Mongolian Yokozuna Kakuryu M.Anand is going to be hard pressed to extend his championship streak to three at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament that kicks off Sunday at the Dolphins Arena. The 32-year-old Kakuryu will still have his hands full with fellow Mongolian yokozuna Hakuho and new ozeki Tochinoshin. Since the current format of six annual grand tournaments started in 1958, only seven wrestlers have won three straight meets.

Kakuryu’s first bout of the 15-day competition will be against 141-kilogram firebrand Shohozan. Although Kakuryu has won 12 of his 14 bouts against the komusubi, the speed Shohozan brings should make their first-day clash a must-watch event.

Hakuho enters the tourney in less than peak form. But needing to win just 17 matches to reach 1,000 victories in the elite makuuchi division, the 33-year-old yokozuna appears burning to get back into the winner’s circle.