“Little Kenji” was a sumo wrestling prodigy from his earliest days, but critics were wary that his introduction to the professional circuit came too soon. He proved them all wrong by quickly ascending to the rank of yokozuna and reaching the championship match against Konishiki, where sumo fans waited in line for hours to see how Konishiki’s brute force and power throw moves would stand up against the prodigy’s lightning-quick footwork and left-hand grip.