When former ozeki Tochiazuma was presented with the Emperor¡¯s Cup on Jan. 22, 2006, few in the sport could have predicted that Tochiazuma¡¯s third and final championship victory would be the last to be awarded to a Japan-born rikishi for the next decade.
And Sumo Scribblings, in its first-ever column, a few weeks later on March 8 of that year was no different. Tochiazuma at the time was the only real serious domestic contender for yokozuna promotion.
True, the one-time pusher-thruster and belt-grappling powerhouses of Chiyotaikai and Kaio, respectively, were still chalking up decent scores from time to time, but both were past their best.
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