Asahikuni Masuo
| Asahikuni Masuo | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born |
Takeo Ōta April 25, 1947 Hokkaidō, Japan |
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 121 kg (267 lb) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Tatsunami |
| Record | 635-479-72 |
| Debut | July, 1963 |
| Highest rank | Ōzeki (May, 1976) |
| Retired | September, 1979 |
| Championships |
1 (Jūryō) 1 (Makushita) |
| Special Prizes |
Fighting Spirit (1) Technique(6) |
| Gold Stars | 2 (Kotozakura, Kitanofuji) |
| * Up to date as of August 2012. | |
Asahikuni Masuo (旭國斗雄 , born April 25, 1947 as Takeo Ōta (太田武雄)) is a former sumo wrestler from Hokkaidō, Japan. His highest rank was ōzeki. After his retirement he set up Ōshima stable which he ran from 1980 until he left the Japan Sumo Association in 2012 upon reaching the age of 65.
Career
Born in Aibetsu, Kamikawa District, Asahikuni made his professional debut in July 1963, joining Tatsunami stable. He reached the second highest jūryō division in March 1969 and the top makuuchi division just two tournaments after that. In 1970 he dropped to jūryō once again but he returned to the top division in 1972, reaching sekiwake in November.
At the beginning of 1976 Asahikuni put together two strong records of 12-3 and 13-2, finishing as runner-up in both tournaments, and this earned him promotion to the rank of ōzeki. It had taken him 77 tournaments from his professional debut to reach ōzeki, which at the time was the slowest ever.[1] His best tournament result came in July 1977 when he lost just one bout, but he finished as runner-up to Kitanoumi who won with a perfect record. Asahikuni was never able to win a top division championship, this being his fourth and final runner-up performance.
He retired in September 1979 after 21 tournaments as an ōzeki. His retirement was enforced, as he had broken his shoulder in a bout with Mienoumi.[2] The two wrestlers had been friends as well as rivals, having made their professional debuts in the same month, and their friendship survived the incident.[2]
Fighting style
Asahikuni was an extremely skilful wrestler, earning the nickname "the PhD of sumo",[3] such was his knowledge of a wide variety of techniques. He won the prestigious Ginō-shō, or Technique prize, on six occasions. He achieved this despite the fact that he suffered regularly from pancreatitis and was known even to commute to tournaments from hospital.[3] He specialised in a left hand outside, right hand inside grip on his opponent's mawashi, migi-yotsu, from which he regularly won by shitatenage, or underarm throw. He was also one of very few wrestlers to use tottari, or arm pull.
Retirement from sumo
Asahikuni stayed in the sumo world as an elder under the name of Ōshima Oyakata. In 1980 he established Ōshima stable, despite strong opposition from his old stable boss Tatsunami.[3] Ōshima stable produced yokozuna Asahifuji and in later years the Mongolians Kyokushūzan and Kyokutenhō. In all Ōshima produced ten sekitori, nine of whom went on to reach the top division. He also worked as a shinpan or judge of tournament bouts and was on the Japan Sumo Association's board of directors until 2010 when he lost an election to Takanohana. Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65 in April 2012 Ōshima stable was dissolved with its wrestlers moving to Tomozuna stable.[4] Kyokutenhō, having acquired Japanese citizenship, is now the owner of the Ōshima stock and may revive Ōshima stable, although he as of 2016 he was working as a coach at Tomozuna.[5]
