Kotonowaka Terumasa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Birth name | Mitsuya Kamatani | |
| Date of birth | May 15, 1968 | |
| Place of birth | Yamagata, Japan | |
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | |
| Weight | 181 kg (400 lb) | |
| Career* | ||
| Heya | Sadogatake | |
| Record | 785-764-100 | |
| Debut | May, 1984 | |
| Highest rank | Sekiwake (January, 1999) | |
| Retired | November, 2005 | |
| Yusho | 2 (Sandanme) | |
| Special Prizes | Outstanding Performance (2) Fighting Spirit (5) |
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| Gold stars | 8 (Akebono (1), Asashoryu (2) Takanohana (3), Wakanohana (2) |
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* Career information is correct as of July 2007. |
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Kotonowaka Terumasa (born May 15, 1968 as Mitsuya Kamatani) is a former sumo wrestler from Obanazawa, Yamagata prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was sekiwake. He is now the head coach of Sadogatake stable.
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[edit] Career
At junior high school he practiced judo and shotput, and even represented his prefecture at the All Tohoku Shotput Championships.[1] He was already 1.87 m (6 ft 11⁄2 in) tall by the age of 14. He was scouted into sumo by a supporter of Sadogatake stable.[1] He had intended to join in March 1984 alongside Kotonishiki, but failed the physical because of high blood pressure, delaying his entry by two months.[1]
At first he wrestled under the name "Imano" and then "Kotoimano" before finally settling on "Kotonowaka" in 1988. It took him six years to achieve sekitori status by reaching the the jūryō division in July 1990. He first reached makuuchi in November 1990 and remained continuously in the top division from March 1991. He advanced several times into the sanyaku ranks, first making komusubi in September 1993. However he had to wait until January 1999 to achieve his highest rank of sekiwake, following a strong 10-5 showing at komusubi the previous November.
Kotonowaka never won a tournament, but he nevertheless triumphed eight times against yokozuna. He also received five Fighting Spirit and two Outstanding Achievement prizes in the course of his long career, the first coming in July 1995, nearly five years after his top division debut. He was ranked in the top division for 89 consecutive tournaments, which is the fourth best in history, and he was one of only a handful of rikishi to win over 600 top division bouts.
Kotonowaka relied strongly on countering techniques against his opponents, and his bouts were often relatively long as compared to most other wrestlers. This proclivity led to him receiving the nickname "Mr. Ippun" ("Mr. One-Minute"). His speciality was uwatenage, or the overarm throw.
His good looks meant he was popular with female sumo fans.[1]
[edit] Retirement from sumo
During the 2005 November tournament, in which, at 37, he was the oldest rikishi in his division, he announced his retirement. He took over immediately as stable master of Sadogatake stable, having already married the daughter of Sadogatake's former stablemaster, former Yokozuna, Kotozakura.[2] He oversaw the promotion of Kotomitsuki to ozeki in July 2007, and Kotooshu's first top division championship in May 2008. The first wrestler from his stable to be promoted to the top division since he took over was Kotokasuga, also in May 2008.
[edit] Top division record
| January Hatsu basho, Tokyo |
March Haru basho, Osaka |
May Natsu basho, Tokyo |
July Nagoya basho, Nagoya |
September Aki basho, Tokyo |
November Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | x | x | x | x | x | West Maegashira #14 7–8 |
| 1991 | (Jūryō) | West Maegashira #14 9–6 |
East Maegashira #11 8–7 |
East Maegashira #8 8–7 |
West Maegashira #6 7–8 |
East Maegashira #8 7–8 |
| 1992 | West Maegashira #9 7–8 |
East Maegashira #11 7–8 |
West Maegashira #12 8–7 |
East Maegashira #10 8–7 |
East Maegashira #4 7–8 |
East Maegashira #6 7–8 |
| 1993 | West Maegashira #8 6–9 |
West Maegashira #12 9–6 |
West Maegashira #7 8–7 |
West Maegashira #2 8–7 |
West Komusubi 8–7 |
East Komusubi 7–8 |
| 1994 | East Maegashira #1 6–9 |
East Maegashira #3 7–8 |
West Maegashira #3 5–10 |
East Maegashira #7 8–7 |
West Maegashira #1 7–8 |
East Maegashira #2 8–7 |
| 1995 | East Maegashira #1 5–10 |
East Maegashira #4 7–8 |
East Maegashira #5 9–6 |
West Komusubi 9–6 F |
East Komusubi 4–11 |
West Maegashira #3 8–7 |
| 1996 | East Maegashira #2 5–10 |
West Maegashira #4 11–4 F |
East Komusubi 5–10 |
East Maegashira #2 9–6 O★★ |
West Komusubi 4–11 |
West Maegashira #3 5–10 |
| 1997 | West Maegashira #6 8–7 |
West Maegashira #1 2–10–3 ★ |
West Maegashira #10 8–7 |
West Maegashira #4 6–9 |
West Maegashira #6 6–9 |
East Maegashira #8 9–6 |
| 1998 | West Maegashira #3 7–8 |
East Maegashira #4 8–7 |
East Maegashira #3 4–11 |
West Maegashira #9 11–4 F |
East Maegashira #2 9–6 O★ |
West Komusubi 10–5 |
| 1999 | West Sekiwake 8–7 |
West Sekiwake 6–9 |
West Maegashira #1 2–13 |
East Maegashira #10 9–6 |
West Maegashira #4 7–8 ★ |
East Maegashira #5 8–7 |
| 2000 | East Maegashira #2 6–9 ★ |
Sat out due to injury | West Maegashira #14 10–5 |
East Maegashira #7 8–7 |
West Maegashira #6 7–8 |
East Maegashira #7 8–7 |
| 2001 | East Maegashira #2 5–10 |
West Maegashira #6 6–9 |
West Maegashira #8 9–6 |
East Maegashira #2 8–7 |
East Maegashira #1 7–8 |
East Maegashira #4 7–8 |
| 2002 | West Maegashira #5 8–7 |
West Maegashira #2 4–11 |
East Maegashira #6 9–6 |
West Maegashira #1 2–9–4 |
Sat out due to injury | East Maegashira #9 10–5 |
| 2003 | East Maegashira #3 7–8 |
West Maegashira #3 7–8 ★ |
West Maegashira #4 10–5 |
West Maegashira #2 1–2–12 ★ |
Sat out due to injury | East Maegashira #12 7–3–5 |
| 2004 | Sat out due to injury | East Maegashira #13 11–4 F |
East Maegashira #5 8–7 |
West Maegashira #2 3–12 |
East Maegashira #9 10–5 F |
West Maegashira #5 9–6 |
| 2005 | East Maegashira #2 4–11 |
East Maegashira #9 8–7 |
East Maegashira #8 8–7 |
East Maegashira #7 4–11 |
East Maegashira #13 8–7 |
West Maegashira #11 5–9–1 |
| Record given as win-loss-absent Championship Retired Demoted from makuuchi Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique Also shown: ★=Kinboshi |
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[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Sharnoff, Lorna (1993). Grand Sumo. Weatherhill. ISBN 0-8348-0283-x.
- ^ Kotonowaka (German). de.wikipedia.org. Retrieved on 2007-06-16.
- ^ Rikishi in Juryo and Makunouchi (English). szumo.hu. Retrieved on 2007-06-07.
