Takekaze Akira

Sumo wrestler infobox


wrestlername = 豪風 旭 Takekaze Akira
realname = Akira Narita
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1979|6|21
placeofbirth = Akita, Japan
height = height|meters=1.72
weight = convert|142|kg|lb|abbr=on|lk=on
heya = Oguruma
rank =Maegashira 14
record = 275-253-41
debut = May 2002
highestrank = Komusubi (March, 2008)
yushos = 1 (Jūryō)
prizes = Fighting Spirit (1)
goldstars =
update = Sept 2008

Takekaze Akira (born June 21, 1979 as Akira Narita) is a professional sumo wrestler from Moriyoshi, Kitaakita District, Akita prefecture, Japan. His highest rank has been "komusubi" .

Career

Takekaze practised sumo in college and was a very dominant player, having achieved the student equivalent of "yokozuna" after winning a college sumo tournament in his fourth year at Chuo University. He made his professional debut in May 2002, joining former "ozeki" Kotokaze's Oguruma stable. He was allowed to enter at "makushita" level due to his amateur achievements. He reached "sekitori" status in just two tournaments, and was promoted to the top "makuuchi" division in March 2003, the first wrestler from his stable to achieve this.

Takekaze had to pull out of his debut tournament in the top division due to injury and fell back to the "juryo" division. However upon winning the "juryo" championship in September 2003 with a 13-2 record he was promoted back to the top division. Since then his success began to slow somewhat. He has tended to struggle when pitted against the top rankers, not managing to defeat a "yokozuna" or achieve a winning record above the mid "maegashira" ranks. However, in January 2008 he produced his best score in the top division, 12-3, which included a defeat of "ozeki" Kotooshu. He was awarded his first special prize, for Fighting Spirit. Consequently, in the March, 2008 tournament he debuted at the "komusubi" rank, finally breaking into "sanyaku". He is the first wrestler from his stable to make the titled ranks. He would manage only three wins in his "komusubi" debut and was demoted to "maegashira" 8 for the May 2008 tournament, where he produced a disappointing 6-9 score.

Takekaze was married in August 2006. [cite web | author= | title=豪風旭 | publisher=ja.wikipedia | language=Japanese | url=http://www.ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/豪風旭 | date= | accessdate=2007-06-18] He has a son, born at the end of 2007.

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_2489.html Japan Sumo Association profile]