Apart from the ongoing winter regional tour ¡ª which doesn¡¯t count toward official standings ¡ª professional sumo for 2023 is in the books.
It was a year that started out with genuine concerns over a lackluster lineup of talent at the top of the rankings ¡ª and a seeming inability of any of the sport¡¯s new hopes to separate themselves from the pack ¡ª but one that finished on a high and set up enticing possibilities for 2024.
As the new year tournament got underway in January, Takakeisho was the sole ozeki on the banzuke (ranking list) ¡ª a situation that forced authorities to designate Terunofuji yokozuna-ozeki in order to fulfill a long-standing requirement to always have at least two men at sumo¡¯s second-highest rank.
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