Asahishō Kōta

Asahishō Kōta (Japanese: 旭日松 広太, born July 21, 1989 as Kōta Matsushima (松嶋 広太)) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Noda, Chiba. He made his professional debut in March 2005, reaching the top makuuchi division in September 2012. He has fought in the top division in four tournaments and his highest rank has been maegashira 11. Originally from Ōshima stable, he now wrestles for Tomozuna stable. He was demoted from the jūryō division to the makushita division in 2017.

In this Japanese shikona name, the surname is Asahishō.

Asahishō Kōta
旭日松広太
Asahishō in his second sekitori tournament in January 2012
Personal information
BornKōta Matsushima
(1989-07-21) July 21, 1989
Height175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight140 kg (310 lb)
Career
StableŌshima → Tomozuna
Current rankSee below
DebutMarch 2005
Highest rankMaegashira 11 (November 2012)
Championships1 (Makushita)
* Up to date as of August 2, 2020.

Career

He began sumo at the age of just three and won national championships for five consecutive years from the second to sixth years of elementary school. He joined professional sumo upon graduation from junior high school, recruited by Ōshima stable. At just 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) tall he was accepted by passing the secondary exam for promising recruits who do not meet the primary height requirement. In his first few tournaments he fought under his own surname of Matsushima, but soon adopted the shikona of Asahishō. He won the makushita division championship or yūshō in September 2011 with a perfect 7–0 record and this performance saw him promoted to the elite sekitori ranks for the first time in the November 2011 tournament.[1] He was the first sekitori from the city of Noda. In April 2012 his heya closed upon the retirement of his stablemaster, former ōzeki Asahikuni, and he moved to Tomozuna stable.[2] In May 2012 he saw his longtime stablemate Kyokutenhō win the top division championship at 37 years of age, and was overcome with emotion while waiting to congratulate him afterwards.[3]

In July 2012 he had his best performance to date, a 10–5 record at jūryō 4, and this earned him promotion to the top makuuchi division for the first time.[4] He was the tenth wrestler who began at Ōshima stable to reach the top division. He came through with a winning record in his makuuchi debut, but two make-koshi or losing scores in his next two tournaments saw him demoted back to jūryō.[1] In July 2013 he somewhat fortuitously won promotion back to the top division despite only scoring 9–6 at jūryō 7, due to a large number of vacancies with five men being demoted from makuuchi, and also many jūryō wrestlers around him under-performing.[5] However, in September he injured his elbow in a match with Shotenro on Day 9 and had to withdraw.[6] Although he returned to the tournament on Day 13 and won two more matches he could not prevent demotion back to jūryō. This has been his final appearance in the top division to date.[1]

In 2017 Asahishō narrowly failed to get a majority of wins against losses in three straight tournaments, and his third 7–8 in May 2017 cost him his place in jūryō, as only he and Takagenji had demotable records and Abi and Iwasaki were both deserving of promotion.[7] During this tournament he was reprimanded on Day 2 by the ringside judge Minato Oyakata, the former Minatofuji, for giving Takagenji an extra shove after the match was already over.[8] Asahishō apologized for the "educational slap" afterwards, explaining that he was annoyed at Takagenji (then just 20 and in his first jūryō tournament) for disrespecting his opponents by not bowing properly.[8] He was demoted to makushita after 34 tournaments as a sekitori, and has not managed a return to the paid ranks as of November 2019.[1]

Salt-throwing routine from July 2014

Asahishō has a habit of throwing unusually large amounts of purifying salt into the ring before his bouts, previously the trademark of Mitoizumi and Kitazakura. He began doing it in May 2012 to change his luck after suffering ten straight defeats from Day 1, and he promptly won his next five matches. He told reporters in July, "I want the fans to remember my name."[9] He throws so much salt on the start lines that he occasionally causes his opponents to slip on the surface at the tachi-ai.

Asahishō is known for his sense of humour and love of practical jokes, which has made him a regular on the chat show circuit despite his relative lack of success in the top division.[3] In December 2014 he appeared in a commercial with three other wrestlers as part of a heavy metal band, promoting Docomo's Moveband activity tracker.[10][3]

Fighting style

Asahishō is an oshi-sumo specialist who prefers pushing and thrusting techniques to grabbing the opponent's mawashi. His most common winning kimarite is oshi-dashi, or push out. He also regularly wins by forcing his opponent to the floor of the dohyō by hiki-otoshi (pull down) or hataki-komi (slap down).[11]

Family

Asahishō married a woman from Tokyo in June 2014 and their first child, a son, was born in November 2014.[12]

Career record

　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　 　 　

Asahishō Kōta[1]
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
2005x(Maezumo)East Jonokuchi #26
3–4
 		West Jonokuchi #22
5–2
 		East Jonidan #101
2–5
 		West Jonokuchi #2
6–1
 
