Kitazakura Hidetoshi

Sumo wrestler infobox

wrestlername = nihongo2|北桜 英敏 Kitazakura Hidetoshi
realname = Hidetoshi Mukō
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1971|12|15
placeofbirth = Hiroshima, Japan
height = height|meters=1.90
weight = convert|168|kg|lb|abbr=on|lk=on
heya = Kitanoumi
rank = Jūryō 1
record = 682-662-15
debut = March, 1987
highestrank = Maegashira 9 (July, 2001)
yushos = 1 (Jūryō) 1 (Makushita)
prizes =
goldstars =
weburl = http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/meiko1fight555/
update = Sept 2008

nihongo|Kitazakura Hidetoshi|北桜 英敏 (born December 15, 1971 as nihongo|Hidetoshi Mukō|向 英俊|Mukō Hidetoshi) is a sumo wrestler from Asakita ward, Hiroshima City, Japan. Initially wrestling using his real name, his highest rank has been "maegashira" 9.

Career

Kitazakura has the longest sumo career of any of his top division rivals, having made his professional debut over twenty years ago in March 1987. He joined Kitanoumi stable. His younger brother, Toyozakura, also became a sumo wrestler two years later. Unusually for brothers in sumo, they belong to different stables, Toyozakura joining Tatsutagawa stable. This was the wish of their father,cite web | author= Lewin, Brian| title=Brothers In Sumo Part 2| publisher=sumofanmag.com | language=English | url=http://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_5/Brothers.htm| date=February 2006| accessdate=2007-10-10] a former sumo wrestler himself who reached the fourth "sandanme" division. Kitazakura and Toyozakura have never met in competition, as brothers are not matched against each other.

Kitazakura first adopted his current "shikona" in November 1987. It took a long time to get to the salaried "sekitori" ranks and he spent seven years from 1991 to 1998 in the third makushita division. He got as high as makushita 5 in September 1995 and a good performance might have got him promotion to the second "jūryō" division but he fell short with a 2-5 record. Reverting back to his own surname failed to change his fortunes and he fell right to the bottom of the makushita division. However after changing back to the name Kitazakura he took the makushita championship with a perfect 7-0 record in September 1997 and three more winning records finally earned him promotion to "jūryō" in July 1998, after a total of eleven years in the lower divisions. He did not reach the top "makuuchi" division until July 2001 when he was in his thirtieth year, after winning the "jūryō" championship in May 2001. The 86 tournaments it took him to get there is the sixth slowest ever. He has not managed to become a "makuuchi" regular, spending most of his time in "jūryō", but he is very popular with the tournament crowds, due to his adoption of Mitoizumi's trademark salt throwing routine in the pre-bout rituals.cite web | author= Lewin, Brian| title=Brothers In Sumo Part 2| publisher=sumofanmag.com | language=English | url=http://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_5/Brothers.htm| date=February 2006| accessdate=2007-06-27]

Kitazakura is married, with one daughter.

Top division record

Sumo record year start|2001 Basho Basho Basho Basho|m|9|w|6|9 Basho|m|13|e|8|7 Basho|m|11|w|5|10 Sumo record year end Sumo record year start|2002 Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Sumo record year end Sumo record year start|2003 Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Basho|MAKUSHITA Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Sumo record year end Sumo record year start|2004 Basho|m|15|e|3|12 Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Basho|m|17|E|6|9 Basho|JURYO Sumo record year end Sumo record year start|2005 Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Sumo record year end Sumo record year start|2006 Basho|m|17|e|9|6 Basho|m|14|w|7|8 Basho|m|15|w|7|8 Basho|m|16|e|5|10 Basho|JURYO Basho|m|11|w|4|11 Sumo record year end Sumo record year start|2007 Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Basho|m|11|w|6|9 Basho|m|14|e|4|11 Basho|JURYO Sumo record year end Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Basho|JURYO Basho| Sumo record year end

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_141.html Japan Sumo Association profile]