Tochiazuma Daisuke
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Real name | Shiga Daisuke | |
| Date of birth | November 9, 1976 | |
| Place of birth | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Height | 179cm (5'10") | |
| Weight | 155.0kg (342lb) | |
| Career* | ||
| Heya | Tamanoi | |
| Rank | Ozeki | |
| Record | 537-298-166 | |
| Debut | November, 1994 | |
| Highest rank | Ozeki (January, 2002) | |
| Yushos | 3 (Makuuchi) 1 (Juryo) 1 (Makushita) 1 (Sandanme) 1 (Jonidan) 1 (Jonokuchi) |
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* Career information is correct as of September 2006. |
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Tochiazuma Daisuke (栃東大裕?) is a professional sumo wrestler. He was born Shiga Daisuke (志賀太祐) on November 9, 1976 in Tokyo, Japan.
Tochiazuma is the youngest son of former Sekiwake and 1972 Hatsu (January) honbasho winner Tochiazuma Tomoyori, who was the first bearer of the Tochiazuma shikona (wrestler name). After his career, Tochiazuma Daisuke's father became an elder in the Japan Sumo Association with the name Tamanoi Tomoyori and began his own sumo stable, of which his son is a currently a member.
The younger Tochiazuma entered professional sumo in 1994, using his birth name as a shikona. He eventually adopted his father's old shikona when he reached Juryo in 1996.
In 1997, Tochiazuma joined the prestigious Sanyaku ranks and was ranked at Sekiwake for much of the time during the following years, although he lost and regained that title a few times due to injuries. In January 2002, Tochiazuma was made Ozeki for the first time, and instantly won the tournament – exactly 30 years after his father's own championship. Tochiazuma's other championship victories occurred in November 2003 and January 2006. However, he has not yet been able to win two consecutive tournaments, or make or an "equivalent performance" over three tournaments, which is needed for promotion to the top Yokozuna rank.
Tochiazuma holds the record for the number of times a wrestler has achieved re-promotion to the Ozeki rank after losing it. He lost his ozeki status twice following injuries, but both times he came back . He is the only wrestler who has succeeded in doing so since the introduction of the current rules on Ozeki promotions and demotions, in 1969. His most recent comeback as an Ozeki in 2005 was especially spectacular, as even his own stable had suggested that the scapula injury he suffered in November 2004 could mean the end of his career.
