2013 in sumo

The following are the events in professional sumo during 2013.

Tournaments

News

January
Taihō (pictured here in December 2011) died in January.
  • 10: It is announced that the famous Nishonoseki stable is to close after the Hatsu basho, due to the poor health of the incumbent stablemaster, ex komusubi Kongō.[7]
  • 19: The 48th Yokozuna Taihō, winner of a record 32 tournament championships, dies aged 72.[8][9] He is generally regarded as the greatest sumo wrestler of the post-war period.[10]
  • 27: Yokozuna Harumafuji bounces back from his disappointing 9–6 debut in November to take his fifth top division championship with a perfect 15–0 record, defeating fellow yokozuna Hakuhō who finishes on 12–3, having also lost to maegashira Myōgiryū and ōzeki Kotoōshū.[11] Hakuhō has to share runners up honours with rank and filer Takayasu, who wins his first Fighting Spirit Award. Myogiryu misses out on a special prize as he was unable to earn a majority of wins. Baruto, returning from injury, is unable to win back his ozeki rank as he can score only 8–7. Veteran former ozeki Miyabiyama wins only three bouts at the bottom maegashira rank and will be demoted to jūryō. Another veteran, the eccentric and popular Takamisakari, announces his retirement after facing demotion to makushita. He will stay in sumo as a coach at his Azumazeki stable under the name "Furiwake". Former maegashira Bushūyama also retires. The jūryō championship is won by young Mongolian Takanoiwa.
  • 29: The 4th Kimura Masanao, a san'yaku gyōji, dies of cancer while active, aged 59.

February
  • 7: Due to imminent mandatory retirement of its head coach, former ozeki Kaiketsu, Hanaregoma stable is absorbed by Shibatayama stable.
  • 25: The banzuke for the forthcoming March basho is released. Harumafuji and Hakuhō exchange sides; Aminishiki regains komusubi status, with Shōhōzan losing the rank; Ōiwato and Sōtairyū are promoted to makuuchi with Sagatsukasa, Chiyonokuni, and Jōkōryū returning; the jūryō debut of Tochihiryū is accompanied by the return of both Oniarashi and Senshō from makushita and the relegations of Tamaasuka, Miyabiyama, Kotoyūki, Asahishō, and Hōmashō (who had to miss the entire January basho after undergoing shoulder surgery) from makuuchi, while Kotoyutaka and Shironoryū lose sekitori status altogether.
Hakuhō at the Sumiyoshi taisha shortly before the Osaka tournament in March.

March
  • 24: Hakuhō wins his 24th title with a record 9th perfect 15–0 record, defeating Harumafuji, who again can only manage 9–6, having also lost to Takayasu, Chiyotairyū, Toyonoshima, Kakuryū, and Kisenosato. Okinoumi claims the basho's only Special Prize, his second for Fighting Spirit. Hometown favorite Gōeidō, who finishes 10–5, is unable to secure a promotion to ōzeki, having lost to both yokozuna. Miyabiyama retires after facing demotion to makushita. He will remain in the sumo world as a coach at his Fujishima stable, under the name "Futagoyama". Kyokushūhō wins the jūryō title after forcing a playoff against Azumaryū, while nine wrestlers contest the jonidan title, with Kinunonami coming out on top.
  • 25:

April
  • 1: The 67th Yokozuna Musashimaru leaves his old stable and opens his own Musashigawa stable, the first new heya since Onoe in 2006.
  • 3: The Sumo Association announce that they will accept Sōkokurai's return, and that he will appear on the July banzuke at maegashira 15, his last rank before he was thrown out of sumo.[13]
  • 25: The banzuke for the forthcoming May basho is released. Hakuhō and Harumafuji again switch sides; Okinoumi is promoted to komusubi, unseating Aminishiki; Azumaryū, Chiyoōtori, Daikihō, and Homarefuji make their makuuchi debut, with Kyokushūhō returning; the promotions of Chiyoō and Kizenryū to jūryō are accompanied by the return of both Kitaharima and Chiyoarashi and the relegation of Ōiwato, Sagatsukasa, Sōtairyū, Tamawashi, and Tochinowaka, with Hōmashō finding himself at the very bottom of the jūryō rankings, again having missed all of the last basho, while Hōchiyama, Senshō, and Yoshiazuma lose sekitori status altogether. In addition, the 11th Shikimori Kandayū is promoted to san'yaku gyōji, filling the gap left behind following the death of the 4th Kimura Masanao in January.

