Hishofuji Hiroki Explained

Native Name:飛翔富士 廣樹
Hishofuji Hiroki
Birth Name:Hiroki Sumi
Birth Date:14 July 1989
Birth Place:Hyōgo-ku, Kobe, Japan
Weight:2010NaN0
Heya:NakamuraAzumazeki
Record:234-197-47
Debut:March 2005
Highestrank:Juryo 13 (September 2011)
Retireddate:January 2017
Yushos:2
1 (Sandanme)
1 (Jonokuchi)
Update:May 2023

Hishofuji Hiroki (born July 14, 1989 as Hiroki Sumi) is a former sumo wrestler from Hyōgo-ku, Kobe, Japan. The highest rank he reached was Juryo 13, which he held for just a single basho. He wrestled for Nakamura stable until it closed down in December 2012, then transferring and finishing his career at Azumazeki stable. He retired in January 2017. He now lives in Los Angeles and participates in sumo exhibitions and amateur tournaments under the name Hiroki, often alongside Ulambayaryn Byambajav and Yamamotoyama.

Career

Hiroki was always a large boy and by the time he had graduated from Hyogo junior high school he was already 190 cm tall and weighed 120 kg. Hiroki was also a notable judoka at the prefectural level. This along with his exceeding size garnered him an invitation to join Nakamura stable. He made his debut in March 2005 and made steady progress up the banzuke. This continued until he reached Sandanme in March 2007 recording a mere three losing records on his way there. After a few losing records and bouncing between sandanme and Jonidan he returned to steady progress and was promoted to Makushita. This is where he would spend most of his career. He was helped along by the 2011 match fixing scandal which saw many wrestlers forced to retire, and in September 2011 was promoted to his career high rank of Juryo 13 and become a sekitori. He would win only four of his fifteen matches and was immediately demoted back down to makushita; he would never make it back to the salaried ranks again. In November 2012 with his stable master Fujizakura reaching the mandatory retirement age and closing down the stable he transferred to Azumazeki stable. In late 2013 Hiroki suffered a major right knee injury which would see him sit out for over a year and drop off the banzuke. He would return to the dohyo in January 2015 and start an impressive 22 win streak picking up two lower division yusho (Jonokuchi and Sandanme) in the process. After this though he would put up mediocre records having been troubled by a left ankle issue. After three consecutive losing records and losing his opening bout of the January 2017 basho he decided to retire.

After retirement

Exhibitions and amateur tournaments

On 25 January 2017, it was announced by the Japan Sumo Association that Hishofuji was retiring from the sumo wrestling association.[1] [2] [3] After his retirement from the Japan Sumo Association, he decided to leave Japan for the United States. Here he would start doing sumo exhibitions and amateur tournaments, often alongside Ulambayaryn Byambajav and Yamamotoyama.[4] He also made his pro wrestling debut in WWE at the Greatest Royal Rumble in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where he was the 7th entrant, but was quickly eliminated by Mark Henry.[5] [6] [7] In July 2020 he appeared on Game On! with Bobby Lee.[8]

On screen

In February 2023, he announced that he participated in the filming of the Netflix series revolving around the world of professional sumo, Sanctuary, in which he plays the role of a wrestler (Shizuuchi).[9] [10]

Hiroki Sumi made an appearance in playing the role of a guard in the Osaka Continental alongside fellow retired sumo wrestler Yoshinori Tashiro.[11]

In 2024 he was also cast as main title character in The Wide West, a film starring Alexander Nevsky, about a sumo wrestler's arrival in the United States.[12]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Former Juryo Hishofuji and 16 others retired . 24 January 2021 . . 25 January 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210124090344/https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/1769932.html . 24 January 2021 . ja.
  2. News: 16 former Juryo Hishofuji and others retired . 24 January 2021 . SANSPO (Sankei Sports) . 25 January 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210124085449/https://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/20170125/sum17012510460007-n1.html . 24 January 2021 . ja.
  3. sumokyokai . 824066196035158016 . Hishofuji, Takamori, Wakaryusei, Kinokuni, Rikiyama, Matsuei, Harusakura, Kita Katsuteru, Haguro Yutaka, Tsubomi, Tochiimari, Uehara, Sada Isamu, Tochidaitoyo, Kototakahashi, Musashidaira ..#sumo. 25 January 2017 . 24 January 2021 . Japanese . live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210124091218/https://twitter.com/sumokyokai/status/824066196035158016. 24 January 2021.
  4. Web site: Sumo Sushi Show . USA SUMO . 5 February 2019.
  5. News: Former Hishofuji makes his WWE debut, suggesting a joint fight with Shinsuke Nakamura . 24 January 2021 . . 28 April 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180428182229/https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/news/201804280000499.html . 28 April 2018 . ja.
  6. News: Staff . WWE.com . Who was Greatest Royal Rumble Match entrant Hiroki Sumi? . 24 January 2021 . . 27 April 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180429213334/https://www.wwe.com/shows/greatest-royal-rumble/article/who-was-greatest-royal-rumble-entrant-hiroki-sumi . 29 April 2018 . en.
  7. News: Beltrán . William . Who is Hiroki Sumi, who participated in the Greatest Royal Rumble? . 24 January 2021 . . 27 April 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210124083028/https://en.superluchas.com/quien-es-hiroki-sumi-quien-participo-en-el-greatest-royal-rumble/ . 24 January 2021.
  8. Web site: Bobby Lee Gets Sumo Slammed . Yahoo! Life . 24 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200707163513/https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/bobby-lee-gets-sumo-slammed-050000958.html . 7 July 2020 . 1 July 2020.
  9. Web site: Wataru Ichinose takes on sumo wrestling in "Sanctuary". Co-stars Announced [Netflix]. ]. ja . 25 February 2023 . Oricon News . 3 May 2023.
  10. 1629340359322136576. Hiroki_S_Hisho. Thursday, May 4 on Netflix. I play the role of Shizuuchi in "Sanctuary" on Netflix, Please check it out!. Hiroki Sumi. 25 February 2023. 3 May 2023. ja.
  11. Web site: Hiroki Sumi Actor . 2024-04-09 . IMDb . en-US.
  12. Web site: 元十両飛翔富士の住洋樹が米映画「The Wide West」に主演 年内にも公開へ. ja. Nikkan Sports. 29 April 2024. 29 April 2024.