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SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 22, 2023

Takakeisho falters as sumo’s wait for next superstar continues

The good news for Takakeisho is that slip-ups elsewhere mean he remains in the title race.
SUMO
Jan 24, 2024

Big names set up thrilling finale for January sumo meet

Terunofuji would appear to be the favorite as sumo's first tournament of 2024 reaches the homestretch, but a host of contenders means it could come down to the final day.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 7, 2024

In the world of sumo, a mock draft reflects the sport's generational shift

Here's a look at who might go No. 1 overall if sumo's stables conducted a North American-style draft.
Hoshoryu (front, second from left) celebrates after being promoted to yokozuna on Wednesday in Tokyo.
SUMO
Jan 29, 2025

Sumo’s newest yokozuna is all smiles — but major challenges await

For all the feel-good energy that has surrounded Hoshoryu the past few days, the Mongolian will need to take his sumo to another level if he is to last in the rank.
Chiyoshoma (right) battles Churanoumi during the New Year Basho in Tokyo in January. The Mongolian's drop down the sumo rankings ahead of the May tournament was one of the biggest surprises of the latest banzuke.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 30, 2025

Puzzling decisions and opaque rankings are all part of sumo's charm

There are always a handful of head-scratching promotions and demotions, and the latest banzuke is no exception.
Onosato ahead of his bout against Aonishiki at The Grand Sumo Tournament at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Oct. 18
SUMO / Inside Sumo
Oct 29, 2025

Kyushu banzuke sets the stage to cement 2025’s sumo narratives

If Onosato triumphs again to make it four titles in five basho, any remaining doubt about his status as a surefire future dai-yokozuna will likely melt away.
SUMO
Sep 8, 2023

Young ozeki duo will be in spotlight at Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament

The Autumn Basho is shaping up to be another unpredictable event.
Akebono waves an American flag as he watches U.S. skaters in Nagano on Feb. 5, 1998, ahead of the Winter Olympics.
SUMO
Apr 11, 2024

Sumo legend Akebono, first foreign-born yokozuna, dies at 54

Akebono, born Chadwick Haheo Rowan in Waimanalo, Hawaii, became the 64th yokozuna in 1993 and gained immense popularity.
Summer Basho winner Onosato is trying to join Terunofuji as the only wrestlers to win consecutive titles since 2018.
SUMO
Jul 12, 2024

Onosato poised to continue rapid rise at Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament

The 24-year-old former amateur yokozuna has been on fire since turning pro 14 months ago and already stands on the verge of promotion to sumo’s second-highest rank.
Onosato (right) during his bout against Kotoshoho in Tokyo on Wednesday, which marked his 11th straight win to open the Autumn Basho.
SUMO / Basho reports
Sep 22, 2024

With Autumn Basho win, Onosato makes it clear that he is sumo's dominant force

Onosato was so dominant over the course of the Autumn Basho that it's hard to see who can stop him from adding even more silverware in the coming tournaments.
Aonishiki competes at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on Jan. 28.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 6, 2024

Head to sumo's second tier and it's a dog-eat-dog world

Jūryō action is something fans of exciting sumo shouldn’t miss.
Terunofuji (left) throws down Kirishima on Tuesday to build on his perfect record at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 24, 2024

Terunofuji, as he tends to do, returns to stamp his authority on sumo pretenders

The veteran was in vintage form through the first 10 days, simply overwhelming opponents and appearing impervious to all manner of attacks.
Onosato (left) battles Abi on Day 3 of the Summer Basho in Tokyo on Tuesday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
May 14, 2025

Sumo title contenders already emerging in early stages of Tokyo meet

With Onosato looking untouchable during the summer meet’s opening stages, excitement is already building over his yokozuna bid.
Then-<i>yokozuna</i> Hakuho performs the New Year's ring-entering rite in 2018. The Japan Sumo Association has accepted his resignation and he will officially leave the association on June 9.
SUMO
Jun 2, 2025

Former yokozuna Hakuho to leave sumo association

Hakuho's departure comes more than a year after his stable closed down over a physical abuse incident involving one of its wrestlers.
Former sumo wrestler Daisuke Yanagihara discusses his lawsuit against the Japan Sumo Association during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan on Monday.
SUMO
Aug 1, 2023

