World Championship Sumo (WCS) and Club Sumo events will be broadcast live on TrillerTV as the sport makes its championship return stateside teaming up with a core viewing outlet for combat sports fans to deliver “The Biggest Show On Earth”. The action begins on Thursday, January 25th and Thursday, February 8th with Club Sumo tournaments beginning at 8 p.m. ET from White Eagle Hall in Jersey City, New Jersey. These events lead up to the marquee World Championship Sumo tournament on Sunday, February 18th beginning at 7 p.m. ET from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. All the action can be viewed live and for free by signing up at www.trillertv.com. The “play-by-play” announcing will be handled by rising MMA personality Ben “The Bane” Davis, with 15-time Norwegian champion Hans Borg bringing his years of sumo expertise to the color commentator role.
Handling interviews and contributing color commentary and more will be Madison Guinn, who made history last year by being part of the first women’s team to ever win a Sumo medal for team USA at the Sumo World Championships. The team also features renowned Las Vegas oddsmaker Kenny White, who will be setting odds for matches throughout the tournaments and providing real-time analysis on the broadcasts. Rounding out the team is ring announcer Jazz Securo.
"The International Sumo League is thrilled to have our live broadcasts streamed on TrillerTV, the gold standard in combat sports,” said Noah Goldman, President of the International Sumo League (ISL). “The ISL and its World Championship Sumo and Club Sumo brands will have a dynamic announce crew who possess special talents and skills heading its broadcast team. Ben Davis and Madison Guinn are recognized as two of the best young broadcasters in the industry, and will bring their competitive insights to the broadcast as active combat sports athletes. Hans Borg, our analyst, is a legend in the sport who will offer his unique perspective into the Sumo matches with both wisdom and wit. Kenny White, one of the country's foremost sports handicappers, will provide updated odds and in-tournament analysis throughout the telecast, and ring announcer Jazz Securo's electric voice will excite our audiences from the center of the dohyo."
“At TrillerTV, our viewers love sports of all kinds – especially combat sports,” said Michael Weber, Co-Founder and COO of TrillerTV. “Here’s an incredible opportunity to present the best of the best in a sport with a long and noble history, and at the same time to bring in a new audience that doesn’t know how exciting Sumo really is. World Championship Sumo has the talent and expertise to make this happen in a big way.”
The 24-year-old Davis has already made a name for himself as a fast-rising broadcast talent in combat sports, leading the announce team for Anthony Pettis’ APFC, Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat, New York's premier MMA promotion Flex Fight Series, Colombia's Empire MMA and the Kumite Series. Davis is trained in MMA and made his pro boxing debut against Anderson Silva’s son Gabe Silva.
A legend of Norway, Borg won the Norway national championship for 10 years in a row from 2002-2011. His accolades extend beyond his home country as he’s won medals in the European Championships and in the 2007 U.S. Sumo Championships. In 2003 alone, Borg won the gold medal at the Norway National Championship, gold in the Nordic Championships and bronze in both the European Championships and World Championships.
Representing her native Houston, Texas, Guinn has competed since she was 15 years old in freestyle, Greco and folkstyle wrestling, catch wrestling, Brazilian jiu jitsu, Sumo and MMA. She is the 2023 U.S. Middleweight Sumo National Champion, was on the Texas National Team for wrestling and holds a purple belt in BJJ and a brown belt in Taekwondo. As a commentator, she’s worked for Brazos Valley Submission Quest and more.
White is a two-time winner of the prestigious Stardust Football Invitational, in addition to originating the Player Power Ratings and formerly running the powerful Las Vegas Sports Consultants. The legendary oddsmaker can also be seen regularly on CBS Sports HQ. A prodigy in the business, White was running a sportsbook at 24-years-old and by 26 was setting lines for Vegas’ biggest casinos.
Securo’s work has seen him featured behind the mic on ESPN, NBC, NBC Sports Network, CBS Sports Network and more, being honored with “Ring Announcer of the Year” in multiple regions. In addition to award winning work as an actor/director, the New Orleans-native was a two-time Division 1 Track State Champion before picking up the microphone.
This team will help present “The Biggest Show On Earth” beginning with these three events in January and February, as Rikishi (Sumo wrestlers) from around the world compete to be crowned the first ever International Sumo League (ISL) World Champion.
Tickets for the live event at Prudential Center are available through Ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices range from $25 to $200, plus applicable fees. Tickets for the live events at White Eagle Hall are available through SeeTickets.com. Ticket prices range from $30 to $60, plus applicable fees.
