Ōnoshō Fumiya Explained

Native Name:阿武咲 奎也
Ōnoshō Fumiya
Birth Name:Fumiya Utetsu
Birth Date:4 July 1996
Birth Place:Nakadomari, Aomori Prefecture
Japan
Weight:170kg (380lb)
Heya:Ōnomatsu
Rank:see below
Debut:January, 2013
Highestrank:Komusubi (November, 2017)
Yushos:1 (Jūryō)
Prizes:Fighting Spirit (3)
Outstanding Performance (1)
Goldstars:2 (Harumafuji, Hakuhō)
Update:24 September 2023

, born July 4, 1996, as is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Aomori Prefecture. He debuted in sumo wrestling in January 2013 and made his top makuuchi debut in May 2017. His highest rank has been komusubi, and he has won four special prizes for Fighting Spirit (3) and Outstanding Performance (1) as well as two gold stars for defeating a yokozuna while ranked as a maegashira. He wrestles for Ōnomatsu stable.

Background

Fumiya Utetsu was born in Nakadomari, a small town on the northern tip of Honshu. Growing up he enjoyed skiing and snowboarding.[1] He became interested in sumo wrestling at the age of five after encouragement from his grandfather, and began to train at his local gym.[2] When at Nakasato Elementary School, he was trained by Takarafuji, as both are from the same hometown, Takarafuji being in his second year at Goshogawara Commercial High School when Ōnoshō was in his first year of elementary school.[3] When in elementary school, he also met Takakeishō and later confessed that he "hated him" but that they have since formed a friendship and a friendly rivalry.[4] [5] When in Nakasato Junior High School, he participated in the very first Hakuhō Cup in 2010,[6] and his Aomori team won the team competition of that year.[7] After that, he enrolled at Sanbongi Agricultural High School along Nishikifuji,[8] and there he notably won the individual competition at the 2012 Gifu National Athletic Sumo Championships.[2] While still an amateur, he and his team would visit the Kindai University sumo club, where Ōnoshō was thus trained by his senior Tokushōryū, among others.[9] In November 2012, he decided to drop out and turned pro, sharing the same newcomer promotion as Ishiura and Abi.[10] [11] He joined Ōnomatsu stable and adopted the shikona, or ring name, Ōnoshō,[2] in reference to his stable and including the kanji for "to bloom" (咲) reflecting the hopes of his master (former sekiwake Masurao).[1]

Career

Early career

Ōnoshō made his professional debut at the age of sixteen in the Osaka tournament in March 2013. He quickly moved through the lower divisions and reached the third highest makushita division in November of the same year. Seven consecutive winning records (kachi-koshi) saw him promoted to the second division (jūryō) for the January 2015 tournament. This promotion makes Ōnoshō the 10th youngest juryō promoted since the Shōwa era.[12] This promotion also makes Ōnoshō the 128th sekitori of Aomori Prefecture and the first since Homarefuji in 2012.[13] Yokozuna Hakuhō also commented when referring to Ōnoshō that he was one of the most promising young talents in sumo at the time.[12] Competing against more experienced opponents he however made relatively little impact in his first jūryō run but looked to be maintaining his place in the division before sustaining an injury in November 2015.[14] A 5–10 record in March 2016 saw him relegated for the first time in his wrestling career. He rebounded by winning all seven of his bouts in makushita in May and was promoted back up to the second division despite losing in a play-off for the championship to Oyanagi.[15] Over the next six tournaments, Ōnoshō worked his way up the ranks of jūryō and a 9–6 result in March 2017 clinched his promotion to sumo's top division (makuuchi) for the first time.[16]

