The Osaka Basho, which gets underway on Sunday, is arguably the most wide-open tournament sumo has seen in years.

With three of the last four meets crowning first-time champions, guessing who will be hoisting the Emperor¡¯s Cup on March 24 is like trying to predict who will ultimately be sitting on the Iron Throne, back at the start of series one of ¡°Game of Thrones.¡±

Right now, taking recent history, form, age, and injuries into account, you can make a solid case for any one of up to five or six rikishi being in pole position for the title.