🎤 In His Own Words — Sandanme Championship Interview (March 2026)
Source: Futagoyama Stable YouTube — Championship celebration stream (March 25, 2026). Translated excerpts.
"The surgery was worth it." — In his bout against Chiyomaru, Namatame was pushed off balance but managed to stay on his feet. "Before the surgery, I wouldn't have recovered from that position. That's when I felt — the knee operation was worth it."
"If I'm trying to fight like my old self, my old self is stronger." — When asked whether current Namatame or peak Juryo Namatame is stronger: "If I'm thinking 'I need to fight the way I used to,' then the old me wins. Only when I find something new and power up — that's when I'll be stronger than before. I can't stay the same as I was."
Bond with Mita ("Sesame Oil Boy") — His childhood friend Mita (currently rehabbing from injury) sent LINE messages every day during the tournament, including photos with critiques like "stomp your shiko harder!" When Namatame was hospitalized, Mita won the Juryo championship. Now with Mita rehabbing, Namatame won the Sandanme title. "I want this to inspire him. I want it to start a good wave."
Calling Mom — He called his mother immediately after winning. She answered in Thai, excitedly babbling. "She just kept saying 'good, good' over and over." He won't visit his hometown until he makes it back to Juryo: "I want to go home properly, as a sekitori again."
🫧 Off the dohyo: During the Osaka tournament, the stable stayed in a mountain retreat in Izumisano. In his free time, Namatame was found blowing soap bubbles alone outside. "I was completely purified." His victory reward? His first-ever dental cleaning. His prize money goes to protein, supplements, and knee tape.
📺 Why Namatame is popular on YouTube
Namatame Tatsuya has built a strong fanbase outside Japan through Futagoyama Stable's YouTube channel and sumo highlight clips. His combination of an imposing physique (162 kg at just 23 years old), visible personality in stable life content, and a compelling comeback journey has earned him fans worldwide — especially among English-speaking viewers discovering sumo through YouTube.
He is one of the most-searched Futagoyama wrestlers internationally, alongside top-division star Rohga. If you found this page after watching a Futagoyama video on YouTube — welcome to sumo!
Namatame bout footage
Juryo promotion celebration
📺 Watch Namatame's Bouts Live
Sandanme bouts are held in the morning sessions of each basho. They are streamed in full on ABEMA Premium (Japanese service), which is the only platform that covers every division from Jonokuchi through Makuuchi. NHK only shows Makuuchi and select Juryo bouts. For fans wanting to follow Namatame's comeback in real time, ABEMA is the only option.
Try ABEMA Premium Free for 2 Weeks →Build & Style
At 177 cm and 162 kg, Namatame carries exceptional weight for his height, giving him one of the more powerful physiques among younger wrestlers at Futagoyama Stable. That build translates into a hard-charging, forward-moving style — he tends to overwhelm opponents with physical pressure rather than technical finesse.
He is still developing his full technical repertoire after returning from knee surgery. At the Sandanme level, his physical advantages are significant; the real test will come when he climbs back to Makushita and beyond, where opponents will be better equipped to handle raw power.
From Juryo to surgery — and back again
Namatame's story is one of the more dramatic in the current Futagoyama stable. After debuting in early 2024 and racing through the lower divisions, he reached the salaried Juryo division within his first year as a professional — a remarkable achievement for a wrestler who joined as a rank-and-file (叩き上げ) entrant with no special entry privileges.
His peak came in early 2025 when he was ranked East Juryo 5, on pace to push toward the top Makuuchi division. A knee injury sustained during the March 2025 tournament ended that run. He underwent ligament transplant surgery in July 2025 and missed multiple tournaments entirely.
When he returned to competition in autumn 2025, he had to restart from the lower divisions. By March 2026, he has climbed back to West Sandanme 3 — posting a 5–2 record in that basho, showing the competitive edge and physical dominance that made him a Juryo wrestler in the first place. A return to Makushita — and eventually Juryo again — is very much within reach.