Best Basho Podcasts (2025)

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255: Rollertown 31:49

6d ago31:49

31:49

The Dallas Sumo Club knows how to have a good time. They are hosting their Rollertown Sumo Tournament THIS weekend just outside of Dallas, TX. We're chatting with Corey and Siggy from Dallas Sumo Club about this popular event. Also joined by Goose from the Sunday Morning Sumo Show. @SundayMorningSumoShow @DallasSumoClub Twitter @SumoKaboom Instagra…

1
254: Enrique's Sumo Adventure 42:18

20d ago42:18

42:18

Someday, you might be fortunate enough to see Japanese sumo wrestling live and in person. If you are REALLY lucky, you might also get to watch morning practice at a heya and then sit on the 4th row to watch a sumo tournament. Enrique's experience just gets better and better! Chock full of real life rikishi meet-cutes and amazing access, this story …

1
253: SUMO, the Off-Broadway play 51:27

26d ago51:27

51:27

What is it like to be an actor in "SUMO" at The Public Theatre in NY? Interviews with actors Ahmad Kamal and Earl T. Kim. The Off-Broadway play "SUMO" opened at The Public in 2025. The story: "six men practice, eat, love, play, and ultimately fight. Step into the sacred world of sumo wrestling, with the New York premiere of Lisa Sanaye Dring’s mesm…

1
252: Days 4-11 of the March Basho 2025 48:18

1M ago48:18

48:18

Up top: our overall feelings about the basho, thank you's, the new Aonishiki's Fan Club (and how YOU CAN JOIN) sumo poetry and BINGO winners. Congrats Iliya and Elizabeth for having the winning BINGOs in March for this Osaka tournament! **LINK to Aonishiki's FAN CLUB on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3904476046542523 From 11:00 to the en…

1
251: Days 4 - 10 of the March, 2025 Basho 58:30

1M ago58:30

58:30

A few exciting moments from days 4 - 10 including Ura's flair, chinks in Onosato's armor, Hoshoryu's elbow, Ichiyamamoto's very good day, and Takayasu's dream. More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game sponsored by bigsumofan.com: www.sumokaboom.com Bigsumofan.com is an online sumo merch store based in US, and they ship to over 30 countries. www.bi…

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250: Days 1 - 3 of the March Basho, 2025 40:32

2M ago40:32

40:32

It's our 250th episode! The long and short if it is that 1. Hoshoryu's dohyo iri is ON POINT, 2. Onosato looks REALLY good, 3. Daieisho's pushes are sometimes like a battering ram, 4. Abi has to be feeling good right now, 5.Midorifuji's new mawashi is PERFECT. HEADS UP! There's a bit of adult language in this episode. More about Sumo Kaboom and our…

1
249: March Banzuke and Aonishiki 38:15

2M ago38:15

38:15

Extra! Extra! There's a new yokozuna at the top of the banzuke and a new Ukrainian wrestler near the bottom of makuuchi. We got the scoop on this new wrestler from our friend Angie in Japan as well as Sakura who started his fan club! Expect big things from this young wrestler. 0-5:00 News, Emails 5:00 - 22:00 Quick banzuke breakdown 22:00 - end Aon…

1
248: More Scandal. And Aprons. It's a Weird Mixed Tape of Topics 34:33

2M ago34:33

34:33

This week features a strange set of stories. First, more scandal news. Then, we trace how a new set of ceremonial aprons goes from donor to yokozuna. It's a wild story of plastic surgery, controversy, money, art, dragons and a new trio of aprons ready for Hoshoryu's dohyo iri. More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game sponsored by bigsumofan.com: w…

1
247: Sexiest Rikishi 40:48

2M ago40:48

40:48

Rap, poetry, haiku - YOUR creativity and love of sumo wrestlers is on display this week. We're sharing YOUR answers to our annual sexiest rikishi poll. More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game sponsored by bigsumofan.com: www.sumokaboom.com Bigsumofan.com is an online sumo merch store based in US, and they ship to over 30 countries. www.bigsumofan…

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246: News, Tobizaru, and a Meet-Cute 31:41

