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Before 1964, sumo was solely reserved for jumbo Japanese wrestlers until Jesse Kuhaulua, a native Hawaiian, became the first foreign-born rikishi, or professional sumo competitor. When he retired, he ran a sumo stable in Tokyo and recruited fellow Americans, including the 1993 grand champion, Akebono. But Americans weren't the only ones to take the ancient ritualistic sport by storm, as other foreigners -- including Eastern Europeans and other Asians -- now fill the ranks, or banzuke. In fact, the top title of yokozuna has been exclusively held for three years by Asashoryu -- a 326-pound Mongolian who won all six honbasho tournaments in 2005. This weekend, at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center, the rikishi step into the ring for the last time this year to showcase their techniques and traditional ceremonies in the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament. Will the Bulgarian Kotooshu, a.k.a. "the David Beckham of Sumo," prevail, or will the body-slamming Asashoryu claim victory again?
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Directory categories:
Sumo, Wrestling, Sumo Wrestlers |
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Archived under: Events, Japan, Martial Arts, Regional, Sports |
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