Ichihara Takayuki
Encyclopedia
Kiyoseumi Takayuki is a former sumo
wrestler from Nagoya, Japan
. An extremely successful amateur, his highest rank in the professional sport was maegashira 13. He was forced to retire in April 2011 after an investigation by the Japan Sumo Association
found him guilty of match-fixing.
, where he won eleven national titles. He won the Japan Games and the National Amateur Championships and was runner-up in the Japanese university championship. He was crowned the "Amateur Yokozuna" of 2006. He joined Kise stable
, run by another former Nihon University champion, the ex-maegashira Higonoumi. Because of his amateur achievements, Ichihara was able to make his professional debut at the rank of Makushita 10, the first makushita tsukedashi entrant to begin as high as the tenth rank.
After steady scores of five wins to two losses in his first two tournaments in January and March 2007, followed by 4-3 in May and July, he was promoted to the second jūryō division in November 2007 after a 6-1 at Makushita 1 East in September. He scored 13 wins to 2 losses, although he lost a playoff for the championship on the final day, and was immediately promoted to the top makuuchi
division for January 2008. He was the first wrestler to make his makuuchi debut after spending only one tournament in jūryō since Daikiko in January 1991.
In his top division debut Ichihara won five of his first seven bouts but tired in the second week of the tournament, finishing with an 8-7 score. He injured his right knee on the opening day of the March 2008 tournament after losing to Homasho and had to withdraw. As a result, he was demoted all the way down to the rank of Jūryō 11 for the May tournament. He participated in the basho
with his knee heavily strapped, and struggled to a make-koshi 7-8 score. In July he recovered from 0-5 down to post eight wins but withdrew on the final day after a recurrence of the injury.
He announced in December 2008 that he would be changing his shikona
from his family name to Kiyoseumi for the January 2009 tournament. He produced a 9-6 score in his first tournament under his new name, but only a poor 4-11 in March. He managed a bare majority of wins in his next two tournaments, and remained near the bottom of the jūryō division for the rest of 2009.
He was suspended along with over a dozen other wrestlers from the July 2010 tournament after admitting involvement in illegal betting on baseball. As a result, he fell to the makushita division in September. After two 4-3 scores in makushita he returned to the juryo division in January 2011.
In February 2011, it was revealed that text-messages discovered on confiscated mobile phones implicated Kiyoseumi in match-fixing, as they appeared to show him agreeing to throw bouts in exchange for money. Unlike Kasuganishiki (the wrestler with whom the texts were exchanged), Chiyohakuho and Enatsukasa who have admitted their involvement, Kiyoseumi has denied the allegations. However, the independent panel investigating the match-fixing claims has stated that it cannot deny his involvement based on the evidence. Of the 46 text messages discovered by the Metropolitan Police Department that mention match-fixing, 19 were either sent or received by Kiyoseumi. After an investigation by the Japan Sumo Association
, he was one of 23 wrestlers found guilty of fixing the result of bouts and he was forced to retire in April 2011.
was hataki-komi, the slap down.
He was one of the largest wrestlers in sumo, at 180 kg or 400 lb. Being so large, he lacked speed and mobility, and there were concerns that his knee injury hampered his movement even further and hold him back.
Sumo
is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
wrestler from Nagoya, Japan
Japan
Japan 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...
. An extremely successful amateur