Akinoshima Katsumi on arvau

Wikipedia / Akinoshima Katsumi

Akinoshima Katsumi (born 16 March 1967 as Katsumi Yamanaka) is a former sumo wrestler from Akitsu, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1982, and after reaching the top division in 1988 he remained there for 15 years. His highest rank was sekiwake. He was known as the "giant killer" having defeated more yokozuna than any other untitled wrestler (maegashira) in the history of sumo, earning himself 16 gold stars or kinboshi over his career, four more than his nearest kinboshi earning rivals, Takamiyama and Tochinonada. He also has received 19 performance prizes (sanshō), another record in sumo history.

Akinoshima was a member of Futagoyama stable and was a stablemate of the wrestling brothers Takanohana II and Wakanohana III during their rise in sumo and subsequent yokozuna reigns. Akinoshima was a wrestler always capable of surprise wins, but lacked consistency, spending most of his career as a maegashira. After his retirement in 2003 he became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and in 2009 he became head coach of the Takadagawa stable.

Early years

Though he practiced judo in his junior high school years, Yamanaka had dreamed from a very young age of becoming a sumo wrestler, and eventually was able to enter a sumo competition while still in junior high school. Sometime later, he had a chance meeting with then ōzeki Takanohana I on one of the ōzekis visits to Hiroshima. Yamanaka was invited to join Takanohana's stable, Futagoyama-beya (then known as Fujishima-beya). Making his professional debut in March 1982, he reached the third highest makushita division in March 1985. After winning the makushita championship with a perfect 7-0 record in May 1987 he made his second division jūryō debut that July, and entered the top division makuuchi in March 1988, just days shy of his 20th birthday.

Career

Akinoshima received his first kinboshi on his defeat of the yokozuna Ōnokuni in September 1988. He went on to receive at least one kinboshi from every yokozuna he faced. He won 14 of his 16 kinboshi in a period of just four years from 1988 to 1992, and he would earn only two more in the last 11 years of his top division career. It is notable that due to sumo rules, Akinoshima never faced his stablemates, Wakanohana and Takanohana in the sumo ring. Had he had this chance, he might have attained even more kinboshi than his already unrivaled record. His record of 16 kinboshi is four clear of his nearest rival. He also had a remarkable hold over the ōzeki Konishiki, whom he defeated in every one of their first seven meetings, and he had a 25–10 overall career advantage over him.

He had an ongoing rivalry with another maegashira star Kotonishiki, and managed to chalk up only a 9–39 win–loss record against him during their respective top division careers. Only three wrestlers in the history of sumo have ever lost more times to another than Akinoshima did against Kotonishiki. He won his last bout against Kotonishiki in March 2000, but injured his elbow in the win. Ironically, this injury would be one factor that led to his eventual retirement in May 2003. After losing to Iwakiyama on the 14th day of the tournament he faced certain demotion to jūryō and announced his retirement with immediate effect, not appearing on the final day. He was the last top division wrestler from the Shōwa era to retire.

He competed in the top division for 91 tournaments, which at the time of his retirement was the third highest in history, after Takamiyama and Terao. He never won a top division tournament title, his best result being 12–3 in March 1992 when he finished runner-up to Konishiki. He was ranked in the titled san'yaku ranks for 27 tournaments, 15 at komusubi and 12 at sekiwake. However, he was never consistent enough to earn promotion to ōzeki, often dropping matches to less talented opponents.

He won his nineteenth sanshō or special prize in 1999, breaking the record of eighteen held by his rival Kotonishiki. The last two came in September 1999, a tournament in which he was also runner-up for the second time.

He was an extremely diligent trainer, setting himself the target of one hundred practice bouts every day. He suffered a severe shoulder injury in 1995, which required surgery.

Fighting style

Akinoshima favoured yotsu-sumo or grappling techniques, preferring to fight at close quarters rather than thrust to the chest. His favourite grip on the mawashi was hidari-yotsu, with his right hand outside and left hand inside his opponent's arms. His most common winning kimarite was yori-kiri or force out, but he also regularly used throws, both overarm (uwatenage) and underarm (shitatenage). He was known for his excellent balance, and for his ability to bury his head into his opponent's body, making him almost impossible to shake off.

