USA Sumo is a semi-pro wrestling league based in California. Their hallmark competition, the US Sumo Open, is the largest annual sumo tournament in the world outside of Japan. Competitors from around the world, of varying weight classes and genders, are a part of this league. The goal of the league’s revamped website was to bring in new fans within the Western audience while celebrating and respecting the heritage of the storied sport. With inspirations from Japanese design and classic American boxing posters, the redesign meets two separate hemispheres of culture on common ground to create an online experience as unique as the league.
Improving the online presence of the league, in today’s age, could make or break the momentum they’ve been building and help to not only level the playing field but asserts themselves among casual fans as a legitimate sporting experience.
As the new identity shows respect to its heritage, it also connects the hemispheres of influence through other integrated iconography. The starburst graphics and strong typography, allude to the golden-era boxing posters used in western culture.
One of the league’s advantages over its Japanese forefather is that they allow competitors of all shapes and sizes to participate. Their individuality is expressed through the colored brushstrokes that strike the canvas behind them. Setting the stage for the intense match ahead within promotional materials.
