Baruto Kaito

Sumo wrestler infobox


wrestlername = 把瑠都 凱斗 Baruto Kaito
realname = Kaido Höövelson
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1984|11|5
placeofbirth = Rakvere, Estonia
height = height|meters=1.97
weight = convert|174|kg|lb st|abbr=on
heya = Onoe, formerly Mihogaseki
rank = Komusubi
record = 190-79-57
debut = May, 2004
highestrank = Komusubi (September, 2008)
yushos = 3 (Jūryō) 1 (Makushita) 1 (Jonidan) 1 (Jonokuchi)
prizes = Fighting Spirit (3)
goldstars =
update = Sept 2008

Baruto Kaito (born November 5, 1984 as Kaido Höövelson) is a professional sumo wrestler from Rakvere, Estonia. He is one of only two Estonians ever to join the sport in Japan, and the first to reach the top division. His fighting name or "shikona" is a reference to the Japanese name of the Baltic sea.

Early career

He played basketball as a teenager and also won a national judo championship in Estonia.cite web|author=Buckton, Mark|title=SFM Interview: Baruto|publisher=Sumo Fan Magazine|url=http://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_7/Interview.htm|date=June 2006|accessdate=2008-05-29] He was introduced to amateur sumo through his judo coach, and an official from the Kagoshima Prefecture Sumo Association encouraged him to join the professional sport. Due to the restrictions on foreigners entering sumo, the only stable with a place available was Mihogaseki. Baruto made his professional debut in May 2004. He moved very quickly up the rankings, reaching the "jūryō" division after only 8 tournaments (tied for the third fastest rise to "sekitori" status since 1958 when the current 6 tournament a year format was adopted) and compiling a record of 41-8 on the way.

Baruto won the "jūryō" division March 2006 "honbasho" tournament with a perfect 15-0 result. This was only the fourth time ever that a "jūryō" wrestler has won the championship with such a record. He was the first to achieve this since Kitanofuji, who ultimately reached the top "yokozuna" rank, in 1963. As a result of this performance he was promoted to "makuuchi", the highest division, for the first time in his career in May 2006. It is likely that Baruto could have achieved a more rapid rise to the top division, were it not for him suffering from appendicitis in November 2005, the resulting absence from the tournament sending him back down to the third highest "makushita" division temporarily. Despite this, his rise to the top division in two years is equal to the second fastest ever.

Top division career

In his first tournament in the top division Baruto scored a strong 11-4 record and won the "kanto-sho" (or Fighting Spirit Prize). After a second winning record in July and another promotion, Baruto's quick ascent through the ranks halted at "maegashira" 1. He withdrew from the September tournament with an injury, which lowered his standing to "maegashira" 6 in the November tournament. The result of 10-5 there took him up to "maegashira" 3, but he was again injured in the January 2007 tournament. He suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He was unable to compete in the March tournament as well and his ranking suffered, resulting in a return to the "jūryō" ranks. In May he won the "jūryō" championship with a 14-1 record, resulting in an immediate return to "makuuchi" in July to the position of "maegashira" 14 East. However he re-injured his knee on the opening day and decided to withdraw from the tournament. [ [http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/411788 Japan Today - News - Estonian wrestler Baruto withdraws from Nagoya meet ] ] It was the third time he had injured the knee, each time in a different place. He has not yet undergone surgery, which would require a lengthy lay-off. [cite web | author=Hardy, James | title=INSIDE GRIP: Stoic sumo needs new injury policy| publisher=Daily Yomiuri Online | language= | url=http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/sports/20070711TDY24003.htm | date= 2007-07-11| accessdate=2007-07-13]

In September 2007, despite being clearly still troubled by his knee, he took his third "jūryō" division championship with a 13-2 record. This was enough to earn promotion back to the top division for November. He was in contention for the championship until the final days of the tournament when he was defeated by "ozeki" Chiyotaikai and "komusubi" Ama. He finished with an 11-4 record and was awarded his second Fighting Spirit Prize.

In the January 2008 tournament Baruto produced a 7-8 score, the first time in his career that he has completed a tournament and finished with more losses than wins. He performed much better in March, finishing as joint runner-up with 12 wins and being awarded another Fighting Spirit Prize. In the May 2008 tournament he was unable to defeat any of the top rankers and could only manage five wins. In the July 2008 tournament, Baruto finished with a 10-5 score, assuring a "komusubi" debut in September.

In his first appearance as "komusubi" in the Aki Basho, Baruto managed an 8-7 score, while having a less than perfect start to the tournament. He was just 2-7 after 9 bouts where he competed with only "sanyaku" wrestlers. His last six matches were against wrestlers from the "maegashira" ranks and there Baruto managed to hold his ground. He will most probably be promoted to "sekiwake" rank before the Kyushu Basho in November, as the west "sekiwake" Toyonoshima could not hold his position after a 6-9 finish in the Aki Basho, thus leaving an opening for the position.

He is noted by his peers and the press as having a good attitude, always smiling whether he has won or lost, and always being sure not to injure his opponent.

Top division record

References

ee also

*Glossary of sumo terms
*List of active sumo wrestlers

External links

* [http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/eng/ozumo_meikan/rikishi_joho/rikishi.php?A=2731 Baruto fact sheet on Grand Sumo Home Page]
* [http://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_7/Interview.htm Interview with Baruto]
* [http://search.japantimes.co.jp/member/member.html?fl20050301zg.htm Japan Times article]
* [http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi.aspx?shikona=baruto Sumo statistics on Baruto]