All of that just for thumb wrestling.
This should be how it's done. Two overly large men, greased with sweat step into the circle. They stance up, kneel down. Then bam! Fingers lock. How serious would those fat men get? Eyes transfixed on their hands and their enemy. Looking for the smallest mistake, the slightest weakness.
Now imagine the exasperated Japanese announcer. Screaming his head off as the camera zooms in on their interlocked hands, thumbs clashing like swords. How excited would he be?