Tamakasuga Ryōji
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| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Birth name | Ryōji Matsumoto | |
| Date of birth | January 7, 1972 | |
| Place of birth | Seiyo, Ehime, Japan | |
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | |
| Weight | 155 kg (340 lb) | |
| Career* | ||
| Heya | Kataonami | |
| Current rank | Maegashira 12 | |
| Record | 594-616-39 | |
| Debut | January 1994 | |
| Highest rank | Sekiwake (July, 1997) | |
| Yusho | 1 (Jūryō) | |
| Special Prizes | Outstanding Performance (1) Fighting Spirit (2) Technique (2) |
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| Gold stars | 7 (Akebono (1), Musashimaru (1) Takanohana (3), Wakanohana (2) |
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* Career information is correct as of May 2008. |
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Tamakasuga Ryōji (born January 7, 1972 as Ryōji Matsumoto) is a sumo wrestler from Seiyo, Ehime prefecture, Japan. His highest rank has been sekiwake.
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[edit] Career
He entered professional sumo in January of 1994, after having practiced sumo in Chuo University. He joined Kataonami stable, adopting the shikona of Tamakasuga ("Tama", meaning "jewel", being a common prefix at his stable). Because of his achievements in amateur sumo he was allowed to enter at the bottom of the third makushita division, skipping the lower divisions. After steady but unspectacular progress he reached the jūryō division in March 1995 and was promoted to the top division five tournaments after that, in January 1996. He scored ten wins in his top division debut and was awarded the Fighting Spirit prize.
Tamakasuga has had a long career in the top makuuchi division of sumo, earning seven gold stars for defeating yokozuna, one of highest amongst active wrestlers. He defeated yokozuna Akebono, Wakanohana and Takanohana in three successive tournaments from September 1998 to January 1999. The highest rank he has achieved is sekiwake, but he has never achieved a kachikoshi win/loss ratio as a sanyaku wrestler, managing only a 7-8 score in his sekiwake debut, and then a 6-9 as komusubi in the next tournament. Since then he has spent his career either as a rank and file maegashira, or fighting his way back into the top division, as he has been demoted to jūryō a number of times.
Tamakasuga made something of a comeback in 2006, and was awarded the Technique Prize in July of that year, following his 11-4 performance which gave him his best ever top division score and a share of third place. His previous special prize, for Outstanding Performance, was in May 1997, 55 tournaments earlier. This is the longest ever gap between awards. He was promoted all the way up to maegashira 4 in September, fighting the top rankers for the first time in several years. He has remained in makuuchi since then, and is currently the oldest man in the top division.
Tamakasuga has an asteroid named after him. It was named by astronomers at an observatory in his home prefecture.[1]
[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 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | East Maegashira #16 10–5 F |
West Maegashira #5 7–8 |
East Maegashira #6 9–6 T |
East Maegashira #1 6–9 |
East Maegashira #3 6–9 |
East Maegashira #5 9–6 |
| 1997 | East Maegashira #2 5–10 |
East Maegashira #6 10–5 F |
East Maegashira #1 8–7 O★ |
West Sekiwake 7–8 |
West Komusubi 6–9 |
East Maegashira #1 4–11 |
| 1998 | West Maegashira #6 6–9 |
West Maegashira #9 8–7 |
West Maegashira #4 4–11 |
West Maegashira #10 9–6 |
West Maegashira #3 6–9 ★ |
West Maegashira #4 8–7 ★ |
| 1999 | West Maegashira #2 5–10 ★ |
West Maegashira #4 7–8 |
West Maegashira #5 7–8 |
West Maegashira #6 9–6 |
West Maegashira #1 8–7 ★ |
East Maegashira #1 3–12 ★ |
| 2000 | East Maegashira #8 8–7 |
East Maegashira #2 5–10 |
West Maegashira #4 9–6 |
West Komusubi 2–13 |
East Maegashira #9 7–8 |
East Maegashira #10 8–7 |
| 2001 | West Maegashira #5 7–8 |
East Maegashira #7 9–6 |
East Maegashira #4 6–9 |
East Maegashira #7 8–7 |
West Maegashira #3 5–10 ★ |
East Maegashira #7 6–9 |
| 2002 | East Maegashira #9 8–7 |
West Maegashira #7 8–7 |
West Maegashira #5 7–8 |
East Maegashira #6 6–7–2 |
West Maegashira #8 10–5 |
East Maegashira #3 2–13 |
| 2003 | East Maegashira #12 0–5–10 |
(Jūryō) | (Jūryō) | East Maegashira #15 7–8 |
(Jūryō) | East Maegashira #13 6–9 |
| 2004 | West Maegashira #16 7–8 |
(Jūryō) | (Jūryō) | (Jūryō) | West Maegashira #14 8–7 |
West Maegashira #13 7–8 |
| 2005 | West Maegashira #14 7–8 |
East Maegashira #15 7–8 |
East Maegashira #16 8–7 |
East Maegashira #13 0–3–12 |
(Jūryō) | (Jūryō) |
| 2006 | (Jūryō) | East Maegashira #15 9–6 |
East Maegashira #10 6–9 |
West Maegashira #12 11–4 T |
East Maegashira #4 1–14 |
East Maegashira #14 9–6 |
| 2007 | East Maegashira #11 9–6 |
West Maegashira #5 4–11 |
East Maegashira #12 5–10 |
West Maegashira #15 8–7 |
East Maegashira #11 8–7 |
East Maegashira #9 8–7 |
| 2008 | West Maegashira #5 4–11 |
West Maegashira #10 6–9 |
West Maegashira #12 8–7 |
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 |
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