Only 69 men have ever held the top rank at sumo wrestling; by what name is that title known?
"following locations: The autumn tour visits the following locations: The winter tour visits: 2014 in sumo 2014 in sumo saw the traditional six major tournaments or ""basho"" held in January, March, May, July, September and November as usual. The ""yokozuna"" Hakuhō won five of the six tournaments taking his total of yūshō to 32 to equal the record of Taihō. Kakuryū's victory in March saw him promoted to become the sport's 71st yokozuna. Consistent performances at the rank of ""sekiwake"" saw Gōeidō being promoted to ""ōzeki"" for the September tournament. The most notable retirement was that of the former ""ōzeki"""
"hierarchy from highest to lowest, are as follows: ""Makuuchi"" (幕内), or ""makunouchi"" (幕の内), is the top division. It is fixed at 42 wrestlers who are ranked according to their performance in previous tournaments. At the top of the division are the ""titleholders"", or ""champions"" called the ""san'yaku"" comprising ""yokozuna"", ""ōzeki"", ""sekiwake"" and ""komusubi"". There are typically 8–12 wrestlers in these ranks with the remainder, called ""maegashira"", ranked in numerical order from 1 downwards. This is the only division that is featured on standard NHK's live coverage of sumo tournaments and is broadcast bilingually. The latter part of the lower divisions"
"sumo world upon retirement in May 1990. He died of heart disease in 2013. Hōō Tomomichi Hōō Tomomichi, born Tomomichi Kabetani (7 December 1956 – 16 January 2013), was a sumo wrestler from Gamagori, Aichi, Japan. He made his professional debut in September 1971, and reached the top division in July 1979. His highest rank was ""sekiwake"". He is the only ""sekiwake"" since the six tournaments a year schedule began in 1958 to never win a ""sansho"" or special prize. He was one of the few wrestlers to face both Takanohana Kenshi and his son Takanohana Koji, having fought the"
"it is seen as reflecting on the image of sumo as a whole. As of January 2017, a total of 72 sumo wrestlers have earned the rank of ""yokozuna."" The birth of the rank of ""yokozuna"" is unclear, and there are two competing legends. According to one, a 9th-century wrestler named Hajikami tied a ""shimenawa"" around his waist as a handicap and dared any to touch it, creating sumo as it is now known in the process. According to the other, legendary wrestler Akashi Shiganosuke tied the ""shimenawa"" around his waist in 1630 as a sign of respect when visiting"
"days as an active wrestler, former ""yokozuna"" Kashiwado. His son Shōta, born in 1986, is a wrestler at the stable under the ring name Ryūsei, although he has not got higher than the ""makushita"" division. The only other wrestler in the stable is the former ""maegashira"" Kagamiō. In February 2010 Kagamiyama was elected to the Sumo Association's board of Directors and currently also serves as a chief ringside judge. Tagaryū Shōji Tagaryū Shōji (Japanese: 多賀竜 昇司, born February 15, 1958) is a former sumo wrestler from Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. The highest rank he reached was ""sekiwake"". In 1984 he"
"is shown on satellite coverage. The name ""makuuchi"" literally means ""inside the curtain"", a reference to the early period of professional sumo, when the top ranked wrestlers were able to sit in a curtained off area prior to appearing for their bouts. ""Makuuchi"" can also refer to the top two divisions ""makuuchi"" and ""jūryō"" as a whole, as the wrestlers in these divisions are salaried and considered fully salaried professionals as opposed to ""in training"". ""Jūryō"" (十両), is the second highest division, and is fixed at 28 wrestlers. The name literally means ""ten ryō""', which was at one time the"
"waiting for him to tire. Ōrora Satoshi Ōrora Satoshi (born April 26, 1983 as Anatoliy Valeryevich Mihahanov, ) is a former sumo wrestler. His highest rank was ""makushita"" 43. In 2017, he became the heaviest professional sumo wrestler ever at , surpassing the record previously held by Konishiki. He retired in September 2018. He was born on April 26, 1983, in the small town of Zaigrayevo, Zaigrayevsky District, Buryatia in what was then the Soviet Union. He had been extraordinarily large since childhood, and after seeing sumo on television for the first time at the age of eight he was"
"Hidenokuni Hajime Hidenokuni Hajime (born August 23, 1971 as Nathan John Strange) is a former professional sumo wrestler, who was active from 1989 until 1990. The highest rank he reached was ""jonidan"" 89. He was the first, and so far only sumo wrestler from the United Kingdom. A former photographic printer from Edgware, London, he was inspired to join sumo after seeing broadcasts on Channel 4. After months of training in martial arts techniques with Syd Hoare of the British Sumo Association, he went to Japan and joined the Azumazeki stable run by former ""sekiwake"" Takamiyama, who had already taken"
