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Washūyama. His nickname was "chibikko gang" because fighting him was said to be akin to fighting a group of toddlers, swarming around his opponents from all sides. Very small and very mobile.

One of my favorite matches from Yokozuna Wajima. He does an excellent job clawing his way to victory despite an unfavorable position. Wajima vs Ōzutsu, January 1981

Fun fact I just discovered about this match: it took place on March 11th, 1985, the day Hakuhō was born.

Drew this portrait of Akebono as a demo for my students. #相撲 #曙

The sumo of the 1970s was as tenacious as it was technical. All of the stars of the era were genius-level fighters who hated to lose, and many bouts from that time remain among the most exciting I’ve ever seen. Mienoumi vs Takanohana, September 1978

For those wondering, the mystery rikishi are Daieishō, Takayasu, Wakatakakage, and Ura!

Based solely on their top 10 most used winning moves, how would you rank these four mystery rikishi in terms of your personal favorability?

An exciting match from the first phase of Taihō’s famous 45-bout winning streak. While many of Taihō’s opponents seemed to crumble quickly before him, Tamanoshima always put up a fight. Tamanoshima vs Taihō, September 1968 🔇

I feel like, if Hokuten’yū were around today, he’d be everyone’s favorite. Kotogaume vs Hokuten’yū, March 1986

Here’s Hokuten’yū taking several blows to the face while refusing to yield the loose outer layer of Konishiki’s belt. Some fans have been complaining that wearing the mawashi loosely amounts to an unfair advantage, but skilled rikishi can make it work. March, 1985

Wakamotoharu and Oho are two rikishi who, if they are in good form, would've been expected to do quite well at their respective rankings. Waka met expectations (I feel like he surges when his brother is away), but Oho still seems way out of sorts.

All of our "Asa" rikishi in Makunouchi scored winning records, including newcomer Asasuiryu and of course Asanoyama. The former Ozeki showed us that he can still tangle with the big boys, but that he hasn't shaken off his own bad habits. He'll fight only the best next time.

Yoshinofuji's comeback should be praised. Five losses out the gate, then winning all but one of the remainder. And with his usual explosive flashiness. I really want to see him continue to improve.

Kotozakura was present at the September Grand Sumo Tournament.

I almost find myself forgetting Kirishima was on a Yokozuna run this tournament, but for those of you who have read my thoughts on his sumo before, you'd know I had no real belief at any point that he would put it together. He's a great rikishi, but not a Yokozuna.