The “Spring” championship tournament of the long-haired professional wrestlers will start on Thursday of next week for 15 days at the Kokugikan bowl at Ryogoku on the east side of the Sumida river, according to announcement by the moguls of the Japan Sumo Association.
    The tourney will mark the revival of the East versus West competition for the first time in nine years.
    Official standings of the ranks, according to the East and West teams, announced by the Association find Grand Champions Futabayama and Minanogawa heading the respective sides. The practice of wrestlers meeting all other of different training houses, irrespective of whether they have been ranked on the East or West sides, has been discontinued.
    The standings of those in the upper division, with those of the highest honors at the top:

    Those in the upper or “makunouchi” for the first time are Sakuranishiki and Shikainami of the Dewanoumi training house and Komatsuyama and Kuganishiki of the Izutsu training house.
    While Futabayama lost four bouts, his first defeats in three years last January, he started on another winning streak in the “Summer” tournament last July going through the 15-day tourney without a defeat. Happily married now to an Osaka heiress, the handsome grand champion is said to be stronger than ever, and is strong favorite to win the individual championship honors in the forthcoming meets.
    What is expected to be most the most interesting bout of the 15-day tournament is that between Futabayama and Akinoumi on the 13th day. For it will be recalled that it was Akinoumi who stopped Futabayama's winning streak over three years at 69 victories in the January championships last year. And it was Akinoumi has been promoted to a “sekiwake, rank third from grand champion, and is the mainstay of the Dewanoumi training house, pillar of the West side.
    Tickets are already difficult to obtain, what with the wartime boom prevailing.