Trivia bits

[Faustonowaka]

Hochiyama: only one to start and end his career with a Yusho (Jonokuchi Yusho in his debut basho March 2000 and Sandamne Yusho in his last basho January 2014)

[Hakumadashi]

On 20/11/2025 at 01:30, Oskanohana said:

It's also the 4th time this century that a Yokozuna has lost against an already make-koshi rikishi (I'm not counting Chiyonokuni's fusen). 24th in history since the start of the 15-day basho. Query

For completeness' sake, 181 wins by the Yokozuna in such bouts. Query (I'm again omitting the fusen)

Poor Chiyonoyama not only holds the "record" here with 4 losses in this manner, Kotonishiki even went Kyujo immediately after beating him. What a power move.

 

Edit: Hakuho only lost such a bout (Sekitori) twice in his career (he only fought 14 of them, half of which came in 2004/2005. He only fought one single bout like this from 2006 to 2013.), once at Komusubi to Dejima in 2005 and once in lower Juryo to Kasugao in 2004.

To put the "14" into perspective, Tamawashi had to fight 142 of these bouts (so far!).

 

Edit 2: Daieisho is an unbelievable 25-3, or 12-0, in his last 28, or last 12, bouts like this. He hasn't lost to a MK rikishi since 07/2021.

 

Edit 3: Onosato has actually lost his last 2 bouts like this. His last before losing to Nobdog was to Oho in March, where he got blasted out.

Edit 4: Ura is another king of this bout style. 21-4 in his last 25.

Edited November 21 by Hakumadashi

[yorikiried by fate]

Aonishiki: Fastest run to Ozeki from Jk in the post-58 era, if I'm not mistaken. Previously held by Kotooshu. Sorry if mentioned elsewhere, I'm kind of too busy to read every thread.

[Kotomiyama]

Who has been the oldest rikishi to get a make-koshi in Makuuchi? I wonder if Tamawashi is after that record...

[Hakumadashi]

1 hour ago, Kotomiyama said:

Who has been the oldest rikishi to get a make-koshi in Makuuchi? I wonder if Tamawashi is after that record...

Onigatani Hatsu 1907 had 0-0-10 aged 51 and 9 months at M14. In the tournament prior he went 1-3-5-1d (god I kinda wish we'd have one basho per year with those silly result possibilities) from M11, that would be the oldest with actual bouts fought.
The second oldest is a full 6 years younger, from the 1860s.
The oldest "recorded" MK from a Sanyaku was Shiranui with another 0-0-10 as Ozeki in 1869.
The oldest "real" MK from a Sanyaku was Tanikaze with a 4-0-6 (I guess this is an MK?) in 1794 (seriously. I wonder where this data comes from and if these bouts actually took place. It's like reading Homer, you just gotta take it for granted)
Even the legendary Raiden shows up in my query with a Kyujo basho.

Fujinosato had an 1-8-6 from M20w (again lol) aged just 41 in 1942, which is the oldest post-WW1 result to appear.

IN THE MODERN ERA, like you presumably already guessed, Tamawashi now holds this record! 

He either already broke it in Aki or snuck just behind Kyokutenho in 2015 by a few days.
 

Edit: Special shoutout to ex-Nayoroiwa who with a 4-11 from M9 in 1954 aged 39 and 11 months holds the record for Japanese rikishi and (ex-)Ozeki in the modern era. Aminishiki is the 4th modern day rikishi to turn up in this list, courtesy of what is surely one of - maybe the - oldest promotion from Juryo.

The oldest Sanyaku MK in the modern era is Kayo's 3-8-intai from 2011 aged 38. Maybe Tamawashi can get this record still? His last Sanyaku appearance is already 3 years gone, which actually suprised me given how often he's fighting in the joi. He's gotten really unlucky not to be Komusubi for Aki.

Edited November 23 by Hakumadashi

[Wakawakawaka]

Only 5 rikishi have won a Makuuchi Yusho at a younger age than Aonishiki. Takanohana, Taiho, Kitanoumi, Hakuho, Musashiyama. That's 5 Yokozuna... 4 Dai-Yokozuna.

