The following are the events in professional sumo during 2000.
Tournaments Hatsu basho Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 9 January – 23 January 2000 Hatsu basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest2-2-11øMusashimaruYTakanohana12-3-00-0-15øWakanohanaYAkebono11-4-09-6-0DejimaOChiyotaikai9-6-07-8-0KaiōSTochiazuma8-7-013-2-0MusōyamaSTakanonami10-5-08-7-0TosanoumiKMiyabiyama12-3-04-11-0TōkiM1Kotoryū6-9-06-9-0KotonowakaM2Asanowaka3-12-03-12-0KotonishikiM3øHigonoumi2-5-86-9-0TochinonadaM4Akinoshima7-8-05-10-0HamanoshimaM5Shikishima7-8-08-7-0KyokushūzanM6øAogiyama4-10-15-10-0TeraoM7Wakanoyama9-6-08-7-0TamakasugaM8Asanosho7-8-06-9-0KaihōM9Minatofuji8-7-06-9-0TakatōrikiM10Ōtsukasa5-10-09-6-0ChiyotenzanM11Tokitsuumi9-6-010-5-0TakanowakaM12Ōhinode4-11-011-4-0KyokutenhōM13Ōikari8-7-06-9-0KinkaiyamaM14øWakanosato0-0-15 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
Haru basho Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, 12 March – 26 March 2000 Haru basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest11-4-0TakanohanaYAkebono12-3-011-4-0MusashimaruYøWakanohana2-4-011-4-0DejimaOChiyotaikai8-7-07-8-0TakanonamiOø12-3-0MusōyamaSMiyabiyama11-4-0øSTochiazuma8-7-08-7-0TosanoumiKKaiō8-7-06-9-0WakanoyamaM1Kyokushūzan5-10-05-10-0TamakasugaM2Kyokutenhō4-11-05-10-0KotoryūM3øKotonowaka0-0-152-11-2øMinatofujiM4Takanowaka5-10-05-10-0AkinoshimaM5Chiyotenzan6-9-09-6-0TochinonadaM6Shikishima4-11-07-8-0TokitsuumiM7Tōki7-8-08-7-0AsanowakaM8øKotonishiki2-3-108-7-0HamanoshimaM9Oginishiki8-7-06-9-0AsanoshoM10Hayateumi7-8-05-10-0ŌikariM11øHigonoumi0-0-157-8-0TeraoM12Daizen9-6-00-0-15øAogiyamaM13Kaihō8-7-013-2-0TakatōrikiM14øWakanosato0-0-15 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
Natsu basho Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 7 May – 21 May 2000 Natsu basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest13-2-0AkebonoYTakanohana13-2-00-0-15øMusashimaruYø8-7-0DejimaOøMusōyama0-0-1511-4-0ChiyotaikaiOTakanonami6-9-011-4-0MiyabiyamaSTochiazuma9-6-09-6-0TosanoumiKKaiō14-1-0øKTakatōriki2-13-05-10-0TochinonadaM1Asanowaka5-10-05-10-0WakanoyamaM2Hamanoshima3-12-06-9-0OginishikiM3Daizen3-12-05-10-0KyokushūzanM4Tamakasuga9-6-07-8-0KaihōM5Kotoryū7-8-07-8-0KyokutenhōM6Chiyotenzan6-9-08-7-0TakanowakaM7Akinoshima10-5-00-0-15øKotomitsukiM8Tokitsuumi5-10-09-6-0TōkiM9øMinatofuji0-0-156-9-0ShikishimaM10Kinkaiyama5-10-09-6-0HayateumiM11Higonoumi9-6-012-3-0TochinohanaM12Asanosho4-11-07-8-0AogiyamaM13Terao5-10-06-9-0JūmonjiM14Kotonowaka10-5-0 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
Nagoya basho Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Nagoya, 9 July – 23 July 2000 Nagoya basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest13-2-0AkebonoYøTakanohana5-3-710-5-0MusashimaruYø11-4-0ChiyotaikaiOMiyabiyama6-9-010-5-0DejimaOMusōyama4-11-011-4-0KaiōSTochiazuma12-3-0øSTakanonami7-8-07-8-0TosanoumiKTamakasuga2-13-08-7-0AkinoshimaM1Tochinohana5-10-06-9-0TōkiM2Takanowaka6-9-07-8-0TochinonadaM3Asanowaka5-10-07-8-0OginishikiM4Wakanoyama7-8-08-7-0HayateumiM5Higonoumi4-11-07-8-0KaihōM6Kotoryū9-6-08-7-0KotonowakaM7Kyokutenhō9-6-05-10-0KyokushūzanM8Takatōriki9-6-010-5-0ChiyotenzanM9Minatofuji7-8-06-9-0HamanoshimaM10Daizen5-10-010-5-0TakamisakariM11Tokitsuumi9-6-03-12-0ShikishimaM12Ōtsukasa8-7-08-7-0SentoryūM13Aminishiki10-5-06-9-0AogiyamaM14Kinkaiyama8-7-0 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
