|
1997 In Sumo
The following were the events in professional sumo during 1997. Tournaments Hatsu basho Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 12 January – 26 January Haru basho Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, 9 March – 23 March Playoff (Two consecutive victories required to win the Playoff and the ''yūshō'') * Match 1: Takanohana defeated Kaiō * Match 2: Takanohana defeated Akebono Natsu basho Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 11 May – 25 May Nagoya basho Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Nagoya, 6 July – 20 July Aki basho Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 7 September – 21 September Kyushu basho Fukuoka International Centre, Kyushu, 9 November – 23 November News January *At the Hatsu basho, ozeki Wakanohana wins his third makuuchi division championship with a 14–1 score. His brother, Yokozuna Takanohana returns from a back injury and is runner-up on 13–2. Yokozuna Akebono and ozeki Musashimaru take third place with 12–3. Mongolian Kyokushuzan wins the Technique Prize. The Ou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sumo
is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by throwing, shoving or pushing him down). Sumo originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally and where it is considered the national sport. It is considered a ''gendai budō'', which refers to modern Japanese martial arts, but the sport has a history spanning many centuries. Many ancient traditions have been preserved in sumo, and even today the sport includes many ritual elements, such as the use of salt purification, from Shinto. Life as a wrestler is highly regimented, with rules regulated by the Japan Sumo Association. Most sumo wrestlers are required to live in communal sumo training stables, known in Japanese as ''heya'', where all aspects of their daily lives—from meals to their manner of dress—are dic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asahiyutaka Katsuteru
Asahiyutaka Katsuteru (born 10 September 1968) is a former sumo wrestler from Kasugai, Aichi, Kasugai, Aichi Prefecture, Aichi, Japan. His highest rank was ''komusubi''. He is now the head coach of Tatsunami stable. Career He joined Ōshima stable and made his professional debut in March 1987, and was ranked in the lowest ''jonokuchi'' division in the following tournament. However, due to various injury problems he fell off the ''banzuke'' ranking sheets and did not actually record his first win in ''jonokuchi'' until May 1988. By May 1990 he had progressed to the ''makushita'' division and after taking his second ''makushita'' ''yusho'' or tournament championship in September 1993 he was promoted to the second highest ''jūryō'' division. After winning the ''jūryō'' ''yusho'' in January 1995 he made the top ''makuuchi'' division. Asahiyutaka was ranked in the top division for 24 tournaments, winning two sanshō (Sumo), special prizes for Outstanding Performance and Technique. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Minatofuji Takayuki
is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Annaka, Gunma. He made his professional debut in March 1984, and his highest rank was ''maegashira'' 2. He retired in 2002, and in 2010 became the head coach of Minato stable. Career At junior high school he was a member of the judo club but also practiced sumo at the Takasaki city's Tokyo Agricultural University High School, where he was advised to join Minato stable by a supervisor there. He was also inspired to give sumo a try by the example of fellow Gunma Prefecture native Tochiakagi, who in 1977 had become the first wrestler from the prefecture to reach the top division in 65 years. He was given the ''shikona'' of Minatofuji immediately and fought his first bout in March 1984. He reached ''sekitori'' status for the first time in January 1992 upon promotion to the ''jūryō'' division. He was the first member of Minato stable to become a ''sekitori.'' He won the ''jūryō'' division '' yusho'' or tournament championship i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hamanoshima Keishi
Hamanoshima Keishi (濱ノ嶋 啓志, born 21 March 1970 as Keishi Hamasu) is a former sumo wrestler from Uto, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1992, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in 1994. His highest rank was ''komusubi''. After his retirement from active competition in 2004 he became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and founded Onoe stable in 2006, which has produced a number of top division wrestlers. Career He took part in national sumo competitions at high school and was an amateur champion at Nihon University, where he was a contemporary of the future ''maegashira'' Higonoumi. He made his professional debut in January 1992, joining Mihogaseki stable. He had ''makushita tsukedashi'' status because of his amateur achievements and so began at the bottom of the ''makushita'' division. He won the ''jūryō'' division championship in September 1993 with an 11–4 record. He reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in Jan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Terao Tsunefumi
is a Japanese former sumo wrestler. He was born in Tokyo, but brought up in Kajiki, Aira District, Kagoshima, Japan. He fought out of Izutsu stable. The highest rank he reached was ''sekiwake.'' Despite his relatively light weight he had an extremely long career, spanning 23 years from 1979 until 2002, and was known as the "iron man" of sumo. He is now the owner of Shikoroyama stable. Sumo family Terao has a long sumo pedigree. He is the third son of former ''sekiwake'' Tsurugamine, and younger brother of (former ''jūryō'') and Sakahoko (former ''sekiwake''). His paternal grandfather was a cousin of Satsumanishiki (former ''makushita''). His father married the adopted daughter of former ''makushita'' Kaganishiki, who was adopted by Nishinoumi, the 25th ''yokozuna''. His cousin is Tsurunofuji (former ''jūryō''). Terao and his brothers Kakureizan and Sakahoko together hold various sumo records: they are the first three brothers ever to reach ''sekitori'' status; in Se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mitoizumi Masayuki
Mitoizumi Masayuki (born 2 September 1962 as Masato Koizumi) is a former sumo wrestler from Mito, Ibaraki, Japan. His professional career spanned 22 years, from 1978 until 2000. The highest rank he reached was ''sekiwake''. He won over 800 career bouts and took the ''yūshō'' or championship in the top ''makuuchi'' division in 1992. Mitoizumi was nicknamed the "Salt Shaker", due to his habit of throwing enormous quantities of purifying salt onto the ring (''dohyō'') during the pre-match preliminaries. He is now a coach, and is known as Nishikido Oyakata. Career Mitoizumi was discovered by Takamiyama, a famous Hawaiian born sumo wrestler, who met the 16-year-old and his brother at a department store where Takamiyama was making a personal appearance. He was persuaded to join Takasago stable and made his professional debut in March 1978. Initially fighting under his own surname of Koizumi, he switched to the ''shikona'' of Mitoizumi (reference to his birthplace) in 1981. He was t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asanosho Hajime