May
  • 16: The 36th Kimura Shōnosuke, who has been sumo's highest-ranking gyōji since October 31, 2011, turns the mandatory retirement age of 65, but elects to serve the remainder of the May tournament due to the possibility of a playoff between Hakuhō and Kisenosato.
  • 25: The crunch match of the May tournament takes place with Hakuhō facing ozeki Kisenosato. Both have unblemished 13–0 records. Hakuhō emerges victorious for the 32nd time in their 40 meetings, and needs only one more win to clinch the tournament.
  • 26: On the final day of the basho Kisenosato suffers a disappointing defeat to fellow ozeki Kotoshōgiku, handing the yusho to Hakuhō. Hakuhō completes his tenth zensho yusho with a victory over Harumafuji to seal his 25th championship, drawing him level with Asashōryū in third place on the all-time list. The Technique prize goes to Myōgiryū for the fifth time after his fine 11–4 record, which includes wins over a yokozuna and two ozeki. Kotoōshū preserves his rank yet again with a win over Kakuryū. All four makuuchi debutants post losing records, with all four plus the injured Kyokushūhō likely to be demoted back to jūryō. Coming up will be amongst others Kotoyūki who wins the jūryō yusho with a 13–2 record. The makushita yusho is won by Egyptian Ōsunaarashi with a perfect 7–0 score, guaranteeing him promotion to jūryō next time. Wrestlers announcing their retirements include former jūryō rikishi Masuraumi (who is just 24 years old), Kotoyutaka, and Yotsuguruma, plus the 40-year old makushita wrestler Ranbō, the last survivor of the March 1988 entry class that included Takanohana, Wakanohana, Akebono and Kaio. He is staying in sumo as a sewanin, or odd-job man.

September
  • 12: Former ōzeki Baruto announces his retirement after missing the last 2 tournaments due to injury.
  • 29: Hakuho wins the championship with a 14–1 record, finishing three clear wins ahead of ozeki Kisenosato and sekiwake Goeido on 11–4. Goeido is the only man to defeat Hakuho and wins his second Outstanding Performance prize as a result. The Fighting Spirit Award goes to Shohozan. Harumafuji can only manage 10–5, the fourth tournament in a row in which he has failed to challenge for the title.

October
  • 8: Aran announces his retirement. Although he had been struggling physically and scored only 3–12 in the previous tournament, he was also unhappy about his transfer to Kasugano stable following the winding up of his Mihogaseki stable due to the retirement of its head, former ozeki Masuiyama II.
  • 29: Mongolian former juryo wrestler Hoshikaze loses his final appeal against the Sumo Association for dismissing him over the 2011 match-fixing scandal.

November
Kisenosato was runner-up for the fourth time in a row in November.
  • 24: The final tournament of the year is won by Harumafuji, who wins his second tournament as a yokozuna with a 14–1 record. However, much media attention is on Kisenosato, who despite having never won a championship is the best Japanese hope for promotion to yokozuna. Although he drops an early bout to Aminishiki and then is defeated by Goeido to stand at 6–2 after eight days, he rallies to win all of his remaining matches, including consecutive victories over both yokozuna on Days 13 and 14. This is his fourth straight runner-up performance. Chiyotairyu wins the Technique Award and Ikioi the Fighting Spirit Prize. Osunaarashi fails to clinch kachi-koshi in his top division debut, winning only seven matches. Chiyootori wins the juryo yusho and promotion back to makuuchi.
  • The Yokozuna Deliberation Council indicate that Kisenosato will have to capture the title with at least 13 wins in the next basho to earn promotion to sumo's highest rank.[14]

December
  • 26: The Yokozuna Deliberation Council confirm the promotion requirements for Kisenosato. He will need to either win his first championship with 13 wins or better, or finish on 14–1 with the only loss being in the title-deciding bout.

Deaths
  • 16 January: Former sekiwake Hōō, aged 56, of heart disease.
  • 19 January: The 48th yokozuna Taihō, aged 72 (see January entry).
  • 24 April: Former maegashira Ōko, aged 56, after a short illness.
  • 20 July: Former juryo 11 Mutetsuyama, also known as Kurimoto and an amateur champion at Chuo University, aged 42, of heart failure.
  • 25 July: Former makushita 13 Ozora, born Troy Talaimatai from Hawaii, aged 41, of a heart attack.

See also

References
  1. "Hatsu 2013 Banzuke". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  2. "Haru 2013 Banzuke". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  3. "Natsu 2013 Banzuke". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  4. "Nagoya 2013 Banzuke". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  5. "Aki 2013 Banzuke". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  6. "Kyushu 2013 Banzuke". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  7. "Legend Taiho's stable set to close". Japan Times. 11 January 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  8. "Ex-Sumo Grand Champion dies". The Times of Malta. January 19, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  9. "Taiho dies at 72 after legendary sumo career". Japan Times. Kyodo. January 19, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  10. "Whether crisis or not, sumo's show must go on". Japan Times. January 26, 2003. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
  11. "Harumafuji claims perfect record". Japan Times. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  12. "Court nullifies sumo association's dismissal of Sokokurai". Japan Times. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  13. "JSA won't appeal court ruling to reinstate Sokukurai". Japan Times. 4 April 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  14. "Kisenosato primed for yokozuna promotion bid". Japan Times. November 25, 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
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