 

[Kotomiyama]

18 hours ago, Hakumadashi said:

Onigatani Hatsu 1907 had 0-0-10 aged 51 and 9 months at M14. In the tournament prior he went 1-3-5-1d (god I kinda wish we'd have one basho per year with those silly result possibilities) from M11, that would be the oldest with actual bouts fought.
The second oldest is a full 6 years younger, from the 1860s.
The oldest "recorded" MK from a Sanyaku was Shiranui with another 0-0-10 as Ozeki in 1869.
The oldest "real" MK from a Sanyaku was Tanikaze with a 4-0-6 (I guess this is an MK?) in 1794 (seriously. I wonder where this data comes from and if these bouts actually took place. It's like reading Homer, you just gotta take it for granted)
Even the legendary Raiden shows up in my query with a Kyujo basho.

Fujinosato had an 1-8-6 from M20w (again lol) aged just 41 in 1942, which is the oldest post-WW1 result to appear.

IN THE MODERN ERA, like you presumably already guessed, Tamawashi now holds this record! 

He either already broke it in Aki or snuck just behind Kyokutenho in 2015 by a few days.
 

Edit: Special shoutout to ex-Nayoroiwa who with a 4-11 from M9 in 1954 aged 39 and 11 months holds the record for Japanese rikishi and (ex-)Ozeki in the modern era. Aminishiki is the 4th modern day rikishi to turn up in this list, courtesy of what is surely one of - maybe the - oldest promotion from Juryo.

The oldest Sanyaku MK in the modern era is Kayo's 3-8-intai from 2011 aged 38. Maybe Tamawashi can get this record still? His last Sanyaku appearance is already 3 years gone, which actually suprised me given how often he's fighting in the joi. He's gotten really unlucky not to be Komusubi for Aki.

Thank you, this was the kind of answer I was looking for!

[Gurowake]

20 hours ago, Hakumadashi said:

he went 1-3-5-1d (god I kinda wish we'd have one basho per year with those silly result possibilities)

Draws are still *possible*.  There hasn't been one since the 1970s, but they theoretically can still happen.  They are extremely unlikely to happen because of water breaks, but I think if they have two breaks and would need to call a third, they would call a draw.  Don't hold me to that specifically, but it's something like that.  Every match recently that has had a water break has been resolved on the restart.

The rest of those results are still possible.  What's not possible any more is an "azukari", which is an inconclusive result.  Now a torinaoshi is called instead of just declaring no winner.

[sahaven111]

12 minutes ago, Gurowake said:

Draws are still *possible*.  There hasn't been one since the 1970s, but they theoretically can still happen.  They are extremely unlikely to happen because of water breaks, but I think if they have two breaks and would need to call a third, they would call a draw.  Don't hold me to that specifically, but it's something like that.  Every match recently that has had a water break has been resolved on the restart.

The rest of those results are still possible.  What's not possible any more is an "azukari", which is an inconclusive result.  Now a torinaoshi is called instead of just declaring no winner.

What about if two rikishi scheduled against each other announce kyujo after the schedule is made

[Gurowake]

4 minutes ago, sahaven111 said:

What about if two rikishi scheduled against each other announce kyujo after the schedule is made

This happened during one particular Covid basho on a number of occasions.  In this case, they both get fusenpai.

[sahaven111]

Just now, Gurowake said:

This happened during one particular Covid basho on a number of occasions.  In this case, they both get fusenpai.

That's very interesting, If not a little disappointing though

[Yamanashi]

4 minutes ago, sahaven111 said:

That's very interesting, If not a little disappointing though

OK, try this: both kyujo rikishi stand (or lay) at the side entrance to the dohyo .  Whichever one can run/walk/crawl/writhe to the nearest of the shikiri-sen first is the winner.

Are you less disappointed?  

[Hakumadashi]

33 minutes ago, Gurowake said:

Draws are still *possible*.  There hasn't been one since the 1970s, but they theoretically can still happen.  They are extremely unlikely to happen because of water breaks, but I think if they have two breaks and would need to call a third, they would call a draw.  Don't hold me to that specifically, but it's something like that.  Every match recently that has had a water break has been resolved on the restart.

The rest of those results are still possible.  What's not possible any more is an "azukari", which is an inconclusive result.  Now a torinaoshi is called instead of just declaring no winner.

