Kotoekō Mitsunori Explained

Native Name:琴恵光 充憲 
Kotoekō Mitsunori
Birth Name:Mitsutaka Kashiwadani
Birth Date:20 November 1991
Birth Place:Nobeoka, Miyazaki, Japan
Weight:127kg (280lb)
Heya:Sadogatake
Record:531-542-14
Debut:March, 2007
Retireddate:May, 2024
Eldername:Oguruma
Highestrank:Maegashira 4 (July, 2021)[1]
Update:17 May 2024

is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Nobeoka, Miyazaki. He is a member of the Sadogatake stable and made his professional debut in March 2007. He reached the top makuuchi division in July 2018. He retired in May 2024 and inherited the name Oguruma to work as a coach within the Japan Sumo Association.

Early life and sumo background

Born the grandson of former juryo rikishi [2] [3] he was introduced to sumo at an early age. He was also attracted to judo at a young age as well participating in it from primary school on up. He led his elementary school to the best eight in judo, and his junior high school team to the Miyazaki prefecture championship. Originally he intended on going to high school as a judo player and wanted to become a cook joining the family restaurant with his father and grandfather after graduation. However he was inspired instead to join professional sumo after observing a practice session held by Sadogatake stable at their Kyushu lodgings.[4]

Career

He would join Sadogatake stable in March 2007 at the age of 15. He weighed just 94 kg and was only 175 cm tall, and his stablemaster was concerned about whether he would be able to gain enough weight.[5] He originally took the shikona by simply adding the stable's traditional prefix "Koto" to his family name. He took a year from his debut to reach the fourth sandanme division but there he would hit his first road block. He would spend three years going up and down the sandanme division before finally reaching the third makushita division. He would then take the shikona Kotoekō borrowing the second kanji from his grandfather's name. After another three years bouncing back and forth between the fourth and third divisions and on the back of five straight winning records he was promoted to the second juryo division. He was the first sekitori from Miyazaki Prefecture in 32 years, the last being who spent just one tournament in juryo in January 1982.[6]

He lasted only one tournament in the division, managing only a 5–10 record and being demoted back down to the third division. After a 4–3 winning record at makushita 1 he was immediately promoted back to the juryo division. However a 4–11 record saw him again demoted back to the third division. After a year in the makushita division he got a third chance as a sekitori in the juryo division and this time he did get his first winning record of 9–6 to remain in juryo. He became a juryo mainstay for a year and a half before an 11–4 record gained him promotion to the top makuuchi division. He was the first wrestler from Miyazaki Prefecture to reach the top division in 44 years (Kaneshiro being the last in September 1974).[5] His promotion meant Kotoekō had achieved a goal he had set of exceeding his grandfather's highest rank.[7]

In his first tournament in the top division he would perform rather poorly, managing only a 3–12 record and being demoted back to the juryo division.[8] Two winning tournaments in September and November 2018 saw him promoted back to the top division. Even after two 7–8 losing records in January[9] and March 2019[10] he remained at the same rank of maegashira 15 West, and in May he finally got his first winning record in the top division with an 8–7 winning record.[11] He reached the rank of maegashira 7 in September 2019 but faced demotion to jūryō after only two wins against thirteen losses in the January 2020 tournament.[12] With a good performance of 11-4 in the March tournament, he secured his return to makuuchi, where he posted a respectable 10 wins in July.[13] He finished the 2020 season with records of 8-7 and 6-9 in September and November.[14] [15]

To begin 2021 he was ranked maegashira 11. That year he posted three losing records and three winning records. After going 9-6 in the May tournament,[16] he was rewarded with the rank of maegashira 4, his highest yet. A 2-13 record in July meant he was demoted to back to maegashira 11.[17] He went 3-12 in the last tournament of the year, leading to a rank of maegashira 17 to start 2022.[18] [19]

Kotoekō started 2022 with back-to-back kachi-koshi in the January and March tournaments.[20] [21] These performances saw him rise to the rank of maegashira 7 for the May tournament. However, a 6-9 record in May, followed a 5-6-4 (with absence due to a COVID-19 infection) record in July and 6-9 record in September saw him demoted to maegashira 12 ahead of the November tournament.[22] [23] [24] He ended the last tournament of 2022 with a 7-8 record, losing to Nishikigi on the final day.[25]

Kotoekō began his 2023 campaign with a ranking of maegashira 13 in the January banzuke. In the first tournament of the year he finished with a 7-8 record, this time losing to Tobizaru on the final day.[26] Later in the year, during the November tournament, he withdrew from the competition after suffering a knee joint injury requiring approximately two weeks of treatment.[27] Since many comments drew attention to the fact that he would a priori not rejoin the competition, it is expected that Kotoekō will lose his maegashira rank and be relegated to jūryō for the first time since March 2020. His absence also marks the end of his continuous presence in tournaments, which ranked him seventh among the wrestlers with a streak of consecutive matches.[28]

Kotoekō was forced to withdraw during the November 2023 tournament due to an injury to his left MCL. His withdrawal ended his streak of 1,043 consecutive matches since beginning his career in 2007, not including absences due to unavoidable circumstances such as COVID protocols.[29]

In May 2024 Kotoekō announced his retirement, however inheriting the name Oguruma in order to remain a trainer with the Japan Sumo Association.[30] At his retirement press conference he shared his thanks with those gathered, adding that he had been a sumo wrestler for a long time and so felt a sense of sadness, but had really done his best with his body.[31]

Fighting style

Kotoekō favoured a migiyotsu (right hand inside, left hand outside grip on his opponent's mawashi). His favourite winning kimarite was a straightforward oshidashi, or push out. He also regularly employed yorikiri, or force-out, and tsukiotoshi, or the thrust down.[32]

