Hakuko, Sumo's 69th yokozuna, overcame his first-ever official yokozuna bout with a convincing yorikiri win against fellow Mongolian Tokitenku of Tokitsukaze Beya. Following that impressive start, however, he flipped on the auto-pilot switch and glided out week one. Stumbling several times in the second week, with losses to Kotomitsuki and the ozeki pair of Kotooshu and Chiyotaikai, he slipped out of title contention before a senshuraku loss to senior yokozuna Asashoryu. He ended his first basho at rank 11-4. Be warned, though, as this is a man only getting better, a man still raw and relatively unpolished, the best has yet to come.
Yokozuna Asashoryu, the sport's numero uno in recent years, bounced back from a two-tourney title drought. Although he lost on the opening day, he never looked back and finished the basho 14-1 to claim his 21st Emperor's Cup to date.
Sekiwake Kotomitsuki was the Japanese headline-maker this time out and went undefeated for the first 10 days before finally succumbing to Asashoryu with the eyes of a nation watching. As the local Aichi boy approached the final weekend, still in the running for the trophy, things were looking good — until the arrival of his now-routine tendency to crumble under pressure sometime in the second week.