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Dewaminato Rikichi

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Dewaminato Rikichi
出羽湊 利吉
Personal information
BornRikichi Satō
(1907-03-20)March 20, 1907
Akita prefecture, Japan
DiedMay 17, 1964(1964-05-17) (aged 57)
Height1.77 m (5 ft 9+12 in)
Weight98 kg (216 lb)
Career
StableDewanoumi
Record197-158-35-1draw
DebutMarch, 1928
Highest rankSekiwake (January, 1937)
RetiredNovember, 1944
Elder nameHamakaze
Championships(1) (Makuuchi)
(1) (Jūryō)
(1) (Makushita)
Gold Stars1 (Minanogawa)
* Up to date as of June 2020.

Dewaminato Rikichi (March 20, 1907, as Rikichi Satō in Tsuchizaki-Minato, Akita Prefecture, Japan – May 17, 1964), was a professional sumo wrestler with Dewanoumi stable. He made his debut in 1928, reaching the top makuuchi division in 1935. His highest rank was sekiwake. In January 1939 he won the top division yūshō or championship with an undefeated 13–0 record, ending a run of five straight championships won by Futabayama. After his retirement in 1944 he worked as a coach at his stable until 1963, when he left the sumo world. He died a year later in 1964.

Career

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Dewaminato holding the Emperor's cup from his 1939 championship

He first entered the ring in the Summer 1928 tournament. In 1932, he was one of the few unsalaried wrestlers to be expelled from sumo by the Japan Sumo Association for being involved in a strike called the "Shunjuen Incident" that was largely unsuccessful. He, along with many others, was allowed back in from the Spring 1933 tournament. He was allowed into the makushita division, but unranked.[1] His hiatus seemed to have recharged his sumo, as he posted eight winning tournaments over four years from this point. In this period, he also took the makushita championship in the Summer 1933 tournament, and after entering jūryō, in the following tournament, took the jūryō championship with a perfect 11–0 record in the Summer 1934 tournament.

He was promoted to the top makuuchi division for the Spring 1935 tournament. He managed to enter the titled ranks at sekiwake for the Spring 1937 tournament but only managed a 2–9 record and was demoted back to the untitled ranks of maegashira. In the Spring 1938 tournament, though he only had a 2–5 record before pulling out due to injury, he still managed a gold star or kinboshi win over yokozuna Minanogawa, incidentally one of the leaders of the strike back in 1933. He had another losing tournament that he had to withdraw from due to injury in Summer 1938. When he returned for the next tournament in the summer 1939 tournament at maegashira 17, he was on the cusp of relegation to the second division. He responded by posting a 13–0 record, including a victory over future yokozuna Haguroyama and winning the championship. Because he was a lower maegashira, he was not matched against yokozuna Futabayama, who in this same tournament had his record-setting winning streak broken at 69 by Dewaminato's stablemate Akinoumi. The impact of Dewaminato's perfect championship, called a zenshō-yūshō was overshadowed by the fact that Futabayama had achieved zenshō-yūshō in the five previous tournaments up to this point, and would bounce back to achieve yet another one in the following Summer tournament.

Dewaminato fought on after this, managing to stay in the upper maegashira ranks, and even managed to return to sekiwake for two consecutive tournaments in 1942–43. His fortunes began to decline after this however, and after losing all ten of his bouts in the Summer 1944 tournament, he retired before the start of the Autumn 1944 tournament.

Retirement from sumo

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He served as a sumo elder under the name Hamakaze Oyakata and worked as a coach at Dewanoumi stable.[2] He left the Sumo Association in July 1963.[2] He died in May 1964 at the age of 57.

Fighting style

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Dewaminato's most common winning techniques were hatakikomi (slap down), sotogake (outer leg trip) and sukuinage (scoop throw).[3]

Career record

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Dewaminato Rikichi[4]
- Spring
Haru basho, Tokyo
March
Sangatsu basho, varied
Summer
Natsu basho, Tokyo
October
Jūgatsu basho, varied
1928 x x (Maezumo) Jonokuchi

 
1929 West Jonidan #40
6–0
 
West Jonidan #40
4–2
 
East Sandanme #29
3–3
 
East Sandanme #29
4–2
 
1930 East Sandanme #12
4–2
 
East Sandanme #12
3–3
 
West Makushita #29
2–4
 
West Makushita #29
5–1
 
1931 West Makushita #12
1–5
 
West Makushita #12
2–4
 
West Sandanme #2
5–1
 
West Sandanme #2
4–2
 
1932 Expelled Expelled Expelled Expelled
Record given as wins–losses–absences    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)
Divisions: MakuuchiJūryōMakushitaSandanmeJonidanJonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: YokozunaŌzekiSekiwakeKomusubiMaegashira
- Spring
Haru basho, Tokyo
Summer
Natsu basho, Tokyo
Autumn
Aki basho, Tokyo
1933 Makushita
7–2
 
East Makushita #7
8–3
Champion

 
Not held
1934 East Jūryō #10
7–4
 
East Jūryō #3
11–0
Champion

 
Not held
1935 West Maegashira #9
6–5
 
West Maegashira #7
6–5
 
Not held
1936 East Maegashira #5
8–3
 
West Maegashira #1
7–4
 
Not held
1937 East Sekiwake
2–9
 
East Maegashira #3
7–6
 
Not held
1938 East Maegashira #2
2–5–6
East Maegashira #9
3–5–5
 
Not held
1939 West Maegashira #17
13–0
 
West Komusubi
5–10
 
Not held
1940 West Maegashira #8
8–7
 
West Maegashira #2
10–5
 
Not held
1941 East Komusubi
0–2–13
 
East Maegashira #5
9–6
 
Not held
1942 West Maegashira #1
9–6
 
West Sekiwake
8–6
1d

 
Not held
1943 East Sekiwake
3–12
 
West Maegashira #4
7–8
 
Not held
1944 East Maegashira #4
8–6–1
 
West Maegashira #2
0–10
 
West Maegashira #15
Retired
0–0–10
Record given as win-loss-absent    Top Division Champion Top Division Runner-up Retired Lower Divisions

Key:  =Kinboshi(s);   d=Draw(s) (引分);   h=Hold(s) (預り)
Divisions: MakuuchiJūryōMakushitaSandanmeJonidanJonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: YokozunaŌzekiSekiwakeKomusubiMaegashira

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Kuroda, Joe (August 2006). "Rikishi of Old: Tenryu Saburo and Shunjuen Incident". sumofanmag.com. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Dewaminato Rikichi Kabu History". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Dewaminato bouts by kimarite". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  4. ^ "Dewaminato Rikichi Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2013-07-12.