"Hakuho would be a good yokozuna but it makes you wonder where all the strong Japanese wrestlers are," Masao Machida, a 42-year-old chef, told Reuters.

"Asashoryu is always getting himself into trouble. He's a great wrestler but a yokozuna should be more dignified than he is. He should behave better."

Sumo's image has also taken a battering recently with authorities filing a lawsuit against a weekly magazine which claimed Asashoryu had paid opponents to throw bouts.

The accusations were a throwback to the mid-1990s when the JSA had to deny accusations a sumo was linked to the mafia and that tax evasion, orgies and substance abuse were common.

Others sumo fans hoped Hakuho, whose father won a wrestling silver medal at the 1968 Olympics, would be able to help restore a sense of tranquillity to the sport if he gains promotion.

"It has been a bit of a mess recently, hasn't it?" smiled 48-year-old housewife Keiko Hanaoka. "What with the bout-fixing stuff...Hakuho is like a breath of fresh air."

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