Aki basho Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 3 September – 17 September 2000 Aki basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest13-2-0AkebonoYøMusashimaru14-1-00-0-15øTakanohanaYø10-5-0ChiyotaikaiODejima10-5-011-4-0KaiōOMiyabiyama8-7-02-4-9øTochiazumaSMusōyama10-5-07-8-0AkinoshimaKTakanonami9-6-05-10-0TosanoumiM1Kotoryū1-14-06-9-0ChiyotenzanM2Hayateumi9-6-04-11-0KyokutenhōM3Tochinonada4-11-06-9-0TakatōrikiM4Tōki6-9-05-10-0OginishikiM5Takanowaka5-10-08-7-0WakanoyamaM6Kotonowaka7-8-010-5-0TochinohanaM7øTakamisakari1-3-117-8-0KaihōM8Asanowaka6-9-07-8-0TamakasugaM9Aminishiki7-8-07-8-0TokitsuumiM10Wakanosato11-4-06-9-0ŌtsukasaM11Minatofuji6-9-010-5-0HigonoumiM12Sentoryū5-10-05-10-0KinkaiyamaM13Hamanoshima9-6-09-6-0KyokushūzanM14Daishi5-10-08-7-0TochisakaeM15ø ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
Kyushu basho Fukuoka International Centre, Kyushu, 5 November – 19 November 2000 Kyushu basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest11-4-0MusashimaruYøAkebono14-1-011-4-0TakanohanaYø11-4-0KaiōOChiyotaikai9-6-09-6-0DejimaOMiyabiyama9-6-0øOMusōyama9-6-06-9-0TakanonamiSøHayateumi4-5-63-12-0TochinohanaKWakanosato9-6-05-10-0AkinoshimaM1Wakanoyama6-9-05-10-0HigonoumiM2Hamanoshima4-11-04-11-0KyokushūzanM3Chiyotenzan6-9-07-8-0TosanoumiM4øTochiazuma0-0-154-11-0TakatōrikiM5Tōki6-9-08-7-0TochisakaeM6Kyokutenhō7-8-08-7-0KotonowakaM7Tochinonada10-5-07-8-0OginishikiM8Takanowaka11-4-08-7-0KaihōM9Kotomitsuki13-2-08-7-0TamakasugaM10Aminishiki1-14-08-7-0KotoryūM11Asanowaka6-9-08-7-0TokitsuumiM12Jūmonji5-10-05-10-0ŌtsukasaM13Minatofuji8-7-07-8-0WakakoshoM14Tamanonada7-8-0 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
News
January At the Hatsu basho in Tokyo, sekiwake Musoyama wins his first top makuuchi division yusho or tournament championship with a 13–2 record, finishing one win ahead of Musashigawa stablemate Miyabiyama, and yokozuna Takanohana. He wins Technique and Outstanding Performance Prizes (the latter shared with Miyabiyama). The Fighting Spirit Award is given jointly to Kyokutenho and Takanowaka. It is the sixth consecutive championship won by a member of the Musashigawa stable. Yokozuna Musashimaru pulls out through injury. It is the first time he has missed any bouts in his career and it brings to an end a record run of 55 consecutive tournaments with a majority of wins. Former komusubi Oginishiki wins his second juryo division championship in a row.
February Former maegashira Kushimaumi branches out from Dewanoumi stable to open his own Tagonoura stable. Kise stable shuts down as its stablemaster, former maegashira Kiyonomori, is approaching the mandatory retirement age of 65.
