Yokozuna

[sho'nuff]

I remember watching the sumo wrestling competitions on espn several years ago every week.
The amazing thing I learned was the no weight classes.

That is why my favorite sumo wrestler yokozuna is Wakanohana III, a relatively small wrestler who was able to defeat much larger opponents (here against Akebono) and achieve status of yokozuna for a short stint....




Who is your favorite yokozuna? or sumo wrestler? I also liked Takanohana as well.

 

[Hombre Secreto]

The WWF one. R.I.P.

 

[Connemara]

Originally Posted by Hombre Secreto

The WWF one. R.I.P.

 

[Dragon]

My all time favorite is Chiyonofuji. He was small like Wakanohana, but was much more muscular. I think he is near the top of the all time win record too.

 

[JLibourel]

A lot of Tosa dogs, the "sumo wrestlers of the dog world," are named after famous Yokozunas. In the mid-90s a husband and wife team styling themselves "Yokozuna Tosa" imported a number of dogs for customers that they named after famous Yokozunas. A close friend of mine got Wakanohana. They called him "Deacon." I got Takamiyama, called him "Inazuma' (lightning) or "Zuma," for short--a gorgeous brindle dog. Losing him to bloat when he was barely three was one of the worst heartbreaks of my life.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Its really a toss up between Akebono and Takanohana. Their rivalry, outlined the modern golden age of Sumo, and both guys are real class acts.

Akebono might have gone non-traditionalist after his retirement, and many people disapprovingly mock his efforts as a pro-wrestler/K-1 fighter following his Sumo career, but while he was in his prime, he was a 6'8" 500+lb bulldozer, and put on a great show.

Takanohana played the David to Akebono's Goliath. He was smaller, faster, scrappy, and was the perfect foil, managing to win many of the head to head matchups between the two. Watching Takanohana battle Akebono became an epic saga, and an event.

 

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

Its really a toss up between Akebono and Takanohana. Their rivalry, outlined the modern golden age of Sumo, and both guys are real class acts.

Akebono might have gone non-traditionalist after his retirement, and many people disapprovingly mock his efforts as a pro-wrestler/K-1 fighter following his Sumo career, but while he was in his prime, he was a 6'8" 500+lb bulldozer, and put on a great show.

Takanohana played the David to Akebono's Goliath. He was smaller, faster, scrappy, and was the perfect foil, managing to win many of the head to head matchups between the two. Watching Takanohana battle Akebono became an epic saga, and an event.
smaller as in only 400lbs?

 

[sho'nuff]

takanohana was not that much smaller than akebono , because i think in actual muscle girth , takanohana might have been larger than akebono. but yes, i loved these two individuals , very softspoken and modest in the public i heard.

that is why i love wakanohana so much. he had to get around girth and weight with wily skills i do not know of in the sumo world, i just heard and read.

like vlade divac on shaquille during the sacramento vs lakers era several years ago.
or
maybe that is not a good analogy.

 

[sho'nuff]

Originally Posted by Dragon

My all time favorite is Chiyonofuji. He was small like Wakanohana, but was much more muscular. I think he is near the top of the all time win record too.

i never seen chiyonofuji. i dont think he was ever on espn II? i only saw the matches shown there several years ago. i will see if youtube has anything on him

 

[sho'nuff]

well of course he was not on espn , because he reigned in the eighties.


here is a youtube of his great 53 win streak , i think he is my new favorite yokozuna

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by GQgeek

smaller as in only 400lbs?

Originally Posted by shoe

takanohana was not that much smaller than akebono
Uh... lets see... official weigh-in from match in Nov. 1994: Takanohana - 6'1" 311lbs (as an Ozeki, but its the match immediately preceding being promoted to Yokozuna) Akebono - 6'8" 1/4 498lbs. Seven inches and 187lbs seems like a pretty significant height/weight differential to me. Weight-wise, in his career Takanohana topped out at 331lbs. Akebono (during the same time period) topped out at 517lbs. So, in closing, you guys are smoking some crack.

 

[acidboy]

my favorite

 

[sho'nuff]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

Uh... lets see... official weigh-in from match in Nov. 1994:

Takanohana - 6'1" 311lbs (as an Ozeki, but its the match immediately preceding being promoted to Yokozuna)

Akebono - 6'8" 1/4 498lbs.

Seven inches and 187lbs seems like a pretty significant height/weight differential to me.


Weight-wise, in his career Takanohana topped out at 331lbs.
Akebono (during the same time period) topped out at 517lbs.

So, in closing, you guys are smoking some crack.

i stand corrected.

 

[sho'nuff]

Originally Posted by acidicboy

my favorite

this guy is the best. E Honda. I love him. hundred-hand slap. and the flying, oink-oink, headbutt.
the best.

 

[sho'nuff]

actually the real-life sumo wrestler that best resembles E. Honda character is surprisingly Takanohana.

not in the face , but in the girth and body constitution. i would think.

Takanohana has lost alot of weight after his retirement, i was surprised to see a photo of him (on wiki) where he looks like a normal man.

here in my photo, you see , he literally looks like this in his prime. i saw a photo of him literally with his small face looked like a bean in a mass of mountainous flesh.
now he looks like below.