The following are the events in professional sumo during the year 2008.
Tournaments
Hatsu basho Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 13 January – 27 January 2008 Hatsu basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest14 -1 -0HakuhōYAsashōryū13 -2 -00 -8 -7øChiyotaikaiOKotomitsuki8 -7 -08 -7 -0KaiōOKotoōshū9 -6 -05 -10 -0AminishikiSAma9 -6 -09 -4 -2KotoshōgikuKDejima3 -12 -010 -5 -0KisenosatoM1Tokitenkū6 -9 -06 -9 -0ToyonoshimaM2Miyabiyama7 -8 -05 -10 -0GōeidōM3Tochinonada5 -10 -07 -8 -0WakanosatoM4Asasekiryū10 -5 -07 -8 -0RohōM5Tamakasuga4 -11 -07 -8 -0BarutoM6Hokutōriki7 -8 -012 -3 -0TakekazeM7Hōmashō4 -11 -011 -4 -0KakuryūM8Toyohibiki6 -9 -09 -6 -0KokkaiM9Wakakirin4 -11 -010 -5 -0WakanohōM10Kyokutenhō10 -5 -06 -9 -0KakizoeM11Kasugaō8 -7 -08 -7 -0Futen'ōM12Tosanoumi5 -10 -09 -6 -0IwakiyamaM13Tamanoshima3 -12 -08 -7 -0TakamisakariM14øShimootori1 -1 -138 -7 -0TochiōzanM15Yoshikaze8 -7 -08 -7 -0IchiharaM16Kaihō8 -7 -0 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
Haru basho Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, 9 March – 23 March 2008 Haru basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest12 -3 -0HakuhōYAsashōryū13 -2 -02 -7 -6øKotoōshūOKotomitsuki8 -7 -08 -7 -0KaiōOChiyotaikai8 -7 -08 -7 -0AmaSKotoshōgiku8 -7 -08 -7 -0KisenosatoKTakekaze3 -12 -08 -7 -0AsasekiryūM1Kakuryū6 -9 -06 -9 -0AminishikiM2Miyabiyama7 -8 -07 -8 -0TokitenkūM3Toyonoshima6 -9 -08 -7 -0WakanohōM4Kyokutenhō9 -6 -05 -10 -0WakanosatoM5Kokkai12 -3 -06 -9 -0RohōM6Dejima6 -9 -012 -3 -0BarutoM7Hokutōriki8 -7 -08 -7 -0GōeidōM8Tochinonada8 -7 -07 -8 -0IwakiyamaM9Kasugaō8 -7 -010 -5 -0Futen'ōM10Tamakasuga6 -9 -05 -10 -0ToyohibikiM11Takamisakari10 -5 -011 -4 -0TochiōzanM12Yoshikaze6 -9 -09 -6 -0HōmashōM13øIchihara0 -2 -134 -11 -0KaihōM14Kakizoe8 -7 -06 -9 -0WakakirinM15øSakaizawa3 -5 -75 -10 -0ŌtsukasaM16Ryūō5 -10 -0 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
Natsu basho Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 11 May – 25 May 2008 Natsu basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest11 -4 -0AsashōryūYHakuhō11 -4 -08 -7 -0KotomitsukiOKaiō8 -7 -05 -10 -0ChiyotaikaiOKotoōshū14 -1 -09 -6 -0AmaSKotoshōgiku8 -7 -010 -5 -0KisenosatoKAsasekiryū6 -9 -03 -12 -0KokkaiM1Baruto5 -10 -04 -11 -0KyokutenhōM2Wakanohō8 -7 -06 -9 -0MiyabiyamaM3Kakuryū5 -10 -06 -9 -0TokitenkūM4Aminishiki10 -5 -05 -10 -0TochiōzanM5Toyonoshima11 -4 -09 -6 -0Futen'ōM6Hokutōriki10 -5 -07 -8 -0TakamisakariM7Gōeidō8 -7 -09 -6 -0TochinonadaM8Takekaze6 -9 -03 -6 -6øKasugaōM9øRohō8 -6 -18 -7 -0DejimaM10Wakanosato10 -5 -08 -7 -0IwakiyamaM11Hōmashō9 -6 -06 -9 -0TosanoumiM12Tamakasuga8 -7 -06 -9 -0KakizoeM13Tamanoshima9 -6 -07 -8 -0TochinoshinM14Yoshikaze7 -8 -04 -11 -0HakurozanM15Toyohibiki8 -7 -04 -11 -0KotokasugaM16Hakuba4 -11 -0 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner Nagoya basho Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Nagoya, 13 July – 27 July 2008 Nagoya basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest3 -3 -9øAsashōryūYHakuhō15 -0 -09 -6 -0KotoōshūOKotomitsuki11 -4 -09 -6 -0KaiōOChiyotaikai9 -6 -010 -5 -0AmaSKotoshōgiku6 -9 -06 -9 -0KisenosatoKToyonoshima10 -5 -06 -9 -0AminishikiM1Wakanohō4 -11 -08 -7 -0AsasekiryūM2Hokutōriki4 -11 -03 -12 -0Futen'ōM3Tochinonada7 -8 -05 -10 -0WakanosatoM4Gōeidō7 -8 -09 -6 -0MiyabiyamaM5Baruto10 -5 -09 -6 -0HōmashōM6Tokitenkū7 -8 -09 -6 -0RohōM7Kakuryū8 -7 -06 -9 -0TakamisakariM8Dejima6 -9 -010 -5 -0KyokutenhōM9Iwakiyama8 -7 -07 -8 -0TamanoshimaM10Kokkai5 -10 -09 -6 -0TochiōzanM11Tamakasuga3 -12 -07 -8 -0TakekazeM12Kimurayama7 -8 -010 -5 -0ToyohibikiM13Kōryū3 -12 -05 -10 -0TosanoumiM14Tochinoshin8 -7 -08 -7 -0YoshikazeM15Kakizoe7 -8 -010 -5 -0MasatsukasaM16Chiyohakuhō8 -7 -0 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner Aki basho Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 14 September – 28 September 2008 Aki basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest14 -1 -0HakuhōYøAsashōryū5 -5 -511 -4 -0KotomitsukiOKotoōshū8 -7 -09 -6 -0KaiōOChiyotaikai9 -6 -012 -3 -0AmaSToyonoshima6 -9 -08 -7 -0BarutoKAsasekiryū4 -11 -06 -9 -0KotoshōgikuM1Miyabiyama4 -11 -06 -9 -0KisenosatoM2øHōmashō0 -0 -156 -9 -0KyokutenhōM3øRohō0 -0 -08 -7 -0AminishikiM4Tochinonada6 -9 -07 -8 -0KakuryūM5Gōeidō10 -5 -08 -7 -0ToyohibikiM6Tochiōzan6 -9 -01 -2 -12øIwakiyamaM7Tokitenkū6 -9 -0øM8Masatsukasa5 -10 -08 -7 -0HokutōrikiM9Wakanosato9 -6 -08 -7 -0TochinoshinM10Futen'ō11 -4 -07 -8 -0YoshikazeM11Takamisakari6 -9 -07 -8 -0TamanoshimaM12Dejima9 -6 -06 -9 -0ChiyohakuhōM13Kitataiki7 -8 -09 -6 -0TakekazeM14Kimurayama7 -8 -04 -11 -0TamawashiM15Kasugaō2 -13 -08 -7 -0KokkaiM16Kakizoe10 -5 -0 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner Kyushu basho Fukuoka International Centre, Kyushu, 9 November – 23 November 2008 Kyushu basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest13 -2 -0Hakuhō*YøAsashōryū0 -0 -159 -6 -0KotomitsukiOøKaiō1 -3 -118 -7 -0ChiyotaikaiOKotoōshū8 -7 -013 -2 -0AmaSBaruto9 -6 -05 -10 -0GōeidōKAminishiki8 -7 -09 -6 -0ToyonoshimaM1Futen'ō5 -10 -00 -0 -15øToyohibikiM2Wakanosato6 -9 -09 -6 -0KotoshōgikuM3Hokutōriki5 -10 -011 -4 -0KisenosatoM4Tochinoshin3 -12 -05 -10 -0AsasekiryūM5Dejima6 -9 -05 -6 -4øKakuryūM6Kyokutenhō10 -5 -010 -5 -0MiyabiyamaM7Tochinonada5 -10 -09 -6 -0TakekazeM8Kakizoe5 -10 -06 -9 -0TochiōzanM9Tokitenkū7 -8 -08 -7 -0BushūyamaM10Aran8 -7 -09 -6 -0KokkaiM11Kōryū6 -9 -011 -4 -0YoshikazeM12øKasuganishiki2 -3 -106 -9 -0MasatsukasaM13Tamanoshima6 -9 -010 -5 -0TakamisakariM14Kitataiki2 -13 -06 -9 -0KimurayamaM15Hōmashō7 -8 -09 -6 -0TosanoumiM16Chiyohakuhō9 -6 -0 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner *Won Playoff
News
January
27th: Yokozuna Asashoryu, making his return from a two tournament suspension, enters the final day of the Hatsu basho in Tokyo in the joint lead for the championship, but is defeated by fellow yokozuna Hakuho, who wins his sixth top division yusho with a 14–1 record. Asashoryu finishes on 13–2 with runner-up honours. Another Mongolian, Kakuryu, wins 11 matches and receives the Technique Award. Rank-and-filer Takekaze scores 12–3 and wins the Fighting Spirit Award, and Kisenosato scores 10–5 and receives the Outstanding Performance Award for his victory over Asashoryu on the 2nd day. Georgian Tochinoshin, making his debut in the second highest juryo division, wins the yusho with a 12–3 record. Yamamotoyama takes the makushita division championship with a perfect 7–0 record. Announcing their retirements from active competition are former top division wrestlers Tochinohana, Tochisakae, Kobo and Chiyotenzan, as well as Kyokutenho's brother Fudoyama and Tamanoshima's brother .
