About the show
Sumo Kaboom!
A weekly podcast dedicated to our favorite sport - sumo wrestling. We chat about tournaments, current events, history and our favorite wrestlers.
Both Collins sisters are performers, improvisers, and creators and have absolutely no sumo training. But, they are huge sumo fans.
Having lived in Japan, Leslie loves the history and traditions of sumo. She also has a deep love for sumo karaoke singers. Laurie is fascinated by sumo wrestler fandom, the sumo training regimen and physicality of the sport.
Together, they serve up exciting sumo treats for sumo-curious fans. These kooky sisters share an enthusiasm for sumo and like all sisters, they work amazingly well together. All of the time. There are never any issues. Ever.
We also send out silly sumo related content weekly. If you want to receive our writing about all things sumo, join our Substack below. We won't ever share your info.
Sumo Kaboom on social media
Episodes
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Akebono, Cellulitis, and Tochinoshin's Bandaids
June 24th, 2020 | 44 mins 16 secs
akebono, cellulitis, comedy, grand sumo, grand sumo highlights, improv comedy, japan, nhk, skin infections, sumo, sumo wrestling, tochinoshin, tournament, yokozuna
Leslie focuses on the great American yokozuna, Akebono while Laurie focuses on sumo and skin infections.
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The Banzuke. What's a banzuke??
June 17th, 2020 | 34 mins 40 secs
banzuke, comedy, grand sumo, grand sumo highlights, improv comedy, japan, nhk, sumo, sumo wrestling, tournament
What the heck is a banzuke? We help you make sense of it, from the way it's created to how a wrestler moves up or down within it.
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Injury, Healing, and Singing
June 10th, 2020 | 48 mins 54 secs
comedy, grand sumo, grand sumo highlights, improv comedy, japan, nhk, sumo, sumo folk singing, sumo folk song, sumo wrestling, tournament
Sumo and injury. We talk about the prevalence of injury in the sport and what it takes to heal after one. We also manage to talk about John Gunning, Mariah Holmes, Tamawashi's baking prowess and sumo folk singing.
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Shikona, Sumo Ring Names
June 3rd, 2020 | 33 mins 33 secs
comedy, grand sumo, grand sumo highlights, improv comedy, japan, nhk, ring names, shikona, sumo, sumo wrestling, tournament, wrestlers
What's in a name? A LOT, it turns out.
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Wonder Woman of US Sumo, Mariah Holmes
May 27th, 2020 | 49 mins 36 secs
comedy, female wrestling, find a friend, grand sumo, grand sumo highlights, improv comedy, japan, mariah holmes, mawashi, nhk, sumo, sumo wrestling, tournament, training, women sumo
Let's talk female trailblazers and hear from one of America's most badass sumo athletes and advocates, Mariah Holmes.
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Sumo and Comedy
May 20th, 2020 | 30 mins 28 secs
byamba, comedy, grand sumo, grand sumo highlights, improv comedy, japan, nhk, shobushi, shokkiri, sumo, sumo wrestling, tournament
Sumo and comedy are a good match. This is the perfect week to honor two wrestlers who excelled at them both, Shobushi and Byamba. Also, we explain the comedy sumo routine - shokkiri.
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Yokozuna in the Shadows
May 13th, 2020 | 47 mins 31 secs
comedy, google translate, google translator, grand sumo, grand sumo highlights, improv comedy, japan, kakuryu, nhk, sumo, sumo wrestling, tournament, yokozuna
This week, Laurie and Leslie talk about yokozunas in the shadows (insert echo effect here). We talk about great and not so great yokozunas throughout history who have been overshadowed by other great yokozunas. We take a deep dive into the awesomeness that is Kakuryu and TRY to pronounce his real Mongolian name. Ya'll, we are terrible at pronouncing Mongolian.
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US Sumo, Justin Kizzart
May 6th, 2020 | 42 mins 19 secs
comedy, dark circle sumo, grand sumo, grand sumo highlights, improv comedy, japan, justin kizzart, nhk, shiko, sumo, sumo training, sumo wrestling, tournament, us sumo federation, us sumo nationals
We talk with a US National Sumo gold medalist about training and the state of sumo in Texas and beyond.
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The Tachiai
April 29th, 2020 | 47 mins 45 secs
banzuke, comedy, covid, grand sumo, grand sumo highlights, improv comedy, japan, kabuki, nhk, sumo, sumo wrestling, tachiai, tournament
The tachiai- what it is and how it's changed. Along with the latest news and questions about sumo wrestling, of course!
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Kanreki and the JSA
April 22nd, 2020 | 36 mins 38 secs
comedy, grand sumo, grand sumo highlights, improv comedy, japan, japan sumo association, jsa, kanreki, nhk, sumo, sumo wrestling, tournament
What's a Kanreki dohyo-iri and what is the Japan Sumo Association?
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3 Sumo GOATs
April 15th, 2020 | 45 mins 31 secs
chiyonofuji, comedy, goat, grand sumo, grand sumo highlights, hakuho, improv comedy, japan, mawashi, nhk, sumo, sumo humor, sumo wrestling, taiho, tournament, translation, yokozuna
We talk about 3 Greatest Of All Time sumo wrestlers and the grossest thing we've ever heard about mawashi.
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Ladies of Sumo
April 8th, 2020 | 39 mins 27 secs
amateur sumo, comedy, female sumo, grand sumo, grand sumo highlights, improv comedy, japan, nhk, onna-zumo, sumo, sumo wrestling, tournament, women in sumo
From the historical to the cheeky. From the onna-zumo to the fierce female wrestlers of today.
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Babies, Bodies and Babes
April 1st, 2020 | 45 mins 10 secs
april, babies, baby crying festival, comedy, fat, grand sumo, grand sumo highlights, improv comedy, japan, marriage, nai sumo baby crying festival, nhk, physique, science, sexy, sexy sumo, single, sumo, sumo wrestler, sumo wrestling, tournament, tradition
Why are there so many pictures of sumo wrestlers with babies? Why do sumo wrestlers look like they do? And, why do ladies find them sexy?
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March Basho Day 8 - 15
March 25th, 2020 | 1 hr 1 min
aoiyama, comedy, coronavirus, dohyo-iri, grand sumo, grand sumo highlights, hakuho, improv comedy, japan, kakaryu, nhk, sumo, sumo wrestling, tournament, yokozuna showdown
Our breakdown of the second week of the March basho 2020.
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March Basho Through Day 7
March 18th, 2020 | 51 mins 21 secs
comedy, coronavirus, grand sumo, grand sumo highlights, hakuho, haru basho, highlights, improv comedy, japan, kakuryu, kyujo, mitakeumi, nhk, nishikigi, osaka, quiet, spring in japan, sumo, sumo wrestling, takakeisho, takayasu, tokushoryu, tournament, yokozuna
March sumo highlights, crickets, sweet Takayasu and a Hakuho Love Fest
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Sumo Techniques
March 11th, 2020 | 38 mins 36 secs
bout, comedy, grand sumo, grand sumo highlights, historic bout, historic sumo, improv comedy, japan, kamasutra, kimarite, nhk, sumo, sumo wrestling, tournament
Winning moves, breakdowns of historic bouts, and sumo squats. Sumo and the kamasutra.