Nagoya Sumo Tournament Winner Kotoshoho Climbs Ladder Following Elder-Brother-Like Kotozakura
The 25-year-old wrestler belonging to the Sadogatake Stable won the Emperor's Cup while holding the east maegashira 15th rank, a lower standing, and without experience in the elevated sanyaku positions of ozeki, sekiwake and komusubi.
'I still feel that my emotions have not caught up with reality,' he said with a smile in an interview after winning the championship. 'But I'm glad.'
Kotoshoho is from Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture. He took up sumo in his childhood and had practiced hard as a member of a local sumo group of boys.
Ozeki Kotozakura, 27, who is two years senior of Kotoshoho, also participated in the boys' group. Because of the personal tie, Kotoshoho had often visited the Sadogatake Stable for fun since his childhood.
Stablemaster Sadogatake, who is former sekiwake Kotonowaka and the father of Kotozakura, recalled his impression of the boy who became Kotoshoho, saying, 'He was a soft kid with a big body.'
As did Kotozakura, Kotoshoho enrolled at Saitama Sakae High School, which has a sumo club that is known to be strong. He debuted as a professional sumo wrestler in the 2017 Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.
He was promoted to the juryo division in two years and changed his shikona wrestler name from Kototebakari to Kotoshoho. The kanji character of 'sho' was taken from his deceased grandmother's posthumous Buddhist name, and the kanji character of 'ho' means a mountain peak — indicating his determination to reach the summit of the sumo world.
Kotoshoho is a strongly built man who is 190 centimeters tall. In 2020, the year following his promotion to the juryo division, he was again promoted to the makuuchi division. However, his record was unremarkable partly due to leg injuries.
Other oyakata coaches in the stable encouraged him to scale the ladder further. 'You are no longer a junior wrestler,' one of them once told him. 'When can you climb up to the sanyaku positions?'
In the 2023 New Year Grand Sumo Tournament, Kotoshoho won many matches, but he lost in the championship-deciding bout between two wrestlers with the same number of victories against Takakeisho, who is now oyakata coach Minatogawa, on the final day of the tourney.
As a result, Kotoshoho fell one step shy of summiting the sumo world. 'My basic capability is insufficient,' he said at the time. 'I want to be stronger.'
Using many regrets as motivation, Kotoshoho has practiced hard.
Stablemaster Sadogatake said, 'I shed tears in delight. Kotoshoho made great efforts spurred by Kotozakura's achievements.' Kotozakura won the championship in last year's September Grand Sumo Tournament.
The stablemaster also expressed his desire that the two wrestlers will grow further, saying, 'I hope Kotoshoho's championship will prompt Kotozakura to achieve greater records.'
In a parade to celebrate his championship, Kotoshoho asked Kotozakura, whom he has respected as an elder brother, to sit next to him in the car as the holder of the championship flag. Kotoshoho beamed huge smiles to spectators during the parade.
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Japan Times
30 minutes ago
- Japan Times
Kotoshoho's shock first Emperor's Cup could reinvigorate his career
In last week's column, I wondered whether the tournament-leading Ichiyamamoto could keep his hot streak going and become the 12th first-time champion to be crowned since January 2020. With five straight losses from day 11, the answer to that question was conclusively in the negative, but sumo did get a first-time winner in the form of Kotoshoho — a veteran whose triumph was perhaps even more surprising than Ichiyamamoto's would have been. The 25-year-old had come into the Nagoya meet on the back of four losing records in five tournaments, with his sole kachikoshi an 8-7 finish eked out on the final day of the March basho. A similar outcome looked to be on the cards once again one-third of the way through the just-completed tournament, as Kotoshoho won just three of five fights against some of the lowest-ranked men in the top division. At that stage, no one could have predicted that the Sadogatake stable veteran would go on a 10-bout winning streak for the first time in his career, taking down both the tournament's hottest wrestler (Aonishiki) and sumo's biggest star (yokozuna Onosato) on his way to claiming the