Tadao Yasuda

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孝乃富士忠雄
Takanofuji Tadao
安田忠夫
Yasuda Tadao
Personal information

Birth name	Tadao Yasuda
Date of birth	October 9, 1963 (1963-10-09) (age 44)
Place of birth	Tokyo, Japan
Height	1.92 m (6 ft 3+¹⁄₂ in)
Weight	143 kg (320 lb)
Career*
Heya	Kokonoe
Record	418-459-4
Debut	March, 1979
Highest rank	Komusubi (July, 1990)
Retired	May, 1992
Special Prizes	Fighting Spirit (1)
Gold stars	2
* Career information is correct as of August 2007.

Tadao Yasuda (born 9 October 1963) is a professional wrestler from Ota, Tokyo, Japan. Before turning to professional wrestling he competed as a sumo wrestler under the shikona of Takanofuji, from 1979 to 1992. His highest rank was komusubi.

1 Sumo career
2 After sumo
3 Championships and accomplishments
4 Sumo top division record
5 References
6 See also

[edit] Sumo career

He made his professional sumo debut in March 1979 at the age of 15, after leaving junior high school. He was recruited by Kokonoe stable. In 1980 he adopted the shikona of Fujinomori, before switching to Takanofuji in 1984. He first reached sekitori status in March 1985 upon promotion to the second highest juryo division, but could manage only 4 wins against 11 losses and was demoted back to the unsalaried makushita division. After winning promotion back to juryo in January 1986 he made his debut in the top makuuchi division only two tournaments later in May 1986.

Takanofuji was ranked in the top division for 33 tournaments, winning one special prize for Fighting Spirit. His two gold stars for defeating yokozuna were both earned against Futahaguro (who, as Koji Kitao, also turned to professional wrestling). Takanofuji had the advantage of belonging to a stable that included two yokozuna, Chiyonofuji and Hokutoumi. However, his height of 1.92 m (6 ft 3+¹⁄₂ in) meant he had a higher centre of gravity than was ideal for a sumo wrestler,^[1] and he seemed to struggle when promoted above the mid maegashira ranks. Though he managed to reach the fourth highest komusubi ranking in July 1990 he could not maintain the rank, winning only two bouts there. He was demoted from the top division after the September 1991 tournament and announced his retirement in May 1992. His career coincided exactly with that of his stablemate Hokutoumi, who made his debut alongside him in March 1979 and also retired in May of 1992.

[edit] After sumo

Reverting to his real name, he joined the Hustle and New Japan Pro Wrestling promotions. He also gained some fame in the Mixed Martial Arts world for choking out K-1 kickboxer Jerome Le Banner at a Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye event. However that was the only notable win in his MMA career.

Yasuda has earned the nickname of "Borrowing Money King" due to claims that he borrows money from various sources (including the yakuza) to try to pay off his gambling debts.

In October 2007 he reportedly attempted to commit suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. A friend however, interrupted the alleged attempt. He was hospitalised, with fears of possible brain damage. This proved not to be the case and he has made a return to wrestling.^[2]

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

Hustle

Hustle Hardcore Hero Championship (1 time)
Hustle Super Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Genichiro Tenryu (First)

New Japan Pro Wrestling

IWGP Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

[edit] Sumo top division record

Takanofuji Tadao^[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
1986	x	x	East Maegashira #14 8–7	East Maegashira #10 8–7	West Maegashira #3 4–11 ★	West Maegashira #9 8–7
1987	West Maegashira #5 6–9	East Maegashira #9 8–7	East Maegashira #5 5–10	West Maegashira #9 9–6	West Maegashira #1 3–12 ★	East Maegashira #9 8–7
1988	West Maegashira #2 3–12	West Maegashira #9 8–5–2	East Maegashira #5 7–8	West Maegashira #6 8–7	West Maegashira #1 2–13	West Maegashira #12 9–6
1989	East Maegashira #6 8–7	East Maegashira #3 3–12	East Maegashira #10 8–7	West Maegashira #7 6–9	East Maegashira #11 9–6	West Maegashira #4 7–8
1990	East Maegashira #5 9–6	West Maegashira #1 2–13	East Maegashira #9 11–4 F	East Komusubi 2–13	West Maegashira #9 8–7	East Maegashira #4 6–9
1991	East Maegashira #7 8–7	West Maegashira #2 1–14	East Maegashira #15 8–7	East Maegashira #11 5–10	East Maegashira #15 7–8	(Jūryō)
1992	(Jūryō)	(Jūryō)	(Jūryō)	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