A long-standing lower back problem forced him to withdraw from the March 2003 tournament but in September of that year he produced an 11-4 record, his best score in the top division to date, which earned him promotion to the titled san'yaku ranks for the first time in November 2003.

Iwakiyama was twice ranked as komusubi on the banzuke and had one yokozuna upset and two special prizes to his credit but because of poor results he was demoted to jūryō for the 2007 Nagoya basho.

Following three consecutive kachi-koshi scores in the first three tournaments of 2009 he was promoted to maegashira 3 in July, his highest rank for nearly three years.

He stated that he would seek treatment and hoped to return to active competition,[1] but he was also unable to take part in the July 2010 basho in which he was ranked in the jūryō division.

[2] Rather than risk long term health issues from training for a return, he retired on his wife's advice.

His danpatsu-shiki, or official retirement ceremony, was originally scheduled for May 2011 but was postponed due to the sumo match-fixing scandal.

Iwakiyama was one of the heaviest men in the top division and so preferred straightforward force-out techniques, using his bulk to his best advantage.

Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi