effective soccer player when you weigh 350 pounds. Asahoryu has done something that no sumo grand champion has done in 2,000 years. He’s been banned from a tournament and he only has soccer to blame.

Asahoryu skipped out on a sumo tournament because he said he was suffering from a damaged ligament in his left elbow and a stress fracture in his lower back. Instead he decided to take part in a charity match organized by former Japanese international Hidetoshi Nakata. Evidently Asahoryu’s play in the video was enough to convince sumo officials that he wasn’t really injured. I’m not sure how they drew that conclusion. If I played like that I would blame it on a damaged ligament and stress fracture.

It is too bad that sumo officials have turned sour on soccer. I always thought the sport’s athletes had such potential.

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Category: World Football