At age 18, he went to Japan and won an international tournament, and in 1990 competing for Takushoku University he became the first Brazilian to win the Japanese National Collegiate Sumo Championship.
He was the first foreign wrestler ever to be granted makushita tsukedashi status, meaning that because of his amateur sumo achievements he could start at the bottom of the third highest makushita division.
He reached elite sekitori status in March 1994 when he was promoted to the jūryō division.
Ryūkō was his final shikona or fighting name – he was also known as Ikemori and Ryūdō.
Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi