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Pokemon characters bring cuteness to the sumo wrestling ring

Two very Japanese icons meet up in a quirky new partnership.

Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
Expertise Breaking news, entertainment, lifestyle, travel, food, shopping and deals, product reviews, money and finance, video games, pets, history, books, technology history, generational studies. Credentials
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Gael Cooper

Now this is a new battle arena for Pokemon characters. The popular franchise is teaming with sumo wrestling tournaments in Japan, bringing the giant wrestlers together with the adorable Pikachu and other characters.

The Pokemon Company will sponsor over 200 colorful kensho banners that will be displayed at upcoming sumo tournaments in Japan. Pikachu and other characters will appear on the banners, which represent the amount of prize money staked on the bout by corporate sponsors, the Japan Times reports.

pokemon-banners.png

Some of the colorful kensho banners will be seen at upcoming tournaments.

 Sumo.or.jp

Other Pokemon touches will dot the sumo tournaments as well. According to Kotaku, Pokemon will also sponsor kesho-mawashi, the apron-like items worn by the wrestlers, and at a tournament scheduled for January, the sumo referee will be wearing a Pokemon-themed outfit.