World Elite Sumo Adds Seven New Competitors to Orlando Tournament Field

World Elite Sumo Adds Seven New Competitors to Orlando Tournament Field

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“World Elite Sumo has assembled for this event a very diverse group of athletes with high-level skills and accomplishments in a variety of martial arts and sports, making this one-night tournament something no sports fan should miss,” World Elite Sumo spokesperson Alaa Okasha said in a statement. The promotion announced Wednesday that seven additional competitors will join its upcoming 12-man openweight professional sumo tournament, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 21 at Caribe Royale Orlando.

The one-night event, titled “World Elite Sumo: Pro Era V,” will feature athletes from a variety of combat sports backgrounds, including mixed martial arts, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, amateur wrestling and professional wrestling. The tournament brings together military veterans, collegiate champions and professional fighters in a single openweight format, creating a unique cross-section of American and international combat sports talent.

The Nov. 21 show marks the fifth installment in the Pro Era series, with the openweight format allowing competitors of varying sizes to face one another in sumo’s traditional ring.

Army Veteran Brian Dina Headlines New Additions

Among the newly announced entrants is Brian Dina, a U.S. Army veteran and Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitor from Melbourne, Florida. The 6-foot-3, 360-pound fighter served as an infantryman during the war in Afghanistan before turning to competitive grappling. He trains at Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, where he earned a blue belt in the discipline, and brings a lifelong athletic background to the sumo ring.

Duke “The Viking” Webb, 32, stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 312 pounds. A resident of Merritt Island, Florida, Webb has competed in MMA, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and kickboxing for more than 15 years. His career includes multiple submission grappling tournament victories, and his most noteworthy win came in 2022 when he defeated 412-pound wrestling stylist Thomas Riggins in an MMA rules bout.

Collegiate Wrestling Champion Jahsua Marsh Joins Field

Jahsua Marsh, 35, is a 6-foot-3, 285-pound native of Brentwood, New York, and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. The former collegiate standout won the 2012 NAIA national wrestling championship at Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska, and earned All-American honors twice during his collegiate career. Marsh also carries two heavyweight MMA championship titles to go with his accomplished wrestling pedigree.

Professional wrestler “Juicy” Finau brings one of the largest frames in the tournament at 6-foot-4 and 465 pounds. The 30-year-old native of Chino, California, is a descendant of parents from the Kingdom of Tonga and has five years of Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling experience. Finau has also wrestled professionally for organizations including AAA Lucha Libre, which was acquired by WWE last year, and Major League Wrestling.

World Elite Sumo Veterans Round Out New Group

Also joining the tournament field are World Elite Sumo veterans Rui Jr. of Brazil, Josh “Siua” Tuitupou of Union City, California, and Gilberto “El Coloso Aztec” De La Torre of Los Angeles. These three bring prior experience with the promotion to the Nov. 21 event, adding international representation from Brazil alongside domestic veterans.

The seven new entrants join previously revealed competitors Makini “Big Mak” Manu, the top-ranked super heavyweight in Dana White’s Power Slap organization fighting out of Carson, California; former top-division Japanese sumo wrestler Hidenoumi “The Iron Wall” Takuya of Tokyo; and Soslan “Big Bear” Gagloev of Russia, by way of Orlando. This mix includes a former Japanese professional sumo competitor, a Power Slap champion, and a Russian fighter based locally in Orlando.

Two Fighters Withdraw from November Event

Organizers also announced that previously scheduled competitors Brennen Moorefield and Jakob “Mosin” Alekseyev have withdrawn from the event. Moorefield is sidelined because of a training injury sustained during preparation, while no reason was provided for Alekseyev’s withdrawal from the tournament field.

Event Details for November 21

Doors for the Pro Era V event at Caribe Royale Orlando open at 6 p.m. local time on Nov. 21, with the first bout scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale through VBO Tickets, and more information is available at www.worldelitesumo.com.

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