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Only a handful of competitions can keep viewers enthralled through 45 minutes of tradition before the initial score is even contested.

Yet the complex rituals unfolding in a small clay ring - mostly preserved for centuries - accomplished exactly that.

Experience the Prestigious Rikishi Event

This week-long competition at the Royal Albert Hall features 40 of the very best rikishi showcasing a sport whose first mention dates back to 23BC.

London's historic performance space has been completely reimagined, complete with a six-tonne Japanese temple roof hanging above the competition area.

Time-Honored Rituals Meet Current Innovations

It is here the athletes, known as sumo wrestlers, perform their foot stomping to expel evil spirits, and where they strike their hands to attract the deities.

Above all this historical practice, a massive rotating display - that appears natural at an American basketball game - offers the audience all the stats and replays they could want.

International Enthusiasts Discover Sumo

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

This was rapidly enhanced by the discovery of focused video platforms for sumo stables, where competitors stay and exercise, rising before dawn to train, followed by a nutritious chankonabe and then an daytime sleep - all in the effort toward gaining weight.

From Edinburgh, Different Experience

Different enthusiasts discovered sumo through a established path: a journey to Asia six years ago.

"We approached it as a common sightseeing event, but we actually developed passion for the sport," notes the enthusiast.

"Subsequently, we tried to find communities, materials, just to deepen our understanding about it," the other fan explains.

Special Event

Going to Japan is generally the primary approach to see a major championship.

This London competition marks only the second occasion the tournament has visited the city - the initial occasion was in over three decades ago.

Even traveling to Asia doesn't ensure of obtaining admission, with current times seeing fully attended competitions.

In-Person Viewing

For multiple fans, the current event represents the initial opportunity they have seen live sumo - and it lives up to the hype.

"Observing directly, you get a understanding of quickness and the power which you can't experience on TV," explains an attendee. "Their stature is remarkable."

The Bouts

To achieve victory, one rikishi needs to push another from the dohyō or to the surface using brute strength.

The majority use one of two styles to succeed in this, often in instantaneous actions - thrusting, or grappling.

Either way, the impact of the two rikishi crashing together in the first moment of the match echoes around the auditorium.

Front Row Positions

The seats right next to the dohyō are of course extremely sought-after - but also, potentially hazardous.

During one recent bout, a tall wrestler tumbled into the spectators - perhaps making those in more affordable locations feel relieved.

Internal Challenges

Of course, the dimensions of the athletes is one of the primary elements most people consider when they think of sumo.

The hall's organizers revealed they "had to source and acquire reinforced furniture which can withstand 200kg in weight."

But sumo - for all its sell-out events - is not without its troubles behind the scenes.

Coming Obstacles

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

Its popularity among youth in Japan is also being competed with by other sports, while Japan's falling birthrate will present additional challenges.

International Network

Not that any of this has concerned enthusiasts in London.

"Seeing all this tradition and practice that goes with sumo is especially significant," one enthusiast notes. "Today, watching it directly, you feel like you are more engaged."

For other enthusiastic fans, the intensity "made it so incredible" - as did encountering the fellow enthusiasts.

"Leaving a highly specialized online community and being able to witness multiple sumo fans directly and being able to chat with other people who are just as into this as we are - it was completely valuable."