Asanosho Hajime (born 23 December 1969 as Hajime Ozawa, later Hajime Ozuka) is a former sumo wrestler from Odawara, Kanagawa, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1992, and reached the top division in March 1995. His highest rank was ''maegashira'' 2. He defeated ''yokozuna'' Akebono in their first meeting in March 1997 to earn his only ''kinboshi.'' A back injury sent him down to the ''sandanme'' division, and he decided to retire in January 2002, after suffering a detached retina. He became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association, but left in January 2008. Career Ozawa played volleyball at junior high school and was also a shotputter. He began sumo in high school, and competed for the sumo club at Kinki University. Upon graduation he was accepted by the Wakamatsu stable run by fellow Kinki University alumni, the former '' ōzeki'' Asashio. He made his professional debut in March 1992, and was given ''makushita tsukedashi'' status because of his collegiate sumo exp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aogiyama Hideki
Aogiyama Hideki (born 18 February 1970 as Hideki Teraki) is a former sumo wrestler from Hikone, Shiga, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1985, and reached the top division in March 1993. His highest rank was ''maegashira'' 1. He retired in November 2003, and he is an elder in the Japan Sumo Association under the name Edagawa. Career He was born in the city of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, the second son of a restaurant owner. He played baseball in his youth but decided to join professional sumo after his elder brother, who had joined Tokitsukaze stable a year previously, quit sumo. He had an inauspicious debut, losing all three ''maezumo'' bouts in March 1985 and then all seven bouts in his first official tournament appearance in the lowest ''jonokuchi'' division in the following tournament in March. He missed two tournaments from injury in July and September 1989 which saw him fall from the ''makushita'' division to the ''sandanme'' division, but upon his return he ro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kotonowaka Terumasa
Kotonowaka Terumasa (born May 15, 1968, as Mitsuya Konno) is a former sumo wrestler from Obanazawa, Yamagata prefecture, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1984 and after reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in 1990 he remained there for 15 years until his retirement in 2005. His highest rank was ''sekiwake'' and he earned seven special prizes and eight gold stars during his long ''makuuchi'' career. He is now the head coach of Sadogatake stable. Career At junior high school he practiced judo and shot put, and even represented his prefecture at the All Tohoku Shot put Championships. He was already tall by the age of 14. He was scouted into sumo by a supporter of Sadogatake stable. He had intended to join in March 1984 alongside Kotonishiki, but failed the physical because of high blood pressure, delaying his entry by two months. At first he wrestled under the name Imano and then Kotokonno before finally settling on Kotonowaka in 1988. It took him six years to achieve ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oginishiki Yasutoshi
Oginishiki Yasutoshi (born 8 July 1971 as Yasutoshi Koiwai) is a former sumo wrestler from Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was ''komusubi.'' His father and brother were also sumo wrestlers. He is now a coach at Dewanoumi stable. Career The son of former ''sekiwake'' Oginohana Masaaki, he joined Dewanoumi stable in March 1987, where his father worked as a coach, and four years after his elder brother Oginohana Akikazu had also joined the stable. The "Ogi" character in his ''shikona'' was taken from Ogi, Saga where his father was born. Initially wrestling under his own surname of Koiwai, he switched to Oginoshu in 1989 and then Oginishiki in 1990. He reached ''sekitori'' status in November 1991 upon promotion to the ''jūryō'' division and the top ''makuuchi'' division in May 1993, joining his brother who had first reached ''makuuchi'' in January 1990. Oginishiki had a more successful top division career than his brother, who reached a highest rank of ''maegas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kitakachidoki Hayato
Kitakachidoki Hayato (born 1 January 1966 as Hayato Kuga) is a former sumo wrestler from Obihiro, Hokkaidō, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1981, and reached the top division in 1989. His highest rank was '' maegashira 3''. After retirement he became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association. He took over as head coach at Isenoumi stable, when former head coach Fujinokawa reached mandatory retirement age in September 2011. Career He was born in Obihiro, the son of a lorry driver. At school he was a soccer goalkeeper. He made his professional debut in May 1981, recruited by Isenoumi stable. He won the ''makushita'' division championship in November 1986 with a perfect 7–0 record and was promoted to the ''sekitori'' ranks after that tournament. He had been using his family name of Kuga as his ring name, but upon his promotion he was given the ''shikona'' of Kitakachidoki, or "northern battle-cry," a reference to his Hokkaidō birthplace in the north of the country. He had ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asanowaka Takehiko
Asanowaka Takehiko (born 11 December 1969 as Takehiko Adachi) is a former sumo wrestler from Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was ''maegashira'' 1. He is now a sumo coach. Career He was an amateur sumo competitor at Kinki University, although he never won any titles. He was recruited by ex-'' ōzeki'' Asashio (himself a former collegiate competitor) and joined Wakamatsu stable (later Takasago stable) in March 1992. He began as a ''makushita tsukedashi,'' meaning he could make his debut at the bottom of the third ''makushita'' division. He was promoted to the second ''jūryō'' division in January 1993 and captured the tournament championship in that division in November 1993 with a score of 11-4. Following a 9-6 in January 1994 he was promoted to the top ''makuuchi'' division in March of that year. Asanowaka never managed to reach the titled ''san'yaku'' ranks or win a special prize. He was also unable to defeat any ''yokozuna'' and had only one win against ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
