Izutsu stable
Sasshūnada was one of five men from Izutsu stable in the top division simultaneously, the others being Terao, Sakahoko, Kirishima and Jingaku. However he was unable to make much of an impression on the top ranked wrestlers and lacked the fighting spirit of some his stablemates. He never managed to defeat a "yokozuna" or win a special prize in his 19 tournaments ranked in the top division, and his highest rank reached was "maegashira" 1 in March 1988. In September 1989 his three-year stay in "makuuchi" ended when he scored only 5–10 at "maegashira" 14, and he was demoted to "jūryō" where he was to spend the remainder of his career.