2M ago31:41

31:41

Leslie covers the latest news - the Hakuho Cup, the Fuji Tournament, wedding news, and the Tobizaru news. Laurie shares "Atamifuji's Sugar Cookie Crush" by listener Sarah, who was inspired to write a meet-cute about Atamifuji. It's the BEST intro to get you in the mood for our Valentines Day episode next week. Love could be in the air! 0 - 19:00 Ne…

1
245: The Wheel Keeps Turning - Retirements and Promotions 39:54

3M ago39:54

39:54

Wanna know who won 2nd place BINGO or who wrote the best Sumo Chicken episode? Listen up! Also, our Sexiest Rikishi Poll is open for voting through Valentine's Day. Vote at tinyurl.com/sumokaboom25 Then we dive into all the week's news - from bean throwing to dohyo iris at the Meiji Shrine, from mean gyojis to retirement, from a yokozuna in a new s…

1
244: January Basho Wrap Up 45:04

3M ago45:04

45:04

So much to discuss! Here are just a few tidbits from the final days of the January sumo tournament. More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game sponsored by bigsumofan.com: www.sumokaboom.com Bigsumofan.com is an online sumo merch store based in US, and they ship to over 30 countries. www.bigsumofan.com Twitter @SumoKaboom Instagram https://www.insta…

1
243: January Basho days 4 - 11 53:08

3M ago53:08

53:08

So much to discuss! More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game sponsored by bigsumofan.com: www.sumokaboom.com Bigsumofan.com is an online sumo merch store based in US, and they ship to over 30 countries. www.bigsumofan.com Twitter @SumoKaboom Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sumokaboom/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SumoKaboom/ YouTube https…

1
242: January Basho Days 1-3 47:53

3M ago47:53

47:53

Sumo is BACK! And so are the wonderfully random commercials and the retired rikishi visiting the commnetators' booth. So much to discuss! More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game sponsored by bigsumofan.com: www.sumokaboom.com Bigsumofan.com is an online sumo merch store based in US, and they ship to over 30 countries. www.bigsumofan.com Twitter @…

1
241: January Basho News and Tamashoho 47:37

4M ago47:37

47:37

January's sumo tournament looks to be oh so exciting! Plus, Tamashoho is coming in at M16, and we think you'll love him - mainly because of his attitude and his pets. But we hope that he can make a splash in his first top division tournament! More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game sponsored by bigsumofan.com: www.sumokaboom.com Bigsumofan.com is…

1
240: Cory Choy and Sumo Chicken 52:26

5M ago52:26

52:26

Cory Choy of Silver Sound joins us to talk about his sound studio, his collaborations with Leslie, and his love of Sumo Chicken, an eggcellent series we're all working on about, you guessed it, a chicken who loves sumo! Listen to episodes 1 and 2 of Sumo Chicken and help us with future episodes! We hope you'll get involved with story ideas or music…

1
239: Kitanofuji 43:42

5M ago43:42

43:42

Yokozuna, sumo coach, sports commentator, snazzy dresser, and so much more - Kitanofuji lived life large. Find out more about the man we lost in late 2024. More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game sponsored by bigsumofan.com: www.sumokaboom.com Bigsumofan.com is an online sumo merch store based in US, and they ship to over 30 countries. www.bigsum…

1
238: Days 11 - 15 of the November Basho 1:05:21

5M ago1:05:21

1:05:21

Oh my - what a finish. It all came down to day 15. Why does this almost always happen? Here we go talking about photo finishes, pre-bout rituals, slippery dohyos, and crash landings. More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game sponsored by bigsumofan.com: www.sumokaboom.com Bigsumofan.com is an online sumo merch store based in US, and they ship to ov…

1
237: Days 4 - 10 of the November Tournament 56:13

5M ago56:13

56:13

We're in the thick of the November basho, 2024, and it is exciting as ever. This sport has highs and lows, and we are down for it. More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game sponsored by bigsumofan.com: www.sumokaboom.com Bigsumofan.com is an online sumo merch store based in US, and they ship to over 30 countries. www.bigsumofan.com Twitter @SumoKab…