"most title defenses (9) in a single run along with Muscle Venus' (Hikaru Shida and Tsukasa Fujimoto) 3rd reign. Gentaro and Mai Ichii hold the record for the shortest reign, at two days. This is Ice Ribbon (Kurumi/Hiiragi Kurumi and Tsukushi) holds the record for most reigns as a team, with four. Tsukushi holds the record for most reigns individually, with nine. Overall, there have been 42 reigns shared among 46 different wrestlers and 35 teams. Azure Revolution (Maya Yukihi and Risa Sera) are the current champions in their first reign as a team. Individually, this is the first reign"
"Ōrora Satoshi Ōrora Satoshi (born April 26, 1983 as Anatoliy Valeryevich Mihahanov, ) is a former sumo wrestler. His highest rank was ""makushita"" 43. In 2017, he became the heaviest professional sumo wrestler ever at , surpassing the record previously held by Konishiki. He retired in September 2018. He was born on April 26, 1983, in the small town of Zaigrayevo, Zaigrayevsky District, Buryatia in what was then the Soviet Union. He had been extraordinarily large since childhood, and after seeing sumo on television for the first time at the age of eight he was inspired to become a sumo"
"Akihide Matsuzawa, would be joining his Asahiyama stable as a professional sumo wrestler upon graduation from high school in March. His shikona is Wakaseido and as of September 2018 his highest rank is ""jonidan"" 63. Kotonishiki Katsuhiro Kotonishiki Katsuhiro (born June 8, 1968 as Hideyuki Matsuzawa) is a former sumo wrestler from Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. He began his career in 1984, reaching the top ""makuuchi"" division in 1989. He won two top division tournament titles from the ""maegashira"" ranks (the only wrestler ever to do so), the first in 1991 and the second in 1998. His highest rank was"
"out, which was used in around 30 percent of his victories. He also won frequently with ""oshi-dashi"" (push out), ""yori taoshi"" (force out and down) and ""uwatenage"" (overarm throw). Ōshio Kenji Ōshio Kenji (born 4 January 1948 as Kenji Hatano) is a former sumo wrestler from Kitakyushu, Japan. His highest rank was ""komusubi"". His career lasted twenty six years, from 1962 until 1988, and he holds the record for the most bouts contested in professional sumo. After his retirement at the age of 40 he became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and set up Shikihide stable in 1992."
"Kotonishiki Katsuhiro Kotonishiki Katsuhiro (born June 8, 1968 as Hideyuki Matsuzawa) is a former sumo wrestler from Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. He began his career in 1984, reaching the top ""makuuchi"" division in 1989. He won two top division tournament titles from the ""maegashira"" ranks (the only wrestler ever to do so), the first in 1991 and the second in 1998. His highest rank was ""sekiwake"", which he held 21 times. He earned eighteen special prizes during his career, second on the all-time list, and defeated ""yokozuna"" eight times when ranked as a ""maegashira"". He retired in 2000 and after"
"65 in 1990. He died in 2005 at the age of 79. Dewanishiki Tadao Dewanishiki Tadao (July 15, 1925 – January 1, 2005) was a sumo wrestler from Tokyo, Japan. His highest rank was ""sekiwake."" He won ten ""kinboshi"" or gold stars for defeating ""yokozuna"" during his long top division career, which only four wrestlers have bettered. He also won four special prizes. After his retirement he was a coach at Dewanoumi stable. He debuted in May 1940 and won his first ""yusho"" in ""sandanme"" in January 1944. He left sumo for portions of 1944 and 1945 but returned and"
"with a win/loss record of 187–218. He has never reached the top ""makuuchi"" division; his highest rank being ""jūryō"" 6 in September 2013. His last appearance in ""jūryō"" to date was in November 2015. His career results are 351 wins against 334 losses over 68 tournaments as of July 2018. His peak weight of 224 kilograms (494 lbs) means he ranks twelfth in the list of heaviest sumo wrestlers, and is the sixth-heaviest Japanese sumo wrestler ever after Yamamotoyama, Kenho, Susanoumi, Kainowaka and Hidenoumi. When fighting on the ""mawashi"" or belt Tokushinhō favours a ""migi-yotsu"" (left hand outside, right hand"
"Towanoyama Yoshimitsu Towanoyama Yoshimitsu (born July 10, 1977 as Akihito Kobayashi) is a former sumo wrestler from Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1993. His highest rank was ""maegashira"" 13, achieved in March 2002. He had many injury problems and had perhaps the unluckiest (and shortest) top ""makuuchi"" division career of any wrestler in sumo, being injured before even fighting a match in the division. He is the only wrestler since the beginning of the Shōwa era in 1926 to have been ranked in the top division without winning any bouts there. Towanoyama made his professional debut"
