From Ukrainian wrestling to sumo's top division
In short: Shishi Masaru is the first Ukrainian in history to reach sekitori status in professional sumo. His journey from a freestyle wrestler who exceeded weight limits to a lion-hearted competitor in Japan highlights a unique path of cultural adaptation and physical endurance.
Born Serhii Sokolovskyi in 1997, Shishi began his athletic journey at age 6 by playing football as a goalkeeper. A freestyle wrestling coach eventually scouted him, leading him to switch to sumo at age 15. His transition was necessitated by his size; he exceeded the 125 kg weight limit of freestyle wrestling and joined the sumo club instead. By 2012, he had won the European Sumo Championships, but it wasn't until 2016 that he moved to Japan to pursue a professional career.
His path to the top was marked by significant cultural hurdles. Initially rejected by one stable due to existing foreign roster limits, he spent over a year training at Irumagawa stable to acclimatize. During this period, he struggled with severe homesickness and a language barrier, as he spoke neither English nor Japanese. He famously learned basic phrases through mimetism, taking pride in his first independent act of ordering chankonabe. In 2020, he finally enrolled professionally, making Ukraine the 24th country to have a professional sumo wrestler.
Shishi's rise reached a milestone in July 2023 when he was promoted to the jūryō division (sekitori status). His ring name, Shishi, translates to 'lion,' reflecting his master’s hope that he would become the 'king of beasts.' In November 2024, he achieved the ultimate goal: reaching the makuuchi top division. This milestone was particularly poignant given the ongoing conflict in Ukraine; while sumo rules forbid political comments, Shishi has used his platform to pledge financial support to his family and received significant public acclaim for his perseverance.
Technically, Shishi favors a migi-yotsu grip (left hand outside, right hand inside) and often finishes with yori-kiri (force out). Despite these preferences, he is noted for his versatility in oshi-dashi (push out) and uwatenage (overarm throw) techniques. His career has been defined by resilience, including wrestling through injuries on painkillers to avoid relegation and navigating the intense scrutiny of social media during high-stakes matches.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Shishi Masaru
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