The unlikely country taking over sumo And what it means for the most beloved Japanese sport. When most people think of sumo wrestling, they think of Japan. It’s the country's national sport and every match is draped in religious Shinto traditions and symbols. But the days of Japanese wrestlers winning every tournament are over. Today, it's the Mongolians - not Japanese- who dominate sumo wrestling. Since 2003, only Mongolians have become yokozuna, the highest-ranked wrestlers. Watch this video to learn how landlocked Mongolia conquered Japan's most cherished sport. It's the perfect collision of geopolitics and sports.