was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from

Narashino is a Cities of Japan, city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 175,292 in 81,985 households and a population density of 8400 persons per km2. The total area of the city is Geography Narashino is loca ...

, Shimōsa. He made his debut in May 1887 and wrestled for Miyagino stable. He reached the ''

makuuchi , or , is the top division of Professional sumo divisions, 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 ...

'' division in January 1893 and reached the rank of '' ōzeki'' in 1897. He retired in May, 1903 and died in May, 1907.

Career

Early career

His real name was and was known for his large body and strength since he was a boy. He joined

Miyagino stable was a Heya (sumo), stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Isegahama ''Glossary of sumo terms#ichimon, ichimon'' or group of stables. It was founded by the 43rd ''Yokozuna (sumo), yokozuna'' Yoshibayama as ''Yoshibayama dōjō'' while he was still ...

because the then head coach (Miyagino Umagoro) was from

Makuhari is a community in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is within Hanamigawa-ku and Mihama-ku. The seaside area of Makuhari was reclaimed from the sea. The district was constructed in a span of 10 years. Steven Poole, author of ''Trigger Ha ...

, Chiba District and made his professional debut in May 1886 under the ''

shikona A is a sumo wrestler's ring name. The tradition of ring names in sumo dates back to the Muromachi period and established itself during the Edo period, where they were used as a means to hide the identities of the . Given by the master to his di ...

'' . It is thought that his first ''shikona'' was chosen to pay homage to his hometown shrine of Kikuta. He was later given the shikona in May 1887 before changing it to in January 1891. Upon promotion to juryō, in June 1892, he was given the ''shikona'' .
He reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in January 1893 after only one tournament in ''juryō''. After three years in ''

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 on ...

'', he was promoted to ''sekiwake'' in May 1896. During that year, he dominated the competition, claiming both of that year's championships. However, as the ''

yūshō is the term for a championship in Japanese. This article focuses on championships in the sport of professional sumo. It is awarded in each of the six annual '' honbasho'' or official tournaments, to the wrestler who wins the most bouts. ''Yūs ...

'' system was not invented until 1909, these championships are now considered unofficial. After his ''sanyaku'' debut, Hōō was immediately promoted to ''ōzeki'' in January 1897. His years as a top division wrestler were marked by his strong rivalry with ''Yokozuna''

Konishiki Saleva'a Fuauli Atisano'e (born December 31, 1963), better known by his stage name, , is an American-born Japanese former professional sumo wrestler. Franz LidzMeat Bomb, 05.18.92 - ''Sports Illustrated'' He was the first non-Japanese-born wrest ...

and then-''sekiwake'' Asashio.

''Ōzeki'' career and ''yokozuna'' hopes

In 1898, Hōō scored his best record with seven wins and two draws (this was his fourth tournament in ''makuuchi''), and won a third championship. He was at the peak of his career and was being presented as a future ''yokozuna''. However, due to heavy drinking problems, Hōō was denied the rank after the May, 1898 tournament and dropped back to ''maegashira'' in 1902. In 1903, he changed his ''shikona'' to in order to build a comeback. However it failed and Hōō retired during the 1903's May tournament.

Retirement from sumo

''Toshiyori'' career

Hōō Umagorō became a coach in 1894. During that period he took the name of his former master, changing his name to Umagoro, and taking his late master's title of Miyagino. He became an active ''oyakata'' while still competing in the ''makuuchi'' division. After his retirement, he was a popular master who was well received by younger generations, among whom he recruited future ''yokozuna''

Ōtori , also transliterated Ootori and Ohtori is a Japanese word meaning "large bird," "a key performer," or a Japanese name. Written forms Ōtori can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *大鳥, "large bird" or "big bird" *� ...

, to whom he bestowed his old ''shikona''. In the

Association Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...

, he notably served as shimpan but resigned due to his poor health. He later developed

spinal cord disease Spine or spinal may refer to: Science Biology * Spinal column, also known as the backbone * Dendritic spine, a small membranous protrusion from a neuron's dendrite * Thorns, spines, and prickles, needle-like structures in plants * Spine (zoology), ...

and passed away at the young age of 40, in 1907.

Trivia

In 1974, Nishonoseki stable wrestler Hōō Tomomichi took the Hōō ''

''.

Top division record

　　 ''*Championships for the best record in a tournament were not recognized or awarded before the 1909 summer tournament and the above championships that are labelled "unofficial" are historically conferred. For more information see

.''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hōō, Umagorō 1866 births Japanese sumo wrestlers Sumo people from Chiba Prefecture People from Narashino Ōzeki 1907 deaths