| 阿覧欧虎 Aran Hakutora |
|
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | Aran Gabaraev January 31, 1984 Vladikavkaz, Russia |
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 1 1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 141 kg (310 lb; 22.2 st) |
| Career | |
| Heya | Mihogaseki |
| Current rank | see below |
| Debut | January 2007 |
| Highest rank | Sekiwake (September, 2010) |
| Yūshō | 1 (Jūryō) 1 (Jonokuchi) |
| Sanshō | Fighting Spirit (2) |
| * Career information is correct as of Nov 2011. | |
Aran Hakutora (Japanese 阿覧・欧虎 born January 31, 1984 as Ала́н Габара́ев Alan Gabaraev)[1] is a Russian sumo wrestler. He began his professional career in January 2007 and made the top division in a record eleven tournaments. The highest rank he has reached is sekiwake. He was runner-up in consecutive tournaments in May and July 2010 and has earned two sansho or special prizes for Fighting Spirit. He wrestles for Mihogaseki stable.
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Aran was born in Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia-Alania, Russia,[1] the same area as Roho and Hakurozan. He began as an amateur wrestler, winning the Russian National Junior Championships. In October 2006 he won the open division of the World Amateur Sumo Championships held in Saitama, Japan, defeating Ichihara.[2] In December of that year, he joined Mihogaseki stable. Sumo rules allow only one foreigner per heya, and the departure of Baruto to the newly formed Onoe stable created an opening for him.[2]
He made his professional debut in January 2007, alongside Yamamotoyama. Although he was able to win only 2 out of 5 bouts in maezumo, he won the jonokuchi division championship in the next tournament with a perfect 7-0 record, and reached the second highest jūryō division after one and a half years in July 2008. He became the fourth Russian sekitori, after Roho, Hakurozan, and Wakanoho. (Following the dismissal of these three for cannabis use, Aran is now the only one left.) He made the top makuuchi division just two tournaments later in November 2008, after winning the jūryō division championship with a 12-3 record. The 11 tournaments it took him to reach makuuchi from his professional debut is an all-time record, shared with Kotooshu.[3]
Until the January 2009 tournament, in which he scored only 5-10, Aran had maintained a winning record in every tournament he had participated in.[4] However, he responded two consecutive winning tournaments, which sent him up the banzuke to maegashira 1 for the July 2009 tournament in Nagoya. He defeated ōzeki Harumafuji there but was able to win only three other bouts. After three tournaments out of the limelight, he returned to the upper maegashira ranks in the March 2010 tournament, but lost 14 of his 15 matches. However, he put this disastrous performance behind him by scoring 12-3 in May, finishing runner-up to yokozuna Hakuho and receiving a share of the Fighting Spirit prize, his first sansho award. He had another good tournament in July, winning eleven bouts from maegashira 2 and once again finishing runner-up with a share of the Kanto-sho.
In the September 2010 tournament he made his sanyaku debut at sekiwake, becoming the first member of Mihogaseki stable to reach sumo's third highest rank since the current head coach, the former Masuiyama II, took over in 1984. He fell short with a 7-8 record, his only notable victory coming against the aging ōzeki Kaio on the final day. He stayed in the sanyaku ranks at komusubi but could score only 4-11 in July. In January 2011 he beat ozeki Baruto but finished on 5-10, and his 6-9 mark in May, despite a win over Kotooshu, was his fourth consecutive losing score. He returned to form in July 2011, scoring 10-5 which led to his return to the komusubi rank. However, he had a losing 5-10 record in September 2011 which will certainly drop him to the maegashira ranks for November.
Aran's favoured techniques are listed with the Japan Sumo Association as migi-yotsu (a left hand outside, right hand inside grip on his opponent's mawashi), yori (grappling) and oshi (pushing).
He has been criticised for not moving forward enough during his bouts and for relying heavily on henka (side-stepping) and slap down techniques.[5] Approximately one third of his wins have been by hataki-komi (slap down), a much higher figure than most other wrestlers.[6]
In January 2009 he announced his marriage, to a fellow Russian, although the couple had in fact wed in June 2008. They had a son in February 2010.
In January 2010 he revealed that in December 2008 he had undergone treatment for mouth cancer. The operation to remove the malignant tumour was a success, but caused him to drop 20 kilos in weight.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | (Banzukegai) | East Jonokuchi #33 7–0 Champion |
West Jonidan #26 6–1 |
East Sandanme #60 5–2 |
East Sandanme #31 6–1 |
West Makushita #49 6–1 |
| 2008 | East Makushita #21 6–1 |
East Makushita #5 4–3 |
West Makushita #2 5–2 |
East Jūryō #14 10–5 |
West Jūryō #6 12–3 Champion |
West Maegashira #10 8–7 |
| 2009 | West Maegashira #6 5–10 |
West Maegashira #11 10–5 |
West Maegashira #4 8–7 |
East Maegashira #1 4–11 |
East Maegashira #7 7–8 |
East Maegashira #8 7–8 |
| 2010 | West Maegashira #10 10–5 |
West Maegashira #2 1–14 |
East Maegashira #10 12–3 F |
East Maegashira #2 11–4 F |
East Sekiwake 7–8 |
East Komusubi 4–11 |
| 2011 | East Maegashira #3 5–10 |
East Maegashira #5 Tournament Cancelled 0–0–0 |
East Maegashira #5 6–9 |
West Maegashira #6 10–5 |
West Komusubi 5–10 |
East Maegashira #3 4–11 |
| 2012 | East Maegashira #7 – |
x | x | 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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