Emperor's Cup. Perhaps not since Clark Kent last took off his glasses has someone looked so strikingly similar while performing at a completely different level. In addition to his wins over Onosato and Aonishiki, Kotoshoho also defeated Kusano — the only other man with a shot at the Emperor's Cup — as the tournament headed into its final day. Those victories, as well as wins over former ōzeki pair Kirishima and Takayasu, ought to nullify any complaints about Kotoshoho's title run being devalued due to a much easier schedule over the first 11 days. Of course, given pre-tournament hopes for a first championship-deciding showdown between yokozuna in five years, the Emperor's Cup going to a low-ranked maegashira once again will be a letdown for some, but there is a possibility that this victory will reinvigorate Kotoshoho's career and lead to him reaching greater heights. It shouldn't be forgotten that four years ago, Kotoshoho was ranked higher than stablemate Kotonowaka (current ōzeki Kotozakura) and seemed to have just as much, if not more, potential. In January of 2021, Kotoshoho was at a career-high rank of maegashira 3, having followed up a jūryō division title win with three straight winning records from his top-tier debut. At the time I said the then-21-year-old had been 'nothing but impressive since making his top-division debut' and added that while 'he isn't yet a finished product and inexperience still shows in some of his bouts, all the ingredients are there for a long and successful career.' That obviously hasn't been the case since, as the intervening years have been a rollercoaster of demotions to jūryō, occasional double-digit winning records and a lot of tournaments with a 7-7 record heading into the final day. Various reasons for Kotoshoho treading water have been posited over the past four years but none fully explain why it's taken him so long to capitalize on his obvious potential. The hope for Sadogatake stable supporters now will be that this month's victory kickstarts a return to form for Kotoshoho, and possibly even reignites the yokozuna promotion hopes of stablemate Kotozakura. An improved Kotoshoho could indeed help both men get back on track, as having to face a tough, high-level opponent every single morning in practice can only be good for the ozeki. As the American football cliche goes, 'iron sharpens iron.' Kotoshoho (right) seals his Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament championship by defeating Aonishiki by tsukiotoshi on Sunday. | JIJI Kotoshoho's victory in Nagoya came at the expense of fairytale endings for new rising talents Aonishiki and Kusano. The former man's journey to the higher reaches of professional sumo, which includes fleeing his native Ukraine following the Russian invasion, is unlike any other. Given all Aonishiki has been through in his young life to date, and the way in which he has acclimatized to Japanese culture and the language, it's fair to say the 21-year-old would have been most neutral fans' preferred winner last Sunday. Nerves seemed to play a part in the final day showdown against Kotoshoho, though, with Aonishiki not quite as sharp at the initial charge as he had been for most of the previous two weeks. That is more than understandable given his youth, but Aonishiki fans probably needn't worry as the Ajigawa stable man appears to be on an inevitable path to greater heights. All five tournaments after reaching the salaried ranks have ended with double-digit wins for the Vinnytsia Oblast native, and it's been three straight 11-4 finishes since debuting in the top tier in March. Aonishiki is certain to be promoted to the sanyaku slot that he arguably should have been given for this meet, and it may not be long before Kusano joins him there. Kotoshoho's defeat of Aonishiki as Kusano sat ringside dashed the latter's hopes of a playoff for the title. That almost certainly upset his concentration and contributed to the subsequent loss to Takayasu, but double-digit wins and coming so close to glory in his top division debut marked an outstanding effort by the former collegian. Kusano has been on an incredible run of his own since reaching the paid ranks in March and, like Aonishiki, continues to make predictions of him hitting a career wall look foolish with each passing tournament. Kotoshoho may have grabbed glory in Nagoya, but the two men who missed out should be back in contention the next time out.
