Sumo: Surprise leader Ichiyamamoto 1st to record 8 wins at IG Arena
The 31-year-old from Hokkaido improved to 8-1 with a victory over sixth-ranked maegashira Gonoyama before his three overnight co-leaders, including sekiwake Kirishima, incurred losses on Day 9.
While he regularly opens with a hand thrust, Ichiyamamoto attacked head-first against fellow Chuo University alumnus Gonoyama.
"I didn't want to lose," Ichiyamamoto said. "I thought he'd get the upper hand if I didn't hit him firmly."
Ichiyamamoto served as an attendant in the grand champion's ring-entry ceremony for the first time on Day 9, standing in for komusubi Takayasu ahead of his match with yokozuna Onosato.
The maegashira said he was relieved that the newly promoted Onosato went on to win the day's ultimate bout.
"If I was the attendant and the yokozuna lost, it would seem like I brought him bad luck," Ichiyamamoto said.
The pusher-thruster from the Hanaregoma stable has not led at this stage of a 15-day tournament since the November 2023 Kyushu meet, when he went on to win 11 bouts and earn a Fighting Spirit Prize.
The last wrestler from Hokkaido to lift the Emperor's Cup was yokozuna Hokutoumi, now Japan Sumo Association chief Hakkaku, at the 1991 Spring meet.
"Ichiyamamoto has a great opportunity," Hakkaku said. "I hope he can stay in the running for the championship for as long as possible."
Ichiyamamato, whose career high ranking is maegashira No. 4, said he simply hoped to move up in the rankings before heading back to his home prefecture next month during sumo's summer tour.
"I want to go home with good results," he said. "I hope I can move up at least one rank."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yomiuri Shimbun
an hour ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
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.
The Mainichi
2 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Sumo: Nagoya victory still sinking in for 1st-time champion Kotoshoho
NAGOYA (Kyodo) -- Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament winner Kotoshoho said Monday he was still coming to grips with his first top-division championship. Competing as a rank-and-file No. 15 maegashira, the 25-year-old Chiba Prefecture native lifted the Emperor's Cup with a 13-2 record Sunday following his win over rising Ukrainian star Aonishiki. "It still feels strange to think that I won the championship," Kotoshoho said during a press conference at his Sadogatake stable's base in Nagoya. He suffered his only losses back-to-back on the fourth and fifth days before closing out the 15-day tournament on a 10-match winning streak, culminating in his victory against the 21-year-old Aonishiki, who entered the final day trailing Kotoshoho by one bout. Kotoshoho became the inaugural champion at Nagoya's state-of-the-art IG Arena, which was opened ahead of the 15-day tournament. His win streak included a Day 13 takedown of new yokozuna Onosato, earning Kotoshoho his first career "kinboshi" award for beating a grand champion as a rank-and-file wrestler. "I wasn't nervous and was able to focus on my opening attack when I stepped onto the ring," he said of the streak. "I was able to concentrate more in the second half of the tournament." The newly crowned champion said he was able to "use the lessons I learned" from a previous title tilt at the 2023 New Year tournament that ended with his final-day defeat to ozeki Takakeisho. Blessed with a 190-centimeter, 167-kilogram physique, Kotoshoho was tipped for big things after entering the sumo world in November 2017 out of one of the sport's renowned nurseries, Saitama Sakae High School. He debuted in the elite makuuchi division in July 2020 and achieved a career-high ranking of maegashira No. 3 in January 2021, but has largely struggled to live up to the high expectations and has bounced between the top two divisions. Despite dealing with pain in his right thigh, the powerfully built grappler got on a roll in Nagoya by committing to his brand of attacking sumo. He indicated the championship would not affect his approach to the next grand tournament in September. "I want to do what I need to do without getting carried away," he said.
Asahi Shimbun
3 hours ago
- Asahi Shimbun
SUMO/ Kotoshoho wins 1st championship at Nagoya basho in new arena
Kotoshoho defeats Aonishiki to win his first championship on July 27 at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament held at IG Arena. (Masaaki Kobayashi) Rank-and-filer Kotoshoho stole the spotlight in the first tournament featuring two yokozuna in four years, capturing his first top-division championship on July 27 at the newly relocated Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament held at IG Arena. The 25-year-old Chiba Prefecture-born wrestler, whose real name is Toshiki Tebakari, defeated Aonishiki, a maegashira No. 1, on the final day to seal the Emperor's Cup with an impressive 13-2 record. Kotoshoho's triumph marks the first time a maegashira wrestler has won a makuuchi division tournament since Takerufuji's surprise victory in the spring tournament last year. Takerufuji was a maegashira No. 17, the lowest among all wrestlers in the makuuchi division. Kotoshoho, a maegashira No. 15, enjoyed a championship run notable for his victories over opponents from the top ranks, including yokozuna, sekiwake and komusubi. He defeated newly minted yokozuna Onosato on Day 13 in a stirring showdown. The 190-centimeter, 167-kilogram rikishi utilized his favored migi-yotsu (right-hand inside grip) and yori (driving) techniques to overpower opponents throughout the 15-day tournament. Having made his professional debut in the November 2017 Kyushu tournament while still a third-year student at Saitama Sakae High School, Kotoshoho entered the top division in July 2020. Adding to his family accomplishments, Kotoshoho's younger brother, Kotoeiho, made his top-division debut at this same tournament. The two wrestlers, both from the Sadogatake stable, became the 13th pair of brothers in history to compete together in the makuuchi division.
