Hi all, hope this post finds you well! I’m very excited to bring you the next installment of this series, as we’ve now reached the top 30 rikishi of the Modern Era.

30. 59th Yokozuna Takanosato (1975-1986, 896 points in 58 basho, 4x Yusho)

Kicking off our list today is a lesser-known Yokozuna, Takanosato, who stands as a model of what work ethic and constant improvement can do to help one reach their potential. Unlike most of his Yokozuna peers, Takanosato took a while to become established in the top division, toiling away in the lower divisions for the first 7 years of his career and suffering 3 separate demotions to Juryo before really making his breakthrough. Finally, in 1980, the 28-year-old Takanosato made his first real run at the Emperor’s Cup (a 12-3 jun-yusho) before following that up with another stellar performance, this time a 13-2 jun-yusho that featured 2 kinboshi and netted him 2 sansho. Now a san’yaku mainstay, Takanosato finally broke through to the Ozeki ranks in 1982; his best sumo, however, was still to come.

Three days before his 30th birthday, Takanosato secured his 15th victory in the September 1982 tournament, capturing his first top-division championship in undefeated fashion. Though he was unable to complete a Yokozuna run in the following basho, it was clear that he had found yet another gear in his sumo. In the one-year span from March 1983 to January 1984, no one was better than Takanosato, as he amassed an astonishing 80-10 record, captured 3 more Emperor’s Cups and 3 more jun-yusho, and earned the coveted white rope of a Yokozuna. None of his yusho came easy either, as Takanosato was forced to contend with the legendary Chiyonofuji to lift each of them.

One of my favorite all-time sumo stories is the 4-basho stretch from July ’83-January ’84, each of which featured Chiyonofuji and Takanosato entering the final day alone at the top of the banzuke and their Day 15 match deciding the yusho race. In an age where few rikishi could even hope to topple the Wolf, Takanosato emerged victorious in 3 of these winner-take-all contests (my personal favorite is this epic yotsuzumo battle which sealed his second zensho yusho). Though his age would finally catch up to him later that year and he would retire with only 15 basho as Yokozuna under his belt, his performances in these titanic clashes show just how much Takanosato worked to improve the course of his career and the level of sumo he was able to execute at his peak.

29. Goeido (Ozeki, 2007-2020, 914 points in 73 basho, 1x Yusho)

This is one ranking which I expect will surprise many fans, given Goeido’s late-career performance practically turning him into a meme. And while some of the gripes about him may be deserved (he won’t win any KKrate or Yrate competitions with his fellow Ozeki), the fact remains that Goeido was a constant presence on the banzuke for over 12 years, spending nearly half that time at sumo’s second-highest rank. This is borne out by his 49 career kachi koshi, a total surpassed by only 6 Ozeki in the Modern Era. After initially struggling to break into the top of the division and suffering an injury-induced drop to Juryo in late 2010, Goeido finally managed to put the pieces together and rocketed up the banzuke, recording three straight 11+ win basho (and his first jun-yusho) as a maegashira. Soon, he became a rock-solid sekiwake, at one point spending a near-unbelievable 14 consecutive basho at the rank (that’s over two full years!). Finally, boosted by a pair of 12-3 jun-yusho in mid-2014, Goeido broke through the Great Barrier and earned promotion to Ozeki.

Initially, Goeido struggled with the pressure of his new rank, especially during an era where the top of the banzuke was crowded with 3 fearsome Yokozuna and 3 other Ozeki. In fact, it would take Goeido a year and a half to hit double digit wins in a basho as an Ozeki, and his frequent kadoban status made him one-half of the “Kadoban Brothers” alongside Kotoshogiku. However, for 15 glorious days in September of 2016, Goeido proved once and for all that he belonged at the rank by securing perhaps the unlikeliest zensho yusho in sumo history. From Days 10-13 of the basho, he defeated 4 current/future Yokozuna in a row before sealing the Cup with a day to spare and then defeating his fellow Kadoban Brother on Day 15 to finish off the zensho. Unfortunately, he was never able to recapture this magic in a bottle, but he would make another couple of runs at the yusho before he retired right before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though most of his stats are below average when among modern Ozeki, he outlasted many of his contemporaries and put up just enough solid performances (an 11% Y/JYrate is nothing to sneeze at) to crack the top 30.

28. 57th Yokozuna Mienoumi (1969-1980, 935.5 points in 68 basho, 3x Yusho)

A seminal figure in the history of the sport as both a rikishi and a member of the JSA post-retirement, Mienoumi is another Yokozuna who had a somewhat unusual path to the rank. Spending the first part of his Makuuchi career bouncing between the lower san’yaku and Maegashira ranks, he was only occasionally a figure in the title race, accumulating a few spare jun-yusho but never surpassing 11 victories in a basho. In 1975, however, he had managed to carve out a consistent spot at Sekiwake, and he entered the November basho with an outside chance at Ozeki promotion should he finally break the 12-win barrier. And break the 12-win barrier he did, scoring 13 wins (including a victory over the great Wajima) and securing his first Emperor’s Cup as well as promotion to Ozeki. From there, he caught the injury bug, momentarily losing his Ozeki rank and most often eking out 8-7 kachi koshi.

