Tagaryū Shōji

Tagaryū Shōji (Japanese: 多賀竜 昇司, born February 15, 1958) is a former sumo wrestler from Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. The highest rank he reached was ''sekiwake''. In 1984 he won a top division ''yūshō'' or tournament championship from the ''maegashira'' ranking. He is now a sumo coach and head of the Kagamiyama stable as well as a director of the Japan Sumo Association.

Career

Tagaryū made his professional debut in March 1974. It took him seven years to make the ''sekitori'' ranks, his promotion to the second highest ''jūryō'' division coming in January 1981. He reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in May 1982. He made his ''san'yaku'' debut at ''sekiwake'' rank in November 1983 but lasted only one tournament there and fell back to the ''maegashira'' ranks.

September 1984 Championship

At the September 1984 tournament, the last to be held at the Kuramae Kokugikan, Tagaryū was ranked ''maegashira'' 12 and knew that another ''make-koshi'' would leave him in danger of demotion from ''makuuchi'' altogether. Tagaryū started excellently, and the end of the middle day saw him the only wrestler with an eight-win clean sheet. ''Ōzeki'' Wakashimazu, who had won the previous tournament 15–0, had only lost one bout thus far. Tagaryū lost to ''maegashira'' Tochitsurugi on the ninth day. Wakashimazu lost to Konishiki on the eleventh day, leaving him with two losses. The penultimate day saw Tagaryū, with one loss, drawn against Wakashimazu with two. Tagaryū defeated the ''ōzeki'' by '' yoritaoshi'', eliminating him from the title race. Tagaryū now stood on 13–1, one win ahead of Konishiki on 12–2. When Konishiki fell to Kotokaze on the final day, Tagaryū's subsequent loss to Asashio was immaterial. With thirteen wins and two losses, he was the tournament champion. He was the first winner from the ''maegashira'' ranks since Kaiketsu in 1976. In addition to the Emperor's Cup, he was awarded the Technique Prize and the Fighting Spirit Prize.

Later career

Following his tournament win Tagaryū was promoted to ''komusubi'' but turned in a losing score and was demoted. In the January 1985 tournament he defeated ''yokozuna'' Kitanoumi in what was the latter's last ever bout. This was to be Tagaryū's only ''kinboshi.'' After a series of unimpressive results he was demoted back to the ''jūryō'' division in July 1988 and promptly won the ''jūryō'' championship. He thereby became the second person (after Wakanami) to accomplish the somewhat dubious feat of capturing the tournament championship in the second division after winning it in the first. He retired in May 1991.

Fighting style

Tagaryū preferred'' yotsu-sumo'', or grappling techniques. His favoured grip on the opponent's ''mawashi'' was ''migi-yotsu'', a left hand outside, right hand inside position. He also liked ''uwatenage'', or overarm throw, and ''uwatedashinage'', or pulling overarm throw. His most common winning ''kimarite'' was ''yori-kiri'', the force out, used in about 40 percent of his victories.

After retirement

Tagaryū has remained in the sumo world as an elder of the Japan Sumo Association. He became head coach of Kagamiyama stable in 1996 upon the death of his old coach in his days as an active wrestler, former ''yokozuna'' Kashiwado. His son Shōta, born in 1986, is a wrestler at the stable under the ring name Ryūsei, although he has not got higher than the ''makushita'' division. The only other wrestler in the stable is the former ''maegashira'' Kagamiō. In February 2010 Kagamiyama was elected to the Sumo Association's board of Directors and he also serves as a ringside judge. In March 2021 he stood down from his roles as head of compliance and head of crisis management due to ill-health.

Career record

See also

*Glossary of sumo terms
*List of sumo elders
*List of sumo tournament top division champions
*List of sumo tournament second division champions
*List of past sumo wrestlers
*List of sekiwake

References

External links

Tagaryū's basho results



{{DEFAULTSORT:Tagaryu Shoji
1958 births
Living people
Japanese sumo wrestlers
People from Hitachi, Ibaraki
Sumo people from Ibaraki Prefecture
Sekiwake