When he first entered the top division in 1988 his weight was around , below average, but this gradually increased, and peaked at towards the end of his career.

Retirement

Upon retirement, Akinoshima became a coach (oyakata) at his stable under the name Fujishima. But disagreements with stablemaster Takanohana II over how to run the stable would eventually lead to Akinoshima moving to coach at Takadagawa stable instead, a fairly rare occurrence in the world of sumo. He became Sendagawa-oyakata. He took over the running of Takadagawa stable from former ōzeki Maenoyama in August 2009. In September 2012 he oversaw the promotion of Ryūden to jūryō, the stable's first sekitori since in 2006. In January 2016 Kagayaki reached the top division, joined by Ryūden in January 2018.

In March 2024, he was elected director of the Japan Sumo Association for the first time, his term of office to run until 2026.

Personal life

Akinoshima was known for often avoiding interviews after big wins even though an interview immediately after a big win is a long time sumo tradition. Akinoshima would refuse saying that it was disrespectful to the defeated wrestler.

He is a big fan of The Rolling Stones and was appointed their "ambassador" by Warner Music Japan. He invited The Rolling Stones to his retirement ceremony at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in January 2004, but they were unable to attend.

Unusually for someone in the sumo world, he does not drink alcohol.

The Sumo Association announced on 25 April 2020 that Akinoshima and five other wrestlers, including a jūryō wrestler in Takadagawa stable, were being hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19.

Career record

 1982
   
   MAEZUMOU
   jk17w61P
   jo82e70PChampion
   sa73w34
   jo1w52
 
 1983
   sa55e43
   sa43e25
   sa72e34
   sa85e61
   sa27e52
   sa1e16
 
 1984
   sa32e43
   sa20e34
   sa36w52
   sa4w16
   sa39e43
   sa23w34
 
 1985
   sa40w61
   ma56e52
   ma34e52
   ma21w52
   ma11w34
   ma20e34
 
 1986
   ma29w52
   ma15w25
   ma33e61
   ma15e34
   ma25w61
   ma7w25
 
 1987
   ma20e52
   ma9e34
   ma14w70Champion
   j12e87
   j10w87
   j6w96
 
 1988
   j4e123Champion
   m12e78
   j1e105
   m10w114f
   m2e87o*
   k1w78
 
 1989
   m1e78*
   m1w87f
   s1w69
   m1e78**
   m2e78**
   m2w510
 
 1990
   m6w87
   m2w87o**
   m1e105ot*
   s1e96f
   s1e69
   m1e105o**
 
 1991
   k1e510
   m3w87*
   m1e96f*
   k1e87
   k1e96
   s1w411
 
 1992
   m5e87*
   m2w123jfo
   k1e96
   s1e105
   s1e87
   s2e78
 
 1993
   m1e96
   s1w0213
   KYUJOm10e
   m10e96o*
   m2w96
   k1w69
 
 1994
   m2e411
   m10e96
   m3e312
   m14e87
   m13w114
   m4w105
 
 1995
   k1e114f
   s1w114f
   s1e78
   k1e1212
   KYUJOm7w
   m7w87
 
 1996
   m4e96
   k1w69
   m2e510
   m5w105
   m1w78
   m2e96
 
 1997
   k1w69
   m2e78
   m2w78
   m3e69
   m5e87
   k1w78
 
 1998
   m1w69
   m2w96
   k1w105t
   s1e348
   KYUJOm5w
   m5w87
 
 1999
   m3e114t
   k2e114o
   s1e69
   m1w69*
   m3w114jft
   k1w312
 
 2000
   m4w78
   m5e510
   m7w105
   m1e87
   k1e78
   m1e510
 
 2001
   m4e78
   m5e510
   m9w87
   m6e411
   m11w96
   m6w87
 
 2002
   m1w69
   m4e78
   m5e312
   m11w69
   m13e78
   m14e96
 
 2003
   m9w69
   m12w69
   INTAIm15w69