<p>Sumo will struggle to fill the "void" left by the retirement of its greatest-ever champion Hakuho, experts say, with few new stars emerging and public interest in the ancient Japanese sport likely to wane.</p>.<p>Hakuho helped usher in a new wave of sumo popularity with a record 45 tournament wins, drawing huge crowds to his epic battles with arch-rival Asashoryu in the late 2000s.</p>.<p>But the Mongolian-born 36-year-old handed in his retirement notice on Monday after persistent trouble with his right knee, leaving fans wondering how sumo will cope in his absence.</p>.<p>Sumo commentator John Gunning told AFP Hakuho was "one of those athletes that transcend their own sport", likening him to football's Pele or basketball's Michael Jordan.</p>.<p>His departure leaves just one wrestler, Terunofuji, at sumo's highest rank of yokozuna -- and even his long-term future is unclear.</p>.<p>"I don't see anybody that's going to fill the void," said Murray Johnson, another commentator.</p>.<p>"Terunofuji is the only one that can take that role, but with his knees, how long does he last? If he lasts any longer than a couple of years, that would surprise me."</p>.<p>The 29-year-old Terunofuji only reached the yokozuna rank in July, after an injury-plagued career that saw him drop to the second-lowest division at one point.</p>.<p>By contrast, Hakuho was sumo's longest-serving yokozuna, with over 1,000 bouts at the rank.</p>.<p>His titanic tussles with charismatic bad boy Asashoryu were the stuff of legend, pitting the popular Hakuho against the man the crowds loved to hate.</p>.<p>Asashoryu retired in 2010, but two years later Hakuho had another yokozuna rival in the shape of Harumafuji. Kakuryu and Kisenosato later joined them at the sport's highest rank.</p>.<p>Gunning says such "storylines" are what drives sumo's popularity.</p>.<p>"Sumo is a sport that has always been based around rivalry at the very top of the rankings," he said.</p>.<p>"What you really want is the best of the best going at it, all the time. So with Hakuho gone and Terunofuji not having a rival of the same standing, there's going to be a dip in interest."</p>.<p>Gunning says there is "hope on the horizon", and names Hokuseiho -- a two-metre-tall, 19-year-old prodigy scouted by Hakuho -- as a possible future star.</p>.<p>But the current crop of wrestlers has been less than convincing during Hakuho's injury-enforced absence over the past year.</p>.<p>A string of journeymen have emerged from the pack to win their first titles, only to sink back into mediocrity.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, the wrestlers at the second-highest rank of ozeki have consistently disappointed.</p>.<p>Sumo journalist Shoko Sato says the sport could soon find itself without a yokozuna for the first time since the period between May 1992 and January 1993.</p>.<p>"All the current ozeki are weak, so there might not be any new yokozuna for a while, and Terunofuji's knees are bad so I don't think he'll be around for long," she said.</p>.<p>"I'm worried that interest in sumo will gradually decline."</p>.<p>The coronavirus pandemic makes it difficult to judge sumo's current popularity, with several tournaments cancelled or held behind closed doors.</p>.<p>The sport has made a concerted effort to court younger fans in recent years, and the internet has also helped it attract a sizeable overseas audience.</p>.<p>Gunning believes interest has cooled slightly since Hakuho's injury troubles began, and that his departure will lead to an inevitable "dip in popularity".</p>.<p>But he also says "the premature death of sumo has been reported on countless occasions".</p>.<p>Commentator Johnson agrees that the sport will overcome this latest bump in the road.</p>.<p>"Everyone says that if you look in the crowd, it's just a bunch of old men and women," Johnson said.</p>.<p>"Well that might be the case, but it will just be a new bunch of old men and women."</p>.<p><strong>Watch latest videos by DH here:</strong></p>
<p>Sumo will struggle to fill the "void" left by the retirement of its greatest-ever champion Hakuho, experts say, with few new stars emerging and public interest in the ancient Japanese sport likely to wane.</p>.<p>Hakuho helped usher in a new wave of sumo popularity with a record 45 tournament wins, drawing huge crowds to his epic battles with arch-rival Asashoryu in the late 2000s.</p>.<p>But the Mongolian-born 36-year-old handed in his retirement notice on Monday after persistent trouble with his right knee, leaving fans wondering how sumo will cope in his absence.</p>.<p>Sumo commentator John Gunning told AFP Hakuho was "one of those athletes that transcend their own sport", likening him to football's Pele or basketball's Michael Jordan.</p>.<p>His departure leaves just one wrestler, Terunofuji, at sumo's highest rank of yokozuna -- and even his long-term future is unclear.</p>.<p>"I don't see anybody that's going to fill the void," said Murray Johnson, another commentator.</p>.<p>"Terunofuji is the only one that can take that role, but with his knees, how long does he last? If he lasts any longer than a couple of years, that would surprise me."</p>.<p>The 29-year-old Terunofuji only reached the yokozuna rank in July, after an injury-plagued career that saw him drop to the second-lowest division at one point.</p>.<p>By contrast, Hakuho was sumo's longest-serving yokozuna, with over 1,000 bouts at the rank.</p>.<p>His titanic tussles with charismatic bad boy Asashoryu were the stuff of legend, pitting the popular Hakuho against the man the crowds loved to hate.</p>.<p>Asashoryu retired in 2010, but two years later Hakuho had another yokozuna rival in the shape of Harumafuji. Kakuryu and Kisenosato later joined them at the sport's highest rank.</p>.<p>Gunning says such "storylines" are what drives sumo's popularity.</p>.<p>"Sumo is a sport that has always been based around rivalry at the very top of the rankings," he said.</p>.<p>"What you really want is the best of the best going at it, all the time. So with Hakuho gone and Terunofuji not having a rival of the same standing, there's going to be a dip in interest."</p>.<p>Gunning says there is "hope on the horizon", and names Hokuseiho -- a two-metre-tall, 19-year-old prodigy scouted by Hakuho -- as a possible future star.</p>.<p>But the current crop of wrestlers has been less than convincing during Hakuho's injury-enforced absence over the past year.</p>.<p>A string of journeymen have emerged from the pack to win their first titles, only to sink back into mediocrity.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, the wrestlers at the second-highest rank of ozeki have consistently disappointed.</p>.<p>Sumo journalist Shoko Sato says the sport could soon find itself without a yokozuna for the first time since the period between May 1992 and January 1993.</p>.<p>"All the current ozeki are weak, so there might not be any new yokozuna for a while, and Terunofuji's knees are bad so I don't think he'll be around for long," she said.</p>.<p>"I'm worried that interest in sumo will gradually decline."</p>.<p>The coronavirus pandemic makes it difficult to judge sumo's current popularity, with several tournaments cancelled or held behind closed doors.</p>.<p>The sport has made a concerted effort to court younger fans in recent years, and the internet has also helped it attract a sizeable overseas audience.</p>.<p>Gunning believes interest has cooled slightly since Hakuho's injury troubles began, and that his departure will lead to an inevitable "dip in popularity".</p>.<p>But he also says "the premature death of sumo has been reported on countless occasions".</p>.<p>Commentator Johnson agrees that the sport will overcome this latest bump in the road.</p>.<p>"Everyone says that if you look in the crowd, it's just a bunch of old men and women," Johnson said.</p>.<p>"Well that might be the case, but it will just be a new bunch of old men and women."</p>.<p><strong>Watch latest videos by DH here:</strong></p>