The giant portrait that commemorates his perfect 15-0 championship in November 1978 still hangs in JR Ryogoku Station and is visible to anyone getting off the train to visit the Kokugikan.
The furor over excessive celebrations by Egyptian and Ukranian wrestlers shows that the sport needs reforms if it is to build a stable following.
Terunofuji is the frontrunner in Nagoya, and it’d be no surprise if he finished the fortnight’s action with another title under his belt.
The tournament, dwarfed by its male counterpart in terms of size and interest, is nonetheless showcasing wrestlers increasingly capable of delivering entertaining and thrilling bouts.
The loosening of media restrictions has given wrestlers more exposure to both current and potential fans, whether it's through interviews at stables or guest spots on prime-time TV.
The Hawaiian-born former ozeki, a driving force in gaining sumo recognition overseas, is celebrating the 40th anniversary of his entry into the sport.
That 2020 edict to ban degeiko was put in place to lower the risk of COVID-19 infection for wrestlers at a time when one rikishi had died, and the virus was raging.
Long stints in Japan's national sport aren’t as common as they might seem at first glance, especially in sumo’s upper echelons.
The 30-year-old's expected brief span as grand champion won’t detract from what he has achieved to date, and purely in terms of silverware he has already outclassed many of his predecessors.
After 10 days, virtually every pre-basho prediction made by columnists, experts and insiders about what might transpire in the May meet has gone up in flames.
