In claiming a second career title last September, Tamawashi became the oldest winner of the Emperor’s Cup in modern sumo history.

The veteran, who turns 38 later this month, also leapfrogged compatriots Hakuho and Kyokutenho to complete a Mongolian clean sweep of the podium in that particular category.

Tamawashi’s consecutive appearance streak — which the Japan Sumo Association has decreed is still active despite a COVID-19-enforced absence in July — stands at 1,463 bouts after his latest triumph.

For the Kataonami stable man to pass former sekiwake Aobajo and claim that record as well, he will to need to keep fighting until July 2024 — far from an impossible task for a wrestler who seems to be getting better with age.

Two Emperor’s Cup wins also puts Tamawashi at joint third amongst active rikishi alongside Takakeisho, behind only Terunofuji (7) and Mitakeumi (3).

The latter wrestler’s promotion to ozeki last March prevented him becoming the first three-time champion never to make it to sumo’s second highest rank.

Tamawashi is obviously now best-placed to reach that mark, but even as things stand both he and Asahiyama stablemaster (former sekiwake Kotonishiki) are the only two non-ozeki with more than one championship triumph to their names.

Athletes are competing at a high level for longer all across the globe. Even in a sport as brutal as sumo, ever-improving sport science and health care mean Tamawashi’s new mark for oldest tournament winner isn’t likely to stand for decades.

The record for youngest champion, however, set by a 19-year-old Takahanada back in 1992, looks unassailable.

The rising number of top-level wrestlers waiting to turn pro until after college graduation makes it much tougher these days for talented teenagers to rise quickly through the divisions.

The particular set of circumstances that fueled Takahanada’s achievement — one half of a prodigiously talented pair of brothers, who grew up as fierce rivals in an all-encompassing sumo environment, with an ozeki father and legendary yokozuna uncle guiding them all the way – will also likely never be matched.

Every sport of course has virtually unbreakable records — with NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point game being probably the most famous.

When those achievements — many of which have stood for decades, or even a century in some cases — are finally threatened, the resultant frenzy can reach well beyond the boundaries of the sport itself.

Witness how Shohei Ohtani’s accomplishments the past two years have made him a household name, even among people with little to no interest in baseball.

In sumo, almost all of the most famous and enduring records are held by a small number of rikishi.

For many fans, the most exalted mark is Futabayama’s 69-bout win streak.

The legendary wrestler went undefeated for three full years in the 1930s, moving from the rank of maegashira 3 to yokozuna without a loss.

In a sport where even a split-second lapse of concentration or tiny misjudgement is normally disastrous, what Futabayama achieved between 1936 and 1939 almost defies belief.

It’s the one mark that even Hakuho — arguably the greatest rikishi in the 2,000-year history of the sport — was unable to match.

The recently retired legend did have a career of his own full of so many records that his name will be brought up in discussion long after he retires from the JSA.

Hakuho's 45 career Emperor’s Cup wins, for example, not only bested a record that had stood for 40 years, it completely blew it out of the water.

Only two men in history had ever previously reached 30 titles. When Taiho retired with 32 championships in 1971, the man in second place was still Futabayama with 12.

To put Hakuho’s mark in perspective, current grand champion Terunofuji would have to win every single tournament between now and January 2029 to claim the record.

The only active yokozuna is no slouch either. He already has seven Emperor’s Cups to his name — more than what 10 of the 20 previous yokozuna managed.

Incredible as his 45-championship haul was, the record of Hakuho’s that will likely endure the longest is his number of perfect titles.

Going 15-0 is something many yokozuna never experience even once. Neither Kakuryu, Kisenosato nor Akebono managed it during their respective careers.

Hakuho’s 16 tournaments without a loss are as many as the previous record-holders, legends Taiho and Futabayama, combined.

Undefeated championships require sustained peak performance and perfect concentration for a full two weeks. To do that twice as often as the two men who previously vied for the title of "greatest of all time" is stunning.

Of course, there will be some records that are simply impossible to overtake in a sport as old as sumo.

In his 20-year-long career, Hakuho won roughly 85% of his bouts. That’s unmatched in modern sumo history, with Taiho and Futabayama being the only other rikishi above 80%. Tamawashi, in comparison, has a win rate of 51%.

Hakuho’s mark pales in comparison to Edo Period legend Raiden, however.

With just 10 losses in 20 years, even while being forbidden to use certain moves, the giant ozeki had a win rate of 96%.

Had Hakuho repeated that feat in the modern era, he’d have won between 90 and 100 tournaments.

While comparing eras is difficult in any sport, doing so in one whose history stretches back to 23 B.C. is nearly impossible. Many records set centuries ago will never be matched, but several that have stood for decades have fallen in recent times.

Tamawashi passing the all-time consecutive bout record could well be the next one to go.