The Mainichi
a day ago
- The Mainichi
Sumo: Ukrainian Aonishiki fuels predictions of future ozeki promotion
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Although he came up short in his bid for a maiden top-division championship, rising Ukrainian grappler Aonishiki's stellar performance at the recent Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament has some insiders predicting his eventual promotion to the lofty rank of ozeki. Competing as a No. 1 maegashira, the 21-year-old was in the title race until his loss on the final day of the 15-day tournament to Kotoshoho, who clinched the championship by winning their match on Sunday. Aonishiki has compiled an impressive 11-4 record in each of his three tournaments in the elite makuuchi division, employing a low-to-the-ground stance that reflects his background in the sport of wrestling as a youth. Stablemaster Kokonoe, formerly ozeki Chiyotaikai, compared the youngster's dynamic grappling style to that of a past great. "He reminds me of (former ozeki) Tochiazuma, when he was on his way up," Kokonoe said. Despite his forward leaning posture, Aonishiki has not been vulnerable to pulling techniques, with one opponent wryly observing that he "never goes down." Sumo elder Takekuma, formerly ozeki Goeido, said Aonishiki exhibited both excellent strength and technique. "It shows the strength of his abdominals and back muscles," Takekuma said. "Since both legs are never in line, you can't slap him down." Stablemaster Asakayama is also among the elders impressed by the emerging European star, having seen firsthand his dedication and will to improve during practice sessions. "He's focused on one thing, how he can get stronger," Asakayama, formerly ozeki Kaio, said. Speaking after his loss to Kotoshoho on Sunday in Nagoya, Aonishiki indicated his strong desire to continue climbing toward sumo's upper echelon. "My sumo life starts from here," he said.
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
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Nagoya Sumo Tournament Winner Kotoshoho Climbs Ladder Following Elder-Brother-Like Kotozakura
Kotoshoho, a rank-and-file wrestler in the makuuchi division, cemented his name on Sunday as the first champion of a Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament after the event venue in the city was relocated to the IG Arena in Kita Ward, Nagoya. The 25-year-old wrestler belonging to the Sadogatake Stable won the Emperor's Cup while holding the east maegashira 15th rank, a lower standing, and without experience in the elevated sanyaku positions of ozeki, sekiwake and komusubi. 'I still feel that my emotions have not caught up with reality,' he said with a smile in an interview after winning the championship. 'But I'm glad.' Kotoshoho is from Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture. He took up sumo in his childhood and had practiced hard as a member of a local sumo group of boys. Ozeki Kotozakura, 27, who is two years senior of Kotoshoho, also participated in the boys' group. Because of the personal tie, Kotoshoho had often visited the Sadogatake Stable for fun since his childhood. Stablemaster Sadogatake, who is former sekiwake Kotonowaka and the father of Kotozakura, recalled his impression of the boy who became Kotoshoho, saying, 'He was a soft kid with a big body.' As did Kotozakura, Kotoshoho enrolled at Saitama Sakae High School, which has a sumo club that is known to be strong. He debuted as a professional sumo wrestler in the 2017 Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament. He was promoted to the juryo division in two years and changed his shikona wrestler name from Kototebakari to Kotoshoho. The kanji character of 'sho' was taken from his deceased grandmother's posthumous Buddhist name, and the kanji character of 'ho' means a mountain peak — indicating his determination to reach the summit of the sumo world. Kotoshoho is a strongly built man who is 190 centimeters tall. In 2020, the year following his promotion to the juryo division, he was again promoted to the makuuchi division. However, his record was unremarkable partly due to leg injuries. Other oyakata coaches in the stable encouraged him to scale the ladder further. 'You are no longer a junior wrestler,' one of them once told him. 'When can you climb up to the sanyaku positions?' In the 2023 New Year Grand Sumo Tournament, Kotoshoho won many matches, but he lost in the championship-deciding bout between two wrestlers with the same number of victories against Takakeisho, who is now oyakata coach Minatogawa, on the final day of the tourney. As a result, Kotoshoho fell one step shy of summiting the sumo world. 'My basic capability is insufficient,' he said at the time. 'I want to be stronger.' Using many regrets as motivation, Kotoshoho has practiced hard. Stablemaster Sadogatake said, 'I shed tears in delight. Kotoshoho made great efforts spurred by Kotozakura's achievements.' Kotozakura won the championship in last year's September Grand Sumo Tournament. The stablemaster also expressed his desire that the two wrestlers will grow further, saying, 'I hope Kotoshoho's championship will prompt Kotozakura to achieve greater records.' In a parade to celebrate his championship, Kotoshoho asked Kotozakura, whom he has respected as an elder brother, to sit next to him in the car as the holder of the championship flag. Kotoshoho beamed huge smiles to spectators during the parade.
