Terao Tsunefumi
Terao Tsunefumi (寺尾 常史, born February 2, 1963 as Yoshifumi Fukuzono 福薗 好文) is a Japanese former sumo wrestler. He was born in Tokyo, but brought up in Kajiki, Aira District, Kagoshima, Japan. He fought out of Izutsu stable. The highest rank he reached was sekiwake. Despite his relatively light weight he had an extremely long career, spanning 23 years from 1979 until 2002, and was known as the "iron man" of sumo. He is now the head coach of Shikoroyama stable.
| Terao Tsunefumi | |
|---|---|
| 寺尾 常史 | |
 | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Yoshifumi Fukuzono February 2, 1963 Tokyo, Japan |
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) |
| Weight | 117 kg (258 lb) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Izutsu |
| Record | 860-938-58 |
| Debut | July, 1979 |
| Highest rank | Sekiwake (March, 1989) |
| Retired | September, 2002 |
| Elder name | Shikoroyama |
| Championships | 2 (Jūryō) |
| Special Prizes | Outstanding Performance (3) Fighting Spirit (3) Technique (1) |
| Gold Stars | 7 Ōnokuni (3) Chiyonofuji Hokutoumi Takanohana II Musashimaru |
| * Up to date as of August 2007. | |
Sumo Family
Terao has a long sumo pedigree. He is the third son of former sekiwake Tsurugamine, and younger brother of Kakureizan (former jūryō) and Sakahoko (former sekiwake).[1][2] His paternal grandfather was a cousin of Satsumanishiki (former makushita). His father married the adopted daughter of former makushita Kaganishiki, who was adopted by Nishinoumi, the 25th yokozuna. His cousin is Tsurunofuji (former jūryō). Terao and his brothers Kakureizan and Sakahoko together hold various sumo records: they are the first three brothers ever to reach sekitori status; in September 1986 Terao and Sakahoko were the first brothers to win prizes together;[1] and in March 1989 they were the first brothers to hold sekiwake rank simultaneously.[1] In November 1990 they appeared together in Chiyonofuji's ring-entering ceremony as sword-bearer and dew-sweeper.
Career
He took up sumo shortly after his mother died of cancer.[3] He joined Izutsu stable, which was run by his father, alongside his two brothers. He started competing under the name Terao Setsuo (寺尾 節男) after his mother's maiden name Terao Setsuko (寺尾 節子).[3]
He first entered the second jūryō division in July 1984. To mark this promotion he changed his name to Genjiyama Rikisaburō, but reverted to Terao Setsuo after a single tournament. After winning the jūryō championship in January 1985 he entered the top makuuchi division, but won only 6 bouts out of 15 and so returned to jūryō. He won the jūryō division the next tournament and so reentered makuuchi in July 1985. In September 1986 he earned nine wins and his first special prize, for Fighting Spirit. This advanced him to his then highest rank, maegashira 1. He changed his name to Terao Tsunefumi in November 1987, on the advice of a fortune-teller.[3] In the following tournament in January 1988, he defeated yokozuna Onokuni to earn his first kinboshi. He defeated Chiyonofuji in the January 1989 tournament and won the Outstanding Performance Award. In the next basho in March 1989, he finally made his breakthrough into the titled san'yaku ranks at sekiwake after four years in the top division, joining his brother at sumo's third highest rank.
Although Terao fought several tournaments at sekiwake he never came close to ōzeki, his best performance as sekiwake being 9–6. His last appearance in san'yaku was at komusubi rank in July 1994. In March 1995 he upset Takanohana for the only time as a yokozuna, earning his last special prize. In November 1999, at the age of 35, he defeated Musashimaru for his final kinboshi. He remained in makuuchi until May 2000 when he was finally demoted at age 37 after 90 consecutive top division tournaments. However, he managed to return to makuuchi for two tournaments in March and May 2001, becoming at 38 years and 24 days the oldest man post World War II to earn promotion to the top division. His last tournament was in September 2002, where he scored only five wins at the rank of jūryō 11 and faced certain demotion to the makushita division.
Records
Despite suffering from a heart condition,[3] Terao enjoyed an exceptionally long and relatively injury-free career from his debut in 1979 aged 16 to his retirement in 2002 aged 39. He was referred to as the Tetsujin, or Iron Man, of sumo.[1] Among his other nicknames were "The Eternal Typhoon," because of both his longevity and his tsuppari fighting style. After being defeated by the 18-year-old Takahanada in March 1991, which he regarded as the most disappointing loss of his career, he was determined to keep fighting for as long as possible.
