Kakuryu maintained his one-win lead over Hakuho at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament after both yokozuna prevailed on Thursday. Five-time champion Kakuryu improved to a perfect 12-0 with a victory over No. 6 maegashira Chiyotairyu (6-6) on Day 12 at Dolphins Arena. Unbeaten in their 11 ...
Amateur tourneys offer window to sport's future stars
Asanoyama is sumo's latest champion. The Takasago stable wrestler's victory in the May tournament makes him the fourth rikishi to win a debut championship in the past six meets — something that hasn't happened in 19 years. Asanoyama is also one of four former amateur sumo ...
Yokozuna Hakuho survived a scare against Endo on Monday and celebrated a win on his 34th birthday on the second day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament. In the day's penultimate bout at Edion Arena Osaka, top-ranked maegashira Endo (0-2) had Hakuho on the ropes, ...
Sekiwake Takakeisho started his campaign for promotion to the sport's second-highest rank by beating Myogiryu in his opening bout at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday. Mongolian yokozuna Hakuho and Kakuryu suffered mixed fates to begin the 15-day competition at Edion Arena Osaka as ...
Tamawashi put on thrilling show during run to first title
Just prior to the 2018 September Tournament, while sitting in a sweltering Ryogoku Kokugikan and watching the Yokozuna Deliberation Council practice session, I grabbed a quick selfie with a couple of rikishi standing over my right shoulder. Tochinoshin and Mitakeumi were the two wrestlers in ...
Tamawashi defeats Hakuho for first time, grabs share of tournament lead
Mongolian sekiwake Tamawashi grabbed a share of the lead with his first career win over yokozuna Hakuho on Thursday, the 12th day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament. On the verge of beating Tamawashi for the 14th time with one final push, overnight leader ...
Komusubi Mitakeumi handed yokozuna Hakuho his first loss on Wednesday, returning from injury to pull off the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament's biggest surprise so far. Mitakeumi (6-2-3), who missed three days of competition with an injured left leg, faced the unenviable task of battling ...
Hakuho continued his run of narrow escapes in the first week of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament, surviving two more close calls Thursday to retain his share of the lead on Day 5. The yokozuna's win over previously unbeaten No. 2 maegashira Nishikigi kept ...
Yokozuna Kisenosato did nothing to dispel fears Sunday that his career may be over, as he looked powerless in his opening-day loss at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Sumo's young guns ready to make big impact in 2019
Last December, when looking ahead to 2018, I wrote that this would be the year when a new generation of sumo talent would rise to glory. It's a prediction that came true for the most part, with three rikishi winning their first Emperor's Cup during ...
Takakeisho's victory may herald rise of new generation
Takakeisho's victory in the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament made him the third wrestler to lift a maiden Emperor's Cup in 2018. Sumo hasn't seen a breakthrough on that scale in nearly two decades. Not since Musoyama, Takatoriki and Kaio triumphed in January, March and May of ...
Takakeisho maintained his one-win lead after beating rank-and-filer Tamawashi on Thursday, the 12th day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament. The 22-year-old komusubi, whose only loss came against sekiwake Mitakeumi on Day 7, beat the No. 2 maegashira comfortably and appeared primed to win his ...
