Just like in recent years, 2020 has been quite an eventful year in sumo: surprise winners, stunning comebacks and the Covid pandemic all coloured this year. The dust might settle a bit next year, but still, how much do we remember about sumo highlights this year?

1. 2020 has been a year to forget for the yokozuna, who will both need to get at least ten wins in January. How many wins did they get combined in 2020?

a. 29

b. 33

c. 37

d. 41

2. In how many bouts did Hakuho actually participate in 2020 (during honbasho, of course; not counting fusen losses and torinaoshi)?

a. 25

b. 30

c. 35

d. 40

3. What about Kakuryu? How many times did he fight in 2020?

a. 15

b. 20

c. 25

d. 30

4. Let’s now focus to 2020’s ozeki. How many times did an ozeki finish with a losing record?

a. Three

b. Four

c. Five

d. Six

5. Going further down the banzuke, Mitakeumi had a (very) disappointing year 2020. How many make koshi did he get?

a. One

b. Two

c. Three

d. Four

6. Tokushoryu, on the other hand, obviously had a great year 2020, winning the first yusho, then keeping a place in makuuchi. Following his surprise win in January, how many more kachi koshi did he get?

a. None

b. One

c. Two

d. Three

7. Let’s have some fun with names: which one of these pairs of rikishi have shared the same division at some point (1/3)?

a. Hoshoryu – Shohoryu
b. Hoshoryu – Oshoryu
c. Oshoryu – Shohoryu
d. Kaisei – Kaisho

8. Same question: which pair of rikishi has fought together in the same division in 2020 (2/3)?

a. Daieisho – Daishoho

b. Terunofuji – Fujinoteru

c. Tomisakae – Tokisakae

d. All three pairs

9. This time, which pair of rikishi has NOT been together in the same division (3/3)?

a. Chiyonokuni – Chiyonoumi

b. Churanoumi – Chiyonoumi

c. Churanoumi – Chiyonokuni

d. None of the above – they have all shared the same division at some point.

10. Kotoshogiku’s body could not enable him to remain fully fit in 2020. He hasn’t been able, in either tournament, to get more than…

a. Six wins

b. Seven wins

c. Eight wins

d. Nine wins

11. How many newcomers have been welcomed in makuuchi?

a. Six

b. Seven

c. Eight

d. Nine

12. Who got five kachi koshi in makuuchi this year?

a. Nobody

b. Takakeisho

c. Takanosho

d. Takakeisho and Takanosho

13. How many bouts did Ura lose this year?

a. Four

b. Six

c. Eight

d. Ten

14. Hanakaze is still wrestling, being half a century old! But how many kachi koshi did he get this year?

a. Zero

b. One

c. Two

d. Three

15. Going right to the bottom of the banzuke, how many bouts did Hattorizakura win this year?

a. Zero

b. One

c. Two

d. Three

The answers:

1. 2020 has been a year to forget for the yokozuna, who will both need to get at least ten wins in January. How many wins did they get combined in 2020?

c. 37. 24 for Hakuho, and only 13 for Kakuryu. In my opinion, it comes as no surprise they are facing the risk of having to retire early next year.

2. In how many bouts did Hakuho actually participate in 2020 (during honbasho, of course; not counting fusen losses and torinaoshi)?

b. 30. Three bouts in January, fifteen in March and twelve in July.

3. What about Kakuryu? How many times did he fight in 2020?

b. 20. Four times in January, fifteen in March, and just one in July.

4. Let’s now focus to 2020’s ozeki. How many times did an ozeki finish with a losing record?

b. Four times, by four different sekitori: Asanoyama (1-2-12) and Shodai (3-2-10) in November; Takakeisho (7-8) in March, and let’s not forget Goeido (5-10), in January!

5. Going further down the banzuke, Mitakeumi had a (very) disappointing year 2020. How many make koshi did he get?

b. Two, in January and November. Mitakeumi will start 2021 approximately where he started in 2020: below the rank of sekiwake, no yusho and one more aborted ozeki run. Put it briefly, trademark Mitakeumi.

6. Tokushoryu, on the other hand, obviously had a great year 2020, winning the first yusho, then keeping a place in makuuchi. Following his surprise win in January, how many more kachi koshi did he get?

b. One time only, in November (8-7). He got payback right in March (4-11), but had decent efforts in July and September, barely missing kachi koshi (7-8).

7. Let’s have some fun with names: which one of these pairs of rikishi have shared the same division at some point?

c. Oshoryu – Shohoryu. Hoshoryu has reached juryo in November 2019, whereas Shohoryu is still in makushita. Kaisho got relegated from juryo in November 2019, while Kaisei returned to makuuchi in January 2020. So the only pair having shared the same division is Oshoryu – Shohoryu. Actually, they’re still together in makushita.

8. Same question: which pair of rikishi has fought together in the same division in 2020 (2/3)?

c. Tomisakae – Tokisakae. Daishoho wasn’t higher than juryo 3, and actually finished the year in makushita. Terunofuji went so low down the banzuke that he chould say hi to Fujinoteru in jonidan, but actually started the year in juryo. Tomisakae and Tokisakae have seen each other in makushita.

9. This time, which pair of rikishi has NOT been together in the same division (3/3)?

d. None of the above – they have all shared the same division at some point. That one was tricky. Churanoumi and Chiyonoumi have been together in juryo thrice, in March, July and November. Churanoumi actually spent the whole year in juryo; therefore, he met Chiyonokuni during his sole basho in juryo, in September. Chiyonoumi sat in makushita in September, and has NOT met Chiyonokuni – but they BOTH were in makushita, in January 2020.

10. Kotoshogiku’s body could not enable him to remain fully fit in 2020. He hasn’t been able, in either tournament, to get more than…

c. Eight wins, in July.

11. How many newcomers have been welcomed in makuuchi?

a. Six: Kiribayama (January), Kotonowaka (March), Kotoshoho (July), Tobizaru, Hoshoryu (September) and Akua (November) have all been new to makuuchi – and will begin 2021 in sumo’s first division.

12. Who got five kachi koshi in makuuchi this year?

a. Nobody. If both mentioned rikishi had a fine 2020 year, both finished 7-8 earlier this year (Takanosho in January, Takakeisho in March).

13. How many bouts did Ura lose this year?

c. Eight. One bout in July, one in September, and six in November. He won back to back yusho in jonidan and sandanme

14. Hanakaze is still wrestling, being half a century old! But how many kachi koshi did he get this year?

b. One, a 4-3 record in March. He’ll be relegated to jonokuchi in January.

15. Going right to the bottom of the banzuke, how many bouts did Hattorizakura win this year?

a. Zero. No big surprise here, unfortunately…