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SUMO CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE UNVEILS STACKED 16-ATHLETE FIELD FOR CHICAGO
Austin champion Jordan Sikes puts his title on the line as the entire Austin podium returns, joined by national champions and fresh contenders, for a Nov. 7 showdown at Credit Union 1 Arena
ATLANTA, Ga., October 20, 2026 – Sumo Championship League (SCL) today announced the 16-athlete field for SCL LIVE: CHICAGO, its Nov. 7 event at Credit Union 1 Arena, bringing professional sumo’s biggest hitters to Chicago for the second stop of the league’s inaugural season.
Leading the charge is Jordan Sikes of Panama City Beach, Fla., who returns as SCL’s first-ever event champion after taking the title in Austin on Oct. 10 and is now SCL’s current points leader. The entire Austin podium is back for another shot at him, including runner-up Edobor Konyeha of Jacksonville, Texas, a three-time U.S. National Lightweight Champion and reigning U.S. Open Openweight Champion; third-place finisher and 450-pound U.S. National Heavyweight Champion Dominus Davis-Williams of San Antonio; and fourth-place finisher George Ferris III, founder of Alabama’s Yellow Hammer Sumo Club.
The Chicago card also brings plenty of new firepower, and all eyes will be on local favorite Ruperto “The Chicago Silverback” Cintron of Elgin, Ill. A 2025 Yama’s Sumo Showdown bronze medalist who spent a decade as a semi-pro football player, including with the Chicago Chaos, Cintron makes his SCL debut in front of a home crowd. He’s joined by fellow newcomers Konner Kane, the 2026 USA Light Heavyweight National Champion from New Braunfels, Texas; 2025 Empire Cup Gold Medalist James Nottingham of Greenwich, Conn.; and 2026 USSF Nationals Bronze Medalist Kofi Miller of New York. With Season Points from Austin already on the board, every bout in Chicago is a chance to climb the Sumo Power Rankings, or slip down them.
“Our first event in Austin was amazing. The crowd loved the action, and Austin gave us our first champion. Chicago is where the chase really begins,” said Stuart Snyder, Chairman and CEO of Sumo Championship League. “Every athlete on this card watched what happened on October 10th, and every one of them is coming to Credit Union 1 Arena with a plan to take the top prize of $10,000 and get valuable points in the league’s standings. Chicago fans are in for big action, big collisions, big upsets and tons of family-friendly fun packed into one night.”
CHICAGO COMPETITION FIELD
The seeded Chicago field includes 16 competitors, with two alternates also named and available if needed. Athlete participation is subject to change, with any updates announced in advance of the event.
Seed
Athlete
Hometown
Weight
Points
1
Jordan Sikes
Panama City Beach, Fla.
300 lbs.
25
2
Edobor Konyeha
Jacksonville, Texas
202 lbs.
20
3
Dominus Davis-Williams
San Antonio, Texas
450 lbs.
15
4
George Ferris
Odenville, Ala.
330 lbs.
10
5
Larry Velasquez
Lehi, Utah
310 lbs.
5
6
Jared Parham
Irving, Texas
254 lbs.
5
7
Taylor Fordham
Atlanta, Ga.
345 lbs.
5
8
Joshua Wade
New York, N.Y.
215 lbs.
0
9
Konner Kane
New Braunfels, Texas
255 lbs.
0
10
Brandon Rudzinski
Rochester Hills, Mich.
250 lbs.
0
11
Kofi Miller
New York, N.Y.
352 lbs.
0
12
Jabari Webb
Villa Rica, GA
310 lbs.
0
13
Ruperto Cintron
Elgin, Ill.
260 lbs.
0
14
Jared Tadlock
Dallas, Texas
325 lbs.
0
15
Drew Brennan
Lynchburg, Va.
400 lbs.
0
16
James Nottingham
Greenwich, Conn.
205 lbs.
0
ALT
Corban Meyer
Martinsville, Ind.
275 lbs.
0
ALT
Jamal Williams
Gary, Ind.
260 lbs.
0
HOW SCL COMPETITION WORKS
Each SCL event is contested as a multi-round tournament, with the pressure building with every bout. Eight athletes advance from the opening round to Round Two, where head-to-head bouts narrow the field to four. The remaining competitors enter a seeded bracket, with No. 1 facing No. 4 and No. 2 facing No. 3. Semifinal, third-place, and final matchups are contested best-of-three, with the title bout closing the evening.
Every event also contributes to the season-long championship race. Athletes earn Season Points based on their performance, which are used to establish SCL’s Sumo Power Rankings, inspired by sumo’s traditional banzuke. The rankings are updated following each event and help determine seeding and qualification for the SCL Annual Championship.
Built to be an accessible night out for the whole family, SCL offers the excitement of live pro sports at a price that won’t break the bank. Fast, easy-to-follow bouts keep first-timers and young fans engaged from start to finish.
THE ROAD RUNS THROUGH CHICAGO
Austin crowned SCL’s first champion. Chicago is where the season race heats up. The league’s Midwest debut gives fans their first look at authentic sumo, athlete storytelling and modern live sports entertainment under one roof, with every bout counting toward the Sumo Power Rankings and the road to the SCL Annual Championship.
SCL’s season continues Dec. 19 at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.
Tickets and additional information are available at https://sumochampionshipleague.com/.
SCL ATHLETES ON THE WORLD STAGE
SCL’s international roster also made its mark at the 2026 Sumo World Championships, held Oct. 17–18 in Baku, Azerbaijan, where SCL’s European-based athletes swept the men’s openweight podium. Vazha Daiauri of Ukraine took gold, Zuka Tsikoradze of Georgia earned silver and Erik Szilagyi of Hungary claimed bronze. Additional notable finishes from the SCL roster included: Oleksander Veresiuk (UKR) Bronze Men’s +115 kg, Demid Karachenko (UKR) Bronze Men’s -100kg, and Edobor Konyeha (USA) 5th Place Men’s -85kg. Ukraine also captured the team gold behind SCL athletes Daiauri, Karachenko and Veresiuk, with SCL’s Anton Chuiev coaching.
ABOUT SUMO CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE
Sumo Championship League (SCL) is building a modern professional sumo league for audiences in the United States and around the world. Combining authentic competition, elite heavyweight athletes, live-event spectacle and a modern sports experience, SCL brings league events to arenas across America beginning in fall 2026. Built on respect for sumo’s heritage, SCL features recurring live events, season-long rankings and championship competition, with a long-term vision of establishing professional sumo as a sustainable global sports and entertainment property.
