What a difference a year makes.

In late autumn 2021, sumo headlines were dominated by the retirement of arguably the greatest wrestler in the history of the sport, as yokozuna Hakuho finally called time on his record-breaking career.

While the legendary yokozuna was riding off into the sunset with his 45 Emperor’s Cups, his place at the top of the sumo pyramid was being taken by another Mongolian-born yokozuna.