Ryota Hama

The massive Ryota Hama is a former sumo wrestler who is in his second year in All-Japan. Originally brought in and trained by All-Japan President Keiji Muto, Hama not surprisingly has been pushed hard and there are big hopes for this giant.
Hama began competing in sumo at age 15, quickly earning several promotions. He retired from sumo in 2008, at which time he decided to move to puroresu. Hama debuted in All-Japan in November 2008, and perhaps fittingly his first opponent was the legendary former sumo champion Akebono. While Hama came up short there and not surprisingly lost all his early matches, it was not long before he started getting wins in tag team matches and soon in singles matches. He teamed with Muto early on but starting in summer 2009 was paired with Akebono to make what likely is the biggest tag team currently in puroresu, and maybe all of wrestling, as the sumos combined tip the scales at around 900 pounds! In September 2009 Hama’s rookie year hit a major high point, as despite working with an apparent leg injury he & Akebono beat Minoru Suzuki & NOSAWA Rongai to win the All-Asia Tag Team Championship. It’s still too early to tell what the future holds for this former sumo in puro, but as long as he keeps improving it’s probably safe to say he will continue to get a push as a future top-tier star in the promotion.
Hama’s impressive rookie year was rewarded in December 2009 by Tokyo Sports, as the former sumo received two of the prestigious annual Tokyo Sports Grand Prix Awards. He was named Rookie Of The Year and Tag Team Of The Year with Akebono. And it took just 16 months for Hama to reach the pinnacle of his career to date, as on March 21, 2010 he won the Triple Crown and thus became the sumo…or man…in All-Japan, completing a truly amazing climb to the top of the mountain. Hama lost the Triple Crown to Minoru Suzuki in May 2010, since then he has aligned himself with Suwama’s New Generation faction in their rivalry against the older, more experienced veterans in All-Japan.

Stats & info:
Age: 30
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 450 pounds/205 kg
Experience: 1 year
Finishing move: Ryota Hammer, Running Body Press
Current affiliation: All-Japan
Ring Entrance Theme: “ADVANCER”

Titles won:
1-time Triple Crown Champion
1-time All-Asia Tag Team Champion
1-time F-1 Tag Team Champion

Other accolades:
2009 Tokyo Sports Grand Prix Rookie Of The Year Award
2009 Tokyo Sports Grand Prix Tag Team Of The Year Award (with Akebono)
Ranked #24 in 2010 PWI 500

Official Twitter (Japanese):
http://twitter.com/hamachanko

Ring entrance theme: