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Takarafuji Daisuke

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In this Japanese shikona name, the surname is Takarafuji.
Takarafuji Daisuke
宝富士 大輔
Takarafuji in 2011
Personal information
BornDaisuke Sugiyama
(1987-02-18) February 18, 1987 (age 37)
Nakadomari, Aomori, Japan
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight166 kg (366 lb)
Career
StableIsegahama
UniversityKinki University
Current ranksee below
DebutJanuary, 2009
Highest rankSekiwake (Sept, 2016)
ChampionshipsSandanme (1)
Special PrizesFighting Spirit (1)
Gold Stars3
Kakuryū (1)
Hakuhō (1)
Kisenosato (1)
* Up to date as of 25 February 2024.

Takarafuji Daisuke (Japanese: 宝富士 大輔, born February 18, 1987 as Daisuke Sugiyama (杉山 大輔, Sugiyama Daisuke)) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He made his professional debut in January 2009, reaching the top makuuchi division in July 2011. The highest rank he has reached is sekiwake. He has not missed a bout in his career to date.

Early life and sumo background

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From the third grade of elementary school, Sugiyama began practicing at a sumo dōjō near his home and began participating in national amateur sumo tournaments in junior high school. This exposure soon had him being scouted by several sumo stables. He chose to first finish high school and went on to university. He graduated from Kinki University in Osaka.

Career

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Takarafuji at the Kyushu tournament in November 2011

Upon his graduation, the former yokozuna Asahifuji, who had previously attended the same high school and university as Sugiyama, invited him to join Isegahama stable of which Asahifuji was head coach. Sugiyama's professional sumo career began in January 2009. He took the shikona of Takarafuji from the beginning, following the practice at Isegahama of wrestlers taking a ring name at the beginning rather than waiting for a promotion opportunity as most stables do. He advanced quickly through the lower ranks. He narrowly lost the jonokuchi championship in his debut, losing in a playoff. He then posted an impressive 6-1 in his jonidan division debut in the next tournament. In the following July 2009 tournament, he won the sandanme division championship with a perfect record and a playoff win. His progress slowed only slightly on entering the tougher makushita division. Through to July 2010 he posted only one losing tournament, and was promoted to the jūryō second division in September 2010. His promotion from makushita 2 to jūryō 12 was higher than normal due to seven other wrestlers being suspended for gambling on baseball. Regardless of being put at a higher rank than his record had yet warranted, he excelled, posting four consecutive winning records and advancing to the top-tier makuuchi division in July 2011 at maegashira 10.

His debut in the division would turn out to be the same tournament that his stablemate, ōzeki Harumafuji would win the championship. This auspicious debut did little for his record, and an unimpressive 4–11 record had him demoted. For four tournaments, he alternated between losing records in makuuchi that bounced him down to jūryō where he would post an impressive enough record to achieve top-tier promotion again. Though he only posted a 6–9 record at maegashira 14 in the March 2012 tournament, unimpressive performances by many wrestlers in nearby ranks allowed him to stay in the makuuchi division at the bottom maegashira 16 rank for the May 2012 tournament. In this tournament he would finally post his first winning record, being in the championship race until late in the tournament before several consecutive losses knocked him out of the running. Since this time, he has been a managed to stay in the top division for the better part of three years, posting roughly alternating winning and losing tournaments, and was only demoted to jūryō once in November 2012 before bouncing right back into the top division.

He earned his first kinboshi or gold star for defeating yokozuna Kakuryū in the January 2015 tournament, but he missed out on a first special prize and promotion to the san'yaku ranks after he failed to win on the final day and ended with a make-koshi 7–8 record. Winning records in March and May saw him promoted to komusubi for the first time but a 4–11 result in July saw him return to the rank and file. He managed only four wins in September but returned to form with ten wins in November and a winning record in January 2016 led to him being made komusubi again for the March tournament. In this tournament he defeated Hakuhō on the opening day,[1] his first win over the yokozuna in eleven attempts. He beat Hakuhō again on the 5th day of the July tournament in Nagoya, ending the yokozuna's 33 bout winning streak.[2] He ended the tournament with a 10–5 record and was awarded the special prize for Fighting Spirit.[3] He was promoted to his highest rank to date of sekiwake for the following September 2016 tournament, but could only score 4–11 and was demoted. He remained in the maegashira ranks for the rest of his makuuchi career.

Event though he was defeated by fellow maegashira and former sekiwake Myōgiryū, Takarafuji celebrated his 1200th match since his professional debut on the 12th day of the July 2023 tournament.[4]

Takarafuji recorded only six wins against nine losses from maegashira 16 in the January 2024 tournament, meaning a likely fall to jūryō for the following tournament for the first time since November 2012 and leaving him ten short of 1000 consecutive matches in the top division. Takarafuji confirmed that he would continue in jūryō and would not be retiring.[5]

After wrestling in the jūryō division during the March tournament, Takarafuji found himself promoted to makuuchi thanks to a barely achieved kashi-kochi score of 8–7. During the following tournament, in May, he matched his career best opening performance, recording five consecutive victories from the first day of the competition for the first time in seven years. He therefore maintained his place in the group of wrestlers leading the tournament.[6]

Fighting style

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Takarafuji is a yotsu–sumo wrestler who prefers a hidari–yotsu, or right hand outside and left hand inside grip on his opponent's mawashi. His most common winning kimarite are the two most popular techniques in sumo, yorikiri or force out, and oshidashi or push out.

