Ozumo at the Royal Albert Hall 2023

[Inside Sport Japan 760]

Still technically in the negotiating stage but it seems (Covid etc permitting) that ozumo will return to the Royal Albert Hall in October 2023.

[Eikokurai 3,433]

Awesome. I hold out small hope they might do an exhibition in Shanghai one day. I think people here would go for it.

[RabidJohn 1,634]

Well that's somewhat unexpected news!

Back in 1991 when they last came over, Channel 4 had been airing sumo for several years, and there was a big Japanese trade push all year in the UK. Tickets were in very high demand and all five days sold out.

Will the current ad hoc Internet coverage generate the same sort of interest?

Edited December 12, 2021 by RabidJohn

[nagora 88]

28 minutes ago, RabidJohn said:

Well that's somewhat unexpected news!

Back in 1991 when they last came over, Channel 4 had been airing sumo for several years, and there was a big Japanese trade push all year in the UK. Tickets were in very high demand and all five days sold out.

Will the current ad hoc Internet coverage generate the same sort of interest?

It's particularly odd since the official sumo phone app is blocked in the UK.

But, I'm in. Assuming it happens.

[Eikokurai 3,433]

48 minutes ago, RabidJohn said:

Well that's somewhat unexpected news!

Back in 1991 when they last came over, Channel 4 had been airing sumo for several years, and there was a big Japanese trade push all year in the UK. Tickets were in very high demand and all five days sold out.

Will the current ad hoc Internet coverage generate the same sort of interest?

If it’s a one-night only affair, I don’t think they’ll have too much trouble selling out. Overall, there’s probably more awareness of sumo now than before, it’s just more hidden, and sports I often assume have very little following manage to draw reasonable crowds with little media coverage.

[Seiyashi 4,068]

This, plus tours to China as recently as Asashoryu's tenure as yokozuna, at least go to show that the NSK isn't - and has never been - quite as insular as we think in terms of attracting some foreign viewership. But I do wonder what the impetus behind this return to RAH is, coming as it does somewhat out of the blue, and whether it had already been planned for, before COVID hit.

[Swami 245]

It was ironic that after the Albert Hall in 1991 UK's sumo coverage rapidly fizzled out when, in my opinion, there was plenty of mileage left in it.

Maybe this might rekindle a bit of enthusiasm in the powers that be.

Swami

[Yamanashi 3,687]

At least now we'll know how many rikishi it takes to fill the Albert Hall.

[Tigerboy1966 1,374]

Couldn't they bring it to Manchester or Liverpool or Leeds? The world revolves around me, dammit!

[Octofuji 316]

Here's a link with some footage from the 1991 event. Really looking forward to this.

 https://www.royalalberthall.com/about-the-hall/news/2012/march/the-grand-sumo-tournament/

[RabidJohn 1,634]

4 hours ago, Swami said:

It was ironic that after the Albert Hall in 1991 UK's sumo coverage rapidly fizzled out when, in my opinion, there was plenty of mileage left in it.

UK interest peaked around that time, and Eurosport snapped it up.

Annoying for those of us who weren't about to invest in satellite TV for 1 program, but it probably brought ozumo to a wider audience overall.

Am I imagining having read somewhere that Baruto, Kotooshu and many of the other European rikishi were inspired by the Eurosport coverage when they were kids?

 

[Yamanashi 3,687]

2 hours ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

Couldn't they bring it to Manchester or Liverpool or Leeds? The world revolves around me, dammit!

If they have it in Manchester, everyone in  Liverpool will be mad, and vice versa.  They should hold it in a town close to both of them, like, say, Wigan. 

[Swami 245]

9 hours ago, RabidJohn said:

UK interest peaked around that time, and Eurosport snapped it up.

Annoying for those of us who weren't about to invest in satellite TV for 1 program, but it probably brought ozumo to a wider audience overall.

Am I imagining having read somewhere that Baruto, Kotooshu and many of the other European rikishi were inspired by the Eurosport coverage when they were kids?

 

Given their age, that is probably true.  The worst thing about the Eurosport coverage was the awful commentary by Syd Hoare.  Otherwise it was OK while it lasted.  But Lyall Watson was superb with the C4 coverage.