1
236: Days 1-3 of the November Basho 51:05

6M ago51:05

51:05

We get right into the sumo and break down our favorite moments of days 1 - 3. Poor Kirishima. Amazing Onosato. The Waka brothers keeping it exciting. More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game sponsored by bigsumofan.com: www.sumokaboom.com Bigsumofan.com is an online sumo merch store based in US but they ship to over 30 countries. www.bigsumofan.co…

1
235: The Banzuke, Asakoryu and ShiShi 1:07:29

6M ago1:07:29

1:07:29

The November basho looks EXCITING! This one's full of new energy. We've got guys going for promotions and newbies to watch - ShiShi and Asakoryu. These two are easily recognizable. Learn more about them! More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game sponsored by bigsumofan.com: www.sumokaboom.com Bigsumofan.com is based in US but ships to over 30 count…

1
234: Spooky Sumo Halloween Stories 37:49

6M ago37:49

37:49

Grab some hot chocolate, turn the lights low, and settle in for two real silly sumo related Halloween stories: The Cursed Mawashi and Crazy Eyes. To join our raffle (winners will be picked on Halloween, 2024), go to: https://ko-fi.com/sumokaboom $3 per raffle ticket. THANK YOU. There's no way we could do this without you! More about Sumo Kaboom and…

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233: The Way of Sumo 44:35

6M ago44:35

44:35

After some poetry, corrections and news, we jump right into a chat with photographer and author David Rios. His book The Way of Sumo: The American Warrior's Story is available now. To reach David Rios, email [email protected]. His book is available on amazon.com. To join our raffle (winners will be picked on Halloween, 2024), go to: https:…

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232: The Physical Toll of the Jungyo 33:19

6M ago33:19

33:19

This episode is more of a discussion about the jungyo, a recent article by John Gunning, and what changes might be made to preserve wrestlers' health. To join our raffle (winners will be picked on Halloween, 2024), go to: https://ko-fi.com/sumokaboom $3 per raffle ticket. THANK YOU. There's no way we could do this without you! If you need a Sweet T…

1
231: Sweet Saitama & Tottori High 54:17

7M ago54:17

54:17

CORRECTION We try our best to do thorough research, but sometimes we fail. After this episode aired, we received this correction from John Traill of the International Sumo Federation. "Ishiura's father is definitely not from Mongolia. You have jumbled him up my good mate Gantugs Rentsendorj. He is the main Mongolian connection as coach at Tottori J…

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230: Onosato the Ozeki and the Hairiest Yokozuna 39:42

7M ago39:42

39:42

Heads up: there's adult humor in this episode! There's a lot of news to cover up front - from raffles and retirements to cysts and hilariously terrible translation. But, we evenutally get to recent news about our newest ozeki, Onosato. Then, we take a hard left and solve the mystery of the hairiest yokozuna we've ever seen. Turns out he's Asashio I…

1
Mary Oliver on stewardship of the planet 37:17

7M ago37:17

37:17

Poet of the ordinary, the common, the very drab, Mary Oliver was willing to listen, to hear. From that willingness emerges a body of work that is as humble as it is wise. She sang with open throat the prayers of the grass, the waggle of honey bees, the flowing river, the waiting sun, and asked on behalf of the earth crumbling under our carbon footp…

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229: Our Japan Trip and BINGO 1:14:49

7M ago1:14:49

1:14:49

We did ALL the sumo things at the Kokugikan in Tokyo! We stood in very neat and orderly lines. We met retired wrestlers and took photos with them. We spoke in Japanese and hilariously bungled our language skills. We took photos of sumo wrestlers entering the arena and cheered them on with gusto! We got a taste of true Japanese hospitality from Koni…

1
228: September Banzuke 38:35

8M ago38:35

38:35

Talking through the most recent banzuke. Because, we can hardly remember who won the last tournament. We need reminders! More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game: www.sumokaboom.com Big Sumo Fan sponsors our BINGO game. Need sumo merch from the US? www.bigsumofan.com Twitter @SumoKaboom Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sumokaboom/ Facebook http…

