Sole competing yokozuna Kakuryu will share the spotlight with new ozeki Takakeisho when the action kicks off this weekend at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament, the first meet of Japan's new imperial era.

With a biceps injury forcing east yokozuna and spring basho winner Hakuho to withdraw from the May 12-26 meet, fellow Mongolian Kakuryu is left to carry the burden of expectation over the two weeks at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Kakuryu will be looking to earn his first title in a year and sixth overall in the first tournament of the Reiwa Era, which started this month. Takakeisho will aim to rain on his parade and become the first ozeki debutant to claim the Emperor's Cup since Hakuho achieved the feat in 2006.

The 33-year-old Kakuryu won the spring meet last March in the absence of two grand champions, Hakuho, and now-retired Kisenosato, says competing as the sole yokozuna carries no added pressure.

(Photo shows (from L) Takakeisho, Kakuryu and Goeido)

"It's not the first time (I'm fighting as the only yokozuna). It's nothing special. I need to enter into competition fully focused," said Kakuryu, who posted a 10-5 record at the Osaka meet in March after having to pull out of the previous two tournaments.

Referring to the era change, he said, "It does feel fresh, but I don't feel strongly about it. I'm not in perfect condition but let's see how well I'll perform."

Kakuryu will nevertheless face a stern test in his opening-day bout against komusubi Mitakeumi on Sunday. Kakuryu lost his last two matchups against Mitakeumi, who was at the third-highest rank of sekiwake when he won the Nagoya tournament in July last year.

Meanwhile, Takakeisho will seek to continue the momentum that saw him post 10-5, 11-4 and 13-2 win-loss records in the past three meets and attain ozeki status as a 22-year-old.


(Takakeisho (C))

His stamina will be tested when he battles his fellow ozeki, as well as Kakuryu, in the home stretch of the meet, after he struggled against a number of upper-echelon wrestlers in March. He will also have to show he can handle the pressure as sumo's new poster boy.

On Sunday, Takakeisho faces No. 2 maegashira Endo, against whom he is 1-1. He takes on former ozeki and current No. 1 maegashira Kotoshogiku the following day, when he will aim for a winning record against the 35-year-old with whom he has split four previous meetings 2-2.

Takayasu, another of the three wrestlers at sumo's second-highest rank of ozeki, and the first Heisei-born wrestler to join the three "sanyaku" ranks below yokozuna, will be gunning for his first makuuchi division championship.

The 29-year-old, who missed part of the spring regional tour due to a lower backache, meets Kotoshogiku for the 27th time on Day 1 and hopes to improve his head-to-head record which stands at 15-11.

(Goeido (L))

Ozeki Goeido, who is seeking his second championship and first since the 2016 autumn meet, faces rank-and-filer Hokutofuji in the penultimate match on Sunday. Goeido, who went 12-3 in the March meet, may well be Kakuryu's closest rival on paper in the race for the Emperor's Cup.

Sekiwake Tochinoshin, who was demoted after finishing with a losing record in the past two meets, needs to earn 10 wins or more to regain his ozeki status.

With an impressive 14-1 showing in March, the 227-kilogram sekiwake Ichinojo also has a chance in the wide-open field. At the other end of the scale, top-tier debutant Enho, who at 99 kg is the lightest of the "sekitori" wrestlers in the top two divisions, will look to make a strong first showing.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are expected to attend the final day, adding further interest to the climax of the tournament.

Three wrestlers are sitting out -- all-time championship record-holder Hakuho, who won undefeated in March, and juryo-division grapplers Chiyonokuni, who underwent knee surgery in late January, and Hakuyozan, who is recovering from recent ankle surgery.