Takanohana vs. his makunouchi opponents

["G. Jay Walker" <walker@nhrc.navy.mil>]

Selected Stats of Takanohana vs. his makunouchi opponents:

Since his promotion to makunouchi for the Natsu 1990 basho, Takanohana was ranked in the division for 75 tournaments, facing 89 different opponents.  His official makunouchi record was 701-217; however, for the tables below I have included only matches fought on the dohyo, meaning I excluded his fusensho (3) and fusenhai (7) matches and included has playoff wins (6) and losses (5). 

Who did Takanohana fight most often?
----------------------------------------
1. Musashimaru		52
2. Kotonishiki		47
3. Akebono		45
4. Kaio			40
5. Kotonowaka		38
6. Musoyama		36
7. Tochinowaka		31
8. Tosanoumi		28
   Terao			28
10 Konishiki		22

The 52 matches with Musashimaru include four playoff bouts, so officially Takanohana only had one more match with Musashimaru than Kotonishiki.


Who did Takanohana defeat the most times?
-----------------------------------------
1. Kotonowaka		34
   Kotonishiki		34
3. Musashimaru		33
4. Kaio			28
5. Musoyama		26
6. Terao			22
   Tochinowaka		22
   Akebono		22
9. Tosanoumi		21
10 Tamakasuga		18

A tie for the top spot between the Sadogatake-beya mates.


Who had the most wins against Takanohana?
------------------------------------------
1. Akebono		23
2. Musashimaru		19
3. Kotonishiki		13
4. Kaio			12
5. Musoyama		10
6. Tochinowaka		 9
7. Tosanoumi		 7
   Konishiki		 7
   Kushimaumi		 7
   Misugisato		 7

Akebono's figure includes 2 playoff wins.  Not surprisingly, Takanohana topped the list of most triumphs against Akebono.


Who did Takanohana dominate (minimum of 10 bouts)?
---------------------------------------------------

1. Kitakachidoki	1.000  (14-0)
2. Kyokushuzan		1.000  (11-0)
   Miyabiyama		1.000  (11-0)
4. Higonoumi		 .938  (15-1)
5. Tochinonada		 .923  (12-1)
6. Mainoumi		 .909  (10-1)
7. Hamanoshima		 .900  (9-1)
8. Kotonowaka		 .895  (34-4)
9. Kenko			 .889  (16-2)
10 Tamakasuga		 .857  (18-3)
   Oginishiki		 .857  (12-2)

Takanohana dominated a lot of people; this list is only the "cream of the crop".
 
 
Who gave Takanohana the hardest time (minimum of 10 bouts)?
-----------------------------------------------------------
Misugisato		.417  (5-7)
Akebono			.489  (22-23)
Kushimaumi		.533  (8-7)
Musashimaru		.635  (33-19)
Kotofuji			.636  (7-4)
Chiyotaikai		.643  (9-5)
Kirishima			.643  (9-5)

I stopped the list here at those that defeated Takanohana at least a third of the time.  I wouldn't regard his troubles against Misugisato and Kushimaumi as that flukish.  While their bouts occurred in the earlier times of Takanohana's career, they each had 5 victories against Taka when he was ranked at Maegashira 1 or higher.

	
Who could never defeat Takanohana?
-----------------------------------
Kitakachidoki		14-0
Kyokushuzan		11-0
Miyabiyama		11-0
Asanowaka			 9-0
Daizen			 9-0
Toki			 	 9-0
Wakanosato		 9-0


Who could Takanohana never defeat?
-----------------------------------
Takanonami		0-2
Takanofuji		0-2

Heya-mate Takanonami won their two playoff matches and Takanofuji's two victories were in 1990 during Takanohana's first two bashos in the top division.  The only person to officially go undefeated against Takanohana since 1990 was Aminishiki, who won their only match-up in the last fight of Takanohana's career.


What was Takanohana's record when facing yokozunas (that is, when they were ranked at yokozuna)?
-----------------------------------
Akebono 		18-14
Asahifuji		1-2
Chiyonofuji	1-0
Hokutoumi		1-1
Musashimaru	3-7
Onokuni		0-1

Again, these include playoff matches.  His famous victory against 
Chiyonofuji at the age of 18 was the only kinboshi of Takanohana's career.

One notable kimarite stat - from 1993 to 1997, Takanohana's record in yorikiri matches was 199 to 3.


Most American baseball fans would instantly recognize the name of Ted Williams who passed away last summer at 83.  He grew up a few blocks from my place and was known as the greatest hitter who ever lived (although Babe Ruth might take issue).  He said that "hitting a baseball was at the center of my heart".  That's how I viewed Takanohana - that sumo was at the center of his heart.  

There is a picture in an old issue of Sumo World from about 1981 which is quite interesting in retrospect.  It shows Takanohana's father, the former ozeki Takanohana from the 70's, watching practice in his early days as Fujishima oyakata (he would later take over Futagoyama).  With him are his two young sons, and what makes the picture so interesting is that at the time it was published, no one knew that the boys would grow up to be Wakanohana and Takanohana.  Masaru (Wakanohana) is acting as a typical lad, sitting to his father's side, turned away and in his own world.  Yet the younger Koji (Takanohana) sits directly behind his father's shoulder, intently watching practice.  One wonders if sumo was at the very core of his being even then.

-George W.