The Empire Cup: NYC’s first national sumo tournament

In the basement of Queens Jiu Jitsu in Astoria, Alex Moniz faces off against a wrestler twice his size. Lean and muscular, Moniz doesn’t look like your average sumo wrestler. “People have called me a liar. They say, you can’t do sumo, you’re not fat,” he says. After wrestling in his teenage years, Moniz struggled to find a wrestling group that would keep him active. Then he found New York Sumo Club, a relatively new amateur sumo club where most of the members don’t fit the sumo stereotype.

Three years ago, U.S. Sumo lightweight medalist Oscar Dolan formed the only active sumo club in the city. In the early years, only a handful of members squared off in a makeshift ring in Prospect Park in warmer weather. Now the group of 20 regular attendees practice year-round in specialized ring from Japan in a dedicated space.

In cities throughout California, Texas and Florida, sumo culture has been thriving with clubs, competitions and professional performances, but New York City has been largely left behind. In a city where nearly every club or group activity can be found, sumo’s recent introduction seems odd. The new club is making up for the lack of activity by hosting The Empire Cup - NYC’s first amateur national sumo tournament.

With 50 participants nationwide expected to participate and many more in attendance to watch the action, the city’s first national tournament in memory may tell if New York is finally ready for Sumo.