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NFL-style changes sumo could and should make

Kotozakura (left) defeats Terunofuji at Dolphins Arena in Nagoya on July 28. | JIJI

by JOHN GUNNING
August 21, 2024

Sumo in 2024 is arguably more popular than at any time since the Waka-Taka boom of the early 1990s, when a young pair of bothers from a sumo dynasty sparked a Beatlemania-like surge of interest in Japan’s national sport.

Tickets for Grand Sumo Tournaments sell out almost instantly, top wrestlers are a near-constant presence on television screens and the number of sumo-themed shows and events popping up in the capital continues to increase.

Internationally, it’s a similar story. Sumo engagement abroad is at an all-time high, both in terms of content consumption and active participation. The sport’s pageantry combined with its made-for-social-media short bursts of action have ensured sumo is finding traction among younger demographics.


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