| 輪島大士 Hiroshi Wajima |
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|---|---|
A Ryōgoku monument honoring yokozuna from Wajima's era, and from which his handprint (bottom right) is conspicuously absent. |
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| Personal information | |
| Born | Hiroshi Wajima January 11, 1948 Ishikawa, Japan |
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) |
| Weight | 130 kg (290 lb) |
| Career | |
| Heya | Hanakago |
| Record | 673-234-85 |
| Debut | January 1970 |
| Highest rank | Yokozuna (May, 1973) |
| Retired | March 1981 |
| Yūshō | 14 (Makuuchi) 1 (Jūryō) 2 (Makushita) |
| Sanshō | Outstanding Performance (3) Fighting Spirit (2) |
| * Career information is correct as of August 2007. | |
Hiroshi Wajima (輪島大士) (born January 11, 1948) is a former sumo wrestler and professional wrestler from Nanao, Ishikawa, Japan. He was sumo's 54th Yokozuna. He won a total of 14 tournament championships or yusho during his career and retired in March 1981. He was later head coach of Hanakago stable, but was forced to leave the sumo world and turned to professional wrestling.
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After graduating from Nihon University where he was an amateur sumo champion he made his professional debut in January 1970 at the age of 22, joining Hanakago stable which was just a short distance from his university sumo club. He was given makushita tsukedashi status, meaning he could begin in the third highest makushita division. He was undefeated in his first 14 matches and reached the jūryō division after just two tournaments. He was promoted to the top makuuchi division in January 1971.
After finishing as runner-up in the November 1971 and January 1972 tournaments he was promoted to sekiwake and took his first top division championship or yusho in May 1972. He was promoted to ozeki shortly afterwards and after winning his second championship with a perfect 15-0 score in May 1973 he was promoted to yokozuna. He took his first yusho as a yokozuna in September, and in November 1973 he became the first wrestler ever to withdraw from a tournament while still managing to win it. Wajima won three championships in 1974 but then went into a slump, and did not take another title until March 1976. In the late 1970s he was somewhat overshadowed by fellow yokozuna Kitanoumi. While Wajima had had a good personal record against him, holding a 19-10 advantage up to the end of 1977, Kitanoumi began to win their later encounters and overtook him in terms of championships won. Wajima took his final championship in November 1980, and retired in March 1981.
Wajima was an unconventional wrestler in many ways. He was the only man ever to go as far as yokozuna without adopting a traditional shikona, instead fighting under his own surname of Wajima throughout his entire career. He was the first and to date only former collegiate competitor to be promoted to yokozuna (he was nicknamed the "Sumo Genius" because of his college background). His other departures from sumo norms included having his hair permed before growing a topknot, staying in luxury hotels and driving a Lincoln Continental whilst on regional sumo tours (jungyo), and associating himself with outsiders such as the yazuka and going out on late night drinking sessions.[1]
He was a great friend of Takanohana, whom he had known since his university days. The two were promoted to ozeki simultaneously in November 1972.
Wajima was not a particularly large wrestler but he had superb technique. His preferred grip on the mawashi was hidari yotsu (right hand outside, left hand inside), and he was famed for the power of his so-called "golden left arm" which he would use to down his opponents by shitatenage or inner-arm throw. His other favourite kimarite included yori-kiri (force out) and tsuri-dashi (the lift out).
Following his retirement Wajima took over as oyakata, or head coach, of Hanakago stable in 1981, having married the eldest daughter of the previous stablemaster. However his time there was controversial. He lacked leadership qualities and most unusually did not even live in the stable, preferring to commute.[2] Hanakago declined to the point when it did not have any top division wrestlers left. In 1982 his wife attempted suicide and he was demoted from his position as a shimpan or judge as a result. The marriage eventually ended in divorce.[2] In 1985 he was pressured by fellow oyakata to resign from the Sumo Association after it emerged that he was heavily in debt due to the failure of his chankonabe restaurant and had put up his shares in the Association as collateral on a loan, a practice strictly forbidden.[2] The stable folded completely with all its wrestlers transferring to the affiliated Hanaregoma stable.[2]
To pay off his debts, Wajima turned to pro wrestling. Shohei Baba, owner of All Japan Pro Wrestling, convinced him to join his promotion and train at their dojo.[3] He debuted in 1986. Because of his status as a former Yokozuna (the first since Kinichi Azumafuji to turn to pro wrestling), Wajima was pushed as a superstar, feuding with Stan Hansen over the PWF Heavyweight Championship. In the long run, however, accumulated injuries from his sumo years limited his potential as a professional wrestler, and he ended up retiring from the game altogether in January 1989.
After quitting as a wrestler Wajima coached the X-League American football team ROCBULL and also worked with the Cuban national sumo team. He was also Ishikawa Prefecture's tourist ambassador. In January 2009 he returned to the Ryogoku Kokugikan for the first time since leaving the Sumo Association in 1985, and was a guest of NHK, commentating on the day's bouts with Demon Kogure.[4]
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | West Maegashira #11 9–6 |
West Maegashira #5 5–10 |
East Maegashira #12 11–4 F |
West Maegashira #2 6–9 |
East Maegashira #6 10–5 |
East Maegashira #1 11–4 F |
| 1972 | East Komusubi 10–5 O |
West Sekiwake 9–6 |
West Sekiwake 12–3 O |
East Sekiwake 8–7 |
East Sekiwake 13–2 O |
East Ōzeki 11–4 |
| 1973 | West Ōzeki 11–4 |
East Ōzeki 13–2 |
East Ōzeki 15–0 |
East Yokozuna 11–4 |
East Yokozuna 15–0 |
East Yokozuna 12–2–1 |
| 1974 | East Yokozuna 12–3 |
East Yokozuna 12–3 |
East Yokozuna 10–5 |
East Yokozuna 13–2–P |
East Yokozuna 14–1 |
East Yokozuna 9–6 |
| 1975 | West Yokozuna 10–5 |
West Yokozuna 0–4–11 |
West Yokozuna 0–3–12 |
Sat out due to injury 0–0–15 |
West Yokozuna 10–5 |
West Yokozuna 11–4 |
| 1976 | West Yokozuna 12–3 |
West Yokozuna 13–2–P |
East Yokozuna 13–2–P |
East Yokozuna 14–1 |
East Yokozuna 12–3 |
East Yokozuna 13–2 |
| 1977 | West Yokozuna 13–2 |
East Yokozuna 12–3 |
West Yokozuna 11–4 |
West Yokozuna 15–0 |
East Yokozuna 10–5 |
West Yokozuna 14–1 |
| 1978 | East Yokozuna 10–5 |
West Yokozuna 1–1–13 |
West Yokozuna 9–6 |
East Yokozuna 14–1 |
West Yokozuna 1–3–11 |
East Yokozuna 13–2 |
| 1979 | West Yokozuna 10–5 |
East Yokozuna 12–3 |
East Yokozuna 12–3 |
East Yokozuna 14–1–P |
East Yokozuna 10–5 |
West Yokozuna 10–5 |
| 1980 | West Yokozuna 0–3–12 |
West Yokozuna 11–4 |
East Yokozuna 11–4 |
East Yokozuna 1–4–10 |
West Yokozuna 11–4 |
East Yokozuna 14–1 |
| 1981 | East Yokozuna 10–5 |
West Yokozuna Retired 1–2–0 |
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) |
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| Yokozuna is not a successive rank, and more than one wrestler can share the title | ||