Sumo Ranking System

Makuuchi (also called Makunouchi)
The word maku means curtain, as in a theater curtain, and makuuchi means "in front of the curtain"

Yokozuna (Grand Champion)
*Ozeki (Champion)
*Sekiwake
*Komusubi
Maegashira (rank 1-15)

*these three ranks are together known as sanyaku
Each diision is diided into east and west, with east being the slightly higher rank. So maegashira would be ranked from No.1 East to No.15 West.

Juryo - also called Jumaeme
(juryo means a sum of money that was paid to wrestlers in the early days of the sport)

(rank 1-13)

All wrestlers at and aboe juryo are called sekitori and receie a salary.

Makushita (literally "below the curtain")

(rank 1-30)

The wrestlers in these diisions are called deshi, or apprentices, and their main job is to look after and learn from the sekitori.
The numbers of wrestlers in the lower ranks seems to change so I put numbers from a banzuke I have from1995.

Sandanme

(rank 1-47)

Jonidan

(rank 1-89)

Jonokuchi

(rank 1-28)

Ichiban Shusse

These wrestlers names will appear on the next banzuke, or ranking list. This is the only time they can wear kesho-mawashi until they get to juryo.

Niban Shusse

Maezumo (literally "pre-sumo")

These youngsters are new entrants to the world of sumo. College champions get to start at the bottom of Makushita.