Correction: A previous version of this article included the incorrect headline “Undefeated former U.S. Sumo Open champion returns for title at 2023 competition” it has now been updated to reflect Mendsaikhan Tsogt-Erdene’s title as the former World Sumo champion.
At 5-foot-10 and 320 pounds, this sumo wrestler seems small compared to other sumos, but his 14-0 record breaking winning streak last year tells a different story.
Former World Sumo Champion, 2022 Heavyweight Gold and Openweight Gold Champion Mendsaikhan “Mendee” (Men-day) Tsogt-Erdene, is a force to be reckoned with.
His record winning streak has never been done before, giving him a strong edge over the competition he will face this year.
One of 60 international sumo wrestlers hailing from 10 different countries, Mendee is the one to watch at the 2023 U.S. Sumo Open this Saturday.
Originally from Mongolia, Mendee speaks Mongolian and Japanese, but event coordinator Andrew Freund translated for Mendee during his interview.
Mendee attributed his start in sumo wrestling to his grandmother. His grandmother took him to a sumo practice when he was 8 years old so that he would lose weight. Ironically he weighs a lot more now.
Last year Mendee competed against many opponents who outweighed him, some opponents he competed against had weight differences of 100 pounds or more.
Mendee acknowledged an underdog mentality for helping him stay on top of the competition as he trains for this year’s Sumo Open.
He explained that the most important thing to him as far as preparing for the upcoming Sumo Open is to refine the technique, known as Moro-zashi, that he specializes in.
Moro-zashi is one of the many techniques sumo wrestlers use or specialize in like Mendee. This technique is done by a double underarm grip that prevents the opponent from grabbing the wrestler’s belt.
Mendee also said Americans have a misconception of weight in sumo. Many tend to see him and think he is too small for a fighter, but in sumo, technique and speed matter much more than size.
The US Sumo Open is the top event of the year to watch wrestlers test their technique and speed against one another in Japan’s most popular sport.
Mendee will be in action this year at the 23rd Annual US Sumo Open held at the Walter Pyramid at Cal State Long Beach this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Those interested can purchase tickets at usasumo.com by navigating to the 2023 U.S. Sumo Open event page.