Kotoshōhō Yoshinari (Japanese: 琴勝峰 吉成, born August 26, 1999 as Toshiki Tebakari (手計 富士紀, Tebakari Toshiki)) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Kashiwa, Chiba. He made his debut in November 2017 and reached the top makuuchi division in May 2020. He wrestles for Sadogatake stable. His highest rank has been maegashira 3. He was runner-up in the January 2023 tournament, also winning the Fighting Spirit prize.
| Kotoshōhō Yoshinari | |
|---|---|
| 琴勝峰 吉成 | |
 Kotoshōhō in 2022 | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Toshiki Tebakari August 26, 1999 Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan |
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) |
| Weight | 154 kg (340 lb; 24 st 4 lb) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Sadogatake |
| Current rank | see below |
| Debut | November, 2017 |
| Highest rank | Maegashira 3 (January, 2021) |
| Championships | 3 (Jūryō) |
| Special Prizes | 1 (Fighting Spirit) |
| * Up to date as of 26 November 2023. | |
Career
editHe began sumo in the first grade of elementary school, and won the national junior high school championship in his third year of junior high. He went to Saitama Sakae High School, famous for its sumo program, and was classmates with Naya and Tsukahara. After graduating from high school he joined Sadogatake stable, recruited by ex-sekiwake Kotonowaka, to whom he had a connection as Kotonowaka's eldest son was a fellow member of Kashiwa City's boys sumo club. He made his professional debut in November 2017, using the shikona of Kototebakari Toshiki (琴手計 富士紀), based on his own name. In his first tournament on the banzuke in January 2018 he took part in a playoff with Tsukahara for the jonokuchi division championship after both finished with a 6–1 record. He reached the makushita division in September 2018 and although he was unable to secure a winning record he returned to makushita in January 2019 and five straight winning records saw him reach elite sekitori status after the September 2019 tournament. To mark the occasion he changed his shikona to Kotoshōhō Yoshinari.
Kotoshōhō won the jūryō division yūshō or championship with a 12–3 record in March 2020, only his third tournament in the division, and this earned him promotion to the top division for the Natsu tournament scheduled for May 2020.[1] He has been praised by commentators for his calm demeanour and his maturity in the dohyō despite being only 20 years of age at the time of his promotion.[2] Three further winning records brought him to the joi-jin rank of maegashira 3 for the January 2021 tournament, where he managed only two wins facing top-ranked opposition. He missed several days of the March 2021 tournament due to injury, only managing to record one win, and he was demoted back to jūryō for the May 2021 tournament. He won his second jūryō division championship in January 2022 with an 11–4 record, and returned to the top division for the March 2022 tournament.[3]
He secured a winning record of 9–6 there, but then had losing records in the next four tournaments. From the rank of maegashira 13 in January 2023, he entered the final day level with ōzeki Takakeishō on 11–3, and fought him for the championship in the final match of the tournament, the first maegashira to be in such a position since 15-day tournaments were established in 1949.[4] Although he was defeated and missed out on the Outstanding Performance award, he did receive the Fighting Spirit award for his 11–4 performance, the best of his career.[5] Kotoshōhō withdrew on Day 10 of the May 2023 tournament due to a patellar subluxation in his left knee,[6] after having suffered eight consecutive defeats. He also had sprained his right ankle during the spring jungyō. He nevertheless expressed his desire to return to the competition and was later scheduled to return on Day fourteen.[7][8]
Kotoshōhō was demoted to the jūryō division after suffering ten losses at the rank of maegashira 14 in September 2023. He won the November 2023 jūryō title–his third career title in that division–with ten wins and a playoff victory over 2023 tsukedashi entrant Ōnosato. As the top-ranked jūryō competitor at the time, Kotoshōhō appeared likely to return to the top division for the next tournament in January 2024.[9]
Kotoshōhō spent 2024 competing in the maegashira ranks, securing winning records in his first four tournaments before suffering eight losses in September. In November he won three matches before pulling out near the end of the tournament, with his medical certificate indicating a toe dislocation and avulsion fracture requiring two months of treatment.[10]
Fighting style
editAccording to his Japan Sumo Association profile, Kotoshoho prefers a migi-yotsu (left hand outside, right hand inside grip on his opponent's mawashi and his most common winning kimarite are yori-kiri (force out) and oshi dashi (push out).
