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Fujinishiki Takemitsu
Fujinishiki Akira (born Akira Watanabe, also known as Akira Ichimiya, 18 March 1937 – 17 December 2003) was a sumo wrestler from Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan. His highest rank was '' komusubi,'' which he held on ten occasions. He won the top '' makuuchi'' division tournament championship or '' yusho'' in 1964 and was runner-up in two other tournaments. He won seven special prizes and seven gold stars for defeating '' yokozuna.'' After his retirement in 1968 he was an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and was the head coach of Takasago stable from 1988 until shortly before his retirement from the Sumo Association in 2002. He died of liver disease in 2003. Career Making his debut in 1953, he wrestled for Takasago stable, home of then ''yokozuna'' Azumafuji to whom the "Fuji" part of his '' shikona'' referred. He first entered the top '' makuuchi'' division in 1959 and was runner-up in two tournaments that year, winning a special prize for Fighting Spirit in each. His highes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Takasago Stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Takasago group of stables. It is correctly written in Japanese as "髙砂部屋", but the first of these ''kanji'' is rare, and is more commonly written as "高砂部屋". History The stable was established by former ''maegashira'' Takasago Uragorō as in 1873 and joined the Tokyo Sumo Association in 1878. Takasago stable has produced many successful wrestlers, including six ''yokozuna'' and the first non-Japanese '' ōzeki'', American Konishiki, as well as the 33rd Kimura Shōnosuke, the '' tate-gyōji'' or chief referee. In February 2002, the stable merged with Wakamatsu stable, with Wakamatsu's coach, former '' ōzeki'' Asashio, taking over. Future ''yokozuna'' Asashōryū was among the wrestlers transferring over. The demotion of Asasekiryū to the ''makushita'' division for the January 2017 tournament saw the stable without any ''sekitori'' for the first time since 1878. However, at the end of that tournament Asanoyama earned p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Azumafuji Kin'ichi
was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Taitō, Tokyo. He was the sport's 40th ''yokozuna'', and later a professional wrestler. Sumo career His real name was . He made professional debut in January 1936, joining Takasago stable. He was promoted to the top ''makuuchi'' division in May 1943. On the sixth day of the November 1944 tournament, he defeated ''yokozuna'' Futabayama, the last wrestler ever to do so as Futabayama pulled out of the tournament the next day and only fought one more bout before his retirement. Azumafuji was promoted to '' ōzeki'' in June 1945 on the strength of two runner-up performances. He won his first top division championship in May 1948, and was promoted to the top ''yokozuna'' rank in October of that year after finishing as runner-up. Going against historical trends, he managed to win his debut ''yokozuna'' tournament, in January 1949. On the 12th day of the September 1951 tournament, Azumafuji recorded an '' azukari'', or hold, a rare resu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mitoizumi
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] |
Konishiki
Saleva'a Fuauli Atisano'e (born December 31, 1963), professionally known as is an American former sumo wrestler.Franz LidzMeat Bomb, 05.18.92 - ''Sports Illustrated'' He was the first non-Japanese-born wrestler to reach '' ōzeki'', the second-highest possible rank in the sport. During his career he won the top division championship on three occasions and came very close to becoming the first foreign-born grand champion, or ''yokozuna'', prompting a social debate in Japan as to whether a foreigner could have the necessary cultural understanding to be deemed acceptable in sumo's ultimate rank. At a peak weight of he was also at the time the heaviest wrestler ever in sumo, earning him the nicknames "Meat Bomb" and, most famously, "The Dump Truck".Franz LidzMeat Bomb, 05.18.92 - ''Sports Illustrated'' Early career Playing truant from school one day, Atisanoe, already 170kg at the age of 18, was spotted on the beach in Hawaii by a sumo talent scout and was offered the chance to go ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asashio Tarō III
was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Tokunoshima in the Amami Islands. He was the sport's 46th ''yokozuna''. He was also a sumo coach and head of Takasago stable. Career He was born on Tokunoshima in the Amami Islands. Due to the Amami Islands being occupied by America, in 1948 he stowed away on a cargo ship and was supported by a relative in Hyogo Prefecture. Making his professional debut in October 1948, he at first fought under his real name. He was billed in sumo as being from Kobe in Hyogo until America returned the Anami Islands to Japan in 1953, and was thereafter billed as being from Kagoshima Prefecture. In September 1950 he reached the second highest ''jūryō'' division and won the championship with a 14–1 record. This earned him immediate promotion to the top ''makuuchi'' division in January 1951. He adopted the ''shikona'' or ring name of Asashio Tarō in 1952. In his early career he earned seven ''kinboshi'' or gold stars for defeating ''yokozuna'', ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state geographically located within the tropics. Hawaii comprises nearly the entire Hawaiian archipelago, 137 volcanic islands spanning that are physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian subregion of Oceania. The state's ocean coastline is consequently the fourth-longest in the U.S., at about . The eight main islands, from northwest to southeast, are Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lānai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Hawaii—the last of these, after which the state is named, is often called the "Big Island" or "Hawaii Island" to avoid confusion with the state or archipelago. The uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands make up most of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, the United States' largest protected ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taihō Kōki
