Tamanoumi Masahiro
Tamanoumi Masahiro (玉の海 正洋, February 5, 1944 – October 11, 1971), was a sumo wrestler, born in Aichi, Japan. He was the sport's 51st yokozuna. Making his professional debut in 1959, he reached the top makuuchi division in 1964. He won six tournament championships and was runner-up in 12 others. Earlier in his career he also earned six special prizes and four gold stars. He was promoted to yokozuna simultaneously with his friend and rival Kitanofuji in January 1970 and the two men represented the dawning of a new era after the dominance of Taihō. He died suddenly in October 1971 after a delayed appendectomy.
| Tamanoumi Masahiro | |
|---|---|
| 玉の海 正洋 | |
 | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Takeuchi Masao February 5, 1944 Aichi |
| Died | October 11, 1971 (aged 27) |
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 135 kg (298 lb) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Kataonami, formerly Nishonoseki |
| Record | 619–305–0 |
| Debut | March, 1959 |
| Highest rank | Yokozuna (January, 1970) |
| Championships | 6 (Makuuchi) 1 (Jonidan) |
| Special Prizes | Outstanding Performance (4) Fighting Spirit (2) |
| Gold Stars | 4 Tochinoumi (2) Sadanoyama (2) |
| * Up to date as of July 2007. | |
Career
He was born in Osaka, but due to the bombing raids of that city he was evacuated to Gamanori where he grew up. He excelled at judo in junior high school. The future Katsuhikari was one year senior to him in his judo club.
Tamanoumi began his professional career in March 1959, joining Nishonoseki stable, the same stable as the great yokozuna Taihō. At that stage he used a different shikona, or fighting name: Tamanoshima. In 1962 his coach, former sekiwake Tamanoumi Daitaro, set up his own Kataonami stable and Tamanoshima joined it. He reached the top makuuchi division in March 1964. In 1965 a change in the rules meant that wrestlers from the same group of stables could meet each other in tournament competition, and Tamanoshima defeated Taihō in their first official match. He was promoted to sumo's second highest rank of ōzeki in November 1966 at the age of 22. At first, he was unable to reach a score in double figures at ōzeki rank, but his results began to improve significantly from November 1967. In May 1968, after three runner-up performances in a row, he finally captured his first yūshō, or tournament title, with a 13–2 record. The Yokozuna Deliberation Committee decided against promotion to yokozuna after this result due to the absence of both Taihō and Kashiwado from the tournament and his two losses to low-rankers in the first week. His second title came in September 1969. In November 1969 he posted a 10–5 record, and in January 1970 he took part in a playoff for the title with fellow ōzeki Kitanofuji. Tamanoshima lost the match, but after the tournament both Kitanofuji and Tamanoshima were promoted to the yokozuna rank.[1] With Kashiwado already retired, and Taihō soon to follow, the two ushered in a new Kita-Tama era.
Upon reaching yokozuna Tamanoshima changed his name to Tamanoumi, his coach's old shikona. His first tournament championship as a yokozuna came in September 1970 and he followed it up with another victory in November, defeating Taihō in a playoff. In July 1971 Tamanoumi won his sixth and final championship, his first with a perfect 15–0 record.
Fighting style
At 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in) and 135 kg (298 lb) Tamanoumi was not particularly large, but he had great strength and agility. His favoured kimarite were yori kiri (force out), uwatenage (outer arm throw) and tsuri dashi (lift out). He preferred a migi yotsu (left hand outside, right hand inside) grip on his opponent's mawashi.
Death
Tamanoumi had needed an appendectomy since at least July 1971, but he felt the responsibility of a yokozuna's duties and had not wanted to withdraw from the September 1971 tournament. After competing there taking pain-killers and remarkably managing a 12-3 record, he went into hospital only after being an attendant at Taihō's retirement ceremony on October 2.[2] Due to the delay in having the operation he was on the brink of peritonitis. The procedure seemed to have gone well and he was due to leave hospital on October 12, but on the morning of the 11th he collapsed and could not be saved. It emerged he had suffered a pulmonary embolism.[2] He was only the fourth man in history to die whilst an active yokozuna.[3] Kitanofuji was a good friend of Tamanoumi as well as a rival and was shocked by his death. He was just 27 years old and considered to be in his prime and likely to have won many more championships had he lived. In his last seven tournaments he had won four and been runner-up in the other three, and had lost only nine out of 105 bouts. His winning percentage as a yokozuna was .867, second only to Futabayama in the 20th century,[3] and he gave away only three kinboshi in that time.