February 2nd: The danpatsu-shiki or retirement ceremony of former ozeki Tochiazuma takes place at a packed Kokugikan. 7th: The former head of the Tokitsukaze stable, Junichi Yamamoto, and three non sekitori wrestlers from the stable are arrested on charges of assault leading to the death of trainee Tokitaizan. The Aichi Prefecture Police Department allege that on 25 June 2007, the night before his death, Tokitaizan was struck on the head with a beer bottle and then tied to a pole and beaten with a wooden stick, on the orders of Yamamoto. The following day Tokitaizan was forced into an intense 30 minute training session and repeatedly hit in the face, kicked and beaten with an aluminium bat, resulting in his collapse and death. 10th: Asashoryu wins a one-day tournament held at the Ryogoku Kokugikan, defeating Miyabiyama, Asasekiryu and Tokitenku.
March
23rd: In a reversal of fortunes from the January tournament in Tokyo, Asashoryu defeats Hakuho on the final day in Osaka to win his 22nd yusho, and his first since July 2007, with a 13–2 score. Hakuho finishes runner-up on 12–3, level with the maegashira Kokkai and Baruto, who each receive a share of the Fighting Spirit Award. Tochiozan wins 11 bouts and the Technique Award, while sekiwake Kotoshogiku is awarded the Outstanding Performance prize for being the first wrestler to beat Asashoryu on Day 12. Ozeki Kotoōshū withdraws through injury with only two wins, meaning he will be kadoban (in danger of demotion) in May. Kimurayama wins his first juryo division championship. Announcing their retirements are former maegashira Shunketsu, and makushita wrestler , an extremely successful amateur champion who missed the whole of 2003 through injury and was never able to make the sekitori ranks.
May
26: Bulgarian Kotooshu bounces back from his disappointing performance in March to win his first top division championship with a 14–1 record, becoming the first European to do so. His only defeat was to Aminishiki on Day 13, who wins his third Outstanding Performance Award. Asashoryu and Hakuho finish behind the pace on 11–4 and attract controversy after bad-temperedly pushing and glaring at each other after their match on the final day. Toyonoshima also wins 11 bouts and receives the Fighting Spirit Award. Kisenosato is also awarded the Fighting Spirit prize for his 10–5 mark at the rank of komusubi, while sekiwake Ama earns his third Technique Award. In the juryo division Chiyohakuho wins his first yusho, and former maegashira Tamaasuka wins the makushita championship. 27: The head of the Sumo Association sees both Asashoryu and Hakuho separately and gives each a strict warning over their conduct in the previous day's bout.
June 7–8: An exhibition tournament is held in Los Angeles for the first time in 27 years, at the Memorial Arena.
July 2nd: Asashoryu uses his position as head of the wrestlers union to call for all salaried rikishi to be given a pay raise of ten percent (which would be their first pay raise since 2001) to compensate for the rising cost of food and fuel. The Sumo Association are reportedly unimpressed with his remarks. 27th: Hakuho wins the tournament held in Nagoya with a perfect 15–0 record. His yokozuna rival Asashoryu withdraws after a defeat to Tochinonada on day 5, citing an injury to his elbow. Talk of Kotooshu's possible promotion to yokozuna is silenced after he turns in a mediocre 9–6 score. Ozeki Kotomitsuki finishes as runner-up to Hakuho, but four wins behind. Ama wins another Technique award and scores 10–5, while Toyonoshima also finishes on 10–5 and receives the Outstanding Performance prize. The Fighting Spirit award goes to maegashira Toyohibiki for his ten wins. Veteran Bushuyama wins the juryo division championship. Former maegashira Satoyama wins the makushita yusho, defeating Yamamotoyama, amongst others, in a playoff. Yamamotoyama is nonetheless promoted to the juryo division after the tournament.
August
18th: Russian maegashira Wakanoho is arrested for cannabis possession after his wallet, lost in June, is turned in to police and found to contain a cigarette mixed with the illegal drug. Police search his home and discover more evidence of cannabis use. 21st: The elders of the Sumo Association meet and decide on the immediate dismissal of Wakanoho. His name is removed from the banzuke ranking sheets for the September tournament, with the Maegashira 8 East position left blank. His stablemaster Magaki (the former yokozuna Wakanohana II) steps down from the Association's board of directors. 28th: Asashoryu defeats Hakuho in a playoff to win an exhibition tournament held in Mongolia and receives a trophy from Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar. The tournament attracts live television and front-page newspaper coverage in Mongolia.
September
2nd: Drug tests are carried out on all sekitori ranked wrestlers in the wake of Wakanoho's dismissal, and two other Russian wrestlers, brothers Roho and Hakurozan, test positive for cannabis.