Power Slap Star Makini 'Big Mak' Manu Joins World Elite Sumo
Nevin Barich
Host · Writer
Power Slap, meet professional sumo wrestling.
World Elite Sumo announced Thursday that Makini “Big Mak” Manu has signed an exclusive promotional agreement and will make his professional sumo debut Sept. 26 at Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz, California.
The 32-year-old will compete in the league’s one-night, 12-man open-weight tournament, joining athletes from around the world in a competition that aims to blend traditional sumo with a modern combat-sports presentation.
Manu is currently ranked No. 1 in Power Slap with a win-loss record of 6-1, with three knockouts. He first gained exposure after appearing on the second season of the Power Slap reality television show in 2023.
But though he’s more known for Power Slap, Manu is no stranger to sumo.
Manu made his competitive amateur sumo debut at the 2021 U.S. Sumo Open in Long Beach, California, and immediately demonstrated that his combination of size and athleticism could translate to the dohyo. He went 12-2 in the one-day tournament.
Later that year, Manu was even more dominant. He went undefeated at 15-0 at the North American Sumo Championships in Las Vegas, capturing gold medals in both the open-weight and heavyweight divisions.
Now, five years after making his mark as an sumo amateur, Manu is ready to test himself professionally.
“Makini Manu has made an impact in competitive sports, including amateur sumo wrestling throughout his life and, with his size and athletic ability, we expect him to have a great career as a professional in World Elite Sumo,” said WES CEO Abdelrahman “Sandstorm” Shalan.
Manu, who stands 6 feet tall and is of Samoan heritage, also played collegiate football at the University of Utah before transferring to Utah Valley University, where he earned All-American honors as a rugby player. He later competed professionally in both rugby and football, including a stint with the XFL.
Shalan, a 360-pound former professional sumo wrestler from Egypt, will also compete in the tournament. Other announced participants include Asahisho Kota of Japan, “Rui Junior” of Brazil, Soslan “Big Bear” Gagloev of Russia and Giorgi Kvirchishvilli of Georgia.
The tournament’s matches will be contested in a best-of-three format, with the winner ultimately standing alone at the end of the night.
For Manu, it represents another opportunity to prove that his unusual combination of power, athleticism and competitive experience can make him a force in yet another sport.