Former wrestler sues sumo association for alleged mistreatment

The former fourth-division rikishi said he was told to fight or quit as coronavirus cases rose in Tokyo ahead of the 2021 New Year Basho.
SUMO
Feb 22, 2024

Sumo great Hakuho facing demotion over protege's alleged bullying

The JSA will hold an emergency board meeting on Friday to discuss the recommendation that the Mongolian-born protege, Hokuseiho, retire.
SUMO
Oct 1, 2023

Sumo association officials punished over harassment claims

The association will suspend Tetsuji Miyata, its administrative affairs chief, for one month, and demote the head of the office in charge of accounting.
Oshoma watches the All Japan Championships at the Kokugikan in Tokyo in December 2022.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jun 26, 2024

Rising star Oshoma blends traditional background with unique approach

Despite his late arrival in sumo’s higher ranks, it would be wrong to dismiss Oshoma's impressive 10-win top-tier debut.
Elementary, junior high and high school girls represented 76 different sumo clubs from across the nation on Sunday at the Dream Girls Cup, with the tournament also given a slight international flavor by the inclusion of one athlete from the United States and one from Brazil.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 15, 2024

All-time great Hakuho hopes to help girls realize their sumo dreams

The inaugural Dream Girls Cup saw 76 sumo clubs from across the nation gather in Tokyo for an event that Hakuho hopes will spur big dreams.
Former yokozuna Hakuho arrives at a news conference to announce his future plans in Tokyo on Monday.
SUMO / Inside Sumo
Jun 11, 2025

Hakuho’s new venture not an automatic 'Grand Slam'

World Sumo Grand Slam is a very catchy name, but for those wanting more details, that’s all it seems to be for now.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 8, 2023

Tigers’ triumph resonates in a sumo world full of Kansai natives

As Hanshin fans celebrate a long-awaited championship, it's timely to look back at what sumo looked like when Hanshin last won it all in 1985.
Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi (left) describes a detail of a mawashi presented as a gift to French President Jacques Chirac at the Elysee Palace in 1999.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 5, 2025

No Paris Syndrome for Japan’s national sport

Despite an up and down history, sumo and France remain amorous.
Kotonowaka (left) competes at the Spring Basho in Osaka in March. The grandson of former yokozuna Kotozakura has decided to take on the legend's ring name.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
May 2, 2024

Love of family behind return of historic sumo ring name

The tenure of ozeki Kotonowaka lasted just one tournament, with the wrestler changing from his father’s ring name to that of his late grandfather.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw takes part in a sumo demonstration in Tokyo on Friday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Mar 19, 2025

Japan’s twin obsessions meet as MLB visits sumo’s heartland

Sumo is often referred to as Japan’s national sport but it’s baseball that is the country’s one true obsession. This week, those two sports are intersecting in Tokyo.
Seigo Saito with his father, Kabutoyama Oyakata, at Isenoumi stable in Tokyo in December 2022
SUMO / Inside Sumo
May 8, 2024

Wakaikari out to etch his family's place into sumo's history books

The 19-year-old from Tokyo is ranked near the top of the third tier for the upcoming summer tournament.
Fukazaki (right) grapples with Enho at the IG Arena in Nagoya on July 13.
SUMO / Inside Sumo
Nov 5, 2025

These are the hottest lower-division rikishi to watch right now

There are potential superstars and immense talent to be found up and down the banzuke.
Yokozuna duo Onosato (right) and Hoshoryu clash for the title on the final day of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on Sept. 28 at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
SUMO
Nov 7, 2025

Yokozuna duo Onosato and Hoshoryu poised for another clash of titans

Should fans be treated to another Emperor’s Cup-deciding yokozuna showdown on Nov. 23, it’s a toss-up for who would come out on top.
Aonishiki at the Sumo World Championships 2023 on Oct. 8. The Ukrainian wrestler remains on track to reach the sport’s salaried divisions by the end of the year.
SUMO / Inside Sumo
May 22, 2024

Is Ukraine's Aonishiki set to be the next European sumo superstar?

28 wins in 30 bouts suggests the former evacuee is on the fast track to glory.
Kotozakura speaks during a news conference in Fukuoka on Monday
SUMO
Nov 25, 2024

Kotozakura unburdened by weight of history after claiming first title

Sumo's top-ranked ozeki has won his first Emperor’s Cup.

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