Re: Yokozuna Quiz

[Dale Carlson <drc@oz.net>]

At 11:53 PM 6/1/99 +0100, Nashinokawa wrote:
>12. Who is the only rikishi to have joined the precursor to the present sumo
>association as a Yokozuna and how did he do it.

Partly in defense of Miyagiyama, and partly because this is
my favorite era in sumo history, it should be pointed out that
there were a series of tournaments in 1926 to sort out the rankings
of the merged Osaka and Tokyo sumo associations. Osaka rikishi 
didn't fare well, and one Osaka ozeki ended up in makushita. 
Since there was no precedent for demoting a yokozuna, and also
to avoid totally embarrasing the Osaka association, Miyagiyama
retained his rank, and won the first post-merger basho in January
1927. He also "outlived" his fellow yokozuna- the far superior 
Tsunenohana as well as Nishinoumi III.

Dale
(Thanks, Clyde :)