Sumo wrestling will head to the iconic Royal Albert Hall this week as the Grand Sumo Tournament headlines London.
It will be the first time this level of sumo has left Japan since 1991, when the Japanese stalwart sport also arrived at South Kensington’s Royal Albert Hall.
PlutoTV – which last month saw Ronnie O’Sullivan team up with a former director of Thomas the Tank Engine to launch the world’s first dedicated snooker TV channel – will broadcast the events alongside BBC iPlayer.
The tournaments take place from Tuesday through until Sunday with the stars of the dohyō consuming 70kg of rice per day.
It is just the second time a Grand Tournament has been held outside of Japan in the sport’s 1,500-year history, marking the event as a key one in the history of the sport.
All five days sold out within minutes, with the appetite for sumo wrestling clearly visible.
Among those featuring will be Mongolian Hoshoryu Tomokatsu and Japan’s Onosato Daiki, who are ranked yokozuna, or grand champions.
Sumo at Royal Albert Hall
“I’m happy that Sumo is back after so many years,” Onosato said. “I hope I can show the UK fans how fantastic Sumo is.”
“Being a yokozuna has a lot of responsibility,” Hoshoryu told Sky Sports. “We have to show everyone an example of what a yokozuna is – and that’s very difficult.
“My uncle was a yokozuna – and I’m happy to follow in his footsteps. But I came here to London as a yokozuna which he didn’t, so I’m even happier.”
Pluto TV has been described as an American free ad-supported streaming platform, and worked with Whoopi Goldberg on the All Women’s Sports Network.
“The Grand Sumo Tournament promises to be a ground-breaking showcase of Sumo’s athleticism and tradition, with a full complement of Makuuchi rikishi (wrestlers), from Japan’s top level Sumo division, competing in front of a live audience across five days to win the coveted title of grand champion,” a statement read when the tournament was announced.