Sumo Basho

Ponder for a moment the idea of "1,100 pounds of man about to slam into each other." That's two guys sumo wrestling, and the intersection of Konishiki and Akebono--the two champions contending in the final match of a recent tournament held in San Jose--is one place you don't want to be at rush hour. Sumo wrestling, Japan's national sport, is the subject of this entertaining look at the big guys who eat, sleep, and work out in large amounts all for a chance to belly-push one another out of a ring the size of a hula hoop. Although more attention could have been paid to the history of sumo (the idea that referees used to wear daggers so that they could commit hari kari after a bad call is very interesting, and should, I think, be incorporated into American sports in time for the `95 football season), Sumo Basho is still an enjoyable peek. Following the 575-lb. Konishiki around as he takes in a baseball game (and several hotdogs), signs autographs for fans (dwarfs, by comparison), and stares his opponents down (I swallowed nervously, and I was several hundred miles and a whole dimension away), we get a glimpse of sumo superstardom. Celebrity stargazing, exciting matches, and butt cheeks as far as the eye can see, Sumo Basho offers a little something for everyone. Recommended. (R. Pitman)