Was grand champion Terunofuji’s defeat to rising star Onosato on the opening day of the ongoing May tournament an era-changing bout?

The fight certainly had echoes of another legendary match that also took place on Day 1 of a summer meet — exactly 33 years earlier.

On that occasion, it was yokozuna Chiyonofuji, six months removed from claiming his 31st Emperor’s Cup, who fell to a young up-and-coming talent.

On May 12, 1991, 18-year-old Takahanada shocked the sumo world when he got an inside grip following the initial charge, parried multiple attacks, and kept driving forward until Chiyonofuji was over the straw bales.

Three days later, the career of the man who had exerted almost unquestioned control over sumo for a decade was over.

Chiyonofuji, recognizing his time at the summit of the sport had come to an end, chose to retire.

Takahanada made good on that early promise, winning a first championship within seven months, becoming yokozuna (Takanohana) three years later and retiring with the fourth most Emperor’s Cup wins of all time.

Terunofuji’s career to date — while certainly one of the most unique and inspiring in sumo history — can’t compare to that of Chiyonofuji in terms of sheer numbers.

In addition to his massive haul of silverware, “The Wolf” was, for almost 20 years, the only man with over 1,000 wins in professional sumo. Kaio and Hakuho have since joined him in one of the sport’s most exclusive clubs.

Neither has Terunofuji dominated a field to the same extent as Chiyonofuji did in the 1980s.

Nevertheless, when not injured, the massive Mongolian-born yokozuna has been one of the top wrestlers in the sport over the past decade.

Admittedly, the level of competition in recent years isn’t what it was in times past, but Terunofuji has faced plenty of tough opponents in his time.

And while his initial rise may have taken place just as Hakuho was passing his peak, the latter man remained a force to contend with, winning 11 Emperor’s Cups after Terunofuji claimed his first.

With eight of Terunofuji’s nine titles having come in the 2020s, and Takakeisho (3) and Kirishima (2) being the only other wrestlers to have won more than one championship this decade, it’s hard to argue against the sport’s only extant yokozuna being the leading rikishi of this era — however short of an era it may be.

Onosato meanwhile, while unquestionably a rising force in the sport, is at a very different stage of life than Takahanada was in 1991.

Chiyonofuji’s vanquisher was still a teenager, with little to no life experience at the time outside of sumo — being raised by a stablemaster (and former ōzeki) father.

Onosato, conversely, turns 24 next month, and is one of the most decorated collegiate wrestlers of all time, with experience and titles gained at numerous international tournaments around the world.

When facing Chiyonofuji in their famous bout, a still-growing Takanohana was also 25 to 30 kilograms lighter that he would be for much of his tenure as yokozuna.

Onosato, on the other hand, not only matched Terunofuji for height last Sunday, but outweighed him by 5 kg.

Onosato (center) at a general training session at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan on May 2. The wrestler's defeat of Terunofuji on the opening day of sumo's ongoing May tournament, has the potential to be an era-changing bout.
Onosato (center) at a general training session at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan on May 2. The wrestler's defeat of Terunofuji on the opening day of sumo's ongoing May tournament, has the potential to be an era-changing bout. | Jiji

With the yokozuna only reaching the finishing line in one of the previous five tournaments, and doing little to no high-level practice ahead of the ongoing meet, defeat to Onosato was never going to generate a shock wave similar to the one that followed Takahanada’s win over Chiyonofuji.

Even so, it would be premature to dismiss Onosato’s win as the product of circumstance, or downplay its significance.

Given the current state of sumo, it’s a very real possibility that one of the sport’s most promising stars could be knocking on the door of ōzeki promotion before the year is out.

Indeed when physical attributes, technical ability and career arcs (in both amateur and professional sumo) are taken into account, it seems almost inevitable that Onosato is destined for the top of the sumo pyramid.

Of course, in a sport as physically intense as sumo, where careers can be ended — or massively stymied — in an instant, nothing is guaranteed.

If Onosato can avoid the kind of injuries (particularly to the knees) that have dimmed the hopes of numerous other big men in sumo, the sky's the limit.

Should promotion to yokozuna happen, or should Terunofuji call time on his career without challenging again for glory, the historical significance of last weekend’s clash will be very different.

Even if Onosato vs. Terunofuji in May 2024 never ascends to the rarified air occupied by Takahanada’s famous win — with countless newspaper articles and TV shows discussing it decades later — the first win over a yokozuna by a rising star is a major milestone.

Few can forget Hakuho’s thrilling win over Asashoryu in November 2004, which announced his arrival as a serious threat. Although the latter man still emerged from the meet victorious, it was by the slimmest of margins over his fast-rising fellow countryman.

Asashoryu, taking down Musashimaru on day one of his sanyaku debut in May 2001 had a similar effect.

Both men defeated yokozuna opponents they had lost to in a first meeting one tournament earlier.

Onosato likewise lost to Terunofuji last time out but turned the tables in their second matchup.

For those that believe in omens, that’s as good a sign as any that the new komusubi may never see that rank again after this tournament.