Ranks– category –
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Maegashira: The Rank-and-File of Sumo’s Top Division Explained
A maegashira is a rank-and-file wrestler in makuuchi, the top division of professional sumo. Maegashira are every top-division wrestler who does not hold a titled rank — yokozuna, ozeki, sekiwake or komusubi. They are listed by number on... -
Sekiwake and Komusubi: Sumo’s Junior San’yaku Ranks Explained
In sumo, sekiwake and komusubi are the two junior titled ranks of the top division, sitting directly below ozeki and above the rank-and-file maegashira. Of the two, sekiwake is the higher: the order from the top runs yokozuna, ozeki, sek... -
Yokozuna Promotion: Requirements, the Two-Yusho Rule, and Who Decides
Promotion to yokozuna, the highest rank in professional sumo, is reserved for an ozeki who has dominated the top division — by convention, winning two tournaments in a row or putting together a comparable record — and who carries the dig... -
Ozeki: Sumo’s Second-Highest Rank Explained
An ozeki is the second-highest rank in professional sumo, sitting directly below the grand champion, or yokozuna. Promotion customarily needs around 33 wins across three consecutive tournaments at the rank just below. Unlike a yokozuna, ... -
Yokozuna: Sumo’s Highest Rank Explained
A yokozuna is the highest rank in professional sumo — the grand champion who stands above every other wrestler on the ranking sheet. Unlike the ranks below it, a yokozuna can never be demoted: a grand champion who can no longer perform a...
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