Kōbō Kenichi (born as Kenichi Mineyama; August 18, 1973 – July 2, 2021) was a Japanese sumo wrestler. His highest rank was ''

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 o ...

'' 9.

Career

Kōbō made his professional debut in March 1989 at the age of 15. He worked his way quickly through the lowest three divisions, making his ''

makushita Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. Fo ...

'' debut shortly after his 18th birthday, less than three years into his career. However, he was unable to advance further for several years, reaching ''

sekitori A ''sekitori'' (関取) is a '' rikishi'' (力士, sumo wrestler) who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: '' makuuchi'' and ''jūryō''. The name literally translates to having taken the barrier, as only a relatively small fra ...

'' status only in January 1999 upon promotion to the second highest ''

jūryō Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. Fo ...

'' division, after nearly ten years of toiling in the lower divisions. He reached the top ''

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 o ...

'' division for the first time in November 2001 but only lasted two tournaments before being demoted. He returned on two other occasions but he largely remained a veteran of the ''jūryō'' division, in which he spent 44 tournaments. For a long period he was the highest ranking wrestler in

Miyagino stable is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Isegahama '' ichimon'' or group of stables. It was founded by the 43rd ''yokozuna'' Yoshibayama as ''Yoshibayama dōjō'' while he was still an active wrestler, before changing to its current name in 19 ...

, before the emergence of Hakuho, now a ''

yokozuna , 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 on ...

.'' In July 2007, he fell to the unsalaried ''

'' division for the first time since September 2000, and he announced his retirement in December of that year.

Retirement from sumo and death

Kōbō remained with the

Japan Sumo Association The is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling (called ''Ōzumō'', 大相撲) in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). '' Rikishi'' (active ...

as an elder under the name Ajigawa-oyakata, and initially worked as a coach at his old stable. In May 2008, he had his ''

danpatsu-shiki The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan. A B C D E F G H ...

,'' or official retirement ceremony, at the Ryogoku Kokugikan. In February 2010 he admitted that, against the wishes of the Tatsunami ''

ichimon The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan. A B C D E F G H ...

'', he voted for independent candidate Takanohana instead of the approved candidate Ōshima in the elections to the Sumo Association's board. He offered his resignation, but was persuaded to stay. Following the controversy he moved to the

Takanohana stable was a stable of sumo wrestlers, created in 2004 when Takanohana Kōji took over the running of Futagoyama stable from his father Takanohana Kenshi. Formerly of the Nishonoseki '' ichimon'' or group of stables, it became the leader of a breaka ...

where he coached under the name Nishiiwa-oyakata, which was owned by the active wrestler

Wakanosato Wakanosato Shinobu (born Shinobu Kogawa; July 10, 1976) is a retired sumo wrestler from Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan. He made his debut in the top division in 1998, and his highest rank was ''sekiwake''. He holds the record for the most consecutive tour ...

. In July 2015, with Wakanosato likely to retire, he switched to the Otowayama name formerly owned by the late Takanonami and subsequently controlled by Takanohana Oyakata. He left the Sumo Association in January 2018 after the Otowayama ''kabu'' was needed by ex-''maegashira'' Daido (formerly Onogawa Oyakata). Kōbō died from

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

on July 2, 2021, at the age of 47.

Fighting style

Kōbō's favoured ''

kimarite ''Kimarite'' ( ja, 決まり手) is the technique used in sumo by a '' rikishi'' (wrestler) to win a match. It is officially decided or announced by the '' gyōji'' (referee) at the end of the match, though judges can modify this decision. The r ...

'' or techniques were ''hidari-yotsu'' (a right hand outside, left hand inside grip on the opponent's ''

mawashi In sumo, a is the loincloth that (sumo wrestlers) wear during training or in competition. Upper ranked professional wrestlers wear a as part of the ring entry ceremony or . For top ranked professional , it is made of silk and comes in a v ...

''), ''shitatenage'' (underarm throw), and ''yorikiri'' (force out).

Career record

References

External links