24: ŌzekiAkebono takes his third top division championship and his second straight, virtually guaranteeing his promotion to yokozuna after only eight months as an ōzeki. The second division jūryō championship goes to Aogiyama. He would win a second eight years later in 2001.
27: The Yokozuna Deliberation Council announces the promotion of Akebono to yokozuna, ending years of speculation about whether a foreign-born wrestler would ever be judged to have the dignity and ability necessary to wear the tsuna.[1] This also marks the end of the exceedingly rare occurrence of there being no active yokozuna, a gap which had lasted for eight months.
March
14: Akebono makes his yokozuna debut. Takahanada's ōzeki debut makes him the youngest ōzeki ever at 20 years and 5 months.
28: Following historical precedent, Akebono does not take the championship in his yokozuna debut, losing it to komusubi Wakahanada, who along with his first championship also snaps up the Technique Prize and the Outstanding Performance Prize. His brother Takahanada is the runner up. Tokitsunada takes his first of his two jūryō championships.
May
9: The brothers Ōzeki Takahanada and newly promoted sekiwake Wakahanada have their first tournaments at the new ring names Takanohana II and Wakanohana III respectively, to mark their pedigree as the sons of the legendary ōzekiTakanohana I and nephews of the great yokozunaWakanohana II.
23: Takanohana takes his third top division yūshō, his first as an ōzeki, with a 14–1 record. Akebono must settle for runner-up. Future makuuchi regular Minatofuji takes the jūryō championship.
July
18: In Nagoya, Akebono finally gets his first championship as yokozuna by winning a three-way playoff between himself and brothers Takanohana and Wakanohana. It is Akebono's fourth championship. Takanohana's loss would deny him a promotion to yokozuna this time around. Tatsuhikari wins his first of two jūryō championships.
September
12: Wakanohana debuts for the first time at ōzeki. Future ōzeki Musōyama makes his makuuchi debut. ŌzekiKonishiki is injured against Akinoshima and withdraws from the entire tournament after only this bout.
26: Akebono takes a consecutive championship and his fifth overall. Takanohana is again runner-up. Later makuuchi regular Hamanoshima has his one and only jūryō championship. Two former jūryō wrestlers announce their retirements – Wakatosho at the age of 24 due to a left ankle injury, and Daigaku at age 28.
November
21: Akebono has his 3rd consecutive championship and his sixth overall by beating future yokozunaMusashimaru in a playoff. Konishiki's 6–9 losing record following the previous tournament where he missed all but the first day, would see him finally lose ōzeki status after 39 consecutive tournaments. Asanowaka receives his one and only jūryō championship.