"Kurohimeyama Hideo Kurohimeyama Hideo (born 12 November 1948 as Hideo Tanaka) is a former sumo wrestler from Ōmi, Niigata, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1964, and first reached the top division in July 1969. After he was re-promoted to the top division in November 1969 he fought there for 71 consecutive tournaments and 1065 matches, never missing a single bout. His highest rank was ""sekiwake"". He retired in January 1982 and became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association. He worked as a coach at Tatsunami stable, and his two sons were both wrestlers there under the"
"Taihō Kōki Taihō Kōki (大鵬幸喜, born Kōki Naya, Ukrainian: Іва́н Бори́шко ""Ivan Boryshko""; May 29, 1940 – January 19, 2013) was the 48th yokozuna in the Japanese sport of sumo wrestling. He became a ""yokozuna"" in 1961 at the age of 21, the youngest ever at the time. He won 32 tournament championships between 1960 and 1971, a record that was unequalled until 2014. His dominance was such that he won six tournaments in a row on two separate occasions. He is the only wrestler to win at least one championship every year of his top division career, and he"
"Hōō Tomomichi Hōō Tomomichi, born Tomomichi Kabetani (7 December 1956 – 16 January 2013), was a sumo wrestler from Gamagori, Aichi, Japan. He made his professional debut in September 1971, and reached the top division in July 1979. His highest rank was ""sekiwake"". He is the only ""sekiwake"" since the six tournaments a year schedule began in 1958 to never win a ""sansho"" or special prize. He was one of the few wrestlers to face both Takanohana Kenshi and his son Takanohana Koji, having fought the latter in the ""makushita"" division towards the end of his career. He left the"
"tournaments and display competitions, and rings for the training stables. There is also a tradition of the ""yobidashi"" writing songs, called ""jinku"", based on sumo life. There are 44 ""yobidashi"" as of September 2018. Like ""gyōji"", ""yobidashi"" typically enter the sumo world as teenagers and work up a career ladder roughly based on the ranking system for wrestlers, as described until their retirement at 65. The current ranking system was created in July 1993 and consists of the following nine ranks: Most of these ranks clearly follow those for the ""rikishi"", or wrestlers, with the exception of the ""tate"" and"
"Ichinoya Mitsuru Ichinoya Mitsuru (born 28 December 1960 as Tetsuhiro Matsuda) is a former sumo wrestler from Tokunoshima, Ōshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was ""sandanme"" 6. At 46 years of age, Ichinoya was the oldest man in professional sumo since the start of the Shōwa era in 1926. When he began his sumo career in November 1983 his stablemate, former ""yokozuna"" Asashōryū was just three years old. He was the oldest wrestler in sumo for 62 tournaments, from the retirement of Dairyū in July 1997 until his own retirement in November 2007. Ichinoya was interested in sumo from"
"promoted back to the top division for September after a 23 tournament absence - the fourth longest ever. He scored only 5-10 on his return and was immediately demoted back to ""juryo"", but he ensured with an 8-7 score at ""Juryo"" 1 in January 2012 that he was promoted to ""makuuchi"" once again for the March 2012 tournament. However he failed in his fifth attempt at a top division ""kachi-koshi"", finishing on 4–11. In his sixth and final appearance in makuuchi he fared even worse, only scoring 1–14. He is the only wrestler in the modern era of sumo to"
"Masako Takanashi, Chounko/Choun Shiryu, Yuki Sato, Jun Kasai, Isami Kodaka, Gentaro and Makoto Oishi, have also held the title. Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won as a result of a scripted match. There have been 42 reigns shared among 46 different wrestlers and 35 teams. Azure Revolution (Maya Yukihi and Risa Sera) are the current champions in their first reign as a team. NEO Machineguns (Tanny Mouse and Yuki Miyazaki) were the first champion in the title's history. (Maki Narumiya and Risa Sera) holds the record for the longest reign at 356 days, as well as the"
"Kimurayama Mamoru Kimurayama Mamoru (born 13 July 1981 as Mamoru Kimura) is a former professional sumo wrestler from Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was ""maegashira"" 7. He is now a coach at Kasugano stable. He was the only wrestler in the elite ranks in his time from Wakayama Prefecture. Born in Gobo, he was an amateur champion at Toyo University, but did not have enough collegiate titles to receive ""makushita tsukedashi"" status and join professional sumo in the third highest ""makushita"" division, instead beginning at the bottom of the rankings in March 2004. He joined Kasugano stable, run by"
"be read right to left, top to bottom. It is considered a collector's item by sumo fans. The rankings on the ""banzuke"" are decided by an assembly composed of 20 sumo judges and three supervisors who gather a few days after each official tournament. The assembly assigns ranks to over 600 wrestlers in six divisions based on their performance in the previous tournament. There are no precise rules for assigning rank, but the general rule is that a wrestler who achieved ""kachi-koshi"" (a majority of wins) will be raised in the rankings and a wrestler with a ""make-koshi"" (a majority"
