1997 in sumo
Encyclopedia
Tournaments
- Hatsu bashoHonbashoA is an official professional sumo tournament. There are six held each year, a system established in 1958. Only honbasho results matter in determining promotion and relegation for rikishi ....
, Ryogoku KokugikanRyogoku Kokugikan, also known as Sumo Hall, is an indoor sporting arena located in the Ryōgoku neighborhood of Sumida, one of the 23 wards of Tokyo in Japan, next to the Edo-Tokyo Museum. It is the third building built in Tokyo associated with the name kokugikan. The current building was opened in 1985 and has a...
, TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, 12 January - 26 January - Haru basho, Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, OsakaOsakais a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, 9 March - 23 March - Natsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 11 May - 25 May
- Nagoya basho, Aichi Prefectural GymnasiumAichi Prefectural GymnasiumThe is an all purpose gymnasium in Aichi, Japan, built in 1964. Located on the site of the secondary enclosure of Nagoya Castle, it is host to numerous concerts and events...
, Nagoya, 6 July - 20 July - Aki basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 7 September - 21 September
- Kyushu basho, Fukuoka International Centre, KyushuKyushuis the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
, 9 November - 23 November
January
- At the Hatsu basho, ozeki WakanohanaWakanohana Masaruis a former sumo wrestler from Tokyo, Japan. As an active wrestler he was known as Wakanohana III Masaru , and his rise through the ranks alongside his younger brother Takanohana Koji saw a boom in sumo's popularity in the early 1990s...
wins his third makuuchiMakuuchior is the top division of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers , ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments....
division championship with a 14-1 score. His brother, Yokozuna Takanohana returns from a back injury and is runner-up on 13-2. Yokozuna AkebonoAkebono Tarois a retired American born-Japanese sumo wrestler from Waimānalo, Hawaii. Joining the professional sport in Japan in 1988, he was trained by pioneering Hawaiian sumo wrestler Takamiyama and rose swiftly up the rankings, reaching the top division in 1990...
and ozeki Musashimaru take third place with 12-3. MongoliaMongoliaMongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
n Kyokushuzan wins the Technique PrizeSansho (Sumo)Sanshō are the three special prizes awarded to top division sumo wrestlers for exceptional performance during a sumo honbasho or tournament. The prizes were first awarded in November 1947.-Criteria:...
. The Outstanding Performance Prize goes to Tosanoumi and the Fighting Spirit Award to Kotoryu. DejimaDejima TakeharuDejima Takeharu is a former sumo wrestler from Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. A former amateur champion, he made his professional debut in 1996, reaching the top makuuchi division the following year...
wins the juryo yushoYushoA Yūshō is a tournament championship in sumo. It is awarded in each of the six annual honbasho or official tournaments, to the wrestler who wins the most number of bouts. Yūshō are awarded in all six professional sumo divisions...
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March
- In Osaka, Takanohana takes his 16th championship after an unusual four way playoff also involving Akebono, Musashimaru and maegashira 1 KaioKaio HiroyukiKaiō Hiroyuki is a former professional sumo wrestler from Nōgata, Fukuoka, Japan.He made his debut in 1988, reaching the top makuuchi division in 1993. He held the second highest rank of ōzeki or champion for eleven years from 2000 to 2011, and is the longest-serving ozeki of all time in terms of...
, after all finish on 12-3. He defeats Kaio and then Akebono, who had eliminated Musashimaru. Kaio, who had upset both Takanohana and Akebono earlier in the tournament, is awarded the Outstanding Performance prize. Dejima receives Technique and Fighting Spirit prizes for scoring eleven wins in his top division debut. Tamakasuga also receives a share of the Fighting Spirit prize. Wakanohana withdraws early after tearing a muscle in his right leg. Terao is also forced to withdraw after breaking his big toe, ending a run of 1359 consecutive bouts from his debut in 1979. Chiyotaikai wins the juryo championship. Former komusubi Naminohana retires.
May
- Akebono wins his 9th yusho, and first for over two years, by defeating Takanohana twice on the final day, once in regulation and once in a playoff after both yokozuna finish on 13-2. It is the first time that Takanohana and Akebono alone have fought a playoff, and comes after Akebono had lost seven times in a row to his rival. Wakanohana sits the tournament out. Kaio suffers a serious leg injury after standing at 7-4 on the 11th day and has to withdraw. Tamakasuga wins his second successive sansho, for Outstanding Performance. Tosanoumi and Tochiazuma share the Fighting Spirit Award. Oginishiki wins the Technique Prize. Tokitsuumi wins the juryo yusho in his debut in the division. TokiToki SusumuTōki Susumu is a former sumo wrestler from Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was komusubi. He is now a sumo coach.-Career:Tōki began his career in January 1991 after joining the Takasago stable...
wins the makushita championship. Former sekiwake Kotogaume retires, as does juryo wrestler Sunahama (William Taylor Hopkins) from HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. - Former ozeki DaijuDaiju HisateruDaiju Hisateru is a former sumo wrestler from Hokkaidō, Japan. His highest rank was ozeki, but he held the rank for only five tournaments, fewer than any ozeki in the modern era. He won eleven sansho or special prizes during his top division career which lasted from 1970 to 1977...
takes over the running of Asahiyama stableAsahiyama stableis a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Tatsunami ichimon or group of stables. It has a long history. As of April 2008 it had 11 sumo wrestlers.-History:...
following the death of its stablemaster.
