Takakeishō Mitsunobu, one of the youngest Ozeki in the modern history of sumo, won his second Emperor’s Cup. The basho was moved from the Fukuoka Kokusai Center in Kyushu to Ryōgoku Kokugikan due to COVID concerns. Takakeishō defeated current Ozeki and future Yokozuna Terenofuji in a playoff after losing to him earlier in the tournament. Congratulations Takakeishō!

To me, who knows very little about sumo, Takakeishō looks like the perfect sumo wrestler. I don’t mean this in any body-shaming or negative way, but he looks like a bowling ball that would be very hard to knock over. I’m surprised he ever loses!

I read on Wikipedia that he was encouraged by his father to eat hamburgers and French fries to increase his weight. And it went from 30 kilos (around 66 pounds) in the third grade to an astonishing 80 kilos by sixth grade (around 176 pounds). My parents encourage me to eat more fruits and veggies. Maybe I could go live with Takakeishō’s family for a summer!