Personal life
editKotoshōhō has a younger brother who also wrestles as a professional in the same stable under the ring name Kototebakari, a shikona inspired by both brothers' real surname.[11] In June 2023, Kotoshōhō held a press conference at Ryōgoku Kokugikan to announce his engagement to a woman of the same age, living in Yame, Fukuoka Prefecture, to whom he proposed after the May 2023 tournament.[12] The following month it was announced that the couple were expecting their first child.[13] Their son was born on 24 October 2023, and the wedding ceremony took place on 9 June 2024.[14]
Career record
edit| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | x | x | x | x | x | (Maezumo) |
| 2018 | East Jonokuchi #19 6–1–P |
East Jonidan #42 6–1 |
West Sandanme #77 5–2 |
East Sandanme #47 6–1 |
West Makushita #58 3–4 |
East Sandanme #10 5–2 |
| 2019 | West Makushita #48 6–1 |
West Makushita #20 4–3 |
East Makushita #15 5–2 |
East Makushita #8 4–3 |
West Makushita #4 4–3 |
East Jūryō #13 9–6 |
| 2020 | West Jūryō #8 9–6 |
East Jūryō #6 12–3 Champion |
East Maegashira #15 Tournament Cancelled 0–0–0 |
East Maegashira #15 8–7 |
East Maegashira #12 10–5 |
West Maegashira #5 8–7 |
| 2021 | East Maegashira #3 2–13 |
West Maegashira #11 1–6–8 |
East Jūryō #5 7–8 |
West Jūryō #5 5–10 |
West Jūryō #8 9–6 |
East Jūryō #6 8–7 |
| 2022 | West Jūryō #2 11–4 Champion |
East Maegashira #14 9–6 |
East Maegashira #9 6–9 |
East Maegashira #11 5–6–4[16] |
East Maegashira #11 7–8 |
West Maegashira #11 7–8 |
| 2023 | East Maegashira #13 11–4 F |
East Maegashira #5 6–9 |
West Maegashira #5 2–10–3 |
West Maegashira #13 7–8 |
West Maegashira #14 5–10 |
West Jūryō #1 12–3 Champion |
| 2024 | East Maegashira #14 9–6 |
West Maegashira #9 8–7 |
West Maegashira #8 8–7 |
East Maegashira #7 8–7 |
West Maegashira #4 7–8 |
West Maegashira #5 3–11–1 |
| 2025 | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| 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) |
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See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Asanoyama moves up to ozeki in rankings for Summer Grand Sumo Tournament". Japan Times. 27 April 2020. 27 April 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ Gunning, John (15 April 2020). "Asanoyama strong favorite to become sumo's next hot star". Japan Times. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ "Sumo: New rankings put spotlight on endurance, comebacks". The Mainichi. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
- ^ "優勝次点の琴勝峰、ボディービルダーで居酒屋を経営する父・学さんに鍛えられてきた". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 23 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
- ^ "Sumo: Lone ozeki Takakeisho wins New Year meet, 3rd Emperor's Cup". Kyodo News. 22 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
- ^ "琴勝峰が「左反復性膝蓋骨亜脱臼」で休場 10日目の対戦相手、大栄翔は不戦勝で勝ち越し王手". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 23 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- ^ "幕内・琴勝峰が休場 ここまで1勝8敗と不調 10日目対戦相手の大栄翔は不戦勝". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 23 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- ^ "琴勝峰14日目から再出場、宝富士と対戦 残り２日は幕内残留かけた土俵になる可能性も". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 26 May 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
- ^ "琴勝峰３度目の十両優勝「まだまだ、ざんばら。負けたくなかった」新鋭大の里との優勝決定戦制す" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 26 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- ^ "前頭琴勝峰が休場 左足親指付近負傷約２カ月の治療を要する見込み… 剥離骨折の疑いも" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 23 November 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
- ^ "白星発進の琴手計、兄の琴勝峰の結婚に動揺なし 20歳にして早くもおじさんに" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ "琴勝峰が婚約を電撃発表 同い年で福岡在住の一般女性と 「ずっと一緒にいたいと」 挙式などは未定" (in Japanese). Sports Hochi. 3 June 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
- ^ "１カ前に婚約発表した琴勝峰が正式に結婚、11月には第１子の男児誕生予定と明かした" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 3 July 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
- ^ "結婚ちょうど１年の琴勝峰挙式・披露宴 珠奈夫人、青系の色打ち掛け姿に「キレイだと思います」" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 9 June 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
- ^ "Kotoshōhō Yoshinari Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
- ^ Withdrew on Day 11 due to COVID protocols
External links
edit- Kotoshōhō Yoshinari's official biography (English) at the Grand Sumo Homepage