There are not many sports that can keep an audience enraptured through 45 minutes of ceremony before the first point is even contested.
And yet, the intricate traditions unfolding in a small clay ring - virtually unchanged in hundreds of years - managed to do just that.
Welcome, then, to the Grand Sumo Tournament - a five-day event at the Royal Albert Hall featuring 40 of the very best sumo wrestlers showcasing a sport which can date its first mention back to 23BC.
London's Victorian concert venue has been utterly transformed, complete with six-tonne Japanese temple roof suspended above the ring.
It is here the wrestlers, known as rikishi, will perform their leg stomps to drive away evil spirits, and where they will clap to get the attention of the gods.
And above all this ancient ceremony, a giant, revolving LED screen which wouldn't look out of place at an American basketball game, offering the audience all the stats and replays they could want.
Sumo may be ancient, and may have strict rules governing every aspect of a rikishi's conduct, but it still exists in a modern world.
And that modern world is helping spread sumo far beyond Japan's borders.
It was a random video which first caught Sian Spencer's attention a couple of years ago.
This was quickly followed by the discovery of dedicated YouTube channels for a couple of the sumo stables, where rikishi live and train, waking up early to practice, followed by a high protein stew called a chankonabe, and then an afternoon nap - all in the service of bulking up.
Then she discovered the bi-monthly, 15 day championships, known as basho, and from there, she was hooked.
The London tournament was simply a once-in-a-lifetime, not-to-be-missed, opportunity to see it all in real life, the 35-year-old says.
Julia and her partner Cezar, who live in Edinburgh, discovered sumo through a more traditional route: a trip to Japan six years ago.
They found like-minded people on messaging apps like Telegram, acknowledging that outside Japan, online is the only way to interact with the sport.
This week's event in London is only the second time the tournament has visited the city - the first time was in 1991 - while the last overseas trip was to Jakarta in 2013.
So for many, the London tournament is the first time they have watched sumo in person - and it doesn't disappoint.
To win, one man needs to push another out of the ring or to the ground using brute strength. The majority use one of two styles to achieve this, often in split seconds - pushing or grappling.
With the size of the rikishi, the Royal Albert Hall's director of programming revealed they had to source and buy new chairs which can take up to 200kg in weight.
But despite its challenges, sumo continues to draw enthusiastic crowds eager to immerse themselves in this unique cultural spectacle.
For Megha, the drama made the experience incredible - further enhanced by connecting with fellow fans.
Fans express how witnessing the ritual and ceremony adds to their experience, feeling a sense of community as they share their passion for the sport.
Additionally, audiences can tune in via BBC iPlayer and other platforms to catch this captivating event and continue celebrating the art of sumo.
