30 Facts About Baruto Kaito

Baruto Kaito was a tournament runner-up four times before recording a top division championship in the 2012 January tournament.

Baruto Kaito's family owned a cattle farm and he became accustomed to hard physical labour as a child.

Baruto Kaito's father died when Hoovelson was sixteen years old and he worked as a nightclub bouncer to earn a living.

Baruto Kaito played basketball as a teenager and won a national judo championship in Estonia.

Baruto Kaito was introduced to amateur sumo when he was a little boy through his judo coach Riho Rannikmaa, and an official from the Kagoshima Prefecture Sumo Association, Kazuo Kurazono, encouraged him to join the professional sport.

Baruto Kaito came to Japan with a friend from Estonia, Ott Juurikas, who entered Irumagawa stable and fought under the name of Kitaoji but quit after only one tournament.

Baruto Kaito was the first to achieve this since Kitanofuji, who ultimately reached the top yokozuna rank, in 1963.

Baruto Kaito suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Baruto Kaito opted against surgery, which would have required a lengthy lay-off.

Baruto Kaito was in contention for the championship until the final days of the tournament when he was defeated by ozeki Chiyotaikai and komusubi Ama.

Baruto Kaito came through with a winning record in his sekiwake debut.

Baruto Kaito had an excellent start to the January 2009 tournament, winning his first six matches.

Baruto Kaito is the first sekiwake to hold his rank for four straight tournaments since his debut since Asashoryu in 2002.

Baruto Kaito became only the third wrestler to compile 33 wins over three tournaments in a san'yaku rank and not be promoted to ozeki, following Kotogahama in 1957 and Miyabiyama in 2006.

Baruto Kaito was nursing an injury to his left thumb throughout the basho, which he picked up in a training session with Aran.

Baruto Kaito was rewarded with special prizes for Fighting Spirit and Technique, the first time since Kotomitsuki in July 2007 that one wrestler has received two prizes in the same tournament.

Baruto Kaito was kadoban, or in danger of demotion from ozeki, after he pulled out of the Aki basho in September 2012 on the 4th day after injuring the big toe on his right foot before the tournament.

Baruto Kaito would have had to win 32 or 33 bouts in three consecutive tournaments in makuuchi to earn promotion to ozeki again.

Baruto Kaito had a solid and straightforward yotsu-sumo style, concentrating on techniques which involved grabbing the opponent's mawashi or belt.

Baruto Kaito preferred a migi-yotsu grip, with his right hand inside and left hand outside his opponent's arms.

Baruto Kaito used this technique three times in the July 2009 tournament alone.

Baruto Kaito was forced to change his yotsu style in his successful ozeki promotion basho of March 2010, as his thumb injury meant he was less effective on the mawashi, and he used a more aggressive slapping and thrusting attack instead.

At 188 kilograms, Baruto Kaito was the second-heaviest man in the top division at the time, after Gagamaru.

Baruto Kaito was popular among other wrestlers due to his friendly character and was known for always smiling, win or lose.

Baruto Kaito is friendly and gentle and he shouldn't change that.

Baruto Kaito has to win to get promoted but outside the ring I don't want him to forget to smile.

Baruto Kaito is involved in several charities, including ADHD awareness.

Actor Ryuta Sato was cast to play Yaichi and Baruto Kaito was cast for the role of Mike Flanagan.

Baruto Kaito has taken part in amateur sumo competitions, winning the open weight category at the Estonian national championships in 2018, and he was planning to compete in the European Sumo Championships in Tallinn in April 2019.

Baruto Kaito ran for election in Harju and Rapla counties, and received 642 votes.