The Sumo Matchup Centuries In The Making
The final match of the 2016 Haru Basho — one of six professional sumo tournaments held each year — was a day-15 championship-deciding showdown between the sport’s top yokozuna.1 Hakuho, the White Peng,2 the dominant force in sumo over the past decade, was 13-1 in the tournament and hadn’t lost since his opening match.
If he could beat rival Harumafuji — himself a winner of seven Grand Tournament championships — Hakuho would win a record 36th Emperor’s Cup, about the equivalent of a 24th major in tennis or golf.3 If he lost, he would have to wrestle again (almost immediately) in a tiebreaker against 13-2 ozeki4 Kisenosato, who was waiting ringside.
The shikiri (pre-match ritual) takes several minutes. The wrestlers clap to attract the attention of the gods, lift their hands to show they are unarmed, stomp the ground to scare away demons and throw salt in the ring to purify it. They repeatedly crouch as if about to start the match and then stand up after a few moments of glaring at each other. When they are finally ready, they creep toward their starting stance.
There is no bell. The match starts with a tachi-ai (initial charge), which generally happens the instant the opponents are set.
Harumafuji lunged from his crouch, low, exploding toward Hakuho in an effort to take control of the bout early. Instead, he caught a quick palm to the face — and then air. His momentum carried him clear out of the other side of the ring, like he’d tried to bull-rush a ghost.
The match had lasted one second.
Kisenosato scowled and walked out of the ring area. Commentators didn’t quite know what to say; one of the English announcers let out a long “hmmmmm.” The crowd booed its champion.
(ESPN.com)
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