Personal life

In September 2023, the Japan Sumo Association announced Kotoekō had become engaged.[33]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rikishi Profile – Kotoeko Mitsunori. www.sumo.or.jp. Nihon Sumo Kyokai. 3 June 2019.
  2. Web site: Matsueyama Kuniharu. Sumo Reference. 3 June 2019.
  3. Web site: 2020-01-17 . Lester students sit down with sumo wrestlers as teachers hit the ring . 2023-02-24 . Stripes Okinawa . en.
  4. Web site: enproto10 . 琴恵光ヒストリー . 2023-02-24 . kotoekou.jp . ja.
  5. Web site: 宮崎)琴恵光、県出身44年ぶり新入幕へ. 25 May 2018. Asahi Shimbun. ja. 20 February 2020.
  6. Web site: 新十両琴恵光「祖父に胸張って報告できる」 日刊スポーツ. 1 October 2014. ja. Nikkan Sports. 20 February 2020.
  7. Web site: 琴恵光が新入幕昇進「十両に上がった時からの目標」日刊スポーツ. 26 June 2018. Nikkan Sports. ja. 20 February 2020.
  8. Web site: Chifuri . Hiromitsu . 2018-08-29 . 2018 Nagoya Basho Results . 2023-02-23 . The Japan Times . en-US.
  9. Web site: Chifuri . Hiromitsu . 2019-02-26 . 2019 New Year Basho Results . 2023-02-23 . The Japan Times . en-US.
  10. Web site: Chifuri . Hiromitsu . 2019-04-30 . 2019 Spring Basho Results . 2023-02-23 . The Japan Times . en-US.
  11. Web site: Chifuri . Hiromitsu . 2019-06-27 . 2019 Summer Basho Results . 2023-02-23 . The Japan Times . en-US.
  12. Web site: Chifuri . Hiromitsu . 2020-02-24 . 2020 New Year Basho Results . 2023-02-23 . The Japan Times . en-US.
  13. Web site: Chifuri . Hiromitsu . 2020-08-03 . 2020 July Basho Results . 2023-02-23 . The Japan Times . en-US.
  14. Web site: Chifuri . Hiromitsu . 2020-11-02 . 2020 Autumn Basho Results . 2023-02-23 . The Japan Times . en-US.
  15. Web site: Chifuri . Hiromitsu . 2020-12-25 . 2020 November Basho Results . 2023-02-23 . The Japan Times . en-US.
  16. Web site: Chifuri . Hiromitsu . 2021-06-21 . 2021 Summer Basho Results . 2023-02-23 . The Japan Times . en-US.
  17. Web site: Chifuri . Hiromitsu . 2021-08-30 . 2021 Nagoya Basho Results . 2023-02-23 . The Japan Times . en-US.
  18. Web site: Chifuri . Hiromitsu . 2021-12-25 . 2021 Kyushu Basho Results . 2023-02-23 . The Japan Times . en-US.
  19. Web site: Hatsu 2022 Banzuke . 2023-02-23 . sumodb.sumogames.de.
  20. Web site: Chifuri . Hiromitsu . 2022-02-28 . 2022 New Year Basho Results . 2023-02-24 . The Japan Times . en-US.
  21. Web site: Chifuri . Hiromitsu . 2022-03-27 . 2022 Spring Basho Results . 2023-02-24 . The Japan Times . en-US.
  22. Web site: Chifuri . Hiromitsu . 2022-07-04 . 2022 Summer Basho Results . 2023-02-24 . The Japan Times . en-US.
  23. Web site: Chifuri . Hiromitsu . 2022-08-30 . 2022 Nagoya Basho Results . 2023-02-24 . The Japan Times . en-US.
  24. Web site: Chifuri . Hiromitsu . 2022-11-01 . 2022 Autumn Basho Results . 2023-02-24 . The Japan Times . en-US.
  25. Web site: Chifuri . Hiromitsu . 2022-12-26 . 2022 Kyushu Basho Results . 2023-02-24 . The Japan Times . en-US.
  26. Web site: Chifuri . Hiromitsu . 2023-02-20 . 2023 New Year Basho Results . 2023-02-24 . The Japan Times . en-US.
  27. Web site: 琴恵光 左膝関節内側側副靱帯損傷で10日目から休場「2週間の治療を要する見込み」. ja. 21 November 2023. Sports Nippon. 21 November 2023.
  28. Web site: 琴恵光が10日目から休場 前日に左足を引きずる様子も…初土俵以来の連続出場は1043でストップ. ja. 21 November 2023. Sports Nippon. 21 November 2023.
  29. Web site: 琴恵光が左膝負傷で休場 07年春場所の初土俵から続けていた連続出場は1043回でストップ. 21 November 2023. Nikkan Sport . 23 November 2023. ja.
  30. Web site: 元幕内で幕下の琴恵光が引退 年寄・尾車を襲名 最高位は東前頭4枚目…日本相撲協会発表. 17 May 2024. Sport Hochi. 17 May 2024. ja.
  31. Web site: 琴恵光が引退会見で涙「本当に精いっぱいやってきた」17年間、常に真っ向勝負が身上の努力家 . 19 May 2024. Nikkan Sports. 19 May 2024. ja.
  32. Web site: Rikishi Profile – Kotoeko Mitsunori. www.sumo.or.jp. Nihon Sumo Kyokai. 3 June 2019.
  33. Web site: 幕内琴恵光が婚約 相撲協会が発表. 4 September 2023. Sankei Sports. Japanese. 4 September 2023.