GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — When you think of Grand Rapids, you probably don’t think about sumo wrestling. But one West Michigander is changing that and he’s taking it to the world stage.

Gabe Unick has been doing sumo wrestling for more than a decade. When he discovered his passion for this ancient Japanese sport, there wasn't much of a presence in the Midwest. In 2018, he co-founded the Grand Rapids Sumo Club, which he said sparked a growing community.

“When we started, we were the only club in 750 miles in any direction,” Unick said. “Now today we have, I want to say, about a dozen clubs in the Midwest. We have a whole Midwest club group.”

Since 2015, he has been competing in the national championship in the lightweight division. Several times, he has placed. This year, not only did

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