HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK, Arkansas — Six Arkansans have been named as celebrity coaches to support the six sumo champions who will compete Friday evening for the Cherry Blossom Cup in a round-robin tournament at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs.
“The assignments are out, the sumos have been paired with their coaches,” Visit Hot Springs CEO Steve Arrison said Tuesday. “Bring on the matches and the fight for the Cherry Blossom Cup. The winner gets the cup, and his coach gets one too.”
Arrison said the coaches will “provide moral support and work the crowd to back their sumo.”
“Their job is to talk about their sumo before the competition starts and again how he is doing at intermission,” Arrison said.
Tickets — $25 general admission and $55 for floor seats — are on sale at www.ticketmaster.com.
The coaches and their sumo champs are:
• Hot Springs City Manager Bill Burrough, who will coach Ichi, at 6 feet 4 inches and 540 pounds. Ichi is the winner of the Emperor's Cup (highest award in Japanese Pro Sumo).
• Jarrett Jackson, US 97 Radio personality, who will coach Hiroki, 6 feet 4 inches, the heaviest sumo wrestler on earth. Hiroki appeared in “John Wick 4” and the hit series “Sanctuary.”
• Garland County Judge Darryl Mahoney will coach Fumiya, at 5 feet 7 inches and 520 pounds. The widest sumo on earth. He is 67 inches tall but his waist size is 70-plus inches. He is wider than he is tall!
• Heather Baker, publisher of AY Magazine, will coach Ramy, a 10-time national sumo champion and former U.S. Sumo Open champion. Baker wrestled Ramy in last year’s sumo exhibition in Hot Springs — and won. Ramy stands 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 530 pounds.
• Leland Green, a career counselor at Fountain Lake High School, will coach Mendee, a two-time U.S. Sumo Open champion and a world sumo champ. Fountain Lake had a huge cheering section for Mendee at last year’s sumo exhibition. Mendee stands 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 330 pounds.
• Monte Everhart, known worldwide as the World’s Largest Leprechaun in Hot Springs’ World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade®, will coach Waka, who has participated in 763 career sumo matches. Everhart is the retired founder of American Tire and Wheel in Hot Springs. Waka is 6 feet tall and weighs 330 pounds.
Admission to Bank OZK Arena will open at 6 p.m. Friday at the entrance on the corner of Convention Boulevard and Laurel Street. Security measures will be in place, with walk-through metal detectors and only clear bags permitted,
For more information contact Steve Arrison, 501-321-2027.
