Takatoriki Tadashige
Encyclopedia
Takatōriki Tadashige is a former sumo
wrestler from Kobe
, Japan
. He made his professional debut in 1983, reaching the top division in 1990. His highest rank was sekiwake. Known for his great fighting spirit, he won 14 tournament prizes
, including a record ten Kanto-sho, and earned nine gold stars
for defeating yokozuna ranked wrestlers. He wrestled for the highly successful Futagoyama stable. He was twice runner-up in top division tournaments and in March 2000, from the maegashira ranks, he unexpectedly won the yusho
or championship. He retired in 2002 and became the head coach of Ōtake stable
, having the married the daughter of the previous owner of the heya
, the great yokozuna Taiho
. However, he was dismissed from the Sumo Association in 2010
for his role in an illegal gambling scandal.
and even stayed with the former ozeki and his family in Tokyo
for a while. He joined Takanohana's Fujishima stable in March 1983 after leaving junior high school, where he had also done judo
. Initially fighting under his own surname of Kamakari, he rose up the ranks rather slowly, finally becoming a sekitori
in May 1989 after six years in the unsalaried divisions.
Takatoriki reached the top makuuchi
division in September 1990, along with future yokozuna Akebono
and Wakanohana
. He won eleven bouts and the Fighting spirit prize in his top division debut, and in his next tournament he defeated his first yokozuna, Onokuni
. He had a very successful year in 1991, becoming the only man in the top division to achieve a winning record in every tournament that year. On the third day of the May 1991 tournament, he defeated yokozuna Chiyonofuji, who announced his retirement that night. In July 1991 he was promoted to sekiwake, the highest rank he was to achieve. He won fourteen sansho
, or special prizes in his career, the fourth best ever. He earned seven kinboshi
from Akebono, a record against one yokozuna (Takamiyama also earned seven from Wajima
). He was runner-up in the tournaments of March 1994 (losing in a three-way playoff that also involved Akebono and stablemate Takanonami) and September 1996.
Towards the end of his career, in March 2000 at the age of 32, he won his only top division yusho
, or tournament title. This win was considered a great upset as two poor performances had sent him down to maegashira 14 in the rankings, and Takatoriki faced demotion from makuuchi altogether. He won his first twelve matches, and though he was then defeated by yokozuna Akebono and Musashimaru, he clinched the championship by beating Miyabiyama to finish on 13-2. After his final bout, confirming his tournament win, Takatoriki was visibly shaken. He was awarded his tenth Fighting Spirit Prize (two ahead of his nearest rival, stablemate Akinoshima) and third Outstanding Performance Award, and was promoted to a sanyaku rank for the final time for the May 2000 tournament. In total he spent 15 tournaments at sekiwake and 11 at komusubi.
Takatoriki fell into the jūryō division in 2001 and announced his retirement in September 2002. He did not miss a single bout during his 19 year career, finishing with 754 wins and 703 losses. His 1456 consecutive career matches place him third on the all-time list, after Aobajo and Fujizakura.
or belt. His most common winning technique was oshi-dashi or push out. However, due to his background in judo he was also adept at throws, some extremely rarely seen in the top division. He employed nichonage, the body drop down, on three occasions in makuuchi, and once pulled off the spectacular amichi, or fisherman's net casting throw.
(and changed his legal name from Kamakari to Naya), Takatoriki took over the running of the former yokozunas stable in February 2003. It was renamed Ōtake stable
. It was the home of the Russian top division wrestler Roho until he was banned from sumo in September 2008 for testing positive for marijuana. Takatoriki and his wife have four children.
Along with five other oyakata (Magaki
, Onomatsu
, Otowayama, Tokiwayama and Futagoyama), he was forced to leave the Nishonoseki ichimon or group of stables in January 2010 after declaring his support for his former stablemate Takanohana's unsanctioned bid to be elected to the board of directors of the Sumo Association.
, after an investigation by the Sumo Association and Tokyo police prompted by articles in the tabloid weekly Shukan Shincho. It subsequently emerged that he had been borrowing large amounts of money from ozeki Kotomitsuki to pay gambling debts. He was reportedly gambling on a much larger scale than others implicated in the scandal, betting tens of millions of yen, and knew that a bookmaker used in the gambling had links to a crime syndicate. He was expelled from the Sumo Association at a special meeting on July 4, and apologised for his actions at a press conference.
He received no severance pay. Otake stable was spared closure and has now been taken over by another coach at the heya, the former Dairyu, who switched from the Futagoyama name. It has also been reported that Taiho has instructed his daughter to divorce Otake.
He announced in September 2010 that he was opening up a yakiniku
restaurant in Kōtō, Tokyo
.
In March 2011 prosecutors announced that Otake, as well as Kotomitsuki and 25 others involved in the scandal, would be spared indictment
over gambling due to lack of implicating evidence.
Sumo
is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
wrestler from Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He made his professional debut in 1983, reaching the top division in 1990. His highest rank was sekiwake. Known for his great fighting spirit, he won 14 tournament prizes
Sansho (Sumo)
Sanshō are the three special prizes awarded to top division sumo wrestlers for exceptional performance during a sumo honbasho or tournament. The prizes were first awarded in November 1947.-Criteria:...
