politics

Clash of the titans: Trump set for sumo showdown

29 Comments
By Alastair Himmer

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© 2019 AFP

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Presenting his 'Torampu-hai' trophy, so this will be the finals on Sunday evening?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

All eyes in the USA will be on the Sumo when Trump and PM Abe is watching the fights. If this can convert some pro wrestle fans in the USA to Sumo, it's a massive boost to the sport. Crowds up, tourism up, revenues up = win-win.

The Grand Champion who wins the Trump Cup will cherish the prize forever.

Aficionados of the roly-poly sport 

Please AFP don't insult the ancient sport with such a term.

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

I think there's a 20% chance Trump asks to leave in the middle of it.

50% chance he falls asleep.

80% chance he says wrestling is better.

100% chance he will be disappointed in the end.

Sumo is 99% ceremony, 1% fight, and the guy has the attention span of a kindergarten kid. No way he doesn't get bored.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

Who will be the winner of the inaugural Trump Cup? Will it be defended battle royal style next year?

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

@Bintaro What about an 80% chance he says Trump can wrestle better than these guys?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

A front row seat for the POTUS is a security risk. If a 150kg sumo wrestler lands on Trump's lap he might even avoid an impeachment, which would be a shame.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Well Trump did wrestle at Wrestlemania once. Perhaps he will trot into the 土俵 and give us all a show to remember.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Interesting photo from one of the regional exhibition matches, at an outdoor venue in some smaller city.

I hope Trump doesn't assume sumo is fake. If it were an act, would Hakuho be allowed to dominate for the latter half of Heisei, and would high ranking wrestlers constantly sit out with injuries? I wonder if Trump will react badly if wrestlers' blood gets spattered on his germ-o-phobic person? Then there's the significance of handing his trophy to a maegashira upstart (if Asanoyama is still leading--haven't checked today).

A while ago NHK used Pak-kun the celeb/comedian as a guest announcer. He sat down to interview an Australian family viewing from the back wall seats of the arena. The father joked that he promised his kids to take them to Disneyland but then brought them to sumo instead. Good choice--much better story to tell everyone back in Oz.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

'"To have an American president watch Japan's national sport is amazing," insisted florist Kanako Tanabe, 46. "It will be a proud moment."'

Ah, the old, "What do you think of me?" attitude that shows the extreme inferiority complex of so many here. Why will Kanako be proud, exactly? We know full well she's not stepping in the ring, and has nothing to do with the sport aside from being a fan (probably bandwagon). What has she done specifically to be proud of?

1 ( +7 / -6 )

Trump's decision to take in some bouts at the site famously graced by James Bond in the 1967 film "You Only Live Twice" offers plenty of possible security and cultural conundrums.

Almost one eighth of the 11,000 seats will be taken by Trump, Abe and their security teams. Even so,  he's probably gonna watch one or two sumo matches, start talking with a gorgeous Japanese intelligence agent who is really good at eluding security teams, leave with her in her car, and be taken to Tiger Tanaka's place where Tiger Tanaka will say, "I must say I am disappointed with the ease with which I could pull you in. The one thing my honorable mother taught me long ago was never to get into a car with a strange girl. But you, I'm afraid, will get into anything. With any girl." Tee hee!

Well Trump did wrestle at Wrestlemania once. Perhaps he will trot into the 土俵 and give us all a show to remember.

He did give Vince McMahon a workover, haha, but this time he's just going to trot into the dojo to give the Trump Cup to the winner.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Oh, it looks like Kakuryu is back in a tie for first. If he wins it, I would like to see if Trump can handle saying this into the mic intelligibly: "I present the Trump Trophy to the champion, yokozuna Kakuryu Rikisaburo, also known in his homeland as Mangaljalav Anand. His tenacious oshidashi and yorikiri bigly overwhelmed his rivals etc etc." My bet is they will just quickly hand over the trophy without a speech.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Throw the pillow!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Throw trump into the ring!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I hope President Trump doesn't get carried away.

Rumours abound Mr President recently had House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a head lock.....

Watch Donald Trump Take Down WWE's Vince McMahon Back in 2007

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkghtyxZ6rc

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Always good to see an Al Himmer article.

Throw the pillow!

Considering Trump's personal life, more like Bite the pillow!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

"To have an American president watch Japan's national sport is amazing," insisted florist Kanako Tanabe, 46. "It will be a proud moment."

She ain't lyin'!

@itsonlyrocknroll Thanks for the link. On another upload of that event I saw last year ago someone had commented "I envy you Americans."

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Trump himself could probably compete.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

"To have an American president watch Japan's national sport is amazing," insisted florist Kanako Tanabe, 46. "It will be a proud moment."

Tanabe-san is a wise woman.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What is wrong with the writer of this article? "the sumo"?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Bad idea. He will be booed and jeered unmercifully, and the "kaere call" will ring out. Then, if there is an upset, everyone will sling their zabuton at HIM!!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

To the people of Japan, we the citizens of the US apologize for the upcoming undignified and boorish behavior of our child-like President. He was elected only through the good graces of the President of the country that currently occupies your Northern Isles.

Trump will no doubt throw a two-year old level tantrum, use foul language, insult your leader and Emperor, grab any female within arms length, talk about his "love affair" with Kim Jong Un, and tell you his father was born in Osaka (he wasn't)...

Just humor him like you would any kindergartner at a Yochien...

But make sure you don't use the words "cover-up" or "intervention" - he'll have a meltdown...

0 ( +1 / -1 )

It is supposed to be moment for the champion but now all the attention is going to go for Trump. I don't like it.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Perfect post Lincoln.

There isn't enough salt in the world to purify the Kokugikan after this Orange headed Oni makes his appearance.

Countdown until he makes another blundering cultural faux pas.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Throw that purification salt at him.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Since, as a mere president, he won't be sitting in the imperial box -- unlike royals Charles and Diana -- Trump will have to make do with a ring-level box close to the action.

How fast things change. When it was first announced that Trump was going to be at the tournament, the sumo association was perplexed with how they were going to accommodate TRUMP'S request for the seats near the dohyo.

Now it's been twisted around to create a different more appealing image, "Hell he aint royalty so he can't use the royal's box" as had been suggested by myself and others.

I'll bet the sumo association would have apoplexy if Ivanka tries to get up on the dohyo with Trump to give a "kiss" on the cheek of whomever wins the tournament!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Oh, it looks like Kakuryu is back in a tie for first. If he wins it, I would like to see if Trump can handle saying this into the mic intelligibly: "I present the Trump Trophy to the champion, yokozuna Kakuryu Rikisaburo, also known in his homeland as Mangaljalav Anand. His tenacious oshidashi and yorikiri bigly overwhelmed his rivals etc etc." My bet is they will just quickly hand over the trophy without a speech.

Seems to me you never have heard the awards presentation following a sumo tournament. No one ever calls the wrestlers by their actual names and they never comment on the types of victories they had during the tournament either.

Just a jab at Trump right?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

However, Trump's decision to take in some bouts at the site famously graced by James Bond in the 1967 film "You Only Live Twice" offers plenty of possible security and cultural conundrums.

But this is not actually the same site. The site of the sumo changed in 1984 to Ryogoku. Before that it was in Kuramae, which is where James Bond would have been.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

smithinjapan

Ah, the old, "What do you think of me?" attitude that shows the extreme inferiority complex of so many here.

Being diplomatic isn't inferiority complex.  She meant "it is a great honor to have American president in sumo"

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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