A Japanese national was promoted Wednesday to the rank of yokozuna, the highest in the Japanese wrestling sport of sumo, for the first time in eight years.
Sumo wrestler Onosato, whose real name is Daiki Nakamura, 24, won the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament that ended Sunday and was named a yokozuna by the Japan Sumo Association. He is the 75th person to reach the rank in the sport’s history, according to the JSA.
He is the first yokozuna to be born in Japan since former wrestler Kisenosato achieved the rank in 2017. Onosato is also the first to reach the rank of yokozuna without ever having had a losing record, according to Japanese news agency Kyodo News.
“I’ll devote myself to training in order not to bring the rank of yokozuna into disrepute, and aim for a one-of-a-kind yokozuna,” Onosato said at a promotion ceremony according to Kyodo News.
Six of the seven yokozuna promoted before Onosato are Mongolian nationals, according to The Associated Press. That includes the only other active yokozuna, Hoshoryu, whose real name is Sugarragchaa Byambasuren, 26. He was promoted in January, per the JSA website.
The two wrestlers will face off for the first time as yokozuna in July. On Sunday, Hoshoryu had the upper hand, besting Onosato in the tournament’s final match and spoiling his bid for a perfect 15-0 record at the tournament, according to Kyodo News.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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