Chicago truck driver debuts in new pro sumo league

The Sumo Championship League launched its inaugural North American tour with a stop in Chicago on Saturday. The event, held at Credit Union 1 Arena, marked the second stop on the league's first season. Founder Stuart Snyder, former president of Cartoon Network and World Wrestling Entertainment, designed the league to offer a distinct American presentation of the sport.

Rupert Cintron, a 51-year-old truck driver from Elgin, was the only competitor from the Chicago area on the card. Cintron stands 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 260 pounds. He competes under the nickname The Chicago Silverback. Cintron has wrestled sumo for two years and began training with the Chicago Sumo Club, a local amateur group formed in 2022.

Cintron works daily moving approximately 11,000 pounds of flour, beef, and other raw materials from his truck into restaurant basements. He previously worked as a mover and played 11 years of semi-pro football in the Chicago area. He has not visited a gym in seven years. Cintron described his physical capability as dad strength, a term used by others to describe his natural power.

The league operates without affiliation to professional sumo in Japan. Wrestlers accrue points throughout the season, and those who underperform may be cut from the roster. The top wrestler at each event receives a $10,000 prize. The season concludes with a final event in late 2027. The roster includes American wrestlers, as well as competitors from Mongolia, Ukraine, and one amateur from Japan.

Snyder stated that the sumo in the league remains pure, despite the Americanized packaging. The presentation includes specific attention to music, lighting, and crowd reaction. The league does not adhere to every Japanese tradition, such as throwing salt to purify the ring before a match. Snyder noted that the league is sensitive to co-opting traditions that are inherently Japanese.

Cintron lost his three matches during the Saturday event. He slipped during the first bout. In the second, an opponent pushed him out of the ring with a hand to the neck. In the third, he wrestled his opponent to the ground, but Cintron hit the floor first. His performance suggests he may not be invited to future events immediately, though he hopes to serve as an alternate if a competitor is injured or ill.

Sam Rodriguez III, a 40-year-old military veteran from Calumet City, also competed in the league's first event in Austin, Texas, in October. That event drew about 3,500 attendees. Rodriguez broke a finger and tore tendons in his hand during the Austin match, which prevented him from competing in Chicago. He described the crowd reaction as wild once the initial charge occurred in the ring.

The professional ranks in Japan are occupied by wrestlers who typically weigh more than 350 pounds. The new league features a wider range of body types. Weights among competitors range from 200 pounds to 450 pounds, the weight of the league's top-ranked wrestler, Dominus Davis-Williams. Smaller wrestlers frequently defeat larger opponents in this circuit.

Cintron's daughter, Raven, 22, held a sign in the crowd that read Build some calluses. The phrase references a line Cintron tells his children when they experience minor pains, suggesting the discomfort makes them stronger. Cintron planned to attend sumo practice on Sunday morning following the event. He said he felt the regular aches and pains of a 51-year-old but was content with the experience.

The amateur sumo scene in Chicago traces back to Matt Shields, who started the Chicago Sumo Club in 2022. Shields, 40, recruited members by drilling alone on beaches and asking passersby to wrestle him. He eventually formed a group of about 12 core members, including female wrestlers. They practice every Sunday at a local university and receive instruction from YouTube and Ryuichi Yamamoto, a retired Japanese pro who lives in St. Louis.