2006 West Jonidan #44
1–6
 		 West Jonidan #86
3–4
 		 West Jonidan #108
6–1
 		 West Jonidan #28
0–1–6
 		 West Jonidan #98
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #115
6–1
 
2007 East Jonidan #34
2–5
 		 West Jonidan #64
4–3
 		 East Jonidan #37
5–2
 		 East Sandanme #100
5–2
 		 East Sandanme #67
3–4
 		 East Sandanme #80
6–1
 
2008 West Sandanme #22
3–4
 		 West Sandanme #33
4–3
 		 East Sandanme #18
5–2
 		 West Makushita #57
0–1–6
 		 West Sandanme #32
3–4
 		 West Sandanme #41
5–2
 
2009 West Sandanme #13
4–3
 		 West Sandanme #3
4–3
 		 West Makushita #55
4–3
 		 East Makushita #45
3–4
 		 West Makushita #56
2–5
 		 East Sandanme #22
4–3
 
2010 East Sandanme #11
3–4
 		 East Sandanme #23
3–4
 		 East Sandanme #39
6–1
 		 East Makushita #52
5–2
 		 East Makushita #32
3–4
 		 West Makushita #37
5–2
 
2011 West Makushita #24
4–3
 		 East Makushita #21
Tournament Cancelled
0–0–0		 East Makushita #21
4–3
 		 West Makushita #10
3–4
 		 West Makushita #12
7–0
Champion
 		 East Jūryō #13
8–7
 
2012 East Jūryō #10
9–6
 		 East Jūryō #4
9–6
 		 East Jūryō #1
5–10
 		 West Jūryō #4
10–5
 		 East Maegashira #14
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #11
6–9
 
2013 West Maegashira #13
4–11
 		 East Jūryō #3
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #1
4–11
 		 East Jūryō #7
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #16
5–8–2
 		 West Jūryō #4
9–6
 
2014 East Jūryō #1
7–8
 		 East Jūryō #2
7–8
 		 East Jūryō #3
5–10
 		 East Jūryō #8
6–9
 		 East Jūryō #11
8–7
 		 East Jūryō #6
8–7
 
2015 East Jūryō #4
9–6
 		 West Jūryō #2
5–10
 		 East Jūryō #8
9–6
 		 West Jūryō #3
6–9
 		 East Jūryō #6
6–9
 		 West Jūryō #8
6–9
 
2016 West Jūryō #10
8–7
 		 East Jūryō #9
7–8
 		 East Jūryō #10
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #9
5–10
 		 West Jūryō #12
9–6
 		 West Jūryō #7
6–9
 
2017 East Jūryō #12
7–8
 		 East Jūryō #13
7–8
 		 West Jūryō #13
7–8
 		 West Makushita #1
2–2–3
 		 West Makushita #11
5–2
 		 East Makushita #6
2–5
 
2018 West Makushita #15
3–4
 		 East Makushita #22
1–6
 		 West Makushita #46
4–3
 		 East Makushita #38
4–3
 		 East Makushita #29
2–5
 		 East Makushita #45
5–2
 
2019 East Makushita #30
4–3
 		 West Makushita #23
4–3
 		 East Makushita #19
2–5
 		 West Makushita #32
3–4
 		 East Makushita #40
2–5
 		 West Makushita #58
3–4
 
2020 West Sandanme #13
6–1
 		 West Makushita #38
4–3
 		 East Makushita #31
Tournament Cancelled
0–0–0		 East Makushita #31
2–5
 		 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

See also

References
  1. "Asahisho Kota Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  2. "親方定年で大島部屋力士が友綱へ転属". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). March 25, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  3. "Asahisho's comedic talents have provided many laughs". Japan Times. November 24, 2019. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  4. "Harumafuji on east side for yokozuna challenge". Japan Times. August 28, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  5. "Nagoya 2013 Banzuke". Sumo Reference. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  6. "Asahisho results by basho". Sumo Reference. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  7. "Natsu 2017 Banzuke". Sumo Reference. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  8. "新十両・貴源治に教育的一発！旭日松「なめんなよ」". Sponichi. May 15, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  9. "少し前のことですが，名古屋場所を10勝5敗という成績で終えた旭日松は、パフォーマーとしても人気をあげています"Worth his salt / Juryo wrestler makes name with bold gesture"". Daily Yomiuri (in Japanese). July 24, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  10. "Sumo Wrestler Rock Band Promotes Docomo Health Gadget". Wall St Journal. December 22, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  11. "Asahisho bouts by kimarite". Sumo Reference. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  12. "旭日松　結婚＆パパ". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). January 23, 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
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