The Art of Sumo Poetry: Celebrating Wakatakakage

One of the most fun ways to celebrate the beloved rikishi, Wakatakakage, is through poetry. Our listeners often participate in a "sexiest rikishi" poll, sharing their thoughts in poetic form. We share a few selected pieces.

These poems showcase the affection fans have for this talented sumo wrestler, bringing an artistic twist to our discussions.

Sumo Bingo: A Global Celebration

During the May Basho, we hosted an exciting Sumo Bingo game that attracted 491 players globally. Our winners were from Japan, Singapore, and Scotland, and their bios highlight the diverse backgrounds of sumo fans and how the sport transcends borders, uniting enthusiasts from all walks of life.

In this basho, several prominent rikishi were sidelined due to injuries, so the competition was wide open, leading to some surprising outcomes.

Question: What makes Wakatakage so popular?

Wakatakakage is considered a master of sumo technique, having won the Technique Special Prize 7 times. After winning his first yusho, he suffered a major knee injury and was demoted to the makushita (unpaid) division of sumo. After healing, he climbed back through the ranks to reach the highest levels of sumo again. His impressive skills and dry personality have endeared him to fans, as reflected in the poetry shared during our discussions.

BINGO! More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game at http://www.sumokaboom.com We play Sumo BINGO every basho, and it's always free. We give away sumo merch to our winners with the help of our sponsors Big Sumo Fan and Cheeky Sumo.

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Tomokaze and Oshoumi are both wrestling in the top division in November, 2025. Tomokaze has wrestled in makuuchi before, but he sustained a big, nasty injury.

Oshoumi is brand new to this top division, but he has also battled injuries to get here.

Learn more about their stories in this episode.

We're also showing some love to our monthly supporters. For the next 3 months, we're giving away Takakeisho retirement merch. 1 prize package per month. You must be a monthly member to be in the drawings. Become a monthly supporter https://ko-fi.com/sumokaboom

More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game at www.sumokaboom.com We play Sumo BINGO every basho, and it's always free. We give away sumo merch to our winners with the help of our sponsors Big Sumo Fan and Cheeky Sumo.
•
Bigsumofan.com is an online sumo merch store based in US, and they ship to over 30 countries. www.bigsumofan.com
•
Cheeky Sumo is an online sumo-inspired apparel and merch company that aims to celebrate, educate, and support the sumo community with cheeky designs and training gear. Laugh at their fun graphics and proudly rep your sumo spirit - because sumo's got more than just power - it's got personality! www.cheekysumo.com
•
Support us Ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/sumokaboom
Twitter @SumoKaboom
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sumokaboom/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SumoKaboom/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/SumoKaboomPodcast
•
Check out our Sumo Kaboom tshirts and sweatshirts at Bonfire.com/sumokaboom
•
Ever wonder where we get our research? Check out the Show Notes section of our website.
•
Please follow, like or send us a review. It all helps! Thank you so much!

Support Sumo Kaboom

To join our raffle (winners will be picked on Halloween, 2024), go to: https://ko-fi.com/sumokaboom $3 per raffle ticket. THANK YOU. There's no way we could do this without you!

If you need a Sweet Tottori High tshirt, check out this link: https://happyvalleyclothes.com/sweet_tottori_high/shop/home and thank Jessica for making this happen!

More about Sumo Kaboom and our BINGO game:
www.sumokaboom.com

Big Sumo Fan sponsors our BINGO game. Need sumo merch from the US? www.bigsumofan.com

Twitter @SumoKaboom

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sumokaboom/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SumoKaboom/

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/SumoKaboomPodcast

Check out our Sumo Kaboom tshirts and sweatshirts at Bonfire.

Ever wonder where we get our research? Check out the Show Notes section of our website.

Please follow or send us a review. It all helps! Thank you so much!

Support Sumo Kaboom