Kisenosato Yutaka

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稀勢の里寛
Kisenosato Yutaka
Personal information

Birth name	Yutaka Hagiwara
Date of birth	July 3, 1986 (1986-07-03) (age 21)
Place of birth	Ibaraki, Japan
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	156 kg (340 lb)
Web presence	Naruto stable website
Career*
Heya	Naruto
Current rank	Komusubi
Record	261-198-0
Debut	March, 2002
Highest rank	Komusubi (July, 2006)
Yusho	1 (Makushita)
Special Prizes	Outstanding Performance (2) Fighting Spirit (2)
Gold stars	1 (Asashōryū)
* Career information is correct as of May 2008.

Kisenosato Yutaka (born July 3, 1986 as Yutaka Hagiwara) is a sumo wrestler from Ibaraki, Japan. The highest rank he has reached is komusubi.

1 Career
2 Top division record
3 References
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Career

Kisenosato joined Naruto stable and fought his first bout in March 2003 under his own surname of Hagiwara. He rose quickly through the divisions, entering the second jūryō division in May 2004, aged 17 years and 9 months, the second youngest ever jūryō wrestler after Takanohana, who Kisenosato had idolised when he was a boy.^[1] Three tournaments later, in November 2004, he entered the top makuuchi division, again the second youngest (18 years 3 months) after Takanohana. To mark his entry into the top division he assumed the name Kisenosato.

After entering the top division his rise slowed significantly; his only spectacular result in 2005 being 12 wins against 3 losses in the September 2005 tournament, where he was runner-up and was awarded the Fighting Spirit prize. He was promoted to the rank of komusubi in July 2006, which he held until March 2007 when he fell back to maegashira 1. In July 2007 he turned in a strong 11-4 record and derailed Kotomitsuki's hopes of a tournament championship on the final day by slapping him down. This earned him promotion back to komusubi for September.

Kisenosato has been involved in some controversial bouts with yokozuna Asashōryū. He defeated him for the first time in September 2006, and was awarded the Outstanding Performance Prize. Shaken by this, Asashōryū responded in the next tournament by leaping to the side at the tachi-ai and employing a highly unusual leg kicking technique called ketaguri. Afterwards Asashōryū was criticised by the Yokozuna Deliberation Committee for using this rare move. In March 2007 Kisenosato slapped Asashōryū around the face during their match. Asashōryū was so riled by this that he gave Kisenosato a small kick in the back after the bout was over, which prompted much criticism from the Japanese media.

Kisenosato defeated Asashōryū once again in the yokozuna's comeback tournament in January 2008, earning him his first gold star (his first win over Asashōryū had been at komusubi rank so he was ineligible then) and his second Outstanding Performance Prize. Back at komusubi in the March 2008 tournament, he lost to Asashōryū on the opening day but defeated three out of four ozeki and held his rank with an 8-7 score. In May 2008 he scored another win over Asashōryū on opening day, finishing with a strong 10-5 record and a share of the Fighting Spirit prize.

Still aged only 21, Kisenosato is regarded as one of the most promising Japanese sumo wrestlers.^[2]

[edit] Top division record

Kisenosato Yutaka^[3]
	January Hatsu basho, Tokyo	March Haru basho, Osaka	May Natsu basho, Tokyo	July Nagoya basho, Nagoya	September Aki basho, Tokyo	November Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
2004	x	x	x	x	x	West Maegashira #16 9–6
2005	East Maegashira #12 6–9	West Maegashira #15 8–7	West Maegashira #11 5–10	West Maegashira #15 7–8	West Maegashira #16 12–3 F	East Maegashira #5 5–10
2006	East Maegashira #9 8–7	East Maegashira #7 10–5	East Maegashira #1 8–7	West Komusubi 8–7	East Komusubi 8–7 O	East Komusubi 8–7
2007	East Komusubi 7–8	East Maegashira #1 6–9	West Maegashira #3 6–9	West Maegashira #6 11–4	East Komusubi 6–9	East Maegashira #2 9–6
2008	East Maegashira #1 10–5 O★	East Komusubi 8–7	East Komusubi 10–5 F	x	x	x
Record given as win-loss-absent Championship Retired Demoted from makuuchi Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique Also shown: ★=Kinboshi Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira