List of sumo top division champions on:
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This is a list of
''*Takahanada would later become the 2nd Takanohana.''
''*Tamanoshima would later become the 3rd Tamanoumi.''
''*Wakahanada would later become the 3rd Wakanohana.''
''*Wakamisugi II would later become the 2nd Wakanohana.''
''**Asashio would later become
This is a list of wrestlers
Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat spo ...
who have won the top division (''makuuchi'') championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
in professional sumo since 1909, when the current championship system was established. These official tournaments are held exclusively in Japan.
1958 to present
The first table below lists the champions since the six-tournament system was instituted in 1958. The championship is determined by the wrestler with the highest win–loss score after fifteen bouts, held at a rate of one per day over the duration of the 15-day tournament. In the event of a tie a play-off is held between the wrestlers concerned. Names in bold mark an undefeated victory (a ''zenshō-yūshō
The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
...
''). Names in italics mark a victory by a ''maegashira
, or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers ('' rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments.
This is the o ...
''. Figures in brackets mark the number of championships earned up to that tournament for wrestlers who won the championship more than once.
''*Hoshi would later become Hokutoumi
is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Hokkaidō. He was the sport's 61st ''yokozuna'' and won eight top division championships. He wrestled for Kokonoe stable, as did Chiyonofuji, and the two were the first ''yokozuna'' stablemat ...
.'' ''*Takahanada would later become the 2nd Takanohana.''
''*Tamanoshima would later become the 3rd Tamanoumi.''
''*Wakahanada would later become the 3rd Wakanohana.''
''*Wakamisugi II would later become the 2nd Wakanohana.''
1909 to 1957
The following tables list the champions before the introduction of the current tournament system. The system was less regularized between years, with a different number of tournaments held at different times and in different venues, and often with a changing number of bouts fought in each tournament. ''*tournament held in September'' ''*Ayūshō
is the term for a championship in Japanese. This article focuses on championships in the sport of professional sumo.
It is awarded in each of the six annual '' honbasho'' or official tournaments, to the wrestler who wins the most bouts. ''Y ...
system giving the wrestler with the best tournament record a prize was introduced by the Mainichi
The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by
In addition to the ''Mainichi Shimbun'', which is printed twice a day in several local editions, Mainichi also operates an English language news website called ''The Mainichi'' (prev ...
newspaper in the second half of 1909, and this was officially integrated by the JSA in 1926. All tournaments predating the second tournament of 1909 did not recognize or award a championship. As a consequence of this, yokozuna Hitachiyama
was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture. He was the sport's 19th ''yokozuna'' from 1903 till 1914. His great rivalry with Umegatani Tōtarō II created the "Ume-Hitachi Era" and did much to popularise sumo. He i ...
had seven pre-1909 mathematical "championship" equivalents that are uncounted here, and yokozuna Tachiyama
was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture. He was the sport's 22nd ''yokozuna''. He was well known for his extreme strength and skill. He won 99 out of 100 matches from 1909 to 1916 (not counting draws), and ...
had two.''''**Asashio would later become
Minanogawa Tōzō
, also known as , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Tsukuba, Ibaraki. He was the sport's 34th ''Yokozuna (sumo), yokozuna''.
Career
He was born . He had lost his father in the Russo-Japanese War at the age of two, and worked as a l ...
''
Most career championships
;Official (since 1909) ;Unofficial (before 1909) ^Wrestler is currently active.See also
*Glossary of sumo terms
The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
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*List of active sumo wrestlers
The following is an alphabetical list of all active professional sumo wrestlers in the top ''makuuchi'' division, and all those currently in lower divisions who have a Wikipedia article. Please refer to professional sumo divisions for more informa ...
*List of past sumo wrestlers
This is a list of prominent past wrestlers (either retired or deceased) in the sport of professional sumo. They are listed in order of the year and tournament month that they made their professional debuts. The information listed below was gleaned ...
*List of sumo tournament top division runners-up
The table below lists the runners up ('' jun-yusho'') in the top '' makuuchi'' division at official sumo
is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a '' rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring ...
*List of sumo tournament second division champions
This is a list of wrestlers who have won the sumo second division ''jūryō'' championship since 1909, when the current championship system was established. These official tournaments are held exclusively in Japan.
The wrestler who has won the ...
*List of sumo record holders
This is a list of records held by wrestlers of professional sumo. Only performances in official tournaments or ''honbasho'' are included here. Since 1958 six ''honbasho'' have been held every year, giving wrestlers from the modern era more opportu ...
*List of sumo stables
The following is an alphabetical list of '' heya'' or training stables in professional sumo. All belong to one of five groups, called ''ichimon''. These groups, led by the stable by which each group is named, are in order of size: Dewanoumi ''ich ...
* List of years in sumo
*List of yokozuna
This is a list of all sumo wrestlers who have reached the sport's highest rank of '' yokozuna''. It was not recorded on the ''banzuke'' until 1890 and was not officially recognised as sumo's highest rank until 1909. Until then, ''yokozuna'' was me ...
References
{{reflist tournament winners