Toppling Japan's Sumo Emperor in One Minute Turns a Lower-Ranked Wrestler into an Overnight Millionaire... A Lower-Ranked Wrestler Who Once Won Before Now Celebrates a 2.7 Billion Won Prize Party: "The One Who Overthrew the King"

*This content was translated by AI.

A major upset occurred at a traditional Japanese sumo tournament, where a lower-ranked wrestler defeated a top-division competitor. The massive bundle of cash collected on-site has also become a hot topic.

Japan's "Abema Times" reported on the 11th, "Takayasu defeated Yokozuna, the highest rank in sumo, and received a huge reward. The total prize money for this tournament was 296.87 million yen (approximately 2.7 billion won), the largest amount in history."

Sumo features a "bounty" system where companies or individuals sponsor specific matches with prize money. The more popular the wrestler or the more anticipated the matchup, the larger the bounty grows. The ongoing summer sumo tournament, which has been sold out daily, has already received 4,241 bounty applications, setting a new all-time record.

The viral moment of the day came during the final match of the tournament's first day. Takayasu, ranked in the middle-upper division (Komusubi), caused a sensation by defeating Hoshoryu, a Yokozuna—the highest rank in sumo and equivalent to Korea's "Cheonhajangsa" in ssireum. Takayasu completely subdued Hoshoryu using a throw technique that involved grabbing the opponent's outer mawashi and flipping him over.

Matches featuring the highest-ranked Yokozuna always attract the largest bounties. When a lower-ranked wrestler pulled off a stunning upset against a Yokozuna, the arena erupted into a frenzy of excitement. Immediately after the match, the referee handed Takayasu, the victor, a thick bundle of bounty envelopes. Viewers watching the broadcast reacted explosively, saying, "The thickness of the money bundle resembles a thick Korean dictionary."

In reality, the amount Takayasu received is far greater than the thickness of the visible money bundle suggests. According to sumo regulations, for each bounty of 70,000 yen, the winner takes 60,000 yen after the sumo association deducts a 10,000 yen fee. Since May of last year, the sumo association has changed its payment method so that wrestlers receive only 10,000 yen in cash directly for each envelope on the dohyo (ring), with the remaining 50,000 yen deposited into their personal accounts later.

The media added, "Huge bounties provide sumo wrestlers with clear motivation to win, and the sight of the winner directly receiving a massive bundle of cash on the sand pit has become another key viewing point for fans enjoying the tournament."

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*This content was translated by AI.