Takanonami Sadahiro

Sumo wrestler infobox

wrestlername = 貴ノ浪　貞博 Takanonami Sadahiro
realname =Sadahiro Namioka
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1971|10|27
placeofbirth = Aomori, Japan
height = height|meters=1.96
weight = convert|160|kg|lb|abbr=on|lk=on
heya = Futagoyama
rank =
record = 777-559-13
debut = March, 1987
highestrank = Ōzeki (March 1994)
retireddate = May, 2004
yushos = 2 (Makuuchi)
prizes = Fighting Spirit (3)
goldstars = 2 (Musashimaru)
update = May 2007

Takanonami Sadahiro (born October 27, 1971 as Sadahiro Namioka) is a former sumo wrestler from Aomori, Japan. He held sumo's second highest rank of "ōzeki" from 1994 until 2000 and won two tournament titles. He is now a sumo coach.

Career

Born in Misawa, Aomori, the young Namioka did sumo at elementary school, but did not initially consider it as a profession, intending to follow his father and work in local government.Cite book |author=Sharnoff, Lorna |title=Grand Sumo|publisher=Weatherhill |year=1993 |id=ISBN 0-8348-0283-x|pages=217] However, he was introduced to Fujishima Oyakata (the former Takanohana Kenshi) who was in Misawa to give a speech, and was persuaded to join Fujishima Stable.

Takanonami made his professional debut in 1987. He became an elite "sekitori" ranked wrestler in March 1991 when he was promoted to the second highest "juryo" division, and he reached the top "makuuchi" division in November 1991. He led the race for the championship in the first week of the tournament, the first debutant to do so, and defeated Kotonishiki, the winner of the previous tournament. However he started losing in the second week and finished with a score of 8-7. He earned his first special prize in his first tournament at "komusubi" rank in May 1993. After a 13-2 runner-up performance from "sekiwake" rank in January 1994, he earned promotion to "ozeki" simultaneously with Musashimaru. His two tournament victories in January 1996 and November 1997 both came after playoff wins against stablemate Takanohana. He normally avoided having to meet Takanohana, as well as other top division stars such as Wakanohana, Takatoriki and Akinoshima, as they were all members of Futagoyama stable, a large and dominant heya which had merged with Fujishima in 1993. At his peak he consistently scored 11 or 12 wins in a tournament and was runner-up three times in 1996. He was ranked as an ozeki for 37 tournaments in total. He lost the rank at the end of 1999 after two "make-koshi" or losing scores, but was promoted back after scoring ten wins as a "sekiwake" in January 2000: the first wrestler to achieve this since Mienoumi in 1976. However, after two more losing scores in March and May 2000 he was demoted once again, and was never able to return.

Rivalry with Musashimaru

Takanonami had a well-known rivalry with fellow "ōzeki" and later "yokozuna", Musashimaru. They met a total of 58 times in the top division, which is a record number of bouts for an individual rivalry in the history of sumo.cite web|author=Perran, Thierry|title=Departure of Takanonami: the end of a glorious era|publisher=Le Monde Du Sumo|url=http://www.lemondedusumo.com/english/MDS4_takanonami.php?mag=mds&num=4|date=June 2004|accessdate=2008-04-22] In all, Musashimaru had the upper hand, winning 37 bouts to Takanonami's 21, although Takanonami did manage to beat him seven times in a row from November 1996 to January 1998, and also won their last three matches, after he had fallen from the "ozeki" rank. Two of those wins provided Takanonami with his only "kinboshi."

tyle

Takanonami had an unusual defensive style, often being driven back to the edge of the "dohyo" before using his long reach to lean over and grab his opponent's arms and launch a counter-offensive. He regularly won by "kimedashi," a technique seldom seen today. In his later years his various injuries (particularly those to his ankles) meant he was less effective at this, and his results suffered. He largely remained in the "maegashira" ranks and had six consecutive losing scores in 2003.

Retirement

By May 2004 Takanonami was the only top division wrestler left from the once dominant Futagoyama stable, which had been renamed Takanohana stable a few months earlier. He had slipped to "maegashira" 13 in the rankings and after losing his first two bouts, he announced his retirement. [cite web | author=| title="Asashoryu wins 33rd straight" | publisher=The Japan Times Online | language=English | url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ss20040512a1.html| date=2004-05-12 | accessdate=2007-05-11] He now works as a coach in his old stable under the name Otowayama. [cite web | author=| title="Beya guide: Takanohana Beya" | publisher=Nihon Sumo Kyokai | language=English | url=http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/eng/ozumo_meikan/sumo_beya/takanohana.html| date=2007 | accessdate=2007-05-11]

As an "oyakata," he is known as one of the more bright personalities in his stable, and he has appeared on a number of variety programs on Japanese TV largely due to his accessible personality. [cite web | author=| title="貴ノ浪" | publisher=ja.wikipedia.org | language=Japanese | url=http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/貴ノ浪 | date=2007 | accessdate=2007-06-09]

Takanonami is reportedly a big fan of American Football and has appeared as a commentator on sports programs in Japan. [cite web | author=| title="貴ノ浪" | publisher=ja.wikipedia.org | language=Japanese | url=http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/貴ノ浪 | date=2007 | accessdate=2007-06-09]

Health concerns

Takanonami was first diagnosed as having a possible heart condition, specifically atrial fibrillation, in 1998. He spent some time in hospital whilst still an active wrestler, but in February 2006 he was admitted to hospital once again with septicemia, pneumonia and other complications. He fell into cardiac arrest and had to undergo emergency surgery.

Top division record

References

ee also

*Glossary of sumo terms
*List of past sumo wrestlers
*List of sumo tournament winners

External links

[http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/eng/ozumo_meikan/rikishi_joho/rikishi.php?A=3 Japan Sumo Association profile]