Tōru Kakizoe

Sumo wrestler infobox

wrestlername = 垣添 徹 Kakizoe Tōru
realname = Tōru Kakizoe
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1978|8|12
placeofbirth = Ōita
height = height|meters=1.78
weight = convert|139|kg|lb|abbr=on|lk=on
heya = Musashigawa
rank = Maegashira 16
record = 288-270-15
debut = September 2001
highestrank = Komusubi (March 2004)
yushos = 1 (Jūryō)
prizes = Technique (1)
goldstars =
update = Sept 2008nihongo|Tōru Kakizoe|垣添 徹|Kakizoe Tooru (born August 12, 1978 in Usa City, Ōita Prefecture, Japan), is a sumo wrestler. The highest rank he has reached is "komusubi."

Career

Kakizoe was an amateur sumo champion at Nihon Taiiku University, winning the Amateur "Yokozuna" title in his final year. He joined Musashigawa stable, which at time was one of the strongest in sumo with "yokozuna" Musashimaru amongst its wrestlers. He fought his first professional bout in the "makushita" division in September 2001, fighting under his real name. Unusually, he continues under this name even now. He rose to the "jūryō" division in March 2003, and the top "makuuchi" division in September 2003.

Kakizoe's rank peaked at "komusubi" after the January 2004 tournament when, ranked "maegashira" 5, he achieved a result of 11-4 and the technique prize. He failed to retain his "sanyaku" rank for more than a single tournament, but mostly remained amongst the top half of "maegashira" for the next few years. However, he suffered a big setback in May 2007, losing eleven bouts in a row before pulling out of the tournament citing a fracture to his right knee. He could manage only six wins on his return in July and slid to the lowest rung on the top division ladder for the September tournament. He produced a comfortable 9-6 score there to maintain his top division status, but has remained near the bottom of "makuuchi" since then.

Kakizoe is good friends with fellow top division wrestler Kokkai.

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_2405.html (English)] [http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/ozumo_meikan/rikishi_joho/rikishi_2405.html (Japanese)]
* [http://www.musashigawa.jp/rikishi.php?q_number=2 Official profile]
* [http://www.szumo.hu/sekitori/Kakizoe.html Kakizoe's basho results]
* [http://www.fsinet.or.jp/~sumo/profile/1/20030901.htm complete biography and basho results (Japanese)]