1
227: Shirokuma and Onokatsu 40:56

8M ago40:56

40:56

Oh these two are exciting! Wanna learn more about these two? More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game: www.sumokaboom.com Big Sumo Fan sponsors our BINGO game. Need sumo merch from the US? www.bigsumofan.com Twitter @SumoKaboom Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sumokaboom/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SumoKaboom/ YouTube https://www.youtube…

1
226: Female Samurai 40:11

8M ago40:11

40:11

There were female samurai, and they were dangerous! And beautiful! And rode horses well! And were excellent spies! And rode on the front lines of battle! We're telling you about two ladies of lore today - Tomoe Gozen and Nakano Takeko. More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game: www.sumokaboom.com Big Sumo Fan sponsors our BINGO game. Need sumo merc…

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225: Dai-Yokozuna 30:21

9M ago30:21

30:21

Welcome back for another sumo-related discussion, this time about what makes a dai-yokozuna. We also tell you about a shrine in Fukuoka where you can go pick up a power stone! Many thanks to John Gunning, who wrote a wonderful article for the Japan Times about this topic! More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game: www.sumokaboom.com Big Sumo Fan sp…

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224: Oyakatas Part 4 - Oitekaze and Hakkaku 35:56

9M ago35:56

35:56

We never even SAID Hakkaku's ring name in this episode, but it's Hokutoumi! Learn about the coaches of Oitekaze and Hakkaku heyas. Whoa re they? Why are they notable? Who is at Oitekaze stable? Daieisho, Endo, Tobizaru, Daiamami, Daishoho, Tsurugisho, and more Who is at Hakkaku's stable? Hokutofuji, Kitanowaka, Okinoumi (retired), and more More abo…

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223: Days 11-15 of the July 2024 Basho 51:22

9M ago51:22

51:22

The last 5 days of the tournament were a rollercoaster and filled with excitement. In this episode, we tell you about our 2 BINGO winners and then jump back into the sumo action. Of course, we liked this basho's outcome. We almost always do! More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game: www.sumokaboom.com Big Sumo Fan sponsors our BINGO game. Need sum…

1
222: July Basho Days 4 - 10 56:02

9M ago56:02

56:02

Breaking down the sumo from days 4 - 10. How is sumo consistently this good? More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game: www.sumokaboom.com Big Sumo Fan sponsors our BINGO game. Need sumo merch from the US? www.bigsumofan.com Twitter @SumoKaboom Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sumokaboom/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SumoKaboom/ YouTube htt…

1
221: July Basho, Days 1 - 3 46:24

10M ago46:24

46:24

Today's discussion of sumo includes references to samurai, Barry White and the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. Go figure! More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game: www.sumokaboom.com Big Sumo Fan sponsors our BINGO game. Need sumo merch from the US? www.bigsumofan.com Twitter @SumoKaboom Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sumokaboom/ Facebook https:/…

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220: The Banzuke for July 2024 53:03

10M ago53:03

53:03

Is it just me, or has it felt like FOREVER since we had a basho? Can't wait to watch this line up go for the huge trophy. More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game: www.sumokaboom.com Big Sumo Fan sponsors our BINGO game. Need sumo merch from the US? www.bigsumofan.com Twitter @SumoKaboom Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sumokaboom/ Facebook htt…

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219: Oyakatas Part 3 - Tokiwayama 37:20

10M ago37:20

37:20

If you want to learn more about Tokiwayama, you are in the right place. He seems to have most of the personality in the Tokiwayama stable, and he wrestled under the name Takamisugi. Listen to learn more. More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game: www.sumokaboom.com Big Sumo Fan sponsors our BINGO game. Need sumo merch from the US? www.bigsumofan.co…

1
218: Oyakatas Part 2 - Asakayama and Sakaigawa 39:50

10M ago39:50

39:50

You've probably seen one of these men ringside during sumo tournaments, or perhaps you've run across his IG account that features his poodles and his wrestlers. That's Kaio, or Asakayama. We didn't know miuch about him, but what a career he had! The other is a man of mystery who is dedicated to sumo training and has produced several top level ranke…

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217: Oyakatas of the Futagoyama and Arashio Stables 33:43