Career record
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | x | x | x | (Maezumo) | West Jonokuchi #11
6–1 |
West Jonidan #11
6–1 |
| 1964 | West Sandanme #84
5–2 |
West Sandanme #53
5–2 |
East Sandanme #25
5–2 |
East Makushita #93
4–3 |
West Makushita #81
2–5 |
West Sandanme #6
4–3 |
| 1965 | East Makushita #90
4–3 |
West Makushita #78
3–4 |
West Makushita #87
1–6 |
East Sandanme #21
4–3 |
East Sandanme #9
5–2 |
East Makushita #79
5–2 |
| 1966 | East Makushita #66
4–3 |
East Makushita #60
4–3 |
East Makushita #55
2–5 |
West Makushita #73
4–3 |
West Makushita #63
5–2 |
West Makushita #44
3–4 |
| 1967 | West Makushita #50
4–3 |
West Makushita #39
7–0 Champion |
East Makushita #11
3–4 |
West Makushita #13
2–5 |
East Makushita #26
5–2 |
West Makushita #12
4–3 |
| 1968 | West Makushita #9
3–4 |
West Makushita #11
4–3 |
East Makushita #8
5–2 |
East Makushita #2
2–5 |
East Makushita #11
4–3 |
East Makushita #6
5–2 |
| 1969 | West Makushita #3
5–2 |
West Jūryō #13
10–5 |
West Jūryō #5
11–4 |
East Maegashira #11
7–8 |
West Maegashira #12
8–7 |
East Maegashira #6
6–9 |
| 1970 | West Maegashira #11
8–7 |
East Maegashira #9
6–7–2 |
East Maegashira #13
9–6 |
West Maegashira #6
4–11 |
East Jūryō #1
8–7 |
West Jūryō #1
Sat out due to injury 0–0–15 |
| 1971 | East Jūryō #10
8–7 |
East Jūryō #9
7–8 |
West Jūryō #10
9–6 |
East Jūryō #5
8–7 |
East Jūryō #3
12–3 Champion |
East Maegashira #10
8–7 |
| 1972 | West Maegashira #4
0–1–14 |
East Jūryō #1
10–5 |
West Maegashira #10
8–7 |
West Maegashira #7
9–6 |
West Maegashira #3
10–5 T |
West Sekiwake #1
4–11 |
| 1973 | East Maegashira #5
8–7 |
West Maegashira #1
8–7 |
East Maegashira #1
6–9 |
West Maegashira #3
8–7 |
West Sekiwake #1
0–3–12 |
East Maegashira #8
9–6 |
| 1974 | West Maegashira #2
4–11 |
West Maegashira #9
11–4 T |
West Maegashira #1
9–6 ★ |
East Maegashira #1
8–7 ★ |
West Komusubi #1
7–8 |
West Maegashira #1
7–8 |
| 1975 | West Maegashira #2
10–5 |
West Komusubi #1
4–2–9 |
East Maegashira #4
11–4 T |
East Komusubi #1
11–4 T |
West Sekiwake #1
9–6 T |
West Sekiwake #1
8–7 |
| 1976 | East Sekiwake #1
12–3 F |
East Sekiwake #1
13–2–P T |
East Ōzeki #1
9–6 |
West Ōzeki #1
9–6 |
West Ōzeki #1
10–5 |
West Ōzeki #1
10–5 |
| 1977 | East Ōzeki #1
0–3–12 |
East Ōzeki #3
9–6 |
East Ōzeki #2
9–6 |
East Ōzeki #2
9–6 |
West Ōzeki #1
14–1 |
East Ōzeki #1
8–7 |
| 1978 | West Ōzeki #2
10–5 |
East Ōzeki #2
10–5 |
West Ōzeki #1
8–7 |
West Ōzeki #1
9–6 |
West Ōzeki #1
3–12 |
West Ōzeki #2
9–6 |
| 1979 | West Ōzeki #2
9–6 |
West Ōzeki #2
3–6–6 |
West Ōzeki #2
8–7 |
West Ōzeki #2
8–7 |
West Ōzeki #1
Retired 4–4 |
|
| 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) | ||||||
See also
- Glossary of sumo terms
- List of sumo tournament second division champions
- List of past sumo wrestlers
References
- ↑ "2012 May Grand Sumo Tournament Banzuke Topics". Japan Sumo Association. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012.
- 1 2 Kuroda, Joe (October 2008). "Rikishi of Old" (PDF). Sumo Fan Magazine. Retrieved 12 February 2008.
- 1 2 3 Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo. Weatherhill. ISBN 0-8348-0283-X.
- ↑ 親方定年で大島部屋力士が友綱へ転属 (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 25 March 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
- ↑ 大島部屋、力士７人友綱部屋に移籍 親方定年で 部屋一時消滅 (in Japanese). Nikkei. 24 March 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
- ↑ "Asahikuni Masuo Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2012-07-29.