Birthplaces of sumo wrestlers promoted to
yokozuna in 2000 or after:
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia - 4
The rest of the world - 2
To put that into perspective, the Ulaanbaatar
built up urban area contains less people than the Columbus, Ohio built up urban area.
...and for those saying "yeah, but Mongolians are huge", a
2019 study looked at the mean height of 19 year old males in countries across the world and Mongolia ranked 130th!
Granted, height doesnt equal size, but it isn't a terrible indicator.
I always thought that if sumo did away with all the pseudo-religious, traditional, ritual stuff, that seems to take up most of the event, it's basic and primal enough to appeal to a global audience.