Undoubtedly, Mongolian Hakuho is one of sumo’s greatest. Yesterday he won the Tokyo tournament, his 25th! In the background is Bulgarian hottie Kotooshu, who scored his eighth win on the last day to maintain his ozeki status.
The Tokyo tournament saw Harumafuji rise to the level of yokozuna, sumo’s highest rank. Now there are two, including Hakuho, whose crotch is just behind the head of the well-dressed sweeper.
All the European wrestlers, including my favorite, Kotooshu, have the same basic body shape as the Mongolian, Japanese wrestlers. This European wrestler looksstrong, but his body type seems wrong for the ring. How would you recognize him in public as a sumo champion?
I think I fell in love with Asashoryu today. This Mongolian sumo bad boy defeated my previous favorite, sweet Mongolian Hakuho. I even bought a Hakuho towel for my nephew in spring. But now I have fallen for Asashoryu, who is criticized for failing to practice all the time, and for slapping himself silly before matches. His stubble and fat face are somehow enchanting!
And last year he upset the Japan Sumo Association by calling for a 10% salary raise, the first since 2001, to cover the rising cost of food staples such as “bread, rice, cooking oil, mayonnaise and beer”.
Who is your favorite sumo wrestler?
My first sumo was lots of fun. We had a good view of the big boys, including top player Hakuho, seen here flipping his opponent. Lots of butt cheek, aggression, ritual, cheering, and drama. I was surprised to see such a variety of attendees, including foreigners, old ladies, business men, mob-looking types and their girlfriends, and school children.
Many of the star sumo players are foreign, including Mongolian Hakuho and Bulgarian Kotooshu. They are surprisingly flexible, and able to withstand lots of flipping, falling, and even crashing off the stage into the crowd.
