More than 50 sumo wrestlers have reached the second highest in the sport, the rank of ōzeki, but have failed to rise to the top rank since the modern era of sumo began in 1927 with the merger of the Tokyo and Osaka organizations. By 2020, over 250 wrestlers have been promoted to the rank of ōzeki throughout the entire history of the sport. Wrestlers who went on to be promoted to yokozuna are tabulated in the list of yokozuna.