| 安芸乃島 勝巳 Akinoshima Katsumi |
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|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | Katsumi Yamanaka March 16, 1967 Hiroshima, Japan |
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Weight | 158 kg (350 lb) |
| Career | |
| Heya | Futagoyama |
| Record | 822-757-78 |
| Debut | March, 1982 |
| Highest rank | Sekiwake (May, 1989) |
| Retired | May, 2003 |
| Yūshō | 1 (Jūryō) 1 (Makushita) 1 (Jonidan) |
| Sanshō | Outstanding Performance (7) Fighting Spirit (8) Technique (4) |
| Kinboshi | 16 (Chiyonofuji (4), Hokutoumi (4), Asahifuji (4), Onokuni (2), Akebono (1), Musashimaru (1)) |
| * Career information is correct as of July 2007. | |
Akinoshima Katsumi (born 16 March 1967 as Katsumi Yamanaka) is a former sumo wrestler from Akitsu, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1982, and after reaching the top division in 1988 he remained there for 15 years. His highest rank was sekiwake. He was known as the "giant killer" having defeated more yokozuna than any other untitled wrestler (maegashira) in the history of sumo, earning himself 16 gold stars or kinboshi over his career, four more than his nearest kinboshi earning rivals, Takamiyama and Tochinonada. He also has received 19 performance prizes (sansho), another record in sumo history.
Akinoshima was a member of Futagoyama stable and was a stablemate of the wrestling brothers Takanohana II and Wakanohana III during their rise in sumo and subsequent yokozuna reigns. Akinoshima was a wrestler always capable of surprise wins, but lacked consistency, spending most of his career as a maegashira. After his retirement in 2003 he became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and in 2009 he became head coach of the Takadagawa stable.
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Though he played judo in his junior high school years, Katsumi had dreamed from a very young age of becoming a sumo wrestler, and eventually was able to enter a sumo competition while still in junior high. Sometime later, he had a chance meeting with then ozeki Takanohana I on one of the ozeki's visits to Hiroshima. Katsumi was invited to join Takanohana's heya, Futagoyama-beya (then known as Fujishima-beya). Making his professional debut in March 1982, he reached the third highest makushita division in March 1985. After winning the makushita championship with a perfect 7-0 record in May 1987 he made his second division jūryō debut that July, and entered the top division makuuchi in March 1988, just days shy of his 20th birthday.
Akinoshima received his first kinboshi on his defeat of the yokozuna Onokuni in September 1988. He went on to receive at least one kinboshi from every yokozuna he faced. He won 14 of his 16 kinboshi in a period of just four years from 1988 to 1992, and he would earn only two more in the last 11 years of his top division career. It is notable that due to sumo rules, Akinoshima never faced his stablemates, Wakanohana and Takanohana in the sumo ring. Had he had this chance, he may have attained even more kinboshi than his already unrivaled record. He also had a remarkable hold over the ozeki Konishiki, whom he defeated in every one of their first seven meetings, and he had a 25-10 overall career advantage over him.
He had an ongoing rivalry with another maegashira star Kotonishiki, and managed to chalk up only a 9-39 win/loss record against him during their respective top division careers. No wrestler in the history of sumo has ever lost more times to another than Akinoshima did against Kotonishiki.[1] He won his last bout against Kotonishiki in March 2000, but injured his elbow in the win. Ironically, this injury would be one factor that led to his eventual retirement in May 2003. He was the last top division wrestler from the Showa era to retire.
He competed in the top division for 91 tournaments, which is the fourth highest in history, after Kaio, Takamiyama and Terao. He never won a top division tournament title, his best result being 12-3 in March 1992 when he finished runner-up to Konishiki. He was ranked in the titled sanyaku ranks for 27 tournaments, 15 at komusubi and 12 at sekiwake. However, he was never consistent enough to earn promotion to ozeki, often dropping matches to less talented opponents.
He won his nineteenth sansho or special prize in 1999, breaking the record of eighteen held by his rival Kotonishiki. The last two came in September 1999, a tournament in which he was also runner-up for the second time.
He was an extremely diligent trainer, setting himself the target of 100 practice bouts every day.[2] He suffered a severe shoulder injury in 1995, which required surgery.
Akinoshima favoured yotsu-sumo or grappling techniques, preferring to fight at close quarters rather than thrust to the chest. His favourite grip on the mawashi was hidari-yotsu, with his right hand outside and left hand inside his opponent's arms. His most common winning kimarite was yori-kiri or force out, but he also regularly used throws, both overarm (uwatenage) and underarm (shitatenage). He was known for his excellent balance, and for his ability to bury his head into his opponent's body, making him almost impossible to shake off.