I didn't know that, amazing. 
I tried to search Sumodb for the latest cases of this and found this https://sumodb.sumogames.de/Results.aspx?b=195703&d=1 (the last bout on the page)

Was there a rule that Makushita rikishi fighting in Juryo got a hikiwake when "losing" the bout? Or is this a sumodb error? Did they just always get a hikiwake? (Surely not, that would make Yaocho incredibly incentivised...)

[sahaven111]

9 minutes ago, Yamanashi said:

OK, try this: both kyujo rikishi stand (or lay) at the side entrance to the dohyo .  Whichever one can run/walk/crawl/writhe to the nearest of the shikiri-sen first is the winner.

Are you less disappointed?  

That would work well as a really entertaining shokkiri concept

Edited November 24 by sahaven111

[Asashosakari]

58 minutes ago, Hakumadashi said:

I didn't know that, amazing. 
I tried to search Sumodb for the latest cases of this and found this https://sumodb.sumogames.de/Results.aspx?b=195703&d=1 (the last bout on the page)

Was there a rule that Makushita rikishi fighting in Juryo got a hikiwake when "losing" the bout? Or is this a sumodb error? Did they just always get a hikiwake? (Surely not, that would make Yaocho incredibly incentivised...)

No, that's just messed up on the DB.

[Gurowake]

1 hour ago, Hakumadashi said:

I didn't know that, amazing. 
I tried to search Sumodb for the latest cases of this and found this https://sumodb.sumogames.de/Results.aspx?b=195703&d=1 (the last bout on the page)

Was there a rule that Makushita rikishi fighting in Juryo got a hikiwake when "losing" the bout? Or is this a sumodb error? Did they just always get a hikiwake? (Surely not, that would make Yaocho incredibly incentivised...)

If it was a draw, the kimarite would be hikiwake.  You can search for bouts with that kimarite in the bout query.  The bout you mention shows yorikiri as the kimarite, so something is just a little messed up in the database there in terms of what icon to show.

[Suwihuto]

3 hours ago, sahaven111 said:

That would work well as a really entertaining shokkiri concept

Sounds quite like a large portion of American wrestling.

[Suwihuto]

Is it unusual that only one of Aonishiki's defeats has been to an opponent who's never fought in Makuuchi (Himukamaru)? There's a reasonable chance of that changing in 2026 too.

[Hakumadashi]

6 hours ago, Suwihuto said:

Is it unusual that only one of Aonishiki's defeats has been to an opponent who's never fought in Makuuchi (Himukamaru)? There's a reasonable chance of that changing in 2026 too.

I saw that too last week, but I didn’t have the time to try and compare it. My original thought was “never lost to a non-eventual-Sekitori” (I then checked for it) but of course that - while not being common - won’t be anywhere near unique. I wouldn’t be surprised if Himukamaru made Makuuchi we had another unique record set by Aonishiki, at least in the modern era for non Tsukedashi. 

[Hakumadashi]

List of latest (sorted by intai, going back to 2010) rikishi whose highest career rank is M1 (that’s unlucky…)
Active: Atamifuji, Hakuoho, Midorifuji, Sadanoumi
Chiyonokuni (intai 2023)
Yutakayama (intai 2022)
Osunaarashi (intai 2018)
Tosayutaka (intai 2016)
Tochinowaka (intai 2015)
Tokusegawa (intai 2011)

Special shoutout to Wakasegawa and Wakasegawa, who in the 30s and 80s reached M1 as their career highest ranks respectively. They share a last name so are surely related, potentially father and son. The elder fought two basho at M1, as was the style at the time, and finished both with an absolutely abysmal 1-10 record.
The younger fluked the rank with a 10-5 from M11(!!!), and atleast had a respectable 5-10 in the joi. He even managed to beat an Ozeki in Hokutenyu and Uwatenage then M5 Onokuni! This was the second time he had beaten Onokuni by that technique, a feat he shares only with the one and only Chiyonofuji.
He then fell to Juryo within two tournaments and stayed there for over 4 years straight. He did eventually make his way back to the joi, and even got a Kinboshi in a 5-10 from M3. You can guess against whom! (This time he beat Onokuni by Shitatenage!). He followed that tournament up with a 10-5 from M7, which again got him up all the way to M1. This time he seems to have been injured, and only joined the basho on Nakabi. He got a solitary Shonichi on Day 14.
Over the course of his career he spent 7 basho at M4 or above, the best result in these being a 6-9. I miss these type of mid-Maegashira to joi elevator journeyman on the current Banzuke! Maybe Gonoyama? Anyway, he sadly died in 2011 aged just 49 years, and unlike his father or other male relative he never got a Kabu.

