Terunofuji leads way into new era without Hakuho

In September, Terunofuji was the lone yokozuna in action. Now he’s all alone at the top of the rankings, published Monday by the Japan Sumo Association.

With the retirement of record 45-time champion Hakuho after September’s Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament, Terunofuji is now the sport’s lone grand champion when the 15-day Kyushu Grand Sumo Association gets underway at Fukuoka Kokusai Center starting on 14 November.

The 29-year-old Terunofuji won his debut tourney at the sport’s highest rank and will now shoulder alone the extreme expectations placed on yokozuna.

Mongolian Ichinojo is on the east after going 8-7 in his September sanyaku comeback and is joined on the west by compatriot Kiribayama.

The 25-year-old Kiribayama becomes the first Mongolian to debut in the sanyaku since Tamawashi and Terunofuji took that step in March 2015, and the 26th foreign-born wrestler to achieve the feat.

Source: Kyodo News