There are six Grand Tournaments per year in sumo. They occur every other month, beginning in January. Wrestlers in each division fight one bout per day for fifteen days; their ultimate win-loss record at the end of a tournament determines special prize allocation, whether or not they maintain their rank, or whether they gain a promotion to a higher rank. This tournament was especially notable in regards to promotion. Takakeisho, the single remaining ozeki champion wrestler, was given notice before the tournament that if he was able to deliver and overwhelming tournament win, he would be promoted to the highest, most prestigious rank in sumo: yokozuna. Following his 12-3 runner-up performance in the November 2022 tournament, he would likely need to deliver a 14-1 or better record, along with a tournament victory, in order to claim the coveted white rope. In the second highest juryo division, former ozeki Asanoyama sought to regain his glory and his place in the highest makuuchi division after a 1-year suspension following COVID rules violation. These and other battles for promotion or against demotion led to an action-packed fifteen days starting January 9th. I would like to share the ups and downs of this tournament with a focus on my favorite rikishi. Let's go!
Takayasu
To begin, I have shared before that my favorite rikishi is former ozeki Takayasu. After an impressive 12-3 hunt for the cup in the November 2022 basho that ended disastrously in a serious neck injury, Takayasu returned to the dohyo in January still weak. He made an effort but lacked his usual power, only able to win one of six matches before he withdrew on day seven to prioritize recovering fully. Although this halts his return to ozeki in its tracks, I still believe in him and hope he returns hale and whole in March.
Kotoeko
Although Kotoeko is a rank-and-filer in the top division, rather than being a powerhouse at the named ranks of sanyaku, he is still one of my favorite rikishi. Weighing in at a modest 289 lbs at a height of just 5'9", he is one of the smallest rikishi in the top division. He is notable to me for the massive heart and fighting spirit he displays in all of his matches. His win-loss record rarely conveys the amount of difficulty he gives his opponents. In this January basho, he came one win short of gaining a winning record, ending the fifteenth day at 7-8. His place in the top division is likely still secure, but he may be on the edge of demotion in March.
Kiribayama
Kiribayama is a rikishi who wrestles under the tutelage of former yokozuna grand champion Kakuryu. He is an excellent technical wrestler and wins frequently with impressive throws, but he is well rounded and able to fight on the belt or with pushing and thrusting. At only 26, he is just reaching his prime, and has great things ahead. Despite attaining two winning records at the lowest named rank of komusubi, which should have entitled him to a promotion to the sekiwake rank, he was roadblocked by a crowded sanyaku. However, his 11-4 showing this basho, including a win over the ozeki Takakeisho, will surely secure him that promotion in March.
Shodai
Shodai is a rikishi with depression. He genuinely seems to be struggling with his mental health, and now seems unable to perform under pressure. Although his body is strong and healthy, he has a tendency in recent tournaments to give up when pushed too hard in the ring, and to look totally defeated doing it. Having earned a losing record two tournaments in a row, he lost his precious ozeki rank and was demoted to sekiwake for the January basho. However, he had one more chance to regain the rank: if a recently-demoted ozeki can gain a 10-5 record as sekiwake, they are immediately promoted back to ozeki. Shodai's January began with a miserable showing, and by day eight he had sealed his fate by gaining his sixth loss. After the pressure of regaining ozeki was lifted, however, Shodai came back in strong form. He was enlivened in the ring and no longer stepped out peacefully when forced to the edge, and ended with a 6-9 record. I hope that Shodai can live up to his potential, but he may need a sports psychologist to do it - something unheard of in the strict tradition of sumo.
Hoshoryu
I can confidently say that Hoshoryu is a future yokozuna. Nephew of the former legendary yokozuna Asashoryu, he is currently wrestling at the rank of sekiwake and in the hunt for the ozeki rank at only 23 years old. He is the craftiest rikishi on the dohyo in the top division, and excels at throws and leg trips. This January, he started out strong and was trailing the leaders at 6-2, when on day nine he sprained his ankle in a bout he lost. He withdrew from the tournament on day ten to recover, but returned from days eleven to fifteen in an attempt to secure a winning record and maintain his sekiwake rank. Clearly struggling with his injury, he crawled to day fifteen at 7-7. In his day fifteen match, Hoshoryu was forced to the ground by his opponent Onosho, but a judge's conference overturned the ruling due to Onosho pulling Hoshoryu's topknot, an automatic disqualification. His sekiwake rank preserved, Hoshoryu's hunt for ozeki will be renewed in March.
Takakeisho
Full disclosure, Takakeisho is not one of my favorite rikishi. In fact, I am kind of a hater. However, he was at the forefront of the January basho: as the highest ranked wrestler present, and as a contender for the elevated rank of yokozuna. The requirements to claim the rank are somewhat nebulous, but the bare minimum required is a performance equivalent to two consecutive tournament championships. Takakeisho's runner-up November 2022 finish at 12-3 qualifies due to being earned in a playoff, making it a "championship equivalent" performance. Should he demonstrate overwhelming power in the January tournament and claim the Emperor's cup with a commanding record, he would be considered for the yokozuna rank. With yokozuna Terunofuji absent due to injury and the field considerably weaker for it, it would be beneath his honor and his rank if he was unable to claim victory.
At 5'9" and weighing 359lbs, Takakeisho is built like a cannonball. He is almost exclusively what is called a "pusher-thruster", meaning that he never fights on the belt of the opposing wrestler, and instead seeks to use powerful thrusts and slaps backed up by his weight to force opponents out of the ring. His tachiai charge at the start of every bout is extremely powerful, and he is often able to eject opponents from the ring on the strength of it alone. However, this tournament, he strove to display a more well-rounded sumo, as that is another expectation for yokozuna. He was able to execute three overarm throws this tournament, a total departure from his usual style, and each delivered him a win.
He began his January with an unfortunate day two loss to the sprightly Tobizaru, but followed that with a string of wins, entering day 11 at nine wins, one loss. Unfortunately for him, he was defeated that day by newly minted komusubi Kotonowaka. This second loss essentially ended his bid for yokozuna, and a third loss the next day against Kiribayama sealed the deal. There would be no promotion for Takakeisho, but there could still be a tournament victory, which would keep his yokozuna prospects alive going into the March tournament. Day 15 saw Takakeisho tied for the lead with rank-and-filer Kotoshoho. Takakeisho took command of their bout with a strong tachiai that put Kotoshoho somewhat on the back foot, and finished him off with a sukuinage throw. This win clinched the yusho championship, but he will have to take another run at yokozuna promotion in March. His display of new strategies on the dohyo will certainly lend itself to his credit in that arena.
That's it for my January sumo tournament roundup! This coming March, we have a lot to look forward to. Yokozuna Terunofuji, out for the last two and a half basho due to surgery on both knees, may finally make his return. Quests for higher rank will continue or begin. Asanoyama, disgraced ozeki on a new path, will potentially return to the top division. And finally, Takakeisho will fight again to become an immortal at sumo's highest rank. I can't wait! Thanks for reading!