TOKYO -- A sheep herder is quickly closing in on the all-time record for sumo tournament victories. Not bad for a guy who was called "Bean Sprout" when he first came to Japan.
Hakuho, already a grand champion, on Jan. 27 won his 28th career title. He is within striking distance of the record 32 Emperor's Cups won by Taiho, widely considered the greatest sumo wrestler of the 20th century. The 28-year-old Hakuho has come a long way from the grasslands of Mongolia, where he developed his athleticism (and appetite).