His total number of bouts is 1795, the third highest ever, his total number of makuuchi bouts (1378) is the fourth highest ever. His 860 wins are the ninth highest ever; his 938 losses were the most ever recorded until Kyokutenhō finished his career with 944 losses in 2015. When he had to sit out 1 day of the March 1997 tournament and the whole May 1997 tournament after breaking his big toe in a bout against Kyokushūzan it ended a run of 1359 bouts without absence, the sixth highest ever. 1063 of these were in makuuchi, the fourth highest ever. His 110 tournaments ranked as a sekitori (in the top two divisions) was an all-time record until it was broken by Kaiō in 2010.
Fighting style
Terao was an oshi-sumo specialist, relying on pushing and thrusting techniques, keeping his opponent away from his mawashi. Throughout his career he consistently weighed around 115 kg (254 lb), a considerable disadvantage in an era when most of his opponents were over 150 kg (330 lb). He compensated by relying on his speed and agility, and was often able to use his quick reactions to outwit his heavier opponents. He was well known for his rapid series of thrusts to the chest (tsuppari), enabling him to win many of his matches by hataki-komi (the slap down), oshi-dashi (the push out) and tsuki-dashi (the thrust out).[4] Due to his light weight he was vulnerable to defeat by yori-kiri (force out) if his opponents managed to contain him.
After retirement
He is now a toshiyori (a sumo elder) known as Shikoroyama Oyakata. In February 2004 he established Shikoroyama stable.[5] He decided not to take any rikishi from Izutsu stable with him, recruiting all the new stable's rikishi himself. In January 2006 Hōmashō became his first rikishi to reach sekitori status. Hōmashō retired in January 2015, but later in that same year Seirō became the second wrestler coached by Shikoroyama to reach the top division. Shikoroyama has also produced the komusubi Abi.[6]
Personal life
While active Terao was friendly with fellow top division wrestlers Masurao and Kotogaume.[3] He is a fan of J-pop.[3] His eldest (adopted) son is actor Yuki Terao.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | x | x | x | (Maezumo) | East Jonokuchi #34 6–1 |
West Jonidan #80 6–1 |
| 1980 | East Jonidan #19 2–5 |
West Jonidan #42 6–1 |
East Sandanme #77 2–5 |
West Jonidan #7 3–4 |
East Jonidan #21 5–2 |
East Sandanme #68 3–4 |
| 1981 | West Sandanme #79 4–3 |
West Sandanme #58 3–4 |
West Sandanme #69 6–1 |
East Sandanme #20 4–3 |
East Sandanme #8 4–3 |
West Makushita #55 2–5 |
| 1982 | West Sandanme #14 6–1 |
West Makushita #37 5–2 |
West Makushita #19 4–3 |
West Makushita #16 4–3 |
East Makushita #12 3–4 |
West Makushita #18 4–3 |
| 1983 | East Makushita #11 3–4 |
East Makushita #20 3–4 |
West Makushita #34 4–3 |
East Makushita #23 3–4 |
East Makushita #31 4–3 |
West Makushita #22 5–2 |
| 1984 | West Makushita #10 5–2 |
West Makushita #4 5–2 |
East Makushita #1 5–2 |
East Jūryō #10 7–8 |
West Jūryō #11 8–7 |
West Jūryō #8 8–7 |
| 1985 | West Jūryō #7 12–3 Champion |
West Maegashira #14 6–9 |
East Jūryō #3 12–3 Champion |
West Maegashira #12 10–5 |
West Maegashira #2 6–9 |
West Maegashira #5 7–8 |
| 1986 | East Maegashira #7 7–8 |
West Maegashira #9 8–7 |
West Maegashira #4 4–11 |
East Maegashira #12 8–7 |
East Maegashira #8 9–6 F |
East Maegashira #1 6–9 |
| 1987 | West Maegashira #4 6–9 |
East Maegashira #7 8–7 |
East Maegashira #2 5–10 |
East Maegashira #5 7–8 |
East Maegashira #6 6–9 |