Finally achieving some measure of consistency at Ozeki, Mienoumi became increasingly more of a factor in 1979. In May of that year, he earned the first jun-yusho since his yusho triumph 3 and a half years earlier, and in the following tournament, he rattled off 14 consecutive victories to recover from a Day 1 loss and send the yusho race to a playoff. Though he would fall to Wajima, it was decided that he had done enough to earn promotion to Yokozuna anyway, despite having only one yusho to his name. Fortunately, he quickly erased any doubts about his worthiness of the rank; in his 2nd and 3rd basho with the rope, he went 14-1 and 15-0, respectively, and captured his second and third Emperor’s Cups. This feat is even more impressive when you consider the context, as Mienoumi was having to contend with 3 other formidable Yokozuna at 31 years old (just look at his testy matchup with Wakanohana II on the final day of his zensho yusho).

Unfortunately, injuries again plagued Mienoumi, and he would only complete one full basho after this third yusho, retiring less than a year later. However, he remained relevant in the sumo world for decades to come as Musashimaru’s oyakata, chairman of the JSA (though he resigned as a result of scandals), and director of the Sumo Museum. Though his win% is the lowest among all modern Yokozuna, his performances when healthy against the best of his era demonstrate that he deserved his promotion. Oh, and one more fun fact: you may have noticed his point total is 935**.5** points, as he was part of the most recent draw in Makuuchi history (closing in on 50 years now!).

27. Takanohana I (Ozeki, 1968-1981, 958 points in 70 basho, 2x Yusho)

It’s only fitting that Takanohana I would appear right next to Mienoumi in this list, given how their careers overlapped nearly perfectly (Takanohana made his top-division debut less than a year before the Yokozuna and retired only one basho after him). Though Takanohana never rose to the rank of the Yokozuna, the “Prince of Sumo” did spend more time at the top ranks by virtue of making it to Ozeki at a mere 22 years of age, racking up 9 sansho in the 20 basho it took him to get there. From there, he fell victim to the logjam at the top of the banzuke (he was one of five Ozeki at the time of his promotion) and his own injuries, even as he consistently recorded winning records.

Finally, in 1975, he had a breakthrough. At the March tournament in Osaka, he entered the final day with a one-match lead over the dai-Yokozuna Kitanoumi. The Yokozuna bested the smaller Takanohana in a thrilling senshuraku clash, before the Ozeki returned the favor in a furiously-fought playoff, clinching his first yusho in the process (trust me, both matches are worth watching). Later that year, he repeated the feat, again downing Kitanoumi in a playoff to lift the Emperor’s Cup once more. Unfortunately, these flashes of brilliance simply weren’t enough to consistently vie for yusho or a promotion to Yokozuna in such a stacked era, but Takanohana I’s 50-basho run at Ozeki (third all-time) and 83% kachi koshi rate (third among all modern Ozeki) means he belongs in the conversation for the Mt. Rushmore of sumo’s second-highest rank. That’s all without even mentioning he fathered two future Yokozuna, both of whom we have yet to encounter in these rankings!

26. 63rd Yokozuna Asahifuji (1983-1992, 961 points in 54 basho, 4x Yusho)

Rounding out the 5 rikishi in this installment of the Countdown, we have yet another rikishi whose legacy off the dohyo has nearly overshadowed his accomplishments inside the ring. Like the other Yokozuna we’ve discussed today, Asahifuji took a little while to become established in the top division, and he had to fight 6 basho as a komusubi before finally breaking through to sekiwake. Gaining a reputation for his occasionally unorthodox techniques (he’s one of only a few rikishi to earn at least five technique prizes), the imposing Asahifuji earned his Ozeki promotion after a fairly ho-hum 32-win run. At this point in his career, despite his success, he had no yusho and only one jun-yusho in 28 attempts.

As it turns out, an Ozeki promotion was all he needed to take his sumo to the next level. During his first 10 basho at the rank, he recorded at least 11 victories in each tournament, captured his first yusho by toppling Chiyonofuji (whom he had previously trailed 20-1 in their H2H0, and at one point recorded 5 consecutive jun-yusho. After his health began to pose issues, Asahifuji’s form dipped considerably, but he managed to win just enough to maintain his rank. Finally, in mid-1990, the Ozeki experienced a career revival, posting back-to-back 14-1 records and claiming two consecutive Emperor’s Cups to earn promotion to Yokozuna (this thrilling victory over Chiyonofuji to seal his third yusho and the white rope is one of my favorite matches ever, from the pre-tachiai staredown to that epic finish). Though he would continue to excel in his brief stint as a Yokozuna (even capturing a 4th title by beating the mighty Konishiki twice on the final day), his body failed him after less than two years at the rank.

After retirement, Asahifuji remained a prominent figure in the sumo world, and many modern fans know him better by the name Isegahama, oyakata for Yokozuna Harumafuji and Terunofuji and in various leadership roles in the JSA. Unfortunately, the recent scandal at his stable and his resulting demotion have somewhat complicated his legacy. However, his performances as a wrestler highlighted the extent to which his resilience and determination informed his success on the dohyo and in guiding other sumo legends to glory.

That’s all for today, folks. With this installment, we’ve officially reached the top 25 rikishi of all time, and the next post will feature some fan favorites; until then, hakkeyoi!