, born , was a Japanese

sumo wrestler A , or, more colloquially, , is a sumo wrestler. Although used to define all wrestlers participating in sumo wrestling matches, the term is more commonly used to refer to professional wrestlers, employed by the Japan Sumo Association, who part ...

from

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

. His highest rank was ''

komusubi , or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers ('' rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the o ...

''.

Early life and career

Chiyotenzan Daihachirō was born on February 6, 1976, as a premature baby, who had to spend more than a year and a half in an incubator. Chiyotenzan made his professional debut in March 1991, joining the

Kokonoe stable is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Takasago group of stables. It was formed in 1967 and until 2021 was located in Ishiwara, Sumida, Tokyo. As of January 2023 it had 26 sumo wrestlers, four of whom are of '' sekitori'' rank. It is the mos ...

that was then home to ''

yokozuna , or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers ('' rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the o ...

Chiyonofuji , born , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler and the 58th ''yokozuna'' of the sport. Chiyonofuji was considered one of the greatest ''yokozuna'' in sumo's history, winning 31 tournament championships (''yūshō'') at the top division ('' ...

and

Hokutoumi is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Hokkaidō. He was the sport's 61st ''yokozuna'' and won eight top division championships. He wrestled for Kokonoe stable, as did Chiyonofuji, and the two were the first ''yokozuna'' stablema ...

. He reached the second highest ''

jūryō Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. Fo ...

'' division in January 1997, and the top ''

makuuchi , or , is the top division of Professional sumo divisions, the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous ...

'' division two years after that. He had an explosive start to his ''makuuchi'' career, winning three special prizes in his first three tournaments (the first wrestler ever to do so) and reaching the fourth highest rank of ''komusubi'' in July 1999. However, that was to be his only tournament in the top ranks and his initial promise quickly faded. His last winning score in the top division came in November 2001 and after suffering a fractured leg in the January 2002 tournament he fell back to ''jūryō'' in July 2002. Hampered by

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

, his fortunes slumped even further. After making a final appearance in the ''

sekitori A ''sekitori'' (関取) is a '' rikishi'' (力士, sumo wrestler) who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: '' makuuchi'' and '' jūryō''. The name literally translates to having taken the barrier, as only a relatively small fr ...

'' ranks in November 2005, in January 2006 he was demoted to the unsalaried ''

makushita Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. Fo ...

'' division, and in May 2007, to the fourth ''

sandanme Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. Fo ...

'' division. He reappeared in ''makushita'' in September 2007, but won only one match before withdrawing. By November he had fallen to ''sandanme'' 27, the second lowest rank ever held by a former ''

sanyaku The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan. A B C D E F G H ...

'' wrestler.

Later life and death

After losing his first bout in the January 2008 tournament, Chiyotenzan announced his retirement. He was unable to obtain an elder position in the

Japan Sumo Association The , officially the ; sometimes abbreviated JSA or NSK, and more usually called Sumo Kyōkai, is the governing body that operates and controls Professional sports, professional sumo wrestling, called , in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Min ...

and left the sumo world completely. Chiyotenzan died on August 28, 2024, at the age of 48, after a long period of declining health.

Fighting style

Chiyotenzan's favoured ''

kimarite is the technique used in sumo by a (wrestler) to win a match. It is officially decided or announced by the (referee) at the end of the match, though judge (sumo), judges can modify this decision. The records of are then kept for statistical ...

'' or techniques were ''migi-yotsu'' (a left hand outside, right hand inside grip on the opponent's

mawashi In sumo, a is the loincloth that (sumo wrestlers) wear during training or in competition. Upper ranked professional wrestlers wear a as part of the ring entry ceremony or . ''Mawashi'' ''Sekitori'' During competition For top ranked profess ...

), ''yori kiri'' (force out) and ''uwatenage'' (overarm throw).

Career record

References

External links