Takanori Yago

is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Memuro, Hokkaido. He was an amateur champion at Chuo University and won the Amateur Yokozuna title at the All-Japan Sumo Championships in December 2016. He made his professional debut in May 2017, joining Oguruma stable. He reached the ''jūryō'' division in September 2017 and the top '' makuuchi'' division in January 2019. His highest rank has been '' maegashira'' 10.

Early life

He was born in Memuro, Kasai District, Hokkaido, the second of three children. This was also the hometown of ''yokozuna'' Ōnokuni. He started swimming from kindergarten, and also did judo. He began participating in local sumo tournaments from the fifth grade of elementary school. He was already and upon graduation from elementary school. At Memuro junior high he won the Hokkaido Junior High School Championships three years running, he suffered major cruciate ligament injuries in his knee, and was praised by the director of his high school sumo club for working hard at rehabilitation from the injury without complaining. He enrolled at Saitama Sakae High School, known for its prowess in sumo with '' ōzeki'' Gōeidō among its alumni. He left his parents house at this time and lived in a dormitory with other students. After graduating from high school he entered the law department of Chuo University and was the captain of the sumo club by his fourth year. He finished in the top 8 at the National Student Sumo Championships, and in 2016 won the Amateur Yokozuna title, the first from Chuo University to achieve this since Kurimoto in 1990.

Career

Because of his amateur achievements, Yago was allowed to enter professional sumo in the third highest '' makushita'' division, leap-frogging the lower divisions. He joined Oguruma stable, recruited by the former '' ōzeki'' Kotokaze. He made his debut in May 2017 at the rank of ''makushita tsukedashi'' 15, and earned a 5–2 record. In his next tournament he won the ''makushita'' divisional championship or '' yūshō'' with a perfect 7–0 record, which guaranteed him promotion to the second highest ''jūryō'' division and elite '' sekitori'' status. Two losing records of seven wins against eight losses saw him drop back down to ''makushita'' in January 2018, but he made an immediate return to ''jūryō'' with a 5–2 score. He progressed steadily up the ''jūryō'' division in 2018, recording four consecutive winning records, and entered the top '' makuuchi'' division in January 2019. He scored nine wins against six losses in his top division debut, which saw him promoted to his highest rank to date of '' maegashira'' 10 for the March 2019 tournament. However, three straight losing records saw him demoted to ''jūryō'' for the September 2019 tournament. He managed an 8–7 record in September, but then three straight scores of only four wins against eleven losses saw him demoted to the ''makushita'' division for the (cancelled) Natsu tournament in May 2020. Following the cancellation, he had surgery on his knees. He returned to ''jūryō'' for the January 2021 tournament, scoring eight wins and seven losses, but he was only able to obtain four wins in the March tournament and was demoted to ''makushita'' for the May 2021 tournament. A 4–3 record in May was enough to return him immediately to ''jūryō.''

Fighting style

Yago is a ''yotsu-sumo'' wrestler, who prefers fighting on the '' mawashi'' to pushing or thrusting at his opponents. His favourite grip is ''hidari-yotsu'', a right hand outside and left hand inside position. His most common winning '' kimarite'' is a straightforward ''yori-kiri'' or force out.

Career record

See also

* List of active sumo wrestlers

References

External links

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yago, Takanori
1994 births
Living people
Japanese sumo wrestlers
Sumo people from Hokkaido
Sumo wrestlers who use their birth name