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 23 BC. London's Victorian concert venue has been utterly transformed, complete with a six-tonne Japanese temple roof suspended above the ring. It is here the wrestlers, known as rikishi, perform their leg stomps to drive away evil spirits and clap to get the attention of the gods. Above all this ancient ceremony, a giant, revolving LED screen offers the audience all the stats and replays they could want. Sumo may be ancient, but it still exists in a modern world that is helping spread it far beyond Japan's borders. The tournament is especially significant as it marks only the second time this event has taken place in London, following a visit in 1991. Attracting fans from all corners, many attended the event to experience sumo up close for the first time. The innovation of hosting the matches in such a historical venue intrigued many long-time followers and new fans alike - revealing the sport's evolving narrative within an increasingly international context.