West Maegashira #9 8–7 |
| 1988 | East Maegashira #3 7–8 ★ |
West Maegashira #3 6–9 |
West Maegashira #6 8–7 |
West Maegashira #1 6–9 |
West Maegashira #4 7–8 |
East Maegashira #6 8–7 |
| 1989 | West Maegashira #1 8–7 O★ |
West Sekiwake #1 5–10 |
East Maegashira #3 7–8 |
West Maegashira #3 10–5 T★ |
West Sekiwake #1 8–7 F |
West Sekiwake #1 8–7 |
| 1990 | East Sekiwake #2 7–8 |
West Komusubi #1 8–7 |
East Sekiwake #1 7–8 |
West Komusubi #1 8–7 |
West Sekiwake #1 9–6 |
East Sekiwake #1 5–10 |
| 1991 | East Maegashira #2 8–7 ★ |
West Komusubi #1 8–7 |
East Komusubi #1 5–10 |
West Maegashira #3 6–9 |
East Maegashira #7 8–7 |
East Maegashira #4 6–9 ★ |
| 1992 | East Maegashira #8 8–7 |
West Maegashira #4 8–7 |
East Maegashira #2 2–13 |
East Maegashira #13 9–6 |
East Maegashira #8 9–6 |
East Maegashira #2 7–8 |
| 1993 | East Maegashira #5 6–9 |
West Maegashira #9 8–7 |
East Maegashira #5 5–10 |
East Maegashira #11 8–7 |
West Maegashira #4 6–9 |
West Maegashira #6 7–8 |
| 1994 | East Maegashira #8 8–7 |
West Maegashira #2 9–6 F |
West Komusubi #1 8–7 O |
West Komusubi #1 4–11 |
East Maegashira #3 4–11 |
West Maegashira #9 9–6 |
| 1995 | West Maegashira #2 5–10 |
West Maegashira #6 8–7 O★ |
East Maegashira #1 5–10 |
West Maegashira #5 5–10 |
West Maegashira #9 8–7 |
East Maegashira #3 5–10 |
| 1996 | East Maegashira #7 6–9 |
East Maegashira #11 9–6 |
East Maegashira #3 5–10 |
West Maegashira #6 5–10 |
West Maegashira #10 9–6 |
East Maegashira #3 4–11 |
| 1997 | West Maegashira #8 8–7 |
East Maegashira #3 2–12–1 |
East Maegashira #13 Sat out due to injury 0–0–15 |
East Maegashira #13 9–6 |
West Maegashira #8 7–8 |
West Maegashira #9 6–9 |
| 1998 | West Maegashira #13 9–6 |
East Maegashira #8 5–10 |
West Maegashira #12 9–6 |
East Maegashira #9 4–11 |
East Maegashira #16 9–6 |
West Maegashira #11 8–7 |
| 1999 | East Maegashira #7 8–7 |
West Maegashira #3 5–10 |
West Maegashira #7 6–9 |
West Maegashira #11 8–7 |
West Maegashira #7 8–7 |
East Maegashira #4 5–10 ★ |
| 2000 | East Maegashira #7 5–10 |
East Maegashira #12 7–8 |
West Maegashira #13 5–10 |
West Jūryō #3 6–9 |
East Jūryō #6 8–7 |
East Jūryō #5 8–7 |
| 2001 | West Jūryō #2 8–7 |
West Maegashira #12 8–7 |
East Maegashira #9 2–13 |
West Jūryō #3 9–6–P |
West Jūryō #1 7–8 |
West Jūryō #2 Sat out due to injury 0–0–15 |
| 2002 | West Jūryō #2 5–10 |
West Jūryō #6 8–7 |
West Jūryō #2 2–3–10 |
East Jūryō #11 Sat out due to injury 0–0–15 |
East Jūryō #11 Retired 5–8–2 |
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
- Lewin, Brian (December 2005). "Brothers in sumo". sumofanmag.com. Retrieved 2007-06-30.
- Gunning, John (19 March 2019). "Sumo 101: Brothers in sumo". Japan Times. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
- Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo. Weatherhill. p. 218. ISBN 0-8348-0283-X.
- "Terao bouts by kimarite". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
- "Shikoroyama – goo Sumo". Japan Sumo Association. Retrieved 2007-06-30.
- Gunning, John (8 March 2020). "Lightweight Terao defied odds in long career". Japan Times. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- "Terao Tsunefumi Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
External links
- Terao Tsunefumi's official biography (English) at the Grand Sumo Homepage
- Terao's basho results from January 1989
- complete biography and basho results (Japanese)
- Terao's official site (Japanese)
- Sumo Fan Magazine article Brothers in Sumo
- The Eternal Typhoon