[4] He became the first yokozuna in history to be suspended from competition in August 2007 when he participated in a charity football match in his home country despite having withdrawn from a regional sumo tour claiming injury.

[6] Asashōryū comes from an ethnic Mongol family with a strong background in Mongolian wrestling, with his father and two of his elder brothers all achieving high ranks in the sport.

[8] He originally came to Japan as an exchange student, together with his friend, the future Asasekiryū, where they attended Meitoku Gijuku High School in Kōchi Prefecture.

At that time, fellow Mongolians Kyokushūzan and Kyokutenhō were in the top division and stars back in their home country, but Asashōryū was quick to overtake them both.

[18] Asashōryū nominally shared the yokozuna rank with Musashimaru, but in fact his rival only fought a handful of bouts in 2003 due to injury.

Asashōryū won his first championship as a yokozuna in May 2003 and came back from an injury sustained in the July tournament to win his third title of the year in September.

[23] On 27 November 2004, Asashōryū became the first wrestler to win five tournaments in a year since Chiyonofuji achieved the feat in 1986, and won his ninth Emperor's Cup.

[24] Asashōryū's below average 9–6 score in the September basho of 2004, the only one he did not win, was attributed in part to the official ceremony for his marriage, which was held in August 2004 (although he had actually married in December 2002).

On 26 November 2005, a visibly emotional Asashōryū wept after winning his eighty-third bout of the year, (surpassing Kitanoumi's record set in 1978) and clinching the tournament at the same time.

In the May tournament, he sustained an injury to the ligaments in his elbow on the second day falling out of the ring in a surprising loss to Wakanosato and was visibly slow to rise from the ground.

[36] Asashōryū had been the sole yokozuna for a total of 21 tournaments since the retirement of Musashimaru in November 2003 – the longest period of time in sumo history.

[51] In the January 2010 tournament, which was to prove to be the last of his career, Asashōryū clinched his 25th yūshō on Day 14 after beating Harumafuji to go 13–1, two wins ahead of Hakuhō on 11–3.

[18] In January 2007, Shūkan Gendai, a weekly tabloid magazine, reported that Asashōryū had paid opponents about ¥800,000 ($10,000) per fight to allow him to win the previous November 2006 tournament with a perfect score.

"[56] After his tournament victory in July 2007, Asashōryū decided to skip the regional summer tour of Tōhoku and Hokkaidō beginning on 3 August because of injury.

The medical forms submitted to the Japan Sumo Association indicated that injuries to his left elbow and a stress fracture in his lower back would require six weeks of rest to heal.

[66] During the January 2010 tournament, a tabloid magazine claimed Asashōryū punched his personal manager after getting drunk during a night out in downtown Nishiazabu.

[70] Subsequently, on 4 February 2010, he announced his decision to retire, after discussing the matter at a meeting with the Board of Directors of the Sumo Association.

One high-ranking Mongolian official accused the Sumo Association of using the incident as an excuse to get rid of Asashōryū before he could reach Taihō's 32 tournament victories.

[80] News media compared his case with earlier yokozuna Maedayama who was forced to resign in 1949 after dropping out of a tournament claiming illness but subsequently photographed at a baseball game.

[83] Asashōryū gave a press conference in Mongolia on 11 March, and denied committing any "act of violence," but said he did not regret his decision to retire.

[87] However, the event went ahead as planned on 3 October, with around 380 dignitaries taking turns in snipping his oichiomage or topknot before Takasago made the final cut.

[89] In July 2003, he pulled on fellow Mongolian Kyokushūzan's mage (traditional Japanese top knot) during their bout on day five of the tournament, resulting in an immediate hansoku-make, or disqualification.

[93] Immediately after his retirement from sumo there was speculation that Asashōryū would switch to mixed martial arts, and he was reported to be forming an MMA camp for Mongolian athletes.

Asashōryū had held business interests in Mongolia whilst still active in sumo, launching a family holding company as early as 2003.

[101] On 3 August 2017, Asashōryū was appointed as a diplomatic advisor and special ambassador to Japan by Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga.

[106] In 2025, Asashōryū reconnected with his wrestling past and visited Tokyo in January, on the occasion of his nephew Hōshōryū's promotion as the 74th yokozuna in the sport's history.

Due to his complicated relationship with the Sumo Association executives, it was debated for a while whether Asashōryū would be allowed to attend the ceremony at the Meiji Shrine in the audience box reserved for the new yokozuna's relatives.

[110] Asashōryū was a relative lightweight early in his career, weighing just 129 kg (284 lb) in 2001, and relied on speed and technique to compete against often much heavier opponents.

"[119] Hōshōryū has since climbed the ranks and won the 2023 Nagoya basho with a 12-3 record, giving him 33 wins in his last three tournaments and earning promotion to ōzeki.

[121] In October 2024, another of his nephews, Serjbüdeegiin Luvsangombo (son of Dolgorsürengiin Serjbüdee), joined professional sumo and decided to compete for Shikoroyama stable.