Kitanofuji Katsuaki

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

北の富士勝昭
Kitanofuji Katsuaki
Personal information

Birth name	Takezawa Katsuaki
Date of birth	March 28, 1942 (1942-03-28) (age 66)
Place of birth	Hokkaidō, Japan
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	135 kg (300 lb)
Career*
Heya	Dewanoumi, Kokonoe
Record	784-426-69
Debut	January, 1957
Highest rank	Yokozuna (January, 1970)
Retired	July, 1974
Yusho	10 (Makuuchi) 1 (Juryo)
Special Prizes	Outstanding Performance (2) Fighting Spirit (1) Technique (3)
Gold stars	1
* Career information is correct as of August 2007.

Kitanofuji Katsuaki 北の富士勝昭 (born March 28, 1942 as Takezawa Katsuaki) is a former sumo wrestler, born in Hokkaidō, Japan. He was the sport's 52nd Yokozuna.

1 Career
2 Reirement from sumo
3 Top division record
4 References
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Career

Kitanofuji began his professional career in January 1957 at the age of just 14, joining Dewanoumi stable. In November 1963 he achieved a perfect 15-0 score in the second highest juryo division (a feat not equalled until 43 years later by Baruto) and was promoted to the top makuuchi division. He reached ozeki rank in July 1966. In January 1967 he followed the coach who had scouted him, former yokozuna Chiyonoyama, to a new stable, Kokonoe. His first tournament championship came in March of that year.

Kitanofuji was competing in an era dominated by Taiho, but he emerged from the great yokozuna's shadow by winning consecutive championships in November 1969 and January 1970 to secure his own promotion to yokozuna. Promoted alongside him was his friend and rival Tamanoumi. His first title as a yokozuna came in May 1970. After a run of relatively mediocre 11-4 marks he won in May 1971 with a perfect record and he took two other championships that year.

However, Tamanoumi's sudden death in October 1971 shook Kitanofuji badly and affected his performance in the ring. In May 1972, he left the tournament due to insomnia. He was absent from the next tournament in July 1972, but he went on a trip to Hawaii and surfboarded. He was cautioned by Japan Sumo Association and returned to win the next championship with a perfect record in September 1972. He announced his retirement in July 1974, recognising that there was now a new era dominated by Wajima and Kitanoumi.

[edit] Reirement from sumo

In 1977 he became head of the Kokonoe stable of wrestlers following Chiyonoyama's death. During his tenure both Chiyonofuji and Hokutoumi reached the rank of yokozuna. He handed over control of Kokonoe stable to Chiyonofuji in 1992, but he remained an oyakata until 1998 and still often appears on television as a sumo analyst.

[edit] Top division record

Kitanofuji^[1]
	January Hatsu basho, Tokyo	March Haru basho, Osaka	May Natsu basho, Tokyo	July Nagoya basho, Nagoya	September Aki basho, Tokyo	November Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
1964	East Maegashira #10 13–2 F	East Komusubi 4–11	East Maegashira #5 9–6 T	West Sekiwake 9–6	East Sekiwake 6–9	East Maegashira #1 10–5 T
1965	West Sekiwake 8–7	West Sekiwake 5–10	East Maegashira #3 8–7 ★	East Maegashira #2 8–7	East Komusubi 10–5	East Sekiwake 9–6
1966	East Sekiwake 10–5 O	East Sekiwake 8–7 O	East Sekiwake 10–5 T	East Sekiwake 10–5	West Ōzeki 10–5	East Ōzeki 10–5
1967	East Ōzeki 10–5	East Ōzeki 14–1	East Ōzeki 5–10	West Ōzeki 7–8	West Ōzeki 10–5	East Ōzeki 8–7
1968	East Ōzeki 10–5	West Ōzeki 9–6	West Ōzeki 10–5	East Ōzeki 10–5	East Ōzeki 8–7	West Ōzeki 11–4
1969	West Ōzeki 11–4	West Ōzeki 9–6	East Ōzeki 9–6	West Ōzeki 9–6	East Ōzeki 12–3	West Ōzeki 13–2
1970	East Ōzeki 13–2	East Yokozuna 13–2	West Yokozuna 14–1	East Yokozuna 13–2	East Yokozuna 11–4	East Yokozuna 11–4
1971	East Yokozuna 11–4	East Yokozuna 11–4	East Yokozuna 15–0	East Yokozuna 8–7	West Yokozuna 15–0	East Yokozuna 13–2
1972	East Yokozuna 7–7–1	East Yokozuna 9–6	East Yokozuna 3–6–6	Sat out due to injury	East Yokozuna 15–0	East Yokozuna 10–5
1973	East Yokozuna 10–5	West Yokozuna 14–1	East Yokozuna 9–6	East Yokozuna 14–1	West Yokozuna 8–3–4	East Yokozuna 10–5
1974	East Yokozuna 3–6–6	Sat out due to injury	Sat out due to injury	East Yokozuna 0–3–retired	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