Sumo set to end 2026 on high note as stars align ahead of Kyushu basho

With the final Grand Sumo Tournament of 2026 about to get underway, Japan's national sport finds itself in a position it hasn't been in for quite a while — namely having all the sport's big names apparently healthy and ready to compete.

After a historically poor run of six straight tournaments won with 12-3 records there is finally light at the end of the tunnel.

Sumo's ideal scenario is a pair of yokozuna going into the final day unbeaten and facing off with the Emperor's Cup at stake. 

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