Sadanoyama Shinmatsu

Sadanoyama Shinmatsu

Sadanoyama's handprint displayed on a monument in Ryōgoku, Tokyo
Personal information
Born Shinmatsu Sasada
February 18, 1938 (1938-02-18) (age 74)
Nagasaki, Japan
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Weight 129 kg (280 lb)
Career
Heya Dewanoumi
Record 591-251-61
Debut January, 1956
Highest rank Yokozuna (January, 1965)
Retired March, 1968
Yūshō 6 (Makuuchi)
Sanshō Fighting Spirit (1)
Outstanding Performance (1)
Technique (1)
Kinboshi 2
* Career information is correct as of July 2007.

Sadanoyama Shinmatsu (佐田の山 晋松, born February 18, 1938 as Shinmatsu Sasada) is a former sumo wrestler from Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. He was the sport's 50th Yokozuna. After his retirement he was the head coach of Dewanoumi stable and served as head of the Japan Sumo Association.

Contents

Career

Born in Arikawa, Minamimatsuura District, he made his professional debut in January 1956, and reached sekitori status four years later upon promotion to the juryo division in March 1960. He made his top makuuchi division debut in January 1961. Sadanoyama won his first tournament title in only his third tournament in the top division, from the rank of maegashira 13. The achievement of winning a tournament from the maegashira ranks is sometimes seen as a jinx on subsequent success in sumo,[1] but Sadanoyama disproved that theory by going on to reach ozeki in March 1962 after winning his second title, and then yokozuna in January 1965 after capturing his third championship.

He made a cameo appearance in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice, as himself.

Sadanoyama announced his retirement suddenly in March 1968, despite having won the previous two tournaments, following a surprise loss to a new maegashira, the Hawaiian born Takamiyama. It has been suggested that the shock of losing to a foreigner may have prompted a premature retirement.[1]

Retirement from sumo

Sadanoyama remained in the sumo world after his retirement, as an elder. Having married the daughter of the previous stable boss, former maegashira Dewanohana Kuniichi, he became head coach of the Dewanoumi stable. One of the most powerful heya in sumo, he produced a string of top division wrestlers, including Mienoumi, Dewanohana Yoshitaka, Washuyama, Onishiki, Ryogoku, Oginishiki and Mainoumi. In February 1992 he became head of the Japan Sumo Association. He was chosen ahead of his contemporaries Taihō and Kashiwado partly because he was in better health than either of them.[1] He changed his toshiyori name to Sakaigawa in 1996, handing over the Dewanoumi name and the day to day running of his stable to the former Washuyama. He did not run for re-election in 1998, after it became clear he lacked enough support, and was replaced by former ozeki Yutakayama from the rival Tokitsukaze faction. He stood down as an elder in 2003 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of sixty five.

Fighting style

Sadanoyama was known for employing pushing and thrusting techniques such as tsuppari (a series of rapid thrusts to the chest) and regularly won by such kimarite as oshi dashi (push out) and tsuki dashi (thrust out). However he was also good on the mawashi where he preferred a migi-yotsu (left hand outside, right hand inside) grip, and often won by yori kiri (force out) and uwatenage (overarm throw).

Top division record

Sadanoyama[2]
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
1961 East Maegashira #12
10–5
 
Sat out due to injury
0–0–15		 West Maegashira #13
12–3
F		 East Maegashira #2
11–4
O★★		 East Sekiwake
8–7
 		 East Sekiwake
8–7
 
1962 West Sekiwake
9–6
 		 East Sekiwake
13–2–P
T		 West Ōzeki
13–2
 		 East Ōzeki
9–6
 		 East Ōzeki
13–2–P
 		 East Ōzeki
11–4
 
1963 East Ōzeki
12–3
 		 East Ōzeki
0–5–10
 		 East Ōzeki
11–4
 		 West Ōzeki
13–2–P
 		 East Ōzeki
10–5
 		 East Ōzeki
8–7
 
1964 East Ōzeki
9–3–3
 		 East Ōzeki
9–6
 		 East Ōzeki
11–4
 		 West Ōzeki
8–7
 		 West Ōzeki
13–2
 		 East Ōzeki
13–2
 
1965 East Ōzeki
13–2
 		 West Yokozuna
12–3
 		 West Yokozuna
14–1
 		 East Yokozuna
12–3
 		 West Yokozuna
12–3–P
 		 East Yokozuna
11–4
 
1966 West Yokozuna
5–6–4
 		 West Yokozuna
5–5–5
 
Sat out due to injury
0–0–15		 West Yokozuna
11–4
 		 East Yokozuna
12–3
 		 East Yokozuna
10–5
 
1967 East Yokozuna
14–1
 		 West Yokozuna
9–6
 		 East Yokozuna
12–3
 		 East Yokozuna
10–5
 		 West Yokozuna
12–3
 		 West Yokozuna
13–2
 
1968 East Yokozuna
13–2
 		 East Yokozuna
Retired
2–4–0		 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)
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo. Weatherhill. ISBN 0-8348-0283-x. 
  2. ^ "Sadanoyama Shinmatsu Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi.aspx?shikona=sadanoyama&heya=-1&shusshin=-1&b=-1&high=-1&hd=-1&entry=-1&intai=-1&sort=1. Retrieved 2007-07-11. 

External links

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Tochinoumi Teruyoshi
50th Yokozuna
1965 - 1968
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Yokozuna is not a successive rank, and more than one wrestler can share the title