June
- To mark 100 years of trade relations between JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
a tour by top division wrestlers visits MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
on the 6th and 7th, where an exhibition tournament is held at Melbourne ParkMelbourne ParkMelbourne Park is a sports venue in the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Since 1988, Melbourne Park has been home of the Australian Open in tennis, which is played annually in January...
(home of the Australian OpenAustralian OpenThe Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
), and SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on the 13th and 14th, at the Sydney Entertainment CentreSydney Entertainment CentreThe Sydney Entertainment Centre is a multi-purpose venue, located in Haymarket, Sydney, Australia. It opened in May 1983, to replace Sydney Stadium, which had been demolished to make way for a new railway. The centre is currently owned by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, which administers...
.
July
- Takanohana defeats Akebono on the final day in Nagoya to claim his 17th championship with a 13-2 record. Akebono is runner-up on 12-3. Takatoriki is third on 11-4 and wins the Outstanding Performance Prize. Tochiazuma wins his first Technique Award, and Tochinonada receives the Fighting Spirit Prize. Wakanohana just preserves his ozeki status with an 8-7 record. Chiyotaikai wins his second juryo championship and promotion to makuuchi, the first top division wrestler produced by the former Chiyonofuji (Kokonoe-oyakata). Former juryo veteran Dairyu retires at the age of 37 after 21 years in sumo.
September
- At the Aki basho Takanohana wins back to back titles for the first time in a year, defeating Musashimaru in a playoff after both men finish on 13-2. Takanonami is third on 12-3.Dejima finishes on 11-4 and wins Technique and Outstanding Performance Prizes. Tochiazuma also receives a share of the Technique Prize in his debut tournament at sekiwake. The Fighting Spirit Award goes to Tochinonada for the second time in a row. In the juryo division Oginohana wins his fourth championship. Toyozakura wins the makushita yusho. RikioTakeshi RikioTakeshi Inoue, known by his stage name , born December 20, 1972, is a Japanese professional wrestler, who works for Pro Wrestling Noah. He is also a former sumo wrestler.- Sumo career :...
retires after a disagreement with his stablemaster (the former Takanosato).
November
- In Kyushu, former ozeki Konishiki retires after winning only five bouts at maegashira 14, bringing to an end a career that encompassed three yusho and 81 consecutive top division tournaments. His final match proves to be his eighth defeat in his bout against Kotonowaka on Day 13, as he is not allowed onto the dohyoDohyothumb|A dohyōThe dohyō is the ring in which sumo wrestling bouts are held. A modern dohyo is a circle of rice-straw bales 4.55 meters in diameter, mounted on a square platform of clay 6.7m on a side, and 34 to 60 cm high. The surface is covered by sand.A new dohyō is built prior to each...
to face Misugisato on the following day due to his stablemaster having already handed in his retirement papers. Former sekiwake WakashoyoWakashoyoWakashoyo is a Japanese mixed martial artist, kickboxer and former sumo wrestler.-Career:Although born in Chiba, he grew up in Nakano, Tokyo. He joined sumo in 1981, wrestling out of Futagoyama stable. He first entered the top makuuchi division in 1991 and made his sanyaku debut in March 1993 from...
, and maegashira Kotobeppu also retire. The championship is won by Takanonami, his second. He defeats his stablemate Takanohana in a playoff after both wrestlers finish on 14-1. All the sekiwake and komusubi record losing scores, the first time this has happened in seven years. Unsurprisingly only one special prize is awarded, to Musoyama for Fighting Spirit. Akebono sits the tournament out. Wakanosato wins the juryo title after a playoff with Susanoumi. Kitazakura wins the makushita yusho.
Deaths
- 20 May: Asahiyama Oyakata (former komusubi Wakafutase), aged 55.
- 5 July: Former sekiwake Kainoyama (also briefly Onogawa Oyakata), aged 57.
- 18 August: Former sekiwake Tochiakagi, aged 42.
- 17 September: Tatsutayama Oyakata (former maegashira Amanoyama), aged 43.
- 24 September: Asakayama Oyakata (former komusubi Aobayama), aged 47.