World S.U.M.O. Challenge: Battle of the Giants

World S.U.M.O. Challenge: Battle of the Giants will take place in New York City on October 22nd, 2005. Big Boy Productions will bring 24 world-class heavyweight Sumo wrestlers to New York City as the first stop of their North American tour. This International Sumo Federation sanctioned event includes Sumo wrestlers representing countries throughout Asia, Europe, North and South America.

“We welcome this world-class Sumo event to New York City and look forward to the October 22nd competition when New Yorkers and visitors will have a rare opportunity to observe this ancient sport,” said NYC Sports Commissioner Podziba. “Spectators will experience the rich traditions of a sport that is believed to date back to 23 B.C. and witness the surprising athleticism of these massive wrestlers.”

The World S.U.M.O. Challenge will be contested in the main arena at Madison Square Garden while being governed by traditional Japanese Sumo rules. The spirituality and mystique of the ritualistic sport of Sumo will be captured by special effects and live music that includes customary taiko drums and other visual imagery.

Noah Goldman, President and CEO of Fantasy Sports and Entertainment, Inc., stated, “I recently met with International Sumo Federation President Hidetoshi Tanaka and his staff who gave their official sanction to World S.U.M.O. Challenge: Battle of the Giants when they learned that we would be preserving all the traditions and mystiques of Sumo at our events. The ISF is actively lobbying the International Olympic Committee to rule in favor of adding Sumo as an Olympic sport and they look upon our efforts in the United States and abroad as a positive step in that direction.”

In attendance on behalf of the International Sumo Federation (ISF) and ISF President Tanaka was the federation’s Vice President and advisor to Big Boy Productions, Yoshisada Yonezuka. Yonezuka officially announced that the federation has sanctioned the event and introduced the demonstrations of traditional Sumo fighting movements and techniques performed by world-class Sumo wrestlers.

Hosting a Sumo wrestling event of this magnitude in New York City will continue the rapid growth of the sport. The athletes competing in this event include top amateurs who hope to turn professional shortly. Sumo wrestling has spread to embrace participants from over 80 countries worldwide.

“We are very excited to host this world-class Sumo competition,” said Joel Fisher, Senior Vice President, Sports at Madison Square Garden. “This will be the first Sumo event at Madison Square Garden since 1992 and we couldn’t think of a better place for the biggest athletes in the world to perform than the biggest arena in the world.”

Sumo wrestling is Japan’s national pastime and one of the world’s oldest forms of martial arts. The competitors range in size from 275 to 600 pounds. While engaged in combat, Sumo wrestlers attempt to knock one another to the ground or throw their opponent outside of the 18-foot ring. A match is over once a body part besides their feet touches the mat inside or outside the ring. Wrestlers use many moves, including the oshi-dashi, or push, to drive an opponent backward, and the tzuki-dashi, or slap, to upset an opponent’s balance. Typically fights last less than one minute, yet can last as long as three minutes.

“These amazing athletes combine power, speed and agility steeped in ancient tradition and spirituality,” said Jeffrey Daniels, a muckety-muck with Big Boy Productions. “Big Boy intends to keep all the tradition and excitement of the sport alive and create a recognizable brand which will popularize Sumo around the world.”

Big Boy Productions is a sports and entertainment company dedicated to introducing and developing world-class Sumo wrestling in the United States. Tickets to the World S.U.M.O. Challenge: Battle of the Giants are priced at $100, $75, $50, $35, and $25, and go on sale to the public today at the Garden box office and all TicketMaster locations. They can also be purchased by calling TicketMaster at (212) 307-7171, or on the internet at www.thegarden.com and www.ticketmaster.com.