Yoshikaze Masatsugu
| 嘉風 雅継 Yoshikaze Masatsugu | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Masatsugu Ōnishi March 19, 1982 Oita, Japan |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Weight | 126.5 kg (279 lb; 19.92 st) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Oguruma |
| Current rank | see below |
| Debut | January 2004 |
| Highest rank | Maegashira 1 (July 2011) |
| Championships | 1 (Sandanme) 1 (Jonokuchi) |
| Special Prizes | Fighting Spirit (2) |
| * Up to date as of Nov 2011. | |
Template:Japanese name Yoshikaze Masatsugu (born March 19, 1982 as Masatsugu Ōnishi) is a sumo wrestler from Saiki, Oita Prefecture, Japan. A former amateur sumo champion, he turned professional in 2004, reaching the top division two years later. His highest rank has been maegashira 1. He has won two special prizes for Fighting Spirit.
Career
Yoshikaze was an amateur sumo champion at Nihon Taiiku University, and won the college equivalent of the yokozuna title in his third year. Because he wanted to wait until after his graduation from university before joining professional sumo, he missed out on the chance to enter at the level of the third makushita division. He joined Oguruma stable and made his debut at maezumo level in January 2004. He was of course considerably older and more experienced than most of the competition there and quickly worked his way up the ranks, winning two tournament titles in the jonokuchi and sandanme divisions with perfect 7-0 records. He initially competed under his own surname of Onishi, but upon reaching the second highest jūryō division in July 2005 he changed his shikona to Yoshikaze.
He was promoted to the top makuuchi division in January 2006. It took him only 12 tournaments to make the top division from his professional debut, equal to the second fastest rise ever since the six tournaments per year system was introduced in 1958.[1] However, until January 2009 he did not manage to rise above the mid maegashira ranks and he has fallen back to the second division twice so far.
In the November 2007 tournament he defeated fan favourite Takamisakari with the rare but spectacular technique of utchari, or spin throw from the edge of the ring. However he was able to win only three other bouts in that tournament and fell to the bottom of the division. An 8-7 record in January 2008 kept him in makuuuchi.
His best performance in the top division to date came in November 2008 when he won 11 bouts and was awarded his first sanshō or special prize, for Fighting Spirit. He was promoted to a new high of maegashira 2 for the January 2009 tournament. Although he was not able to come through with a winning record his score of 6-9 was creditable, and he scored a memorable win over new ozeki Harumafuji on the opening day of the tournament. However, he gradually slipped back down the rankings with three more losing scores in the next three tournaments. The November 2009 tournament was one of his most successful, as he won nine of his first ten bouts before slowing down somewhat to finish on 10-5. In September 2010 he won his second Fighting Spirit prize, which was shared with his stablemate Takekaze, after producing a fine 11-4 score, having been 7-0. He followed up with a solid 8-7 record in November, which saw him return to maegashira 2 in January 2011.
Fighting style
Yoshikaze's favourite techniques are listed at the Sumo Association as tsuki/oshi, meaning he prefers pushing and thrusting moves as opposed to fighting on the opponent's mawashi or belt. His most common winning techniques are oshidashi, the push out, and yorikiri, the force out.
Family
Yoshikaze was married in December 2008, and the wedding ceremony was held in October 2009. He has one child, a girl, born in July 2009.
Career record
| Year | January Hatsu basho, Tokyo |
March Haru basho, Osaka |
May Natsu basho, Tokyo |
July Nagoya basho, Nagoya |
September Aki basho, Tokyo |
November Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | (Maezumo) | West Jonokuchi #27 7–0 Champion |
East Jonidan #23 6–1 |
West Sandanme #60 6–1 |
East Sandanme #6 7–0–P Champion |
West Makushita #11 3–4 |
| 2005 | West Makushita #16 6–1 |
West Makushita #5 4–3 |
East Makushita #3 5–2 |
West Jūryō #13 10–4–1 |
West Jūryō #7 8–7 |
West Jūryō #5 10–5 |
| 2006 | West Maegashira #13 5–10 |
West Maegashira #16 8–7 |
West Maegashira #14 9–6 |
East Maegashira #9 6–9 |
East Maegashira #12 5–10 |
(Juryo) |
| 2007 | West Maegashira #13 8–7 |
West Maegashira #12 5–10 |
East Jūryō #1 8–7 |
East Maegashira #13 6–9 |
West Maegashira #15 10–5 |
West Maegashira #10 4–11 |
| 2008 | West Maegashira #15 8–7 |
West Maegashira #12 6–9 |
West Maegashira #14 7–8 |
East Maegashira #15 8–7 |
East Maegashira #11 7–8 |
East Maegashira #12 11–4 F |
| 2009 | West Maegashira #2 6–9 |
West Maegashira #4 7–8 |
West Maegashira #5 4–11 |
West Maegashira #12 6–9 |
East Maegashira #15 9–6 |
East Maegashira #9 10–5 |
| 2010 | East Maegashira #5 6–9 |
West Maegashira #9 5–10 |
East Maegashira #13 9–6 |
West Maegashira #8 5–10 |
West Maegashira #11 11–4 F |
East Maegashira #5 8–7 |
| 2011 | West Maegashira #2 4–11 |
West Maegashira #7 Tournament Cancelled 0–0–0 |
West Maegashira #7 9–6 |
West Maegashira #1 7–8 |
West Maegashira #2 6–9 |
West Maegashira #5 7–8 |
| 2012 | East Maegashira #6 9–6 |
West Maegashira #2 3–10–2 |
West Maegashira #9 8–7 |
x | x | x |
| Record given as wins–losses–absencies Top division champion Top division runner-up Retired Lower divisions Non-participation Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) |
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See also
References
- ^ "2008 May Grand Sumo Tournament Banzuke Topics". Japan Sumo Association. April 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
- ^ "Rikishi in Juryo and Makunouchi". szumo.hu. Retrieved 2007-06-07.