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Only a handful of competitions can hold spectators spellbound through three-quarters of an hour of ritual before the first point is even contested.

Yet the detailed ceremonies unfolding in a small clay ring - largely unaltered for hundreds of years - accomplished exactly that.

Discover the Prestigious Rikishi Event

This five-day event at the historic concert hall features 40 of the very best sumo wrestlers showcasing a sport whose first mention dates back to the first century BC.

London's renowned auditorium has been completely reimagined, complete with a elaborate suspended canopy hanging above the ring.

Historical Ceremonies Meet Current Innovations

It is here the wrestlers, known as sumo professionals, perform their foot stomping to banish dark forces, and where they clap to get the attention of the divine beings.

Above all this ancient ceremony, a massive rotating display - that would fit perfectly at an NBA match - offers the audience all the statistics and footage they could want.

Global Fans Discover Sumo

For one dedicated fan, it was a "random video" that first captivated her a couple of years ago.

This was rapidly enhanced by the discovery of focused video platforms for training facilities, where competitors stay and exercise, rising before dawn to train, followed by a high protein stew and then an afternoon nap - all in the pursuit of gaining weight.

Traveling from the North, Different Experience

Julia and her partner Cezar discovered sumo through a established path: a trip to Japan six years ago.

"We considered it a typical visitor experience, but we actually came to adore the sport," says Julia.

"Subsequently, we tried to discover networks, information, just to deepen our understanding about it," the other fan explains.

Special Event

Traveling to Asia is almost the only way to see a major championship.

This current tournament marks only the second occasion the tournament has appeared in the capital - the initial occasion was in the early nineties.

Even traveling to Asia isn't a guarantee of getting a seat, with current times seeing sold-out events.

In-Person Viewing

For multiple fans, the London tournament represents the first time they have experienced the sport directly - and it doesn't disappoint.

"Seeing it up close, you get a sense of the speed and the force which you don't get on TV," notes one fan. "Their size is impressive."

The Competition

To achieve victory, one wrestler needs to move the other man out of the ring or to the floor using brute strength.

The most use one of two styles to accomplish this, often in split seconds - shoving, or clenching.

Either way, the noise of the two rikishi meeting in the opening second of the match reverberates around the venue.

Front Row Positions

The cushions right next to the ring are of course greatly valued - but also, a bit risky.

During one particular match, a 191cm wrestler went plummeting into the audience - perhaps making those in slightly cheaper seats breathe a sigh of relief.

Internal Challenges

Of course, the dimensions of the rikishi is one of the first things most people consider when they contemplate wrestling.

The hall's organizers revealed they "needed to find and acquire reinforced furniture which can take up to 200kg in weight."

But sumo - for all its popular tournaments - is not without its troubles behind the scenes.

Potential Issues

Perhaps the rigorous lifestyle of a rikishi doesn't look as appealing as it once might have.

Its popularity among young Japanese is also being challenged by other sports, while Japan's falling birthrate will not help.

Global Community

Not that any of this has troubled spectators in London.

"Experiencing the custom and formality that goes with sumo is particularly meaningful," one enthusiast notes. "Currently, observing it in person, you experience being you are more part of it."

For other enthusiastic fans, the excitement "produced unforgettable moments" - as did encountering the other fans.

"Leaving a particularly focused online community and being able to observe numerous sumo fans live and being able to converse with other people who are equally passionate as we are - it was absolutely worthwhile."