'You Only Live Twice' participant Fujinishiki stood on top of sumo's fourth-highest rank
Who is the greatest yokozuna of all time? Hakuho seems the obvious answer to that question, but cases can be made for other rikishi such as Taiho or Futabayama. How about the best ozeki? That list is shorter, and basically boils down to Raiden or Kaio depending ...
Kototenzan struggled with sumo lifestyle, but found stardom in pro wrestling
When the 2020 NFL Draft gets under way on April 23rd, Joe Burrow is widely expected to be the first overall pick after leading Louisiana State University to the National Championship, winning the Heisman Trophy and having one of the best seasons for a ...
Tough training in high school forged Mongolian Ichinojo
One of the strongest sumo high schools in Japan is Tottori Johoku. Located in western Japan, Johoku has been churning out professional talent over the past last few years, and is the alma mater of ozeki pair Terunofuji and Kotomitsuki, as well as top-division wrestlers ...
Akinoshima had decorated career as part of sumo's dominant stable
Yesterday's Rikishi File was a profile of Kotonishiki — a former sekiwake who is second all-time in the number of special prizes won, with 18. The man who sits atop that particular list was one of Kotonishiki's great rivals, Akinoshima. A native of Hiroshima, Akinoshima's combined ...
Kotonishiki experienced historic success without reaching ozeki
Of the four ranks in sumo's top division, komusubi is the one at which a rikishi is least likely to win a championship. Since the advent of the six-tournament system in 1958, yokozuna have lifted the Emperor's Cup on 294 occasions, ozeki have won 84 ...
Oshio's career in ring had longevity, but limited success
Without checking, do you know who has fought the most bouts in professional sumo history? Hakuho has the most wins (by some distance) but the yokozuna has stepped into the ring over 500 times fewer than former komusubi Oshio. Even if Hakuho continued fighting for another ...
Kotozakura had limited run as yokozuna but successful tenure as stablemaster
Quick question. Of the top of your head, can you name the only yokozuna James Bond has seen fight live? In the 1967 movie "You Only Live Twice," 007 walked through a door in a Ginza back alley and magically transported himself into the Kuramae Kokugikan, ...
Takanobori made unusual entry into sumo
Takanobori is probably the only rikishi in history recruited into sumo as a result of winning a bicycle race. In 1926, the 18-year-old Wataru Yoshikawa was taking part in a competition in what is now Nagano Prefecture when a pedal broke on his bike. Undeterred, he ...
University sumo product Myogiryu blossoming in 30s
There are currently seven Nippon Sport Science University graduates in professional sumo. Hokutofuji at komusubi is the highest ranked, and the Saitama native appears to be on course to overtake recently retired Yoshikaze as their college's most successful ever rikishi. Another man, Myogiryu, likely would have ...
Roho's career defined by unsavory incidents
Since September 2018, there are officially no Russians in professional sumo. Futagoyama stable's Roga was born and raised in Russia's Tuva Republic, and considers himself Russian, but is listed by the Japan Sumo Association as coming from Mongolia (to where he moved at age ...
Former yokozuna Onokuni now acts as JSA's public face
Shibatayama stablemaster is one of the more visible members of the Japan Sumo Association's board of directors. As head of the public relations department, he is the one who announces many major decisions to the press and, along with Chairman Hakkaku, is the person most ...
Despite goofball reputation, Takamisakari had solid career
When Takamisakari called it a day back in 2013, this paper carried a headline declaring that the "clown prince of sumo" had retired, while Kyodo News opened with a line that called the former komusubi's pre-bout rituals "goofball antics." Those were somewhat harsh assessments, as ...