, ''Ivan Boryshko''; May 29, 1940 – January 19, 2013, lead=yes was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He became the 48th ''yokozuna'' in 1961 at the age of 21, the youngest ever at the time. Kōki won 32 tournament championships between 1960 and 1971, a record that was unequalled until 2014. His dominance was such that he won six tournaments in a row on two occasions, and he won 45 consecutive matches between 1968 and 1969, which at the time was the best winning streak since Futabayama in the 1930s. He is the only wrestler to win at least one championship every year of his top division career. He was a popular grand champion, especially amongst women and children. After retiring from active competition, he became a sumo coach, although health problems meant he had limited success. When Kōki died in January 2013 he was widely cited as the greatest sumo wrestler of the post-war period. Since then Hakuhō, who regarded Taihō as a mentor, surpassed his record by winn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yutakayama Katsuo
Yutakayama Katsuo (born 18 August 1937 as Katsuo Uchida) is a former sumo wrestler from Niigata, Japan. His highest rank was '' ōzeki.'' Although he never won a top division tournament championship he was a runner-up on eight occasions. Before wrestling professionally he was an amateur champion at Tonodai University and he was the first former collegiate competitor to reach the ''ōzeki'' rank. After retirement he was head coach of the Tokitsukaze stable. From 1998 until 2002 he was the chairman (''rijichō'') of the Japan Sumo Association. Career Born in Shibata, he attended the Tokyo University of Agriculture, and in amateur sumo earned the Collegiate Yokozuna title. He made his professional debut at the age of 23 in May 1961, joining Tokitsukaze stable, run by the former ''yokozuna'' great Futabayama. Due to his amateur achievements he was given ''makushita tsukedashi'' status and began in the third ''makushita'' division, fighting under his real name of Uchida. He reached ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kitanofuji
is a former Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Asahikawa, Hokkaidō. He made his professional debut in 1957, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in 1964. He was the sport's 52nd ''yokozuna'', a rank he attained in 1970. He won ten tournament championships and was known for his rivalry with Tamanoumi. He retired in 1974 and was the head coach of Kokonoe stable from 1977 to 1992. He left the Japan Sumo Association in 1998 but is still prominent in the sumo world as a commentator as of 2021. Career Kitanofuji began his professional career in January 1957 at the age of just 14, joining Dewanoumi stable. In November 1963 he achieved a perfect 15–0 score in the second highest ''jūryō'' division (a feat not equalled until 43 years later by Baruto) and was promoted to the top ''makuuchi'' division. In his debut top division tournament in January 1964 he scored 13 wins, although he faced only his fellow ''maegashira.'' He won the Fighting Spirit award and was promoted straig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Makuuchi
, or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the only division that is featured on NHK's standard live coverage of sumo tournaments. The lower divisions are shown on their satellite coverage, with only the ''makuuchi'' broadcast having bilingual English commentary. ''Makuuchi'' literally means "inside the curtain", a reference to the early period of professional sumo, when there was a curtained-off area reserved for the top ranked wrestlers, to sit before appearing for their bouts. Wrestlers are considered for promotion or demotion in rank before each grand tournament according to their performance in the one previous. Generally, a greater number of wins than losses (''kachi-koshi'') results in a promotion, and the reverse (''make-koshi'') results in demotion. There are stricter criteria ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maegashira
, or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the only division that is featured on NHK's standard live coverage of sumo tournaments. The lower divisions are shown on their satellite coverage, with only the ''makuuchi'' broadcast having bilingual English commentary. ''Makuuchi'' literally means "inside the curtain", a reference to the early period of professional sumo, when there was a curtained-off area reserved for the top ranked wrestlers, to sit before appearing for their bouts. Wrestlers are considered for promotion or demotion in rank before each grand tournament according to their performance in the one previous. Generally, a greater number of wins than losses (''kachi-koshi'') results in a promotion, and the reverse (''make-koshi'') results in demotion. There are stricter criteria ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
_1956_Scan10012.jpg "Click for more on -> Asashio Tarō III")
