In a sport known for big spectacle and even bigger men, a new champion in the world of sumo has quickly become the best sports story in Japan. Tokushōryū Makoto, a largely unknown wrestler from the city of Nara, became the lowest-ranked competitor in 20 years to win the prestigious “Emperor’s Cup.”
A Cinderella sumo win is Japan’s best sports story
Nobody ever expected this to happen.
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Even Tokushōryū couldn’t believe what happened at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament over the weekend. Spectators said the wrestler was vacillating between tears and bouts of laughter — unable to comprehend what he had accomplished. To understand why this is such a big deal requires a deeper dive into the sport.
The 33-year-old Tokushōryū has been wrestling since 2009, with middling success at best. He competed primarily in the Jūryō and Makushita divisions, the second and third tiers of sumo wrestling, respectively. Tokushōryū finished 2019 with a 43-47 overall record, and the best finish of his career was an 11-4 second-division tournament in 2018. This is all enough to make a decent living and support yourself off sumo, but not enough to be a household name.
All that changed over the weekend.
The Emperor’s Cup is essentially the Super Bowl of sumo. It’s intended to crown the best wrestler in the country’s prestigious Makuuchi division, which is reserved for the 42 best wrestlers in the sport. Tokushōryū had been in this position once before in 2018, but finished with a disappointing 4-11 record the last time he competed in tier one. So, with little expectation, Tokushōryū entered the tournament with the rank of No. 17 maegashira, the lowest tier in the tournament. He was expected to compete, largely as match-filler, not win the whole thing.
Tokushōryū tore through the competition en route to a stunning 14-1 record and the Emperor’s Cup. He became the first wrestler from Nara to ever win the tournament, becoming a hero in Japan and a testament to how determination and hard work can pay off. Tokushōryū was also awarded two commendations: the Outstanding Performance Prize and the Fighting Spirit Prize — both of which were the first in his 11-year career.
After the tournament, he jokingly asked: “Deep down I’m feeling like, ‘Is it OK for me to win the championship?’”
The answer is a resounding “yes,” and now the newfound Japanese sumo hero has the opportunity to be noticed in ways he never was before.
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