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Wikipedia / Maedayama Eigorō

was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Ehime Prefecture. He was the sport's 39th yokozuna.

Career

He was born in Nishiuwa District. On his school excursion to Ōita in the spring of 1926, he met future yokozuna Futabayama Sadaji, who had not yet joined Tatsunami stable, and was participating in the track meet. After joining Takasago stable in the autumn of 1927, he met Futabayama again. Subsequently, he and Futabayama practiced together regularly after he entered sumo.

He made his professional debut in January 1929 using the shikona or ring name , before changing it to in May 1930. In January 1935 he changed its surname to Maedayama in honour of the surgeon who saved his career after he was forced to sit out the whole of 1934 due to injury.

Maedayama reached the top makuuchi division in January 1937. In May 1938, he was promoted to ōzeki, straight from the fourth komusubi rank, after finishing as tournament runner-up. It was the quickest rise to ōzeki since Ōnishiki in 1916. In January 1941, he defeated ōzeki Haguroyama and yokozuna Futabayama. His strongest technique was harite, or face slap. His technique caused a controversy over harite but Futabayama supported him, insisting it was a legitimate sumo technique.

Maedayama was an ōzeki during the war years, when few tournaments were held, and took his only top division championship in the autumn of 1944, with a 9–1 record. He was promoted to yokozuna in June 1947 after taking part in a three way play-off that also included fellow ōzeki Azumafuji and yokozuna Haguroyama. He was thirty-three years old at the time of his promotion and in his short yokozuna career he was unable to win any further tournament championships, only managing to produce two winning scores. Always a temperamental and controversial figure, he was forced to retire by the Japan Sumo Association in October 1949 after dropping out of a tournament claiming illness, only to be subsequently photographed at a baseball game with Lefty O'Doul.

Retirement from sumo

Maedayama had become head coach of Takasago stable in 1941 while still active in the ring (a practice no longer permitted) and upon his retirement he formally adopted the name Takasago Oyakata. In 1964 he recruited Takamiyama from Hawaii, the first foreigner to succeed in professional sumo. He went on an extended tour of the United States to promote sumo, without the permission of the Sumo Association's directors. He produced yokozuna Asashio Tarō III in 1959 and ōzeki Maenoyama Tarō in 1970. In 1967 he allowed Chiyonoyama's Kokonoe stable into his faction, strengthening the Takasago ichimon (group of stables). He became calmer late in his life and died on August 17, 1971, of cirrhosis of the liver, too early to see Takamiyama become the first foreigner to win a championship in 1972. After his death, foreigners such as ōzeki Konishiki and yokozuna Asashōryū joined his stable.

Career record

   maezumou
   maezumou
   jk15e33
   jk15e42
 
 1930
   jo29e33
   jo29e24
   jo29e51
   jo29e51
 
   sa20e15
   sa20e33
   sa33w51
   sa33w51
 
   ma17e53
   ma17e55
   kyujoma7e11
   ma7e731

  • Through most of the 1930s and 1940s only two tournaments were held a year, and in 1946 only one was held.

   ma14w74
   ma3w74
   noteNot held
 
   j9w0011
   ma7e0011
   noteNot held
 
   sa5w51
   ma14e101Champion
   noteNot held
 
 1936
   j12e83
   j4w101Champion
   noteNot held
 
 1937
   m12e74
   m5e94
   noteNot held
 
 1938
   k1e112j
   o1e85
   noteNot held
 
 1939
   o1e94
   o1e105
   noteNot held
 
 1940
   o1w105
   o1w114
   noteNot held
 
 1941
   o2e123
   o2e105
   noteNot held
 
 1942
   ow2310
   oe114
   noteNot held
 
 1943
   o1w114
   o1e96
   noteNot held
 
 1944
   o1w96
   o1w82
   o1w91y
 
 1945
   noteNot held
   o1e124
   o2e55
 
 1946
   noteNot held
   noteNot held
   o2e112j
 
 1947
   noteNot held
   o1w91PPj
   y2w65
 
 1948
   noteNot held
   y2e0110
   y2e362
 
 1949
   y2e535
   y1w96
   intaiy2e168

See also

References