For purists, the ideal sumo tournament will always be one in which a pair of yokozuna go unbeaten across the two weeks, before deciding the destination of the Emperor’s Cup in a titanic clash on the final day.
The sport’s ranking and match scheduling systems are set up to produce a gradual building of excitement over the course of 15 days that reaches a crescendo in the tournament’s concluding bout.
Unlike in video games or Hollywood blockbusters, however, that anticipated final showdown between heavyweights often fails to materialize.