Newly promoted Mongolian yokozuna Hakuho will be looking to pull sumo out of the doldrums and prove his elevation to its top rank was no fluke when the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament starts Sunday.
Japan's national sport hit a new low last week when the Japan Sumo Association revealed that no one applied for the tests for new recruits for the first time ever.
The death of a 17-year-old wrestler after a recent practice session and the JSA's plans to file a criminal complaint against a magazine publisher for defamation have also threatened to overshadow Hakuho's grand champion debut at the July 8-22 basho at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium.