- Ōshio Kenji
-
大潮 憲司
Ōshio Kenji
Personal information Born Kenji Katano
January 4, 1948
Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, JapanHeight 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) Weight 134 kg (300 lb) Career Heya Tokitsukaze Record 964-929-47 Debut January 1962 Highest rank Komusubi (January 1978) Retired January 1988 Yūshō 3 (Juryo) Sanshō 1 (Fighting Spirit)
1 (Technique)Kinboshi 3 * Career information is correct as of November 2007. Ōshio Kenji (born 4 January 1948 as Kenji Hatano) is a former sumo wrestler from Kitakyushu, Japan. His highest rank was komusubi. His career lasted twenty six years, from 1962 until 1988, and he holds the record for the most bouts contested in professional sumo.
Contents
Career
He was born in Yahata Higashi ward. He made his professional debut in January 1962 at the age of just 14, joining Tokitsukaze stable. His first stablemaster was the former yokozuna Futabayama. He initially fought under his own surname, Hatano, before adopting the shikona of Ōshio in 1969. He reached the second highest juryo division in November 1969 and was promoted to the top makuuchi division for the first time in September 1971. He reached his top rank of komusubi in January 1978, but held it for only one tournament. In the May 1978 tournament he defeated Wajima on the opening day, his first ever victory over a yokozuna. He was to earn two more kinboshi in September 1982 and January 1983, at the age of 35. He also earned two special prizes, for Technique and Fighting Spirit.
During his extraordinarily long career Ōshio was ranked in makuuchi for 51 tournaments and 55 tournaments in juryo, for a total of 106 ranked as an elite sekitori wrestler, a record that stood until 2002 when it was broken by Terao. He holds the "elevator" record for going between makuuchi and juryo a total of 13 times.[1] The longest he was able to stay in the top division consecutively was 18 tournaments between January 1981 and November 1983. He fell from makuuchi for the last time in May 1984 and announced his retirement in January 1988 at the age of forty after falling into the non-salaried makushita division.[1] He had competed in 157 tournaments, and had fought a total of 1891 career bouts, which is an all-time record.[2] His total of 964 career wins was also a record at the time, although it was surpassed by Chiyonofuji less than two years later, in September 1989.
Retirement from sumo
Ōshio remained in the sumo world as an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and set up Shikihide stable in 1992.[1] To date, none of his wrestlers have managed to reach the top two divisions.
Fighting style
Ōshio's preferred grip on his opponent's mawashi was hidari-yotsu, a right hand outside, left hand inside position. His most commonly used kimarite at sekitori level was yori-kiri, a straightforward force out, which was used in around 30 percent of his victories. He also won frequently with oshi-dashi (push out), yori taoshi (force out and down) and uwatenage (overarm throw).[3]
Top division record
Ōshio Kenji[4]
year in sumo January
Hatsu basho, TokyoMarch
Haru basho, OsakaMay
Natsu basho, TokyoJuly
Nagoya basho, NagoyaSeptember
Aki basho, TokyoNovember
Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka1971 x x x x West Maegashira #12
6–9
(Juryo) 1972 West Maegashira #11
6–9
(Juryo) East Maegashira #12
4–6–5
(Juryo) (Juryo) (Juryo) 1973 East Maegashira #10
8–7
East Maegashira #7
6–9
West Maegashira #11
6–9
(Juryo) East Maegashira #11
6–9
(Juryo) 1974 (Juryo) West Maegashira #10
6–9
(Juryo) (Juryo) (Juryo) West Maegashira #12
7–8
1975 West Maegashira #14
7–8
(Juryo) East Maegashira #14
7–8
(Juryo) West Maegashira #10
7–8
West Maegashira #11
6–9
1976 (Juryo) East Maegashira #13
10–5
East Maegashira #4
5–10
East Maegashira #9
8–7
West Maegashira #7
8–7
West Maegashira #3
6–9
1977 East Maegashira #6
6–9
East Maegashira #10
7–8
East Maegashira #11
9–6
West Maegashira #5
8–7
West Maegashira #1
6–9
East Maegashira #3
9–6
T1978 East Komusubi
3–12
East Maegashira #6
10–5
East Maegashira #1
5–10
★East Maegashira #6
5–10
West Maegashira #10
7–8
West Maegashira #11
5–10
1979 (Juryo) West Maegashira #11
1–2–12
(Juryo) (Makushita) (Makushita) (Juryo) 1980 (Juryo) (Juryo) (Juryo) (Juryo) (Juryo) (Juryo) 1981 West Maegashira #10
8–7
West Maegashira #6
6–9
West Maegashira #8
8–7
East Maegashira #6
7–8
West Maegashira #6
7–8
East Maegashira #7
7–8
1982 East Maegashira #8
8–7
East Maegashira #3
4–11
East Maegashira #10
8–7
East Maegashira #6
8–7
West Maegashira #2
4–11
★West Maegashira #8
10–5
F1983 East Maegashira #1
5–10
★West Maegashira #5
7–8
East Maegashira #6
6–9
East Maegashira #9
7–8
East Maegashira #11
7–8
East Maegashira #12
6–9
1984 (Juryo) West Maegashira #11
7–8
West Maegashira #12
5–10
(Juryo) (Juryo) (Juryo) 1985 (Juryo) (Juryo) (Juryo) (Juryo) (Juryo) (Juryo) 1986 (Juryo) (Juryo) (Juryo) (Juryo) (Juryo) (Juryo) 1987 (Juryo) (Juryo) (Makushita) (Juryo) (Juryo) (Juryo) 1988 West Makushita #1
Retired
2–5–0x x x x x 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)
Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — JonokuchiSee also
- Glossary of sumo terms
- List of sumo tournament second division winners
- List of past sumo wrestlers
- List of sumo record holders
References
- ^ a b c Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo. Weatherhill. ISBN 0-8348-0283-x.
- ^ Tochitenko fought in 175 tournaments but had only 1246 matches due to being mostly ranked in lower divisions where wrestlers fight only seven bouts per tournament.
- ^ "Oshio bouts by kimarite". Sumo Reference. http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi_kim.aspx?r=4078. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
- ^ "Oshio Kenji Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi.aspx?r=4078. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
External links
Categories:- 1948 births
- Living people
- Japanese sumo wrestlers
- People from Kitakyūshū
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