The New Year Grand Sumo tournament opened in Tokyo on Sunday. This tournament has only one yokozuna, the highest rank, and a single ozeki, the second highest, on the ranking list.

This lack of top wrestlers last happened 125 years ago. But Yokozuna Grand Champion Terunofuji sat out the first day due to surgery on both knees he underwent in October of last year.

Ozeki Takakeisho started the tournament with a win over Komusubi Wakamotoharu. He pushed his opponent out of the ring. Wakamotoharu was promoted to the fourth-highest rank after the previous tournament.

Rank-and-file wrestler Abi, who grabbed his first title in the previous top-division tournament, got off to a strong start. He won his first bout by thrusting out Komusubi Kotonowaka.