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WORLD ELITE SUMO ANNOUNCES FOUR NEW ENTRANTS FORONE-NIGHT, OPEN WEIGHT TOURNAMENT IN SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
THREE-TIME AFRICAN NATIONAL FREESTYLE WRESTLING CHAMPION, JAPANESE ‘IRON WALL’ AND POLYNESIAN AMERICAN PRO WRESTLER ALL SLATED FOR TOURNAMENT ACTION
NEW SIX-HUNDRED-POUND AMERICAN TOURNAMENT FIGHTER REPRESENTS THE LARGEST COMPETITOR TO DATE IN WORLD ELITE SUMO HISTORY
TICKETS FOR THE WORLD ELITE SUMO EVENT AT KAISER PERMANENTE ARENA ARE ON SALE NOW
Santa Cruz, CA– August 20, 2026 – World Elite Sumo (WES) today announced four new entrants for its live, one-night, single elimination, open weight professional tournament at Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz on Saturday, Sept. 26.
Three-time African national freestyle wrestling champion Ahmed Khalil, Japanese powerhouse Hidenoumi “The Iron Wall” Takuya, six-hundred-pound American sumo medalist Matthew Westwood and Polynesian American martial artist and professional wrestler, Josh “Siua” Tuitupou were all announced for action in the first-ever professional sumo wrestling tournament in Santa Cruz.
“With these four new sumo athletes added to the tournament, the caliber of professional talent we have for Santa Cruz on September 26 is setting up World Elite Sumo for its best live event so far. The action we will see in the arena is going to be epic,” said Abdelrahman “Sandstorm” Shalan, World Elite Sumo CEO.
Shalan, a decorated sumo wrestler who spent 10 years of his life in Japan to climb the ranks of the sport, was announced last week as one of the fighters who will throw down in the tournament.
Khalil is a 24-year-old, 6-foot-3, 265-pound native of Cairo, Egypt and a resident of Hayward, Calif. where he trains out of United Wrestling Club (UWC).
In addition to the three national championships he won in Africa, Khalil was a silver medalist at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games where his only defeat came at the hands of future Olympic bronze medalist Amir Hossein Zare.
Freakishly athletic and able to move lightning fast on the mat, Khalil is quickly gaining traction with fans as an explosive wrestler capable of executing high caliber, but unpredictable, techniques.
Takuya is a 6-foot, 350-pound inhabitant of Fukushima and a former wrestler in Japan’s “makuuchi”, or top-flight division of sumo competition.
His relentless, forward-pressure style of battle along with his raw strength and unshakable balance have earned Takuya a reputation for being nearly unstoppable upon the start of a bout.
At 6-foot-6 and roughly 600 pounds, the 33-year-old Westwood of Lemoore, Calif. represents the largest man ever to set foot on the World Elite Sumo dohyō, or competition mat.
Westwood, despite only being a year and a half into his sumo career, placed third and earned a bronze medal in the heavyweight division of the prestigious, annual U.S. Sumo Open tournament event in Long Beach, Calif.
Tuitupou is a 5-foot-11, 270-pound Union City, Calif. resident who, like Westwood, was competing in the amateur sumo circuit until recently, while also working as a professional wrestler, most notably seeing action at the annual WrestleCon fan fest last year in Las Vegas.
Tuitupou also brings to the dohyō five years of Muay Thai training, including extensive work with one of the world’s top MMA gyms, AKA in San Jose, Calif.
With the four newly announced competitors, a total of nine athletes have been confirmed for the single-elimination competition that will be comprised of a 12-man field.
The remainder of the tournament fighters will be announced soon.
Today’s news comes on the heels of World Elite Sumo’s announcement about signing 400-pound, number one-ranked Power Slap star, former professional football player and amateur sumo champion Makini “Big Mak” Manu, who will make his professional sumo debut in the tournament on September 26.
In addition to Manu, Shalan and the four sumos revealed today, the tournament field consists of previously announced Asahisho Kota from Japan, “Rui Junior” representing Brazil and Soslan “Big Bear” Gagloev representing Russia.
Giorgi Kvirchishvilli, who had been announced for the show, has withdrawn from the commitment due to an injury.
World Elite Sumo live events bring together top-level athletes from around the world and feature live taiko drumming, dramatic entrances, and an immersive fight night production that blends athleticism, intensity, and spectacle.
All World Elite Sumo tournament matches will be contested in a best-of-three format, increasing competitive stakes and maintaining a rapid, exciting pace of action.
Priced from $50, tickets for the World Elite Sumo event are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com.
Doors for the World Elite Sumo event at Kaiser Permanente Arena will open at 6:00 p.m. local time on September 26, and the event will begin at 7:00 p.m.
For more information on World Elite Sumo, log onto www.worldelitesumo.com.
About World Elite Sumo (WES)
World Elite Sumo is a professional combat sports league redefining sumo for a global audience. Founded by former top-division sumo wrestler Abdelrahman “Sandstorm” Shalan, WES combines tradition, discipline, and elite athletic performance with modern production, storytelling, and live entertainment.