Swami

[Benihana 1,900]

Finally a reason to visit the isles. And by end of 2023 it will be a lot cheaper to do so. Win-win for me!

[Jakusotsu 5,743]

So, we've reached at least half time of the pandemic by now? Great.

[Jemuzu 34]

Good news but will it be a serious event or more like a jungyo where some of the bouts are about as real as WWE?

[Inside Sport Japan 760]

16 minutes ago, Jemuzu said:

Good news but will it be a serious event or more like a jungyo where some of the bouts are about as real as WWE?

The only 'serious' events are the six yearly honbasho.

[RabidJohn 1,634]

6 minutes ago, Inside Sport Japan said:

The only 'serious' events are the six yearly honbasho.

The London Basho of 1991 was 'serious'.

I can tell the difference between demo bouts such as you see at jungyo or danpatsu-shiki, and the real thing you see at honbasho.

It was real. They hurt each other and there was blood.

We C4 sumo viewers at the time were told that the results would be taken into account for banzuke making purposes. I don't know if that was the case, but the rikishi certainly fought like their rank was on the line.

Edited December 13, 2021 by RabidJohn

[Inside Sport Japan 760]

48 minutes ago, RabidJohn said:

We C4 sumo viewers at the time were told that the results would be taken into account for banzuke making purposes. I don't know if that was the case

It wasn't.

In the pre internet age the organizers were able to get away with a lot of marketing hype for that event that would be disproven in two seconds nowadays. It was even promoted locally as the first basho outside Japan (and still is claimed as such on the RAH website) though of course it was nothing of the sort and similar events had been taking place for 30 years in places like Hawaii, Russia, China, France, Brazil and Mexico.

There are lots of non honbasho events where rikishi take things seriously, and you can see blood and pain at any training session. Even jungyo can get heated. 

None of them are 'serious' in the sense of impacting rankings, salary etc.

The 1991 London event was the seventh of (to date) 13 foreign Koen. No different than any before or after it, though obviously it held a lot of significance for sumo fans in the region and especially those in attendance.

Edited December 13, 2021 by Inside Sport Japan

[Swami 245]

8 hours ago, RabidJohn said:

The London Basho of 1991 was 'serious'.

I can tell the difference between demo bouts such as you see at jungyo or danpatsu-shiki, and the real thing you see at honbasho.

It was real. They hurt each other and there was blood.

We C4 sumo viewers at the time were told that the results would be taken into account for banzuke making purposes. I don't know if that was the case, but the rikishi certainly fought like their rank was on the line.

I remember a great bout between Daishoyama and Mainoumi, ending in a great nage battle, Mainoumi lost as his mage touched the dohyo.  

Swami

[Leonishiki 49]

Any more news about this?

[Koorifuu 860]

1 hour ago, Leonishiki said:

Any more news about this?

I checked Royal Albert Hall's website as recently as a couple of weeks ago and there was nothing.

The venue seems to be almost fully booked until mid November so it's extremely unlikely it'll happen before then.

Edited January 13, 2023 by Koorifuu

[Inside Sport Japan 760]

On 14/01/2023 at 01:03, Leonishiki said:

Any more news about this?

Some connected people say the event is still going ahead but there has been silence from many of those involved on both sides for more than a year so hard to tell if it actually will or not.

[Koorifuu 860]

12 hours ago, Inside Sport Japan said:

Some connected people say the event is still going ahead but there has been silence from many of those involved on both sides for more than a year so hard to tell if it actually will or not.

It's unlikely they're still aiming at October, however, as RHA's Auditorium got already got events booked for:

• Tue 3rd
• Thu 5th
• Wed 11th
• Sun 22th
• Sun 29th to Tue 31st

All of them are concerts except the 5th, which will see an international ballroom dancing competition.

Since ozumo will definitely require the place to be prepared a few days ahead of time, the only realistic time for this would be around Thursday/Friday the 19th/20th, which is unlikely as it's too tight. Unless they are not planning to use the main auditorium of course, but it's highly unlikely there'd be enough physical space anywhere else.