Kotoshōgiku Kazuhiro

Sumo wrestler infobox
wrestlername = 琴奨菊 和弘 Kotoshōgiku Kazuhiro


realname = Kazuhiro Kikutsugi
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1984|1|30
placeofbirth = Fukuoka, Japan
height = height|meters=1.78
weight = convert|153|kg|lb|abbr=on|lk=on
heya = Sadogatake
rank = Maegashira 1
record = 278-208-2
debut = January, 2002
highestrank = Sekiwake (March, 2007)
yushos = 1 (Jūryō)
prizes = Technique (2), Outstanding Performance (1)
goldstars =
weburl =http://ameblo.jp/kotosyo-blog/page-1.html
update = Sept 2008

Kotoshōgiku Kazuhiro (born January 30, 1984 as Kazuhiro Kikutsugi in Yanagawa, Fukuoka, Japan), is a sumo wrestler. The highest rank he has reached is "sekiwake."

Career

Kikutsugi took up sumo whilst at school, becoming middle school "yokozuna" in 1998. He fought his first professional bout in January 2002 under the "shikona" of Kotokikutsugi. Rising quickly, he changed his name to Kotoshōgiku in January 2004 before reaching "jūryō" in July 2004 and the top "makuuchi" division in January 2005. He steadily climbed the top division ranks, reaching "maegashira" 1 in July 2006, but a disastrous 3-12 result sent him back to "maegashira" 7. However, two 10-5 results in the following two tournaments saw him rise back up to "maegashira" 1 and earned him his first Technique prize. He produced a strong 9-6 score in the 2007 New Year tournament.

In March 2007 he made his "sanyaku" debut at "sekiwake" rank, the first newcomer to the rank for nine tournaments. [cite web|title=Kotoshogiku hopes to shine; focus on Asa|url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ss20070227a1.html|publisher=Japan Times|date=2007-02-27|accessdate=2008-02-09] He made a terrible start to the tournament, losing eight of his first nine bouts, but he showed great strength of character in winning the last six in a row to finish with a 7-8 record. Further losing scores in the next two tournaments caused him to slip to "maegashira" 3 by September 2007. However a 10-5 mark in that tournament returned him to the titled ranks for November. In that tournament he defeated "yokozuna" Hakuhō on the opening day and picked up his second Technique prize.

In January 2008 he was amongst the tournament leaders until he injured his right knee on the eighth day in a loss to Hakuhō and had to withdraw. This was the first time in his career that he had missed any tournament bouts. It was initially reported that he would need ten days of rest, but his stablemaster (the former Kotonowaka) indicated that Kotoshōgiku was keen to return to action as soon as possible. [cite web|title=Hakuho, Asashoryu remain on collision course|publisher=Japan Times Online|url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ss20080122b1.html|date=2008-01-22|accessdate=2008-02-09] He re-entered the tournament from the 12th day, winning three of his four bouts to finish with nine wins. This earned him promotion back to "sekiwake" for the March 2008 tournament, where he defeated the eventual tournament winner Asashōryū on the 12th day to earn the Outstanding Performance award.

Kotoshōgiku is regared as one of the most promising young Japanese wrestlers in sumo.

Top division record

References

ee also

*Glossary of sumo terms
*List of active sumo wrestlers

External links

*Japanese Sumo Association Biography [http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/eng/ozumo_meikan/rikishi_joho/rikishi_2423.html (English)] [http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/ozumo_meikan/rikishi_joho/rikishi_2423.html (Japanese)]
* [http://www.szumo.hu/sekitori/Kotoshogiku.html Kotoshōgiku's basho results]
* [http://www.fsinet.or.jp/~sumo/profile/1/20050101.htm complete biography and basho results (Japanese)]