BRING THE BELLY!

'EVERYBODY GETS THROWN' AT THE NEW YORK SUMO CLUB

- STORY: AIMEE ORTIZ / NYT

Standing proudly at 170cm, Angelo Jesus Lizardi might as well have been on a quest to battle Goliath as he stepped into a sumo fighting ring on a recent bright Saturday evening in the courtyard of Japan Village in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. He is a muscular wrestler, but compared to his opponent, he is also, well, small.

Lizardi, 25, and weighing about 75kg, was facing off against one of his own coaches, Daniel Robert Douglas, who, at roughly 165kg and 198cm, towered over him.

They were there as members of the New York Sumo Club, which has brought the ancient combat sport to the city, giving its practitioners a place to test their confidence, experience a mental boost, and perhaps most importantly, find a community, Lizardi said.

As fans watched, some with mouths agape, the two fighters slammed directly into each other, with Lizardi burying his face in Douglas’ chest. They grappled and fought for dominance near the edge. Then, Lizardi managed to grab Douglas’ right leg and pull it up, disrupting Douglas’ balance and driving him out of the ring.

Not only did Lizardi win, but he placed at the top of the open-weight class division by the end of the day, ranking fourth out of 33 in what had been the first amateur sumo tournament in New York City, earlier this month.

“I live for those moments,” Lizardi said later.

The Empire Cup, held by the New York Sumo Club on May 17, drew countless spectators who munched on snacks, some sipping on beers, as they cheered on 56 athletes, who fought for a trophy and, mostly, bragging rights.

The one-day competition was the culmination of three years of hard work by Oscar Dolan, the club’s founder, who is a wrestler himself and a former US lightweight silver medalist.