Rank-and-file wrestler Asanoyama seized the sole lead at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on Friday with a controversial win over sekiwake Tochinoshin, as Kakuryu dropped off the pace by losing to ozeki Takayasu. Yokozuna Kakuryu, who is aiming for a sixth top-level championship, dropped to ...
Yokozuna Kakuryu earned his third straight win on Tuesday and gained some breathing room as all three ozeki were defeated on Day 3 of the 15-day Summer Grand Sumo Tournament. The yokozuna survived a scare against top-ranked maegashira Kotoshogiku (1-2), when the former ozeki's elbow ...
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 ...
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 inched toward a record-extending 42nd career championship with a win over ozeki Goeido on Friday, the 13th day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament. The victory left Hakuho with a perfect record and a one-win lead over his Mongolian compatriot Ichinojo with two ...
Yokozuna Hakuho defeated ozeki Tochinoshin on Wednesday to retain his lead at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament with 12 straight wins. Hakuho faced little challenge from the struggling Tochinoshin (6-6), who has only beaten the 41-time top-division champion once in 28 matchups. Hakuho hemmed up Tochinoshin ...
Yokozuna Hakuho held off a stern challenge from sekiwake Takakeisho on Wednesday to maintain his perfect 11-0 record at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament. No. 4 maegashira Ichinojo is one win behind the Mongolian yokozuna, who aims to hold onto the lead for a record-extending ...
Yokozuna Hakuho improved to a perfect 10-0 Tuesday at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament, but a pair of wrestlers remain just one win behind the all-time championship record holder on the leaderboard. Hakuho toppled Tamawashi on the 10th day of the 15-day meet at Edion ...
Yokozuna Hakuho earned his ninth straight win on Monday and remained the only undefeated wrestler at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament. In the final bout at Edion Arena Osaka, Hakuho took on komusubi Mitakeumi (3-6), who earned his first top-division title last July in Nagoya ...
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, ...
Sumo lacks marquee rivalries of recent times
The upcoming Spring Grand Sumo Tournament seems to have everything going for it. The basho kicks off with a wealth of storylines. One is a tale of vengeance as Takakeisho seeks to correct the record on his controversial non-promotion to sumo's second-highest rank. Others involve veterans like ...
Hakuho, other challengers ready to chase spring glory
The Osaka Basho, which gets underway on Sunday, is arguably the most wide-open tournament sumo has seen in years. With three of the last four meets crowning first-time champions, guessing who will be hoisting the Emperor's Cup on March 24 is like trying to predict ...