, including a record ten Kanto-sho, and earned nine gold stars
Kinboshi
Kinboshi is a notation used in professional sumo wrestling to record a lower-ranked wrestler's victory over a yokozuna....
for defeating yokozuna ranked wrestlers. He wrestled for the highly successful Futagoyama stable. He was twice runner-up in top division tournaments and in March 2000, from the maegashira ranks, he unexpectedly won the yusho
Yusho
A Yūshō is a tournament championship in sumo. It is awarded in each of the six annual honbasho or official tournaments, to the wrestler who wins the most number of bouts. Yūshō are awarded in all six professional sumo divisions...
or championship. He retired in 2002 and became the head coach of Ōtake stable
Otake stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers.It was set up in 1971, as Taihō stable, by yokozuna Taihō Kōki on his retirement from wrestling. It passed on to his son-in-law Ōtake on his retirement...
, having the married the daughter of the previous owner of the heya
Heya
In sumo wrestling, a heya , usually translated into English as stable, is an organization of sumo wrestlers where they train and live. All wrestlers in professional sumo must belong to one. There are currently 49 heya , all but four of which belong to one of five ichimon...
, the great yokozuna Taiho
Taiho Koki
Taihō Kōki is the 48th Yokozuna in the Japanese sport of sumo wrestling. He is generally regarded as the greatest sumo wrestler of the post-war period. He became a yokozuna in 1961 at the age of 21, the youngest ever at the time, and he won a record 32 tournaments between 1960 and 1971...
. However, he was dismissed from the Sumo Association in 2010
2010 in sumo
-Tournaments:*Hatsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 10 January – 24 January*Haru basho, Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, 14 March – 28 March*Natsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 9 May – 23 May...
for his role in an illegal gambling scandal.
Career
As a young boy Takatoriki idolised Takanohana KenshiTakanohana Kenshi
Takanohana Kenshi 貴ノ花健士 was a sumo wrestler from Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was ozeki, which he held for fifty tournaments. As an active rikishi he was extremely popular and was nicknamed the "prince of sumo" due to his good looks and relatively slim build...
and even stayed with the former ozeki and his family in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
for a while. He joined Takanohana's Fujishima stable in March 1983 after leaving junior high school, where he had also done judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
. Initially fighting under his own surname of Kamakari, he rose up the ranks rather slowly, finally becoming a sekitori
Sekitori
A sekitori is a sumo wrestler who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: makuuchi and juryo.Currently there are 70 rikishi in these divisions...
in May 1989 after six years in the unsalaried divisions.
Takatoriki reached the top makuuchi
Makuuchi
or is the top division of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers , ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments....
division in September 1990, along with future yokozuna Akebono
Akebono Taro
is a retired American born-Japanese sumo wrestler from Waimānalo, Hawaii. Joining the professional sport in Japan in 1988, he was trained by pioneering Hawaiian sumo wrestler Takamiyama and rose swiftly up the rankings, reaching the top division in 1990...
and Wakanohana
Wakanohana Masaru
is a former sumo wrestler from Tokyo, Japan. As an active wrestler he was known as Wakanohana III Masaru , and his rise through the ranks alongside his younger brother Takanohana Koji saw a boom in sumo's popularity in the early 1990s...
. He won eleven bouts and the Fighting spirit prize in his top division debut, and in his next tournament he defeated his first yokozuna, Onokuni
Onokuni Yasushi
Ōnokuni Yasushi is a former sumo wrestler from Hokkaidō, Japan. Making his professional debut in 1978, he reached the top division in 1983. In 1987 he won his first yusho or tournament championship with a perfect score and became the sport's 62nd yokozuna...
. He had a very successful year in 1991, becoming the only man in the top division to achieve a winning record in every tournament that year. On the third day of the May 1991 tournament, he defeated yokozuna Chiyonofuji, who announced his retirement that night. In July 1991 he was promoted to sekiwake, the highest rank he was to achieve. He won fourteen sansho
Sansho (Sumo)
Sanshō are the three special prizes awarded to top division sumo wrestlers for exceptional performance during a sumo honbasho or tournament. The prizes were first awarded in November 1947.-Criteria:...
, or special prizes in his career, the fourth best ever. He earned seven kinboshi
Kinboshi
Kinboshi is a notation used in professional sumo wrestling to record a lower-ranked wrestler's victory over a yokozuna....
from Akebono, a record against one yokozuna (Takamiyama also earned seven from Wajima
Wajima Hiroshi
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 runner-up in the tournaments of March 1994 (losing in a three-way playoff that also involved Akebono and stablemate Takanonami) and September 1996.
Towards the end of his career, in March 2000 at the age of 32, he won his only top division yusho
Yusho
A Yūshō is a tournament championship in sumo. It is awarded in each of the six annual honbasho or official tournaments, to the wrestler who wins the most number of bouts. Yūshō are awarded in all six professional sumo divisions...
