Ōzutsu Man'emon

Ōzutsu Man'emon (大砲 万右衛門, 30 December 1869 – 27 May 1918) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Shiroishi, Miyagi Prefecture.

Ōzutsu was tall compared to other wrestlers of his time, but when he first joined his stable, his legs and back were so weak that he was ridiculed and nicknamed konnyaku (コンニャク, solidified jelly).

Having scored a make-kochi record (3 wins and 6 losses), he was however promoted thanks to the impression he left on the crowds thanks to his size.

At some point, he was advised to assume the ring name of past yokozuna Tanikaze Kajinosuke, which was supposed to be his legacy within the Tokyo Sumo Association since both of them were from Miyagi Prefecture, but he declined saying that he did not want to become a laughingstock in the future.

Despite being gifted with a great strength of body, Ōzutsu struggled at the beginning of his career, and people said "he was clumsy and weak in the waist" and "could never win a bout because he was too big for his own good".

While not being an agile person, he developed a method preventing his adversary to stand up, he would catch them with his favoured right hand grip and hold them down, never letting go.

Ōzutsu on a commemorative postcard depicting the first Ryōgoku Kokugikan in 1909
Then- komusubi Ōzutsu and William K. Burton in 1895.