Career
Akinoshima received his first kinboshi on his defeat of the yokozuna Ōnokuni in September 1988. He went on to receive at least one kinboshi from every yokozuna he faced. He won 14 of his 16 kinboshi in a period of just four years from 1988 to 1992, and he would earn only two more in the last 11 years of his top division career. It is notable that due to sumo rules, Akinoshima never faced his stablemates, Wakanohana and Takanohana in the sumo ring. Had he had this chance, he may have attained even more kinboshi than his already unrivaled record. He also had a remarkable hold over the ōzeki Konishiki, whom he defeated in every one of their first seven meetings, and he had a 25-10 overall career advantage over him.
He had an ongoing rivalry with another maegashira star Kotonishiki, and managed to chalk up only a 9-39 win/loss record against him during their respective top division careers. No wrestler in the history of sumo has ever lost more times to another than Akinoshima did against Kotonishiki. He won his last bout against Kotonishiki in March 2000, but injured his elbow in the win. Ironically, this injury would be one factor that led to his eventual retirement in May 2003. He was the last top division wrestler from the Showa era to retire.
He competed in the top division for 91 tournaments, which is the fourth highest in history, after Kaiō, Takamiyama and Terao. He never won a top division tournament title, his best result being 12-3 in March 1992 when he finished runner-up to Konishiki. He was ranked in the titled san'yaku ranks for 27 tournaments, 15 at komusubi and 12 at sekiwake. However, he was never consistent enough to earn promotion to ōzeki, often dropping matches to less talented opponents.
He won his nineteenth sanshō or special prize in 1999, breaking the record of eighteen held by his rival Kotonishiki. The last two came in September 1999, a tournament in which he was also runner-up for the second time.
He was an extremely diligent trainer, setting himself the target of 100 practice bouts every day. He suffered a severe shoulder injury in 1995, which required surgery.
Read more about this topic: Akinoshima Katsumi
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