, or tournament title. This win was considered a great upset as two poor performances had sent him down to maegashira 14 in the rankings, and Takatoriki faced demotion from makuuchi altogether. He won his first twelve matches, and though he was then defeated by yokozuna Akebono and Musashimaru, he clinched the championship by beating Miyabiyama to finish on 13-2. After his final bout, confirming his tournament win, Takatoriki was visibly shaken. He was awarded his tenth Fighting Spirit Prize (two ahead of his nearest rival, stablemate Akinoshima) and third Outstanding Performance Award, and was promoted to a sanyaku rank for the final time for the May 2000 tournament. In total he spent 15 tournaments at sekiwake and 11 at komusubi.
Takatoriki fell into the jūryō division in 2001 and announced his retirement in September 2002. He did not miss a single bout during his 19 year career, finishing with 754 wins and 703 losses. His 1456 consecutive career matches place him third on the all-time list, after Aobajo and Fujizakura.
Fighting style
Takatoriki's fighting style was fierce, and he often relied on initial powerful face slaps (harite) to stun his opponents. He was a tsuki-oshi wrestler, preferring pushing and thrusting to fighting on the mawashiMawashi
In sumo, a mawashi is the belt that the rikishi wears during training or in competition. Upper ranked professional wrestlers wear a keshō-mawashi as part of the ring entry ceremony or dohyo-iri.-Mawashi:...
or belt. His most common winning technique was oshi-dashi or push out. However, due to his background in judo he was also adept at throws, some extremely rarely seen in the top division. He employed nichonage, the body drop down, on three occasions in makuuchi, and once pulled off the spectacular amichi, or fisherman's net casting throw.
Retirement from sumo
Having married the third daughter of TaihoTaiho Koki
Taihō Kōki is the 48th Yokozuna in the Japanese sport of sumo wrestling. He is generally regarded as the greatest sumo wrestler of the post-war period. He became a yokozuna in 1961 at the age of 21, the youngest ever at the time, and he won a record 32 tournaments between 1960 and 1971...
(and changed his legal name from Kamakari to Naya), Takatoriki took over the running of the former yokozunas stable in February 2003. It was renamed Ōtake stable
Otake stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers.It was set up in 1971, as Taihō stable, by yokozuna Taihō Kōki on his retirement from wrestling. It passed on to his son-in-law Ōtake on his retirement...
. It was the home of the Russian top division wrestler Roho until he was banned from sumo in September 2008 for testing positive for marijuana. Takatoriki and his wife have four children.
Along with five other oyakata (Magaki
Wakanohana Kanji II
Wakanohana Kanji II is a former sumo wrestler from Ōwani, Aomori, Japan. He was the sport's 56th Yokozuna. He is now the head coach of Magaki stable.-Early career:...
, Onomatsu
Masurao Hiroo
is a Japanese former sumo wrestler, born in Itoda, Fukuoka Prefecture. Making his professional debut in 1979, he reached the top division in 1985. His highest rank was sekiwake and he won five special prizes in his top division career. He was one of the lightest wrestlers in the top division, and...
, Otowayama, Tokiwayama and Futagoyama), he was forced to leave the Nishonoseki ichimon or group of stables in January 2010 after declaring his support for his former stablemate Takanohana's unsanctioned bid to be elected to the board of directors of the Sumo Association.
Expulsion
In June 2010 he admitted that he had been gambling illegally on baseballProfessional baseball in Japan
Professional baseball in Japan first started in the 1920s, but it was not until the was established in 1934 that the modern professional game had continued success.-History:...
, after an investigation by the Sumo Association and Tokyo police prompted by articles in the tabloid weekly Shukan Shincho. It subsequently emerged that he had been borrowing large amounts of money from ozeki Kotomitsuki to pay gambling debts. He was reportedly gambling on a much larger scale than others implicated in the scandal, betting tens of millions of yen, and knew that a bookmaker used in the gambling had links to a crime syndicate. He was expelled from the Sumo Association at a special meeting on July 4, and apologised for his actions at a press conference.
He received no severance pay. Otake stable was spared closure and has now been taken over by another coach at the heya, the former Dairyu, who switched from the Futagoyama name. It has also been reported that Taiho has instructed his daughter to divorce Otake.
He announced in September 2010 that he was opening up a yakiniku
Yakiniku
Yakiniku , meaning "grilled meat", is a Japanese term which, in its broadest sense, refers to grilled meat dishes. The present style of yakiniku restaurants are derived from the Korean restaurants in Osaka and Tokyo which were opened around 1945....
restaurant in Kōtō, Tokyo
Koto, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 442,271 and a population density of 11,070 persons per km². The total area is 39.48 km². The ward refers to itself as Kōtō City in English....
.
In March 2011 prosecutors announced that Otake, as well as Kotomitsuki and 25 others involved in the scandal, would be spared indictment
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
over gambling due to lack of implicating evidence.
Top division record
See also
- Glossary of sumo termsGlossary of sumo termsThe following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan. azukari : Hold. A kind of draw. After a mono-ii, the gyōji or the shimpan "holds" the result if it was too close to call...
- List of past sumo wrestlers
- List of sumo tournament winners