ATLANTA, Fla. — A new professional sports league is aiming to bring sumo competition to U.S. arenas beginning in 2026.
Sumo Championship League announced Tuesday that it plans to launch live professional league events in major U.S. markets starting in fall 2026.
The league said events will feature authentic sumo competition, season-long rankings and championship events with heavyweight athletes from around the world.
SCL was founded by sports and entertainment executives Stuart Snyder and Toper Taylor.
Snyder previously served as president of WWE, president of Feld Entertainment and president of Turner Broadcasting’s Animation, Young Adults and Kids Media division.
Taylor is an Emmy Award-winning producer and former William Morris Agency talent agent.
In sumo, wrestlers compete one-on-one inside a ring known as a dohyō. The goal is to force an opponent out of the ring or cause any part of the opponent’s body, other than the soles of the feet, to touch the ground.
The league said wrestlers will compete throughout a season to earn points, prize money and championship positioning.
SCL said it plans to recruit athletes internationally, including accomplished sumo competitors, former professional football players, wrestlers, strongmen and other heavyweight athletes.
The league is also pitching the events as a family-friendly live sports experience.
“Sumo is one of the world’s oldest and most recognizable sports, with organized competition and passionate fans across the globe,” Snyder said in a news release. “What it has never had is a modern professional league structure designed to introduce the sport to broader audiences outside Japan.”
SCL said it has secured initial funding to support the league’s launch and long-term growth strategy.
The league said future revenue is expected to come from live events, sponsorships, media rights, merchandise, licensing and international expansion.
Specific U.S. tour cities have not yet been announced.
For more information, visit Sumo Championship League’s website.
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