Sumo Championship League Unveils 45-Athlete Inaugural Roster from Nine Countries Ahead of Fall 2026 Season
Premier Guide Miami ·
Sumo Championship League (SCL) has unveiled its inaugural roster of 45 professional sumo athletes from nine countries who will compete throughout the league's first season. The international field brings together world champions, national titleholders, continental medalists, coaches, and pioneers who have helped grow sumo around the world — representing decades of experience across sumo, wrestling, judo, sambo, mixed martial arts, football, and strongman competition.
“Every great sports league is ultimately defined by its athletes, and today we are proud to introduce the competitors who will help define the future of professional sumo. These athletes represent far more than impressive resumes. They represent years of dedication, sacrifice and a shared belief that professional sumo deserves a global stage.”
The United States fields the largest contingent, with 28 athletes spanning the country. Highlights include Dominus Davis-Williams (San Antonio, TX), the 2025–2026 US National Heavyweight Champion and 2025 World's Bronze Medalist; Edobor Konyeha (Jacksonville, TX), the 2024–2026 US National Lightweight Champion and 2026 US Open Openweight Champion; Joshua Wade (Brooklyn, NY), the 2026 US national champion and Pan American sambo champion; John Roden (Carrollton, GA), the 2021 US national and North American champion; and Larry Velasquez (Lehi, UT), the 2025 and 2026 Milano Sumo Open champion. George Silvestre of Miami, Florida — the 2026 US Open Judo Championships gold medalist — represents South Florida on the inaugural roster.
“Being part of the first Sumo Championship League season is a huge opportunity. I’m proud to represent sumo, excited to compete alongside athletes from around the world and ready to show fans the strength, discipline and heart it takes to step into the dohō.”
Canada is represented by Colton Johnstone (Toronto), who competed at the 2025 World Sumo Championships; Marc Deschenes (Quebec), the 2015 Pan American Games silver medalist; and Phillip Hayes (Île-Perrot, Quebec), founder of the Montreal Sumo Club. Europe brings six athletes, led by Vazha Daiauiri (Ukraine), the 2022–2023 World Combat Games Champion, 2024 World Sumo Championship Champion, and ten-time European Championship gold medalist; Oleksandr Veresiuk (Ukraine), the 2023 World Sumo Championship gold medalist; and Karol König (Poland), the 2026 European Sumo Cup champion.
The Asia and Middle East contingent includes Zuka Tsikoradze (Georgia), a ten-time US Open Champion and ten-time European Open Champion; Badri Khatiskatsi (Georgia), the 2025 World Championship silver medalist; and Mostafa Mahmoudi (UAE), the 2017 World Elite Games silver medalist and four-time Iranian national champion. Oceania is represented by Caleb Hudson (Australia), the two-time Oceania sumo champion (2023, 2026), and Filipo Tovio (New Zealand), the back-to-back Oceania heavyweight champion (2024, 2025). Beyond competition, the roster includes coaches, club founders, engineers, professional wrestlers, performance psychologists, journalists, and entrepreneurs.
SCL's inaugural season opens October 10, 2026 at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park in Austin, Texas, followed by Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago on November 7 and Toyota Arena in Ontario, California on December 19. Athletes will compete for victories, prize money, and championship positioning as SCL builds toward its inaugural Annual Championship in late 2027. Athlete participation will vary by event, with competition fields announced in advance of each tournament. Tickets and full roster details at sumochampionshipleague.com.