Sumo wrestlers primed to rock London in five-day tournament

VIDEO SHOWS: PHOTO CALL WITH "RIKISHI" (SUMO WRESTLERS) OUTSIDE OF LONDON'S ROYAL ALBERT HALL / RING BLESSING CEREMONY AHEAD OF THE GRAND SUMO TOURNAMENT  RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT. SHOWS: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (OCTOBER 15, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)  1. SUMO WRESTLER FIXING ANOTHER SUMO WRESTLER'S ROBE 2. TWO SUMO WRESTLERS WALKING DOWN STEPS  3. FEET OF SUMO WRESTLER WEARING SOCKS WITH TRADITIONAL JAPANESE FOOTWEAR / SUMO WRESTLERS GATHERED 4. CLOSE-UP OF ROBES 5. SUMO WRESTLERS TAKING A SELFIE  6. SUMO WRESTLER WALKING DOWN 7. VARIOUS OF SUMO WRESTLERS GATHERED 8. SUMO WRESTLER ADJUSTING LANYARD AROUND NECK 9. VARIOUS OF SUMO WRESTLERS AND OFFICIALS POSING FOR PHOTO 10. SUMO WRESTLERS WALKING AWAY  11. SIGN INSIDE ROYAL ALBERT HALL READING (English): "ROYAL ALBERT HALL. THE GRAND SUMO TOURNAMENT" 12. SUMO REFEREES WALKING IN FOR BLESSING CEREMONY  13. HEAD SUMO REFEREE BOWING 14. OFFICIALS WATCHING 15. VARIOUS OF REFEREES PERFORMING BLESSING CEREMONY 16. DRUMMERS WALKING AROUND RING WITH DRUMS  17. AUDIENCE WATCHING, DRUMMING IN BACKGROUND 18. DRUMMERS WALKING AROUND RING 19. VARIOUS OF OFFICIALS COVERING HOLE IN RING WITH EARTH AND PATTING DOWN 20. INTERIOR OF ROYAL ALBERT HALL  STORY: Japan's top sumo wrestlers rolled into London's Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday evening (October 15) for the start of a five-day tournament to showcase their ancient sport heaving under the weight of tradition, ritual and huge, semi-naked men. More than 40 elite rikishi (wrestlers) flew in at the weekend with a supporting cast of organizers, referees and sumo elders (managers) ahead of the Grand Sumo Tournament – the first event of its kind held outside Japan since one hosted at the same venue in 1991. Eleven tons of clay and earth have been hauled into the centre of the hall to create a "dohyo" platform, with a ring marked out on it by bales of rice pounded into shape and into place with beer bottles. The tournament has been more than a decade in the making, overseen by sumo elder Hakkaku, the chairman of the Japan Sumo Association, who won the 1991 event when he himself was a "Yokozuna" or Grand Champion, the highest rank in the sport. Following a ring-blessing ceremony on Wednesday afternoon, all the niceties have been observed and the wrestling begins. Every night, wrestlers from Japan's top sumo division will fight around 20 bouts to contest the London title. Many of the elite wrestlers, who go by their fighting names, are from Mongolia, while ticket holders in London will also have the chance to cheer on two Ukrainians – Aonishiki and Shishi. From the highly skilled Midorifuji – the lightest wrestler in London weighing a mere 114 kg (18 stone) – right the way up to Onosato, who tips the scales at 191 kg, it is anyone's guess who will win the tournament. As each wrestler only fights once a day it is likely there will be a playoff on Sunday (October 19) to decide the winner. (Production: Ben Makori, Natasha Montague)

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