For yokozuna Hakuho, finding motivation for matches in an empty arena was the biggest challenge. When it comes to the wrestling itself, he showed he is still more than a formidable force.
Hakuho captured his record-extending 44th career title when he defeated fellow yokozuna Kakuryu on the final day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament at Edion Arena Osaka on Sunday.
Hakuho, who turned 35 during the tournament, fought off an early charge from his Mongolian compatriot, then after a short stalemate in the center, secured a firm belt hold and shuffled Kakuryu out of the ring to finish 13-2.
"I had to think about where I was going to get my motivation from," Hakuho said in a post-match interview. "I felt like it was a roller coaster [of emotions]. It wasn't just me, I think everyone felt that way."
The two went into the final match of the tournament, which was held with no spectators as a measure to counter the spread of the coronavirus, with 12-2 records. It was the first time that the final match pitted two yokozuna with identical records for the title since the Kyushu Tournament in 2013, when Hakuho lost to Harumafuji.
The victory was Hakuho's 42nd in his 50th career meeting with Kakuryu, who was denied a seventh career title.
The fact that the championship came down to a clash between the highest-ranked wrestlers marked a return to some semblance of normalcy, as both Hakuho and Kakuryu missed all or part of the previous tournament, which was won by the lowest-ranked wrestler in the top division.
In a closing address, Japan Sumo Association Chairman Hakkaku had to fight back tears as he thanked the fans who followed the tournament on TV, the internet or radio.
Subhead: Asanoyama in line for ozeki
In another bout with big ramifications for both wrestlers, sekiwake Asanoyama pushed down ozeki Takakeisho to finish 11-4 and likely earn promotion to the second-highest rank.
In principle, a wrestler needs a combined 33 wins over three tournaments as a sekiwake or komusubi to earn promotion to ozeki. With these 11 wins, Asanoyama has 32, but an extraordinary meeting of the Japan Sumo Association's executive board was called for Wednesday to discuss the promotion, which makes it all but decided.
Takakeisho, meanwhile, suffered his makekoshi eighth loss, meaning he will fight in the next tournament under kadoban status and need a winning record to retain his rank. Ironically, he is the lone current ozeki, marking the first time since January 1982 that a tournament had only one ozeki.
Sekiwake Shodai finished up on a losing note when he was shoved out by No. 9 maegashira Takanosho, who ended with a 12-3 record and received the Fighting Spirit Prize. Shodai, who had returned to the sekiwake rank after 19 tournaments, will remain there after posting an 8-7 record.
Komusubi Endo assured there will be a second vacancy to be filled at the fourth-highest rank when he was forced out by No. 7 maegashira Takarafuji for his makekoshi eighth loss. Takarafuji finished 9-6.
The other komusubi, Hokutofuji, will also be demoted when he flopped to a 4-11 record, concluding the proceedings a loss to No. 8 maegashira Shohozan.
Both Endo and Hokutofuji had returned to the sanyaku -- the three ranks below yokozuna -- after an absence of two tournaments.
Earlier, No. 5 maegashira Onosho, who defeated Hakuho on the 10th day and was named winner of the Outstanding Performance Award, capped his tournament by forcing out No. 3 maegashira Mitakeumi to finish 9-6. Mitakeumi, winner of the Autumn tournament in September who had at one time been on a path for promotion to ozeki, finished 10-5.
No. 13 maegashira Aoiyama, who had remained in the title chase up to the 14th day, ended on a sour note when he was forced out by No. 12 maegashira Ishiura to finish 11-4. The bulky Bulgarian was unable to make use of an 83-kilogram advantage, as he allowed Ishiura to maneuver to the side and leverage him out of the ring.
Still his performance overall was good enough to earn the 33-year-old Aoiyama the Technique Prize.
In the juryo division, former ozeki and No. 3 juryo Terunofuji was forced out by No. 14 juryo Chiyootori to conclude the tournament in a three-way tie for third place with a 10-5 record.
Whether that will be enough to earn him promotion back to makuuchi division remains to be seen. The Mongolian has put on the most remarkable comeback in modern sumo history, having dropped as far as the second-lowest jonidan division after a series of injuries and illnesses before working his way back up the ranks.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