Makuuchi career

In his first tournament in the top division Ōnoshō was assigned the rank of maegashira 14. He recovered from an opening day defeat to Daishōmaru to record a 10–5 result, with his defeated opponents including other promising young wrestlers such as Hokutofuji, Ishiura and Kagayaki, as well as more experienced foes such as Kaisei and Myōgiryū.[17] His efforts saw him being rewarded with the special prize for Fighting Spirit as well as promotion to maegashira 6 for the next tournament.[18] In the following July tournament he was one of only two wrestlers to defeat the eventual runner-up Aoiyama,[19] and he finished with another 10–5 record. In September 2017 at the rank of maegashira 3 he earned a kinboshi by defeating the eventual yūshō winner Harumafuji on his way to a second Fighting Spirit prize and a third 10–5 record. He thereby became the first rikishi since the 38th yokozuna Terukuni (and thus the first wrestler in the era of the six tournament system) to achieve double-digit records in each of his first three makuuchi tournaments.[20] He was promoted to the san'yaku ranks at komusubi for the November 2017 tournament, becoming only the second wrestler ever from his stable after Wakakōyū in 2012 to achieve this feat.[21] After losing six of his first seven bouts in November, he recovered in the second week of the tournament and secured his majority of wins on the final day.[22] He withdrew from the January 2018 tournament on Day 10 with a posterior cruciate ligament injury to the right knee.[23] The injury kept him out of the following tournament in March and saw him relegated to jūryō.[24] In May, however, he returned to action and secured his promotion back to the top division as he won the jūryō title by defeating Tsurugishō and ending the tournament with a 12–3 record.[11] In November of the same year, Ōnoshō ended the tournament with an 11–4 record and won his third Fighting Spirit prize after defeating Yutakayama, who was also competing for the prize and would have won it had he won the match.[25] This performance saw him being promoted to east maegashira 6 for the next tournament in which he got an 8–7 score. He had an unremarkable 2019, not being able to mount a serious challenge for promotion back to san'yaku. In March 2020 he earned his second kinboshi by defeating Hakuhō for the first time. He finished the tournament with a 9–6 record and the Outstanding Performance prize.[26]

Ōnoshō withdrew from the May 2022 tournament after fracturing his left rib in his Day 5 loss to Takakeishō.[27] In the January 2023 tournament he led the field outright on Day 12 with ten wins and two losses.[28] However he had a disappointing end to the tournament, losing his last three matches and missing out on the Fighting Spirit Prize on Day 15 after being disqualified for a hair-pull on Hōshōryū.[29] In the March 2023 basho Ōnoshō withdrew on Day 9 following injuries to both of his knees two days earlier.[30] During the rest of the year Ōnoshō achieved modest results, however, recording a poor score of at the November tournament. This score logically relegated him to the lowest ranks of the makuuchi division.

In the first half of the January 2024 tournament Ōnoshō recorded a good performance, keeping himself among the leading wrestlers for the title race.[31] Ōnoshō, however, suffers two consecutive defeats at the hands of Ōzeki Kirishima and Yokozuna Terunofuji on Days 10 and 11 respectively, effectively removing him from the title race.[32] [33]

Ōnoshō withdrew from the July 2024 tournament after suffering three defeats in the first three days, with his medical certificate reporting right ankle arthritis and ligament damage in his right knee requiring about three weeks of treatment.[34]

Fighting style

Ōnoshō has a preference for oshi techniques (pushing and thrusting) rather than grasping his opponent's mawashi or belt.[1] His most common kimarite or winning move is oshidashi, the push-out.[35] His style is regarded as aggressive, with him looking to move forward and finish the match as quickly as possible.[36] However, since his 2018 injury layoff he has sought to add more variety to his technique.[36]