Career record
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | x | (Maezumo) | West Jonokuchi #27 6–2 |
West Jonidan #105 8–0 Champion |
East Sandanme #104 5–3 |
West Sandanme #72 4–4 |
| 1960 | West Sandanme #71 4–4 |
East Sandanme #61 5–3 |
West Sandanme #40 6–2 |
West Sandanme #9 3–4 |
West Sandanme #19 6–1 |
West Makushita #77 4–3 |
| 1961 | East Makushita #70 5–2 |
East Makushita #48 6–1 |
East Makushita #22 4–3 |
East Makushita #20 5–2 |
East Makushita #14 3–4 |
West Makushita #18 4–3 |
| 1962 | East Makushita #17 4–3 |
East Makushita #15 4–3 |
West Makushita #11 4–3 |
West Makushita #8 1–6 |
East Makushita #27 4–3 |
West Makushita #22 3–4 |
| 1963 | West Makushita #25 6–1 |
West Makushita #14 4–3 |
East Makushita #12 6–1 |
East Makushita #4 6–1 |
East Jūryō #18 9–6 |
West Jūryō #15 10–5 |
| 1964 | West Jūryō #4 11–4 |
East Maegashira #15 9–6 |
West Maegashira #9 8–7 |
West Maegashira #6 8–7 |
West Maegashira #4 8–7 |
West Maegashira #1 9–6 |
| 1965 | East Komusubi #1 5–10 |
East Maegashira #3 9–6 O★★ |
West Komusubi #1 8–7 O |
West Sekiwake #1 6–9 |
West Maegashira #1 7–8 ★ |
West Maegashira #2 4–11 |
| 1966 | West Maegashira #8 13–2 F |
East Maegashira #1 9–6 ★ |
West Sekiwake #1 10–5 F |
West Sekiwake #1 9–6 O |
East Sekiwake #1 11–4 O |
West Ōzeki 9–6 |
| 1967 | West Ōzeki #1 9–6 |
West Ōzeki #1 7–8 |
West Ōzeki #1 8–7 |
East Ōzeki #1 9–6 |
West Ōzeki #1 9–6 |
West Ōzeki #1 11–4 |
| 1968 | East Ōzeki #1 12–3 |
East Ōzeki #1 12–3 |
East Ōzeki #1 13–2 |
East Ōzeki #1 10–5 |
West Ōzeki #1 10–5 |
East Ōzeki #1 12–3 |
| 1969 | East Ōzeki #1 12–3 |
East Ōzeki #1 10–5 |
West Ōzeki #1 8–7 |
West Ōzeki #2 9–6 |
West Ōzeki #2 13–2 |
East Ōzeki #1 10–5 |
| 1970 | West Ōzeki #1 13–2–P |
West Yokozuna #1 13–2 |
East Yokozuna #2 12–3 |
East Yokozuna #2 9–6 |
West Yokozuna #1 14–1 |
East Yokozuna #1 14–1–P |
| 1971 | East Yokozuna #1 14–1–P |
East Yokozuna #1 14–1 |
East Yokozuna #1 13–2 |
West Yokozuna #1 15–0 |
East Yokozuna #1 12–3 |
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) | ||||||
See also
References
- Newton, Clyde (2002-03-10). "Two Ozeki aiming to boost promotion hopes in Osaka". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2012-10-06.
- Kuroda, Joe (June 2008). "The 51st Yokozuna Tamanoumi Masashiro (1944–1971)" (PDF). Sumo Fan Magazine. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
- Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo. Weatherhill. ISBN 0-8348-0283-X.
- "Tamanoumi Masahiro Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2012-07-29.
External links
| Preceded by Sadanoyama Shinmatsu |
51st Yokozuna January 1970 – October 1971 |
Succeeded by Kitanofuji Katsuaki | ||
| Yokozuna is not a successive rank, and more than one wrestler can hold the title at once | ||||