Just over a year ago when Hakuho wrapped up the Osaka tournament with yet another perfect 15-0 record, I wrote that he was continuing to cement his status as the greatest of all time and solidify his place on sumo’s Mount Rushmore alongside Raiden, Futabayama and Taiho.
While arguments against Hakuho being the G.O.A.T. increasingly diminish, who should join him on that fictional monument is definitely open to debate and I’m not even sure that I agree with my own stated opinion from 12 months ago.
Futabayama still has to be there, not only because of his records, but also what his presence meant to the general public during World War II.
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