Towanoyama Yoshimitsu

Sumo wrestler infobox

wrestlername = 鳥羽の山 喜充
Towanoyama Yoshimitsu
realname = Akihito Kobayashi
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1977|07|10
placeofbirth = Tokyo, Japan
height = height|meters=1.92
weight = convert|197|kg|lb|abbr=on|lk=on
heya = Dewanoumi
rank = Makushita 2
record = 379-288-68
debut = November, 1993
highestrank = Maegashira 13 (March, 2002)
yushos = 2 (Makushita)
prizes =
goldstars =
update = Sept 2008

Towanoyama Yoshimitsu (born July 10, 1977 as Akihito Kobayashi) is a sumo wrestler from Toshima, Toyko, Japan. His highest rank has been "maegashira" 13. He has had many injury problems and has had perhaps the unluckiest (and shortest) top division career of any wrestler in sumo.

Career

Towanoyama made his professional debut in November 1993, joining Dewanoumi stable straight from high school. At the time Dewanoumi stable was extremely strong and he had many powerful training partners. He served as a personal attendant to such top division men as Kushimaumi, Oginohana and Oginishiki. In March 1999 he won the "makushita" division championship with a perfect 7-0 record and earned promotion to the second highest "juryo" division, becoming an elite "sekitori" wrestler. He suffered an injury to his right ankle which required surgery and affected his performances, resulting in demotion back to" makushita" after only four tournaments. However in May 2001 he won his second "makushita" championship and returned to the second division. A strong 11-4 record in January 2002 earned him promotion to the top "makuuchi" division, alongside Shimotori.

At the time Towanoyama was the heaviest Japanese wrestler in sumo, weighing over 200 kilos. He was the highest ranked wrestler in his stable and was able to use his immense weight to good advantage. However, on the day of his first match in the top division in March 2002, he injured his knee in training and was forced to pull out of the tournament without participating in a single bout.cite web | author= | title=Lower Division Rikishi| publisher=sumofanmag.com | language= | url=http://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_8/Lower_Division_Rikishi.htm| date=August 2006| accessdate=2007-07-12] He has not got back to the top division since. After winning only five bouts in the next tournament he fell to "makushita" once again. He was able to return to the "juryo" division in November 2003, but on the tenth day of the March 2004 tournament, whilst trying to force a throwing move against Wakakosho, he fell badly and tore his patella tendon.cite web | author= | title=Lower Division Rikishi| publisher=sumofanmag.com | language= | url=http://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_8/Lower_Division_Rikishi.htm| date=August 2006| accessdate=2007-07-12] He was hospitalised for four months, requiring transplant surgery for thigh tendons. He missed five tournaments in a row, which meant he fell greatly in rank, ending up in the second lowest "jonidan" division. After rehabilitation and weight training programs he returned to the ring in March 2005 and has made his way slowly back up the rankings since then. He has been ranked in the in the third "makushita" division since July 2006 but has yet to regain "sekitori" status. A 6-1 score in May 2008 moved him up to Makushita 6 for July, his highest ranking since his 2004 injury. He produced a 5-2 score there, putting him on the brink of promotion back to "juryo".

If Towanoyama finishes his career without returning to the top division, he will be the first wrestler since 1926 to have been ranked in the top division without winning any bouts there.

Top division record

Sumo record box start|Towanoyama Yoshimitsu [cite web | author= | title=Towanoyama Yoshimitsu Rikishi Information | publisher=Sumo Reference | language=English | url=http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi.aspx?shikona=towanoyama&heya=-1&shusshin=-1&b=-1&high=-1&hd=-1&entry=-1&intai=-1&sort=1 | date= | accessdate=2008-07-19]


Sumo record year start|2002 Basho | Basho |m|13|w|0|1|14 Basho |J|9|w|5|10 Basho |MA|1|e|1|6 Basho |MA|19|w|4|3 Basho |MA|12|e|5|2 Sumo record year start|2003 Basho |MA|5|e|4|3 Basho |MA|3|e|2|5 Basho |MA|12|e|4|3 Basho |MA|7|w|4|3 Basho |MA|5|e|5|2 Basho |J|13|e|9|6 Sumo record year end Sumo record year start|2004 Basho |J|5|w|7|8 Basho |J|8|e|6|5|4 Basho |KYUJO Basho |KYUJO Basho |KYUJO Basho |KYUJO Sumo record year start|2005 Basho |KYUJO Basho |JO|52|w|1|2|4 Basho |JO|90|w|6|1 Basho |JO|13|e|5|2 Basho |SA|78|e|5|2 Basho |SA|46|w|6|1 Sumo record year end Sumo record year start|2006 Basho |MA|57|e|1|4|2 Basho |SA|25|e|4|2|1 Basho |SA|10|w|5|2 Basho |MA|50|e|4|3 Basho |MA|41|e|4|3 Basho |MA|32|e|5|2 Sumo record year start|2007 Basho |MA|19|e|5|2 Basho |MA|12|e|3|4 Basho |MA|18|e|4|3 Basho |MA|13|w|4|3 Basho |MA|9|e|3|4 Basho |MA|14|e|2|5 Sumo record year end Basho |MA|30|w|3|4 Basho |MA|36|w|5|2 Basho |MA|21|e|6|1 Basho |MA|6|w|5|2 Basho |MA|2|e|3|4 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.php?A=1017 Japan Sumo Association profile]