Mongolian ironman Tamawashi became the oldest wrestler in 40 years to regain promotion to sumo's upper ranks, after the 37-year-old was listed as a komusubi on Monday in the Japan Sumo Association's rankings ahead of the Nov. 13-27 Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.

Tamawashi, who will turn 38 on Nov. 16, the fourth day of the 15-day meet at Fukuoka Kokusai center, was promoted from a No. 3 rank-and-file maegashira wrestler after winning his second career grand tournament in September.

He will be competing in the three "sanyaku" ranks below yokozuna for the first time since July 2019, and will be sharing the spotlight with sekiwake Mitakeumi.

Three-time Emperor's Cup winner Mitakeumi will have one shot in Fukuoka to regain promotion to ozeki, sumo's second-highest rank, but will need 10 wins, something he last achieved in March in his first tournament as an ozeki.

No. 3 maegashira Tamawashi receives the Emperor's Cup after winning the 15-day Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan on Sept. 25, 2022. (Pool photo) (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

The event will likely be without sumo's lone yokozuna, Terunofuji, who recently undertook knee surgery.

The 30-year-old's singular career was previously derailed by injuries to both knees as a young ozeki. Since then, he has bounced back from the sport's second-lowest division to win six of his seven career championships and earn promotion to sumo's ultimate rank.

His absence would also place higher-than-normal expectations on the two remaining ozeki, Takakeisho, who went 10-5 in September, and Shodai. After 11 losses last time, Shodai will need to win eight or suffer the same fate as Mitakeumi, being relegated to sekiwake.

If there is a bright spot for Shodai, it's experience. It will be his fifth tournament with his rank on the line as a "kadoban" ozeki.

The sekiwake trio is led by Wakatakakage, competing at sumo's third-highest rank for the fifth straight tournament, and Hoshoryu. The nephew of former Mongolian yokozuna Asashoryu is back at sekiwake for his second competition in a row.

Joining Tamawashi at komusubi will be fellow Mongolian Kiribayama, who went 9-6 in September to secure his position for a second straight tournament, as well as Tobizaru and Daieisho, with the latter dropping down from sekiwake.

Tobizaru will be a sanyaku wrestler for the first time after going 10-5 as a No. 1 maegashira in September.

At the other end of the rankings, three wrestlers have been promoted to the elite makuuchi division from the second-tier juryo ranks.

Debuting at No. 15 maegashira is Atamifuji, whose 12 tournaments from sumo debut to makuuchi-division promotion are tied for eighth-fewest in history. He is joined by Azumaryu, at No. 14, and Kagayaki, at No. 15, who are both back in the top flight after spending July and September as juryo wrestlers.


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