Hokutofuji Daiki

Hokutofuji Daiki (Japanese: 北勝富士 大輝, born 15 July 1992 as Daiki Nakamura (中村 大輝, Nakamura Daiki)) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Tokorozawa, Saitama. His debut in maezumō was in March 2015, and his first makuuchi division honbasho was the Kyūshū tournament in November 2016. His highest rank has been komusubi. He has seven kinboshi or gold stars for a defeat of a yokozuna and two special prizes for Technique.

In this Japanese shikona name, the surname is Hokutofuji.

Hokutofuji Daiki
北勝富士 大輝
Hokutofuji in 2017
Personal information
BornNakamura Daiki
(1992-07-15) 15 July 1992
Tokorozawa, Saitama
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight157 kg (346 lb; 24.7 st)
Career
StableHakkaku
UniversityNippon Sport Science University
DebutMarch 2015
Highest rankKomusubi (March 2019)
Championships1 (Jūryō)
1 (Sandanme)
1 (Jonidan)
Special PrizesTechnique (2)
Gold Stars7
Kakuryū (2)
Harumafuji
Kisenosato (2)
Hakuho (2)
* Up to date as of August 2, 2020.

Career

Early career

He was a high school yokozuna at Saitama Sakae High School (also the alma mater of Gōeidō) and won multiple major amateur champions before his senior year at Nippon Sport Science University. If he had entered professional sumo in either of those years he would have started as a makushita tsukedashi and skipped the lower divisions, but his parents wanted him to complete his education. So instead he made his debut in March 2015 at the maezumō level. He was unable to compete under his family name of Nakamura as that was already taken by Nakamura Oyakata (former sekiwake Kotonishiki), so instead he used his given name, Daiki. He rose up the ranks quickly, winning the yūshō or tournament championships in the jonidan and sandanme divisions with perfect 7-0 records. He became a sekitori upon reaching the jūryō division in July 2016, and he won the jūryō championship in September with a 12–3 record, which saw him promoted to the top makuuchi division. His rise to the top division in ten tournaments was the second fastest of modern times behind that of Jōkōryū who achieved the feat in nine tournaments in 2012. At this point he changed his shikona from Daiki to Hokutofuji, which was derived from the shikona of his stablemaster, former yokozuna Hokutoumi, and Hokutoumi's own stablemaster, former yokozuna Kitanofuji.

Makuuchi career

Hokutofuji came through with a solid 9–6 record in his top division debut and recorded 9 wins again in January 2017. In March he recorded the first make-koshi (losing record) of his career, but a 10–5 result in May saw him move up the rankings. In the July 2017 tournament he earned a kinboshi or gold star in his first ever match against a yokozuna, defeating Kakuryū, [1] and finished with eight wins. On Day 4 of the September tournament he beat yokozuna Harumafuji to claim his second kinboshi.[2] He was a runner-up to Hakuhō in the November 2017 tournament with an 11–4 record, and was awarded his first special prize, for Technique. He also defeated yokozuna Kisenosato in this tournament, earning his third kinboshi in his last three tournaments.[3] In January 2018 he won a fourth straight kinboshi by defeating Hakuhō on Day 3,[4] but he finished the tournament with only four wins against eleven losses. In the May 2018 tournament he suffered a concussion during a false start at the tachi-ai in his match against Ryūden on Day 10.[5] He withdrew from the rest of the tournament. Returning in July ranked at the bottom of the division at maegashira 16, he secured a winning record.[6]

In March 2019 he made his sanyaku debut at komusubi rank. He was the third komusubi from Saitama Prefecture after Wakabayama in September 1951 and Wakachichibu in March 1959. He is also the fourth komusubi from Hakkaku stable following Kaiho, Hokutoriki and Okinoumi.[7] In September 2019 he picked up his sixth kinboshi by defeating Hakuhō on the opening day.[8] Following this victory he lost his next 6 matches to fall to 1-6 but made an impressive recovery by winning his final 8 matches to finish the tournament at 9-6. He returned to the komusubi rank in November, one of four komusubi in that tournament, but fell just short of a majority of wins with a 7–8 record. Back in the maegashira ranks in January 2020 he earned his seventh kinboshi by defeating Kakuryū on Day 3.[9]

Fighting style

Hokutofuji's performances to date suggest that he is an oshi-sumo specialist who favours pushing techniques to fighting on the mawashi or belt. He wins roughly half his bouts with a straightforward oshi-dashi, or push out.[10]


Career record
Hokutofuji Daiki[11]
Year in sumo January
Hatsu basho, Tokyo		 March
Haru basho, Osaka		 May
Natsu basho, Tokyo		 July
Nagoya basho, Nagoya		 September
Aki basho, Tokyo		 November
Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
2015 x (Maezumo) East Jonokuchi #11
6–1
 		 East Jonidan #36
7–0
Champion
 		 East Sandanme #36
7–0
Champion
 		 East Makushita #25
5–2
 
2016 East Makushita #16
5–2
 		 West Makushita #8
5–2
 		 West Makushita #1
4–3
 		 West Jūryō #13
10–5
 		 West Jūryō #6
12–3
Champion
 		 West Maegashira #11
9–6
 
2017 East Maegashira #8
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #5
7–8
 		 East Maegashira #7
10–5
 		 West Maegashira #2
8–7
★		 East Maegashira #2
7–8
★		 West Maegashira #3
11–4
T★
2018 East Maegashira #1
4–11
★		 West Maegashira #6
6–9
 		 West Maegashira #9
4–7–4
 		 East Maegashira #16
11–4
 		 East Maegashira #9
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #1
7–8
★
2019 West Maegashira #2
9–6
 		 West Komusubi #1
7–8
 		 East Maegashira #1
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #1
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #1
9–6
★		 East Komusubi #2
7–8
 
2020 East Maegashira #2
11–4
T★		 East Komusubi #1
4–11
 		 West Maegashira #5
Tournament Cancelled
0–0–0		 West Maegashira #5
9–6
 		 x x
Record given as win-loss-absent    Top Division Champion Top Division Runner-up Retired Lower Divisions

Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: ★=Kinboshi(s); P=Playoff(s)
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira
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See also

References
  1. "Sumo: Hakuho busts Shodai to continue march toward career wins record". The Mainichi. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  2. "Kotoshogiku maintains perfect record". Japan Times. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  3. "Sumo: Aminishiki brings the house down on final day in Fukuoka". The Mainichi. 26 November 2017. Archived from the original on 27 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  4. "Hokutofuji upsets Hakuho". Japan Times. 16 January 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  5. "Sumo Wrestler Suffers Concussion, Keeps Fighting, Then Collapses On Way To Locker Room". Total Pro Sports. 25 May 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  6. "Mitakeumi takes another step toward title". Jaoan Times. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  7. "2019 March Grand Sumo Tournament Banzuke Topics". Japan Sumo Association. Archived from the original on 11 March 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  8. "Sumo: Hakuho suffers opening-day upset at Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament". The Mainichi. 8 September 2019. Archived from the original on 9 September 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  9. "Sumo: Grand champions overwhelmed on Day 3 of New Year meet". The Mainichi. 14 January 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  10. "Hokutofuji bouts by kimarite". sumodb.sumogames.de.
  11. "Hokutofuji Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
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