Takekaze Akira

Takekaze Akira (born June 21, 1979 as Akira Narita) is a former professional sumo wrestler from Akita Prefecture, Japan. A former amateur sumo champion, he turned professional in 2002, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division the following year. He was a runner-up in one tournament, earned two special prizes for Fighting Spirit, and one gold star for defeating a ''yokozuna.'' Takekaze is in first place for the slowest promotion from ''makuuchi'' debut to the third highest ''sekiwake'' rank in history. Aged 35 years and two months, he is in first place for the eldest to make his ''sekiwake'' debut post World War II. He was a member of Oguruma stable. He retired in January 2019 to become an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name Oshiogawa-''oyakata''.

Early life and sumo background

Born in Moriyoshi, Kitaakita District, Narita practised sumo in college and was a very dominant player, having achieved the student equivalent of ''yokozuna'' after winning the Kokutai (Japan Games) and All Japan University Championship sumo tournaments in 2001, his fourth year at Chuo University. He made his professional debut in May 2002, joining former '' ōzeki'' Kotokaze's Oguruma stable.

Career

Upon entry he was given ''makushita tsukedashi'' status and allowed to enter at the rank of ''makushita'' 15 due to his amateur achievements. He reached ''sekitori'' level in just two tournaments, and was promoted to the top ''makuuchi'' division in March 2003, the first wrestler from his stable to achieve this.

Takekaze had to pull out of his debut tournament in the top division due to injury and fell back to the ''jūryō'' division. However upon winning the ''jūryō'' championship in September 2003 with a 13–2 record he was promoted back to the top division. He took time to adjust to the stronger opposition in ''makuuchi'' and did not achieve a ''kachi-koshi'' or winning record above the mid ''maegashira'' ranks until May 2007. However, in January 2008 he produced his best score in the top division, 12–3, which included a defeat of '' ōzeki'' Kotoōshū. He was awarded his first special prize, for Fighting Spirit. Consequently, in the March, 2008 tournament he debuted at the ''komusubi'' rank, finally breaking into ''san'yaku''. He was the first wrestler from his stable to make the titled ranks.

Takekaze could manage only three wins in his ''komusubi'' debut and was demoted to ''maegashira'' 8 for the May 2008 tournament. However, an 8–7 score at ''maegashira'' 4 in March 2009, which included a defeat of '' ōzeki'' Kotomitsuki, saw him climb to ''maegashira'' 2 for the May 2009 tournament. He also reached ''maegashira'' 1 in November 2009. In September 2010 he finished runner-up in a tournament for the first time, and was awarded his second Fighting Spirit prize, shared with stablemate Yoshikaze.

In July 2014 Takekaze earned his first ''kinboshi'' or gold star for a defeat of a ''yokozuna'' with a win over Harumafuji. His 9–6 score at ''maegashira'' 4 was enough to earn him promotion to ''sekiwake'' for the first time, as everyone else in the division from ''sekiwake'' down to ''maegashira'' 3 had a losing score, with the exception of ''sekiwake'' Gōeidō who was promoted to ''ōzeki.'' Not only did Takekaze become the oldest ''sekiwake'' debutant since the end of World War II at the age of 35 years two months, but the 64 tournaments it took to reach the ''sekiwake'' rank from his top division debut is also a record. He performed creditably in the September 2014 tournament, only just missing out on ''kachi-koshi'' with a 7–8 record. He remained in the ''san'yaku'' ranks at ''komusubi'' for the following tournament in November, but could only score 2–13. In 2015 he managed only two winning tournaments and dropped down the rankings. By January 2016 he had fallen to ''maegashira'' 13, his lowest rank for seven years but secured his top division status with a 10–5 result. He went on to secure four winning records out of six tournaments in 2016.

In September 2017 Takekaze appeared in his 83rd top division tournament, a record for a college graduate and 10th all-time. He has also fought more top division matches than any other former amateur champion and is in the top ten all-time. His 5–10 record in the January 2018 tournament saw him demoted to ''jūryō'' for the first time since 2005, but he resolved to continue wrestling, and earned immediate promotion back to ''makuuchi'', becoming at 38 years and 10 months the second oldest wrestler to do so since the beginning of the Showa era after Aminishiki. However he lasted only one tournament and was demoted back to ''jūryō'' after the May 2018 ''basho''.

Retirement from sumo

He announced his retirement during the January 2019 tournament after his eighth loss at the low rank of '' jūryō'' 12 made demotion to the ''makushita'' division virtually certain. He is the owner of the Oshiogawa '' toshiyori kabu'' and stayed in sumo as a coach at Oguruma stable. His ''danpatsu-shiki'' was held in front of a 9000 crowd at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan on 1 February 2020, with his son taking part in a bout with him, and around 200 to 300 people participating in the hair-snipping ritual.

In February 2022 Oguruma stable closed and he branched out to open his own Oshiogawa stable, taking former ''makuuchi'' wrestlers Yago and Amakaze and a number of other personnel with him.

Fighting style

Takekaze was almost entirely reliant on ''oshi-sumo'' or pushing techniques, and usually lost if his opponents grabbed hold of his ''mawashi'' or belt. He commented, "Sumo at the ''mawashi'' is not my style – I haven't learned to do it." He has won only around four percent of his career matches by ''yori-kiri'' (force out), which is the most popular overall technique in sumo. As well as ''oshi-dashi'' (push out) he also regularly employed ''hiki-otoshi'', the pull-down, and ''tsuki-otoshi'', the thrust over. At just 172 cm (5 ft in) he was of the shortest wrestlers in the top division.

Personal life

Takekaze was married in August 2006. He has a son, born at the end of 2007.

Career record

See also

*List of sumo tournament top division runners-up
*List of sumo tournament second division champions
*List of sumo record holders
*Glossary of sumo terms
*List of past sumo wrestlers
*List of sekiwake
*List of sumo elders

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Takekaze, Akira
1979 births
Living people
Japanese sumo wrestlers
Sumo people from Akita Prefecture
Sekiwake
Chuo University alumni