10M ago33:43

33:43

In today's episode, we're exploring the oyakatas, or head coaches, of two popular sumo rooms - Futagoyama and Arashio stables. Futagoyama is the stable featured on the popular Sumo Food YouTube channel, and Arashio is the stable where you can watch sumo training from outside the windows every morning. If you know your sumo wrestlers, Roga trains at…

1
216: What Happens After Retirement? 38:57

11M ago38:57

38:57

Leslie tackles what happens to sumo wrestlers in lower ranks after they retire. Where do they work? What businesses do they start? And how can we support them? Laurie shouts out all the medalists at the USSF Nationals. Congratulations to you all, and happy training to those headed for Poland! More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game: www.sumokaboo…

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215: Kotoeko and a Whole Lotta Retirement Goin’ On 32:18

11M ago32:18

32:18

Kotoeko announced his retirement, and his fans are heartbroken. Akiseyama and Ishiura had their retirement ceremonies, and we are loving their new hair cuts. Retirement is just one part of a professional sumo wrestler's life. Luckily, it is as celebrated as any other phase. More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game: www.sumokaboom.com Big Sumo Fan …

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214: Days 10-15 of the May Basho 55:20

11M ago55:20

55:20

Congratulations to our BINGO winners, Rafael (and family) and Peter, who came in super fast with BINGOs on day 11 and 13. After BINGO and a little news, we jump right into the sumo on day 10. Enjoy our breakdown of the co-leaders' fights on the final days of the May 2024 basho. What a blast! More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game: www.sumokaboom…

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213: Days 4-9 of the May Basho 49:17

11M ago49:17

49:17

So. Many. Injuries. We never like seeing this. But, we may have a first-time winner at this basho. And, for a few days there, we could say that Ura was in the lead, and that was fun! More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game: www.sumokaboom.com Big Sumo Fan sponsors our BINGO game. Need sumo merch from the US? www.bigsumofan.com Twitter @SumoKaboom…

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212: Days 1-3 of the May Basho 2024 40:31

12M ago40:31

40:31

This discussion of the May basho moves from great sumo to unfortunate and confusing sumo. What was he thinking? How did he do that? And, wow what an unfortunate picture. Sumo is always great fun and terrifying at the same time. We're here for it. More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game: www.sumokaboom.com Big Sumo Fan sponsors our BINGO game. Nee…

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211: The May Banzuke, Tokihayate and Oshoma 43:36

12M ago43:36

43:36

We have two brand new men in the top division! Wanna know who they are and little bit about them? More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game: www.sumokaboom.com Big Sumo Fan sponsors our BINGO game. Need sumo merch from the US? www.bigsumofan.com Twitter @SumoKaboom Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sumokaboom/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Su…

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210: Sumo Content Creators To Follow 39:44

12M ago39:44

39:44

We reached out to several people making quality sumo content for English speakers - Sarah, Patricia, Emilien, and Tobias. Curious about who these folks are and how they make their content? This ep is for you! Perhaps you know them as : @SarahlovesSumo @patriciajaydee @grenot_emilien @Hakkeyoi_Sumo More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game: www.sumo…

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209: Sumo Wrestlers Sing! 34:48

1y ago34:48

34:48

We were treated to a charity sumo event recently. Not only did the wrestlers do sumo for us, THEY SANG. And, our hearts always go pitterpat when these boys sing. Today, we are breaking down the music and performances at the Kanjin Sumo Charity event. Who sang? Who got the crowd going? Who looked like the perfect professional? More about Sumo Kaboom…

1
208: A Tribute to Akebono 52:46

1y ago52:46

52:46

Akebono was the very first foreign-born man to reach the level of yokozuna. He remains a bridge between cultures and will be remembered for his ferocity and size in the ring, his generosity, kindness and care for others outside the ring. Thank you to John Jacques, Bumbo Kalima, and Lynn Matsuoka for sharing your memories of Chad (who later became A…

1
207: Sumo Media for Beginners 35:44

1y ago35:44

35:44

We get two questions ofen. 1. I'm new to sumo. Where do I watch it? 2. How do you do all that research? Where do you go for your info? We're peeling back the curtain today, so you can see the best websites for beginners and where to go for sumo research. There's a special highlight on the sumo food channel, which Leslie loves. We're also looking fo…

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