Oginohana Akikazu made his professional debut in July 1983, and reached the top division in January 1990.
14 Facts About Oginohana Akikazu
1.
2.
Oginohana Akikazu is the son of former sekiwake Oginohana Masaaki and the elder brother of former komusubi Oginishiki.
3.
Oginohana Akikazu had not shown much interest in sumo while at high school and was instead a member of the baseball team.
4.
However, while recuperating from a baseball injury he was persuaded to drop out of school and join Dewanoumi stable where his father, the former sekiwake Oginohana Masaaki, worked as a coach.
5.
Oginohana Akikazu adopted his father's shikona or fighting name in March 1987.
6.
Oginohana Akikazu bore a physical resemblance to former yokozuna Wakanohana II, and like him was popular with female sumo fans.
7.
Oginohana Akikazu won the makushita division championship in May 1988 and reached sekitori level upon promotion to the juryo division in July 1989.
8.
Oginohana Akikazu seemed to lose a good deal of his fighting spirit after this incident.
9.
Oginohana Akikazu's expected rise to the san'yaku ranks never materialized, and he never won a sansho or special prize.
10.
Oginohana Akikazu fell down to juryo on a couple of occasions, and ended up winning the juryo championship four times, second only to Masurao's five.
11.
Oginohana Akikazu remained in the sumo world as a coach at Dewanoumi stable and an elder of the Japan Sumo Association.
12.
Oginohana Akikazu is a judge of tournament bouts and has deputized for chief judges Kasugano and Fujishima.
13.
Oginohana Akikazu was a yotsu-sumo wrestler who preferred grappling techniques to pushing and thrusting.
14.
Oginohana Akikazu's favoured grip on the mawashi was hidari yotsu, a right hand outside, left hand inside position.