Personal life

Ōnoshō is known for his love of music, he's also very fond of karaoke.[4]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: SUMO ABC (64) / Disciple of 'White Wolf' expected to be as good as his mentor. 18 November 2017. Yomiuri Shimbun/Japan News. 21 November 2017. 1 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171201033613/http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0004050550. live.
  2. Web site: まずは十両」 国体V・打越君が阿武松部屋入門 青森. ja. 17 December 2012. Asahi Shimbun. 13 January 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130113220753/http://www.asahi.com/news/intro/TKY201212170772.html. live.
  3. Web site: 21歳阿武咲 青森・中泊の先輩宝富士に勝ち2敗死守. ja. 20 July 2017. Sports Nippon. 4 July 2023.
  4. Web site: 注目の新星力士「阿武咲」カラオケでケミストリーを熱唱中. ja. 25 July 2017. Weekly Flash Magazine. 4 July 2023.
  5. Web site: 新入幕の阿武咲、敢闘賞に輝く 千秋楽は貴景勝に完敗「後味は悪いけど」」. ja. 28 May 2017. Daily Sports Magazine. 4 July 2023.
  6. Web site: 白鵬「待ちに待った取組だね」阿武咲との初対決心待ち. ja. 9 November 2017. Sports Nippon. 4 July 2023.
  7. Web site: 阿武咲 夏巡業で精力的申し合い 初の上位戦へ「強い人の方が燃える」. ja. 30 July 2017. Sports Nippon. 4 March 2023.
  8. 全新弟子名鑑 . ベースボール・マガジン社 . 相撲 (雑誌) . 2016年10月号 . 106 .
  9. Web site: 新入幕阿武咲 無欲の勝ち越し"兄のような存在"徳勝龍下す. ja. 26 May 2017. Sports Nippon. 4 July 2023.
  10. Web site: 大相撲初場所:多彩な16人全員合格 新弟子検査. ja. 26 December 2012. Mainichi Shimbun. 2 December 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131202230436/http://mainichi.jp/sports/news/20121227k0000m050053000c.html. live.
  11. Web site: 阿武咲 待ってろ阿炎!「アイツの活躍がうらやましかった」復活の十両優勝. 27 May 2018. Sports Nippon. ja. 4 July 2023.
  12. Web site: 阿武咲10代十両昇進も「感謝、謙虚」. ja. 26 November 2014. Nikkan Sports. 4 July 2023.
  13. Web site: 阿武咲が新十両昇進 大相撲初場所番付編成会議. Nikkei Shimbun. ja. subscription. 26 November 2014. 4 July 2023.
  14. Web site: 十両阿武咲が休場 玉飛鳥戦で左足靱帯損傷. Nikkan Sports. ja. 18 November 2015. 4 July 2023.
  15. Web site: 相撲、元幕内千代の国が十両V/幕下は小柳が制す. ja. 22 May 2016. Shikoku Shimbun. 3 July 2023.
  16. Web site: Sumo: Kisenosato looks to stay on roll at summer tourney. 1 May 2017. Kyodo News.
  17. Web site: Onosho Fumiya (Natsu 2017). Sumo Reference. 4 July 2023.
  18. Web site: Sumo: Hakuho outlasts Harumafuji to finish with perfect record. 27 May 2017. Kyodo News.
  19. Web site: Sumo: Unbeaten Hakuho moves one win shy of Chiyonofuji win mark. 16 July 2017. Kyodo News. 28 July 2017.
  20. News: Autumn Basho flourishes in absence of stars. Gunning. John. 27 September 2017. Japan Times. 27 September 2017.
  21. Web site: 2017 November Grand Sumo Tournament Banzuke Topics. October 2017. Japan Sumo Association. 30 October 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171030162158/http://www.sumo.or.jp/EnHonbashoTopics/banzuke_topics/. 30 October 2017.
  22. News: Aminishiki steals show at Kyushu Basho. The Japan Times. 27 November 2017. 26 November 2017.
  23. News: 阿武咲が休場 右膝後十字靱帯損傷の診断書を提出. 23 January 2018. Nikkan Sports. Japanese. 23 January 2018.
  24. Web site: 休場3関取の診断書 稀勢は左大胸筋損傷、白鵬は左足指関節炎. 11 March 2018. Sports Nippon. ja. 13 March 2018.
  25. News: 阿武咲3度目敢闘賞 同い年好敵手貴景勝の初V刺激. 25 November 2018. Nikkan Sports. ja. 4 July 2023.
  26. Web site: Hakuho outlasts Kakuryu to win 44th Emperor's Cup. 22 March 2020. Japan Times. 24 March 2020.
  27. Web site: 阿武咲が肋骨骨折で休場 1カ月間の加療必要見込みと診断書提出 5日目貴景勝戦で負傷. 13 May 2022. Nikkan Sports. ja. 13 May 2022.
  28. Web site: Sumo: Onosho takes New Year lead after ozeki Takakeisho falls again. 19 January 2023. Kyodo News. 23 January 2023.
  29. Web site: Sumo: Lone ozeki Takakeisho wins New Year meet, 3rd Emperor's Cup. 22 January 2023. Kyodo News. 23 January 2023.
  30. Web site: 阿武咲が休場、7日目若隆景戦で両側内側半月板損傷 「本人は再出場したいと」阿武松親方. 20 March 2023. Nikkan Sports. 21 March 2023. ja.
  31. Web site: 1敗は琴ノ若、阿武咲、大の里の3人に 綱取りを目指す霧島は2敗死守. 22 January 2024. Sports Hochi. ja. 22 January 2024.
  32. Web site: 阿武咲、綱とり目指す霧島に敗れ2敗に後退 「なかなか中に入れてくれなかったですね」【大相撲初場所】. 23 January 2024. Chunichi Sports. ja. 23 January 2024.
  33. Web site: 琴ノ若 10勝目!1敗守り優勝争い先頭、大関昇進へ前進 2敗で照ノ富士、霧島、豊昇龍追う. 24 January 2024. Sports Nippon. ja. 24 January 2024.
  34. Web site: 大相撲 平幕 阿武咲 右ひざなどの痛みのため休場. 17 July 2024 . NHK. 18 July 2024. ja.
  35. Web site: 日本相撲協会公式サイト. 日本相撲協会公式サイト.
  36. News: Hakuho, rivals seeking to taste success in opening tournament of new season. Gunning. John. 10 January 2019. Japan Times. 10 January 2019.