Quizmo

Quiz on Sumo

20 questions · June 28, 2026

Below is the full Quizmo quiz devoted to the theme "Sumo": each question, its four options, the correct answer highlighted and, where available, its source. A chance to brush up on your general knowledge and then test what you know.

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Question 1

Easy

Sumo is the national sport of which country?

Source: Though many recent champions are Mongolian, sumo's roots and home are firmly Japanese.

Question 2

Easy

What is the most common way to win a sumo match?

Source: Shove your rival out of the ring, or make any part above his feet touch the floor, and you win.

Question 3

Easy

Before each bout, wrestlers throw what into the ring as a purifying ritual?

Source: The salt is a Shinto purification rite, with wrestlers tossing big handfuls to cleanse the ring.

Question 4

Easy

Roughly how long does a typical sumo bout last?

Source: Despite the lengthy pre-match rituals, most bouts are over in just a few seconds.

Question 5

Easy

In the ring, a sumo wrestler competes wearing only what?

Source: The mawashi belt is the only clothing, and grabbing it is a key part of the grappling.

Question 6

Easy

What is the top rank a sumo wrestler can reach?

Source: A yokozuna is a grand champion, and once promoted the rank can never be demoted, only retired.

Question 7

Easy

What traditional grooming feature do ranked sumo wrestlers wear?

Source: The chonmage topknot echoes samurai styling and is oiled into shape every day.

Question 8

Easy

Which hearty hot-pot stew is the classic staple of a sumo wrestler's diet?

Source: Chankonabe is a protein-packed stew wrestlers eat in huge quantities to build mass.

Question 9

Easy

Sumo wrestlers live and train together in communal houses called what?

Source: These 'stables,' or heya, house wrestlers who eat, sleep, and train together under one master.

Question 10

Easy

How many weight classes are there in professional sumo?

Source: There are no weight classes, so a 230-pound wrestler can face someone nearly twice his size.

Question 11

Medium

The sport has deep ritual ties to which Japanese religion?

Source: Many sumo rituals, from the salt to the canopy, come straight from Shinto shrine tradition.

Question 12

Medium

What suspended structure hangs above a professional sumo ring?

Source: The roof above the ring is modeled on a Shinto shrine, hinting at sumo's sacred origins.

Question 13

Medium

How many official grand tournaments are held in Japan each year?

Source: Six tournaments, called basho, are spread across the year in cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya.

Question 14

Medium

Which dramatic pre-bout ritual is believed to drive evil spirits from the ring?

Source: The leg-stomping shiko is said to stamp evil out of the ring, and it's a serious strength exercise too.

Question 15

Medium

After a huge upset of a grand champion, what do fans famously hurl into the air?

Source: Spectators fling their seat cushions skyward to celebrate the toppling of a yokozuna.

Question 16

Medium

The first foreign-born wrestler to reach the top rank came from where?

Source: Hawaiian-born Akebono became the first foreign grand champion in 1993, breaking centuries of tradition.

Question 17

Medium

The match official signals the winner with a flat wooden paddle modeled on what military object?

Source: The gyoji's gunbai paddle is shaped like the war-fans samurai commanders used to direct troops.

Question 18

Hard

What is the approximate average weight of a top-division sumo wrestler?

Source: Top-division wrestlers average about 350 pounds, and the heaviest ever have topped 600.

Question 19

Hard

Which wrestler holds the record for the most top-division championships?

Source: Hakuho amassed 45 championships, smashing Taiho's long-standing record of 32.

Question 20

Hard

In professional sumo, who actually receives a monthly salary?

Source: Only the top two divisions, the sekitori, get paid; lower wrestlers serve them for room and board.

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