Hōshōryū Tomokatsu

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Hōshōryū Tomokatsu
Hoshoryu Tomokatsu20220115.jpg
Personal information
BornByambasuren Sugarragchaa
(1999-05-22) May 22, 1999 (age 22)
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Height1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in)
Weight132 kg (291 lb)
Career
StableTatsunami
Current ranksee below
DebutNovember, 2017
Highest rankKomusubi (March, 2022)
ChampionshipsJonidan (1)
Special Prizes1 Technique
* Up to date as of 28 November 2021.

Hōshōryū Tomokatsu (豊昇龍 智勝, born May 22, 1999 as Byambasuren Sugarragchaa (Mongolian: Сугаррагчаагийн Бямбасүрэн)) is a professional sumo wrestler from Mongolia and wrestles for Tatsunami stable. He is known for his throwing skills, even when measured among Mongolian sumo wrestlers, who tend to use throws more than average reflecting the skills used in Bökh. He is the nephew of former yokozuna Asashōryū.

Early life and sumo background[]

Born as the second son of former yokozuna Asashōryū's brother, Sugarragchaa started wrestling at 11 years old. Upon graduation from middle school, he was scouted from Mongolia, and moved to Japan to attend Nippon Sport Science University Kashiwa High School. In his first year, as part of a school trip, he visited the Kokugikan in Ryōgoku and became interested in sumo. After consulting with his uncle he committed to trying sumo at the high school level. Though he had no previous experience, he quickly started getting good results in amateur sumo tournaments and was seen as having great potential. After high school he joined Tatsunami stable. During this time he emailed regularly with his uncle who gave him such advice as "build on your own strengths" and "don't put on weight quickly or you'll risk injury."[1]

Career[]

Hōshōryū in January 2019

Hōshōryū first stepped into the ring professionally in March 2018. He joined at the same time as Naya, who was also garnering attention as the grandson of the greatly respected yokozuna Taihō. In Hōshōryū's second tournament, he took the jonidan championship with a perfect 7-0 and was already regularly using throws and leg sweeps to win against his opponents. He only had one losing tournament, or make-koshi, in his rise through the lower ranks. This was a 3-4 performance at makushita 2 when he was on the cusp of promotion to the salaried ranks of jūryō in July 2019. He quickly bounced back the following tournament in September and with a 4-3 winning tournament, or kachi-koshi, he earned jūryō promotion for the November tournament in Fukuoka. His jūryō debut was a make-koshi, decided on the last day in a loss to fellow Mongolian Sakigake by overarm throw.[2] Despite this setback he logged two 8-7 records in the next two consecutive tournaments. In the subsequent July 2020 tournament (held in Tokyo instead of the usual Nagoya due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic) he took part in a rare six man playoff, where he defeated Kyokutaisei. This culminated in a three man playoff between three members of the same Tatsunami stable. This playoff comprised himself, Akua, and Meisei. Bouts between stablemates are only allowed in the case of playoffs where two or more wrestlers end up with the same record, and is a rare occurrence. He was defeated by Meisei who went on to defeat Akua and take the championship. However, his performance was still enough to propel him into the top-tier makuuchi division for the September 2020 tournament.[2] He is the 50th foreigner to reach the top division, and the 27th Mongolian.[3]

In the July 2021 tournament Hōshōryū had his best result in the top division up to that point, winning ten bouts and the Technique Prize.[4] This saw him promoted to a new highest rank of maegashira 1 for September, but in that tournament he had to withdraw on Day 5 with only one win, due to injury. However he returned on Day 8 and won four of his remaining eight matches. In the January 2022 tournament he produced an 11–4 record.[5] He was then promoted to san'yaku for the first time, ranked at komusubi for the March 2022 tournament.[6]

Fighting style[]

Hōshōryū's Japan Sumo Association profile lists his preferred grip on his opponent's mawashi is migi-yotsu, a left hand outside, right hand inside position. He is fond of using shitatenage (underarm throw) and yori kiri (force out). He also likes the outside leg trip or sotogake, which is beginning to be seen as a trademark move of his.[4]

Career record[]

Hoshoryu Tomokatsu[2]
Year in sumo January
Hatsu basho, Tokyo		 March
Haru basho, Osaka		 May
Natsu basho, Tokyo		 July
Nagoya basho, Nagoya		 September
Aki basho, Tokyo		 November
Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
2018 (Maezumo) West Jonokuchi #19
6–1
 		 West Jonidan #42
7–0
Champion
 		 East Sandanme #42
6–1
 		 East Makushita #56
4–3
 		 East Makushita #49
6–1
 
2019 West Makushita #21
5–2
 		 West Makushita #7
4–3
 		 West Makushita #4
4–3
 		 West Makushita #2
3–4
 		 East Makushita #5
4–3
 		 West Jūryō #13
7–8
 
2020 East Jūryō #14
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #9
8–7
 		 East Jūryō #6
Tournament Cancelled
0–0–0		 East Jūryō #6
10–5–PP
 		 West Maegashira #16
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #13
7–8
 
2021 East Maegashira #14
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #9
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #5
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #5
10–5
T		 East Maegashira #1
5–8–2
 		 West Maegashira #5
7–8
 
2022 East Maegashira #6
11–4
 		 West Komusubi #1
–
 		 x x x x
Record given as win-loss-absent    Top Division Champion Top Division Runner-up Retired Lower Divisions

Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s)
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Former Asashoryu's nephew passes sumo health check「I want to be the strongest」". SANSPO.COM. 2017-11-01. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  2. ^ a b c "Hoshoryu Tokokatsu Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  3. ^ "Sumo: July champ Terunofuji climbs 16 spots in rankings". The Mainichi. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  4. ^ a b Morita, Hiroshi (25 July 2021). "A tale of two sumo comebacks". NHK World. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  5. ^ "Mitakeumi Topples Yokozuna Terunofuji On Final Day Of New Year Tourney". Japan Forward. 23 January 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  6. ^ "Sumo: New rankings put spotlight on endurance, comebacks". Kyodo News. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.

External links[]

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