Kaiketsu Masateru

Kaiketsu Masateru (Japanese: 魁傑 將晃, born Teruyuki Nishimori; February 16, 1948 – May 18, 2014) was a Japanese sumo wrestler, who reached the second highest rank of '' ōzeki'' on two occasions. He also won two top division tournament championships. After his retirement in 1979 he became a coach under the name of Hanaregoma-''oyakata'' and established Hanaregoma stable. He was also chairman of the Japan Sumo Association from 2010 to 2012.

Career

While at Nihon University he practiced judo. He made his professional sumo debut in September 1966 at the age of 18, fighting out of Hanakago stable. Initially fighting under his own surname of Nishimori, he reached the second ''jūryō'' division in January 1970. He adopted the ''shikona'' of Hananishiki before switching to Kaiketsu in November 1970. He reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in September 1971. In March 1972 from the maegashira 7 ranking he was the tournament runner-up to Hasegawa, who defeated him in a playoff, and he was given special prizes for Outstanding Performance and Technique. At the following tournament in May 1972 he made his ''san'yaku'' debut at ''komusubi'' rank. After scoring 11 wins there and finishing as runner-up to his stablemate Wajima he was promoted to ''sekiwake''. He was also a runner-up in January 1973.

In September 1974 Kaiketsu turned in a ''make-koshi'' or losing score of 7–8 at ''sekiwake'' rank but then took his first top division ''yūshō'' or championship in November as a ''komusubi''. He scored twelve wins against three losses, and defeated ''yokozuna'' Kitanoumi in a playoff. He followed this up with an 11–4 score in January 1975. His combined total of wins over the last three tournaments was 30, below the normal standard for '' ōzeki'' promotion of 33, but there was only one ''ōzeki'' at the time, Takanohana, so the Sumo Association decided to promote Kaiketsu.

After suffering from hepatitis and lower back pain, Kaiketsu was demoted from ''ōzeki'' less than a year after reaching the rank following two consecutive losing scores. However, in September 1976 ranked at ''maegashira'' 4, he took his second tournament championship with a 14–1 record, followed by consecutive 11–4 scores at ''sekiwake'' in November 1976 and January 1977. He was promoted to ''ōzeki'' once again, alongside Wakamisugi, to whom he had a superior three tournament record. However, he held the rank for only four more tournaments, and soon fell back to the ''maegashira'' ranks. He retired in January 1979, having not missed a single bout in his 12-year career. He once said, "Being absent from a tournament means deliberately abandoning a bout." In addition to his two ''yūshō'' he had accumulated ten special prizes (including seven for Fighting Spirit) and three ''kinboshi''.

After retirement

Kaiketsu set up his own training stable, Hanaregoma stable, in 1981 after breaking away from Hanakago. Joining him was future ''yokozuna'' Ōnokuni. In 1985, when Hanakago stable was wound up, all its wrestlers transferred to Hanaregoma. Other top division wrestlers he trained included Hananokuni, Hananoumi and Shunketsu. He also became a Director of the Japan Sumo Association, responsible for managing the judges, and supervising the examination of new recruits. In August 2010 he took over as head of the Association after the resignation of Musashigawa. Following a match-fixing scandal which broke in February 2011 he announced an independent investigation and the cancellation of the March 2011 Osaka ''honbasho''. He insisted that there was no match-fixing in the past, a claim that drew criticism from sumo commentator and former wrestler Mainoumi. He stood down from the post at the February 2012 Sumo Association board elections as the terms are for two years and he was close to the mandatory retirement age of 65. He left the Sumo Association in February 2013 and Hanaregoma stable was absorbed into Shibatayama stable, run by the former Ōnokuni. He died on May 18, 2014 while practicing golf. He was 66.

Fighting style

Kaiketsu's favourite ''kimarite'' or techniques were ''tsuppari'' (a series of rapid thrusts to the chest), ''hidari yotsu'' (a right hand outside, left hand inside grip on the ''mawashi''), ''yori kiri'' (force out) and ''uwatenage'' (overarm throw).

Career record

See also

*Glossary of sumo terms
*List of sumo tournament top division champions
*List of sumo tournament top division runners-up
*List of past sumo wrestlers
*List of ōzeki

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaiketsu Masateru
1948 births
2014 deaths
Japanese sumo wrestlers
Sumo people from Yamaguchi Prefecture
Ōzeki
Nihon University alumni