March The sumo world has to deal with several allegations of match-fixing - Hawaiian former wrestler Takamio tells the Shukan Post that he helped yokozuna Akebono fix matches, ex-komusubi Itai makes similar allegations in a series of articles, and Shikinohana says current members of the Sumo Association's hierarchy also engaged in the practice when they were active wrestlers decades ago. The Osaka tournament has a surprise winner: 32-year-old maegashira Takatoriki, who was on the brink of demotion but pulls off a stunning 13–2 score. He also wins the Outstanding Performance Award, and a record tenth Fighting Spirit Prize. Musoyama finishes runner-up alongside Akebono and earns promotion to ozeki. He also receives his fourth Technique Prize. Miyabiyama gets a share of the Fighting Spirit Prize. Takanohana's elder brother and fellow yokozuna Wakanohana announces his retirement at the age of 29, after failing to recover from a leg injury sustained in the previous September tournament. He proved unable to add to his five career championships in his brief yokozuna career. Tochinohana wins the juryo yusho.
April 27: The Sumo Association award Wakanohana a bonus of 70 million yen for his services to sumo. 30: 4500 spectators attend a training session for all the top rikishi at the Kokugikan, which is open to the public for the first time.
May
For the third tournament in a row, a rikishi below the rank of ozeki takes the championship: this time it is komusubi Kaio with a 14–1 record. He receives his ninth Outstanding Performance Prize, and fifth Fighting Spirit Award. Yokozuna Takanohana and Akebono finish one win behind on 13–2. Musoyama misses his debut ozeki tournament through injury. Miyabiyama joins him at the rank after posting his second consecutive 11–4 record, but the decision to promote him is (unusually) not unanimous. He also gets a share of the Shukun-sho. He replaces veteran Takanonami, who is demoted from ozeki for the second time. Tochinohana, in his top division debut, scores 12 and receives the Fighting Spirit and Technique Prizes. A record eight sekitori miss the tournament, the most since the six tournaments per year schedule was introduced in 1958. Wakanosato, recuperating from injury, wins the juryo championship. Former maegashira Ganyū retires.
July In Nagoya, Akebono wins his first yusho since 1997, finishing one win ahead of sekiwake Tochiazuma with a 13–2 score. Tochiazuma receives the Technique Prize. Takanohana pulls out after injuring his elbow. Musoyama can only manage four wins and is demoted from ozeki. Kaio by contrast follows up his yusho in May with a fine 11–4 record and is finally promoted to ozeki at the age of 28. He also receives a record-equalling tenth Outstanding Performance Prize. The Fighting Spirit Award is shared between newcomers Takamisakari and Aminishiki, who each score ten. American Sentoryu also gets a winning score in his debut top division tournament. Wakanosato wins his second juryo yusho in a row. The makushita division championship is won by Asashoryu with a perfect 7–0 record.
August Tatsutagawa stable shuts down as its stablemaster, former sekiwake Aonosato, is approaching the mandatory retirement age. Its wrestlers, including sekitori Jumonji, Shikishima and Toyozakura, move to Michinoku stable.
September Having suffered from injuries and been looking below par all year, Musashimaru dominates the Aki basho, losing only on the final day to win his eighth championship with a 14–1 score. Akebono finishes runner-up on 13–2. Takanohana sits the tournament out. Musoyama regains his ozeki rank by winning ten bouts, meaning there will be five ozeki in November. Tochinohana and Hayateumi share the Technique Prize. Wakanosato gets the Fighting Spirit Award on his return to makuuchi. Kotomitsuki wins the juryo championship. Popular top division veterans Kotonishiki and Mitoizumi, now in juryo, both announce their retirements. Also retiring are former maegashira Kitakachidoki (meaning there are no longer any sekitori from Hokkaido) and Ohinode. 23: Wakanohana's retirement ceremony (danpatsu-shiki) takes place at the Kokugikan. Accompanying him in his final yokozuna dohyo-iri are his fellow grand champions Akebono and Takanohana.
November In Kyushu, Akebono wins his second yusho of the year, and eleventh overall, with a fine 14–1 record. This means he has more wins this year than any other wrestler. He finishes one win ahead of newcomer Kotomitsuki, who wins all three special prizes. Wakanosato also receives his first Outstanding Performance Prize. Kinkaiyama wins his third juryo championship. Ex maegashira Dewaarashi retires. 18: The former Wakanohana announces he is giving up his elder position in the Sumo Association to become a TV tarento.
Deaths 14 Jan: Onaruto Oyakata, former maegashira Yoshinotani, aged 50.
See also Glossary of sumo terms List of past sumo wrestlers List of years in sumo List of yokozuna
References