Hidetora Hanada: Former Sumo Champion Reportedly Signs With WWE
- Hidetora Hanada, 24, has reportedly signed with WWE, according to PWInsider.
- He is a former amateur yokozuna (All Japan Sumo champion in 2020) and won gold at the 2022 World Games.
- He played defensive line for Colorado State and received a WWE NIL offer in February 2025.
- He is expected to start at the WWE Performance Center before any NXT debut.
WWE has reportedly signed Hidetora Hanada, the 24-year-old Japanese athlete who went from amateur sumo champion to college football defensive lineman. The signing was reported by PWInsider.
It is not a complete surprise. Hanada has been on WWE's radar for almost two years, and he has said himself that pro wrestling was one of the paths he was looking at. Here is who he is and what comes next.
Hidetora Hanada at a glance
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Age | 24 (turns 25 on October 30, 2026) |
| Born | October 30, 2001, Wakayama, Japan |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 280 lb (127 kg) |
| Sumo | Amateur yokozuna (2020 All Japan Sumo Champion) |
| Biggest win | Heavyweight gold, 2022 World Games |
| College | Nippon Sport Science University, then Colorado State |
| Football position | Defensive tackle |
| WWE | NIL offer in February 2025, reportedly signed in October 2026 |
Who is Hidetora Hanada?
Hanada was born on October 30, 2001, in Wakayama, Japan, and he was one of the best amateur sumo wrestlers of his generation. He is listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 280 pounds.
- He won the openweight division at the World Junior Sumo Championships in 2018 and 2019.
- He won the All Japan Sumo Championship in 2020, the top title in Japanese amateur sumo, which earned him the status of amateur yokozuna, or grand champion.
- He won gold in the heavyweight division at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama.
That record gave him a fast-track entry into professional sumo. Instead, he chose football.
From sumo to college football
Hanada started playing football in Japan's X-League in 2022, and in July 2023 he joined Colorado State as a walk-on defensive lineman. By December, head coach Jay Norvell had given him a scholarship. He wore his last name in Japanese on the back of his jersey, and he said he made the move because he wanted to "see my limit."
His time in Fort Collins was not easy. He played sparingly in his first season, and a right shoulder injury just before the 2024 season kept him out for that whole year.
WWE has had its eye on him since 2025
In February 2025, Hanada announced that he had received an NIL (name, image and likeness) offer from WWE, after attending the Royal Rumble in Indianapolis. WWE's NIL program lets college athletes keep playing their sport while building a path to the WWE Performance Center.
He was clearly taken by what he saw. "I experienced a level of intensity and thrill that was completely different from football or sumo wrestling," he wrote at the time.
In 2026, his options narrowed. He said in February that he had not been picked in the NFL's international player pathway process, and in September he decided not to turn professional in sumo. Recruits can only join pro sumo until the age of 25, so that door has now effectively closed. Hanada had said that WWE was one of the paths he was considering, and now he has taken it.
What comes next for Hanada?
WWE has not announced the signing or a start date. Like most athletes who come in from other sports, he is expected to start at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, learn the basics and work his way through NXT before any main roster run. That usually takes time, especially for someone with no wrestling experience on TV, even with his background.
What he brings is rare. His size, strength and balance from sumo, together with the speed of a college defensive lineman, are exactly what WWE looks for in its recruits. His story is a ready-made selling point, too, especially with WrestleMania 43 and WWE's growing presence in Asia.
He would not be the first sumo wrestler to cross over. Genichiro Tenryu went from sumo to become one of the biggest stars in Japanese wrestling, and former yokozuna Akebono faced Big Show in a sumo match at WrestleMania 21 before wrestling in Japan. But a former amateur yokozuna starting his career inside WWE would be something new.
Hidetora Hanada FAQ
How old is Hidetora Hanada?
Hanada is 24. He was born on October 30, 2001, so he turns 25 on October 30, 2026.
Has Hidetora Hanada signed with WWE?
According to PWInsider, yes. WWE has not announced it yet. He had already received an NIL offer from WWE in February 2025 while playing college football.
Was Hidetora Hanada a professional sumo wrestler?
No. He was an amateur sumo champion and won the All Japan Sumo Championship in 2020, which gave him a fast-track entry into professional sumo. He chose college football instead, and in 2026 he decided not to turn pro in sumo.
When will Hidetora Hanada debut in WWE?
There is no date. New signings with no wrestling experience usually train at the WWE Performance Center for months before they appear on NXT.
We will update this story when WWE confirms the signing or when he makes his debut. For the latest on WWE's other recruits and rising stars, follow our WWE News page.