Personal

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On his promotion to the top division, his passing resemblance to the celebrity Matsuko Deluxe was noted by the Japanese media, earning his the nickname kakukai no Matsuko (角界のマツコ), "professional sumo's Matsuko".[7][8]

He announced his marriage to a 24-year-old former dental assistant in December 2017, which had been registered in September.[9]

Career record

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Takarafuji Daisuke[10]
Year January
Hatsu basho, Tokyo		 March
Haru basho, Osaka		 May
Natsu basho, Tokyo		 July
Nagoya basho, Nagoya		 September
Aki basho, Tokyo		 November
Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
2009 (Maezumo) West Jonokuchi #25
6–1
 		 West Jonidan #58
6–1
 		 East Sandanme #91
7–0
Champion
 		 East Makushita #58
6–1
 		 East Makushita #28
5–2
 
2010 East Makushita #20
5–2
 		 West Makushita #12
6–1
 		 West Makushita #2
3–4
 		 West Makushita #5
5–2
 		 West Jūryō #12
9–6
 		 West Jūryō #7
9–6
 
2011 East Jūryō #5
8–7
 
Tournament Cancelled
0–0–0		 East Jūryō #3
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #10
4–11
 		 West Jūryō #1
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #14
5–10
 
2012 East Jūryō #2
10–5
 		 East Maegashira #14
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #16
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #10
6–9
 		 West Maegashira #12
5–10
 		 West Jūryō #1
9–6
 
2013 West Maegashira #14
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #10
11–4
 		 East Maegashira #3
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #7
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #3
5–10
 		 East Maegashira #8
8–7
 
2014 East Maegashira #7
7–8
 		 East Maegashira #8
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #2
4–11
 		 East Maegashira #9
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #4
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #2
8–7
 
2015 East Maegashira #1
7–8
★		 West Maegashira #2
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #1
9–6
 		 East Komusubi #1
4–11
 		 West Maegashira #4
4–11
 		 West Maegashira #8
10–5
 
2016 East Maegashira #2
8–7
 		 West Komusubi #1
6–9
 		 West Maegashira #1
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #2
10–5
F★		 West Sekiwake #1
4–11
 		 West Maegashira #5
9–6
 
2017 East Maegashira #1
6–9
 		 West Maegashira #3
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #4
3–12
 		 East Maegashira #13
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #8
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #5
7–8
★
2018 East Maegashira #6
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #2
5–10
 		 West Maegashira #6
7–8
 		 East Maegashira #7
7–8
 		 East Maegashira #8
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #8
7–8
 
2019 East Maegashira #10
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #7
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #6
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #5
6–9
 		 West Maegashira #8
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #3
6–9
 
2020 East Maegashira #6
7–8
 		 East Maegashira #7
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #3
Tournament Cancelled
0–0–0		 East Maegashira #3
5–10
 		 West Maegashira #5
7–8
 		 East Maegashira #6
9–6
 
2021 East Maegashira #2
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #1
3–12
 		 West Maegashira #7
7–8
 		 East Maegashira #8
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #5
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #4
5–10
 
2022 West Maegashira #7
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #5
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #7
4–11
 		 West Maegashira #12
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #5
5–10
 		 East Maegashira #8
3–12
 
2023 East Maegashira #16
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #12
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #10
5–10
 		 West Maegashira #15
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #12
7–8
 		 East Maegashira #13
6–9
 
2024 East Maegashira #16
6–9
 		 West Jūryō #1
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #16
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #13
5–10
 		 West Maegashira #15
10–5
 		 West Maegashira #10
–
 
Record given as wins–losses–absences    Top division champion Top division runner-up Retired Lower divisions Non-participation

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

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

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Kotoshogiku starts strong as Hakuho falters on opening day". Japan Times. 13 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  2. ^ "Yokozuna Hakuho's 33-match win streak ends; Kisenosato handed first defeat in Nagoya". Japan Times. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  3. ^ "Harumafuji captures title at Nagoya Basho". Japan Times. July 24, 2016.
  4. ^ "36歳・妙義龍が通算出場1100回の節目に白星「幕内で10年以上も…」宝富士との同学年対決に感慨" (in Japanese). Sports Nippon. 21 July 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  5. ^ "３６歳宝富士　１２年ぶり十両転落濃厚　幕内連続出場記録１０００回目前も「辞めないからね」36-year-old Takarafuji is likely to fall to Juryo for the first time in 12 years, even as he approaches his 1,000th consecutive makuuchi appearance record: "I won't quit"". Daily Sports (in Japanese). 27 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  6. ^ "37歳のベテラン力士が躍動 宝富士、自己最長初日から5連勝 宮城野部屋の合流で「稽古に活気」【大相撲夏場所】" (in Japanese). Chunichi Sports. 17 May 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  7. ^ Miki, Shuji (1 September 2016). "SUMO ABC (35) / High expectations for newly promoted sekiwake duo". The Japan News. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  8. ^ ""角界のマツコ"十両から復帰の３７歳・宝富士が無傷５連勝　快進撃支える２つの要因". Sports Hochi (in Japanese). 17 May 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  9. ^ "マツコ似の宝富士結婚「指輪代、今年の懸賞金より上」" (in Japanese). Asahi. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  10. ^ "Takarafuji Daisuke Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
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