[hakutorizakura]

6 hours ago, Hakumadashi said:

Special shoutout to Wakasegawa and Wakasegawa, who in the 30s and 80s reached M1

My early morning brain thought those were their ages... Octogenarian rikishi, imagine that 

[RabidJohn]

12 hours ago, Hakumadashi said:

Special shoutout to Wakasegawa and Wakasegawa, who in the 30s and 80s reached M1 as their career highest ranks respectively. They share a last name so are surely related, potentially father and son. 

Not impossible, but more likely to be grandfather and grandson with 50yrs between their careers.

[Asashosakari]

Neither Wakasegawa's ja.wiki profiles (first gen, third gen) mention anything about a family relationship, only that they and the equally unrelated second one to use the name were once all brought together for a joint interview by a sumo magazine when the third one reached makuuchi. Very likely just a coincidence that two of them had the real surname Sato.

Edited November 27 by Asashosakari

[Reonito]

Hoshoryu's consecutive playoff appearances at Aki and Kyushu mark  only the 15th time  this has happened in Makuuchi. He's the 12th man to do this, as Takanohana did it 3 times and Hakuho twice. Takanohana in 1995 and Wakamisugi in 1978 are the only ones prior to Hoshoryu to lose both playoffs.

I can't post the query link due to the blacklisting error.

[Asashosakari]

5 hours ago, Reonito said:

Hoshoryu's consecutive playoff appearances at Aki and Kyushu mark  only the 15th time  this has happened in Makuuchi. He's the 12th man to do this, as Takanohana did it 3 times and Hakuho twice. Takanohana in 1995 and Wakamisugi in 1978 are the only ones prior to Hoshoryu to lose both playoffs.

I can't post the query link due to the blacklisting error.

Query, with some annotations.

Rikishi	1			2    >			Sum (total)
	Date	Rank	Record	Date	Rank	Record
Chiyonoyama	1955.01	Y1e	12-3 Y	1955.03	Y1e	13-2 Y	25
Wakanohana	1956.03	O1e	12-3 D	1956.05	O1e	12-3 Y	24
Tamanoumi	1970.11	Y1e	14-1 Y	1971.01	Y1e	14-1 D	28
Taiho	1970.11	Y1w	14-1 D	1971.01	Y1w	14-1 Y	28
Wajima	1976.03	Y1w	13-2 Y	1976.05	Y1e	13-2 D	26
Kitanoumi	1978.03	Y1e	13-2 Y	1978.05	Y1e	14-1 Y	27
Wakamisugi	1978.03	O1e	13-2 D	1978.05	O1e	14-1 D	27
Hokutoumi	1989.05	Y2eHD	13-2 Y	1989.07	Y1e	12-3 D	25
Takanohana	1995.11	Y1e	12-3 D	1996.01	Y1e	14-1 D	26
Takanohana	1997.03	Y1e	12-3 Y	1997.05	Y1e	13-2 D	25
Akebono	1997.03	Y1w	12-3 D	1997.05	Y1w	13-2 Y	25
Takanohana	1997.09	Y1e	13-2 Y	1997.11	Y1e	14-1 D	27
Hakuho	2006.03	S1e	13-2 D	2006.05	O3w	14-1 Y	27
Hakuho	2008.11	Y1e	13-2 Y	2009.01	Y1e	14-1 D	27
Hoshoryu	2025.09	Y1wYO	13-2 D	2025.11	Y1wYO	12-3 D	25

Three cases of the same two rikishi contesting both consecutive playoffs, Taiho/Tamanoumi in 1970 (with their all-time leading 28 wins), Kitanoumi/Wakamisugi in 1978, and Akebono/Takanohana in 1997. (Although the 1997.03 playoff featured more guys than just Akebono and Takanohana, so that one wasn't just a straight decider like the other five.)