Sumo might be Japan's national sport, but for most of the last two decades it has been dominated by Mongolians. From November 2002, when Ulaanbaatar native Asashoryu won his first Emperor's Cup, to January 2016, when Kotoshogiku broke a 10-year title drought for Japan-born rikishi, ...
One of the unique aspects of sumo's attire is a lack of associated wearable merchandise. While manufacturers are able to sell an endless array of baseball or football jerseys, caps, and jackets, there isn't much of a market for branded mawashi or "Air-Hakuho" seta (traditional ...
Kakuryu emerges as clear favorite to capture title
Gambling on sumo, like most sports in Japan, is illegal. The Japan Sumo Association also takes a tough line with any of its members involved in such activities, even kicking an ozeki (Kotomitsuki) and stablemaster (Otake) out of the sport completely in 2010 over their ...
Yokozuna Hakuho, who was diagnosed with a torn biceps tendon after winning his 42nd title in March, has withdrawn from the upcoming Summer Grand Sumo Tournament, his stablemaster Miyagino said Thursday. According to Miyagino, the yokozuna told him Wednesday evening that he has not fully ...
Takakeisho's name was officially placed among the sumo elite on Tuesday when the rankings for next month's Summer Grand Sumo Tournament, the first of the Reiwa Era, were released by the Japan Sumo Association. On the last day of the Heisei Era, wrestlers picked up ...
Japan Sumo Association reprimands yokozuna Hakuho for leading cheer at Spring Basho
Yokozuna Hakuho received a minor reprimand from the Japan Sumo Association on Wednesday for leading an impromptu cheer after his victory at last month's Spring Grand Sumo Tournament. The 34-year-old Mongolian's conduct at Edion Arena Osaka was deemed a breach of sumo tradition and discipline ...
U.S.-style draft opens world of possibilities for sumo
Sumo has no free agency. Once a man enters a stable there is no system in place to allow transfers to a different one. Of course wrestlers do sometimes move, but only when their original heya (stable) closes down or the oyakata (sumo elder) who recruited ...
Yokozuna Hakuho has applied for a renunciation of his Mongolian nationality in a move toward acquiring Japanese citizenship, a sumo source said Wednesday. The 34-year-old, whose real name is Munkhbat Davaajargal, had previously indicated a desire to become a naturalized Japanese citizen, a requirement of ...
Yokozuna Hakuho revealed Sunday he has a muscle tear in his upper right arm following an injury in the final bout of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament last week. "It will take time if I have surgery. I'll get stronger if I rest," Hakuho said ...
Dominant Hakuho continues to redefine greatness
Sumo columnist James Hardy once bemoaned the difficulty of doing daily tournament reports, saying, "There are only so many ways to write A pushed out B." With yokozuna Hakuho wrapping up his 42nd championship last Sunday, I'm beginning to feel the same way about describing ...
Yokozuna Hakuho said Monday he felt an "invisible weight" after suffering an arm injury in the final bout of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament, where he racked up a record-extending 42nd top division title. Hakuho pulled out another close victory in Sunday's bout against fellow ...
Yokozuna Hakuho extended his career championship haul to 42 on Sunday after winning the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament with a record 15th undefeated run. Needing a win against fellow Mongolian yokozuna Kakuryu to avoid a championship playoff, Hakuho was pushed to the limit in a ...
