HAKUHO vs TERUNOFUJI for 45th Championship!

In the grand finale, the brawl to end it all, the match billed as "The bout of the last quarter century" - Yokozuna HAKUHO defeated Ozeki TERUNOFUJI and finished the July Grand Sumo Tournament at 15-0, a perfect score and his 45TH CHAMPIONSHIP - unprecedented in the modern day sports era and perhaps in any era!

The bout was televised to 380 million homes in 161 countries. Both undefeated titans spent a good amount of time staring daggers at each other prior to the tachiai (initial charge). This turned into HAKUHO’s match the moment TERUNOFUJI reacted to HAKUHO’s attacks - and that little celebration at the end? It has sumo fans around the world talking. It's a bit uncharacteristic for a Yokozuna, but given all that HAKUHO has been through, maybe understandable.

HAKUHO is literally peerless in the world of sumo, and possibly in the world of individual athletic competition. 45 CHAMPIONSHIPS, WOW! Bill Russell's 11 rings, Tom Brady's 7, and Michael Jordan's 6 don't even come close. Rocky Marciano's unblemished 49-0 record as boxing's Heavyweight champion comes to mind, but HAKUHO once won 63 consecutive bouts. Incredible!

The July tournament marks 14 years since his first appearance as a Yokozuna (Grand Champion). He has out lasted all of his contemporaries (HARUMAFUJI, KAKURYU, KISENOSATO). He endured orthopedic surgery 4 months ago that would have left most people hobbling for a year, and came back and beat everyone he faced.

True sports LEGENDS are rare, so if they appear in our lifetime we should consider ourselves privileged to have witnessed their amazing accomplishments.

See you in September. Arigato HAKUHO SHO and SAYONARA!🤙