Sumo: Yokozuna withdrawal opens door for wild Autumn melee

While purists may be saddened by the withdrawal of grand champions Hakuho and Kakuryu prior to Sunday's start of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament, their absence means almost any wrestler in the elite makuuchi division could walk away with the championship.Without the two 35-year-old grand champions, the 15-day event at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan could mark the passing of the torch to the next generation. It will be the first grand tournament in 37 years to commence without a yokozuna when more than one wrestler has occupied the sport's highest rank.That puts the spotlight on the ozeki pair o…READ FULL ARTICLE