When he first entered the top division in 1988 his weight was around 130 kg (290 lb), below average, but this gradually increased, and peaked at 158 kg (350 lb) towards the end of his career.
Upon retirement, Akinoshima became a coach (oyakata) at his heya under the name Fujishima. But disagreements with stablemaster Takanohana II over how to run the heya would eventually lead to Akinoshima moving to coach another heya, Takadagawa, a fairly rare occurrence in the world of sumo. He became Sendagawa Oyakata. He took over the running of Takadagawa stable from former ozeki Maenoyama in August 2009.[3]
| year in sumo | January Hatsu basho, Tokyo |
March Haru basho, Osaka |
May Natsu basho, Tokyo |
July Nagoya basho, Nagoya |
September Aki basho, Tokyo |
November Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | x | East Maegashira #12 7–8 |
(Juryo) | West Maegashira #10 11–4 F |
East Maegashira #2 8–7 F★ |
West Komusubi 7–8 |
| 1989 | East Maegashira #1 7–8 ★ |
West Maegashira #1 8–7 F |
West Sekiwake 6–9 |
East Maegashira #1 7–8 ★★ |
East Maegashira #2 7–8 ★★ |
West Maegashira #2 5–10 |
| 1990 | West Maegashira #6 8–7 |
West Maegashira #2 8–7 O★★ |
East Maegashira #1 10–5 OT★ |
East Sekiwake 9–6 |
East Sekiwake 6–9 |
East Maegashira #1 10–5 O★★ |
| 1991 | East Komusubi 5–10 |
West Maegashira #3 8–7 ★ |
East Maegashira #1 9–6 F★ |
East Komusubi 8–7 |
East Komusubi #1 9–6 |
West Sekiwake 4–11 |
| 1992 | East Maegashira #5 8–7 ★ |
West Maegashira #2 12–3 O |
East Komusubi 9–6 |
East Sekiwake 10–5 |
East Sekiwake 8–7 |
East Sekiwake 7–8 |
| 1993 | East Maegashira #1 9–6 |
West Sekiwake 0–2–13 |
Sat out due to injury 0–0–15 |
East Maegashira #10 9–6 O★ |
West Maegashira #2 9–6 |
West Komusubi 6–9 |
| 1994 | East Maegashira #2 4–11 |
East Maegashira #10 9–6 |
East Maegashira #3 3–12 |
East Maegashira #14 8–7 |
West Maegashira #13 11–4 |
West Maegashira #4 10–5 |
| 1995 | East Komusubi 11–4 F |
West Sekiwake 11–4 F |
East Sekiwake 7–8 |
East Komusubi 1–2–12 |
Sat out due to injury 0–0–15 |
West Maegashira #7 8–7 |
| 1996 | East Maegashira #4 9–6 |
West Komusubi 6–9 |
East Maegashira #2 5–10 |
West Maegashira #5 10–5 |
West Maegashira #1 7–8 |
East Maegashira #2 9–6 |
| 1997 | West Komusubi 6–9 |
East Maegashira #2 7–8 |
West Maegashira #2 7–8 |
East Maegashira #3 6–9 |
East Maegashira #5 8–7 |
West Komusubi 7–8 |
| 1998 | West Maegashira #1 6–9 |
West Maegashira #2 9–6 |
West Komusubi 10–5 T |
East Sekiwake 3–4–8 |
Sat out due to injury 0–0–15 |
West Maegashira #5 8–7 |
| 1999 | East Maegashira #3 11–4 T |
East Komusubi 11–4 O |
East Sekiwake 6–9 |
West Maegashira #1 6–9 ★ |
West Maegashira #3 11–4 FT |
West Komusubi 3–12 |
| 2000 | West Maegashira #4 7–8 |
East Maegashira #5 5–10 |
West Maegashira #7 10–5 |
East Maegashira #1 8–7 |
East Komusubi 7–8 |
East Maegashira #1 5–10 |
| 2001 | East Maegashira #4 7–8 |
East Maegashira #5 5–10 |
West Maegashira #9 8–7 |
East Maegashira #6 4–11 |
West Maegashira #11 9–6 |
West Maegashira #6 8–7 |
| 2002 | West Maegashira #1 6–9 |
East Maegashira #4 7–8 |
East Maegashira #5 3–12 |
West Maegashira #11 6–9 |
East Maegashira #13 7–8 |
East Maegashira #14 9–6 |
| 2003 | West Maegashira #9 6–9 |
West Maegashira #12 6–9 |
West Maegashira #15 Retired 6–9–0 |
x | x | x |
| Record given as win-loss-absent Top Division Champion Retired Lower Divisions Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique Also shown: ★=Kinboshi(s) P=Playoff(s) |
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