"He uses a ""migi-yotsu"" (right hand inside, left hand outside) grip on his opponent's ""mawashi"". He is fond of throws, both overarm (""uwatenage"") and underarm (""shitatenage""). However, his most common winning ""kimarite"" is ""yori-kiri"" (force out). Sōkokurai Eikichi Sōkokurai Eikichi (born 9 January 1984 as Enhetubuxin) is a professional sumo wrestler from Inner Mongolia, China. He is the only Chinese national to reach the top ""makuuchi"" division. Sōkokurai is of Mongolian descent. He made his professional debut in 2003 and was promoted to the top division in September, 2010. In April 2011 he was ordered to retire by the Japan"
"point in 1996 saw four from the island ranked in the top division. During his career he had won a total of twelve top division championships, one more than Akebono, and also won over 700 top division bouts, one of only six wrestlers to have achieved that feat to date. He officially retired on October 2, 2004, when he had his ""danpatsu-shiki,"" or retirement ceremony, at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan. Musashimaru has remained in the sumo world as an ""oyakata"", or coach. He did not initially acquire a permanent elder (""toshiyori"") name, going instead under the name of Musashimaru Oyakata, which"
"sumo world. In June 2017 he passed on ownership of the Tomozuna name to the former Kyokutenhō and retired from his head coach role upon reaching 65 years of age, although he was re-hired as a consultant on reduced pay for a period of five years. He is now known as Ōshima Oyakata. His son, Kuniaki, was born in 1979 and in 1995 entered sumo himself. He was known as Kaishoryū and retired in 2010, having never achieved ""sekitori"" status. His highest rank was ""makushita"" 6. Kaiki Nobuhide Kaiki Nobuhide (born 12 June 1952 as Masaaki Nishino) is a former"
"also received very harsh treatment in training from his stablemates, who were not pleased at the attention he was getting, and this influenced his decision to return to England. He quit immediately after the March 1990 tournament, although he remained on the ""banzuke"" for the next tournament in May. Hidenokuni Hajime Hidenokuni Hajime (born August 23, 1971 as Nathan John Strange) is a former professional sumo wrestler, who was active from 1989 until 1990. The highest rank he reached was ""jonidan"" 89. He was the first, and so far only sumo wrestler from the United Kingdom. A former photographic printer"
"of the Japan Sumo Association. In his time as chairman he introduced a number of important reforms, such as giving monthly salaries to wrestlers ranked in the top two divisions, and enforcing a mandatory retirement age of 65 for elders and referees. Futabayama Sadaji Futabayama Sadaji (双葉山 定次; February 9, 1912 – December 16, 1968), born as Akiyoshi Sadaji (龝吉 定次) in Oita Prefecture, Japan, was the 35th ""yokozuna"" in sumo wrestling, from 1937 until 1945. He won twelve ""yūshō"" or top division championships and had a winning streak of 69 consecutive bouts, an all-time record. Despite his dominance he"
"Fujizakura Yoshimori Fujizakura Yoshimori (富士櫻栄守) (born 9 February 1948 as Hideo Nakasawa) is a former sumo wrestler from Kōfu, Yamanashi, Japan. His highest rank was ""sekiwake"". He wrestled for Takasago stable. He made his debut in 1963 and had one of the longest professional careers of any wrestler, fighting 1613 bouts in total, of which 1543 were consecutive. This latter record is second only to Aobajō. After his retirement in 1985 he was an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and the head coach of Nakamura stable. He was the eldest son of a farmer, and was enrolled in the"
"""makuuchi"" rank of ""maegashira"" 16. He won only three bouts in that tournament and was demoted to ""jūryō"" in March 2013, where he again only managed three wins and quickly announced his retirement on the last day of the tournament. Miyabiyama fought in the top division for 82 tournaments in total, which is second best among ""makushita tsukedashi"" entrants and the eleventh best overall in sumo history. The 68 tournaments he fought after dropping from the ""ōzeki"" rank is also a record. He was the last active wrestler who had begun his career at ""makushita"" 60 (the bottom of the"
"Toyonobori , known in sumo and professional wrestling as or simply , was a sumo wrestler from Japan. After retiring as a rikishi from sumo, he became a professional wrestler. On December 12, 1954, Toyonobori became a professional wrestler, joining the Japanese Wrestling Association, which was the top wrestling promotion in Japan from 1953 until 1972 and the only male significant Japanese wrestling promotion from 1953 until 1966, when its predominance began to be challenged by International Pro Wrestling. The top wrestler of the JWA was Rikidozan, the founder of the promotion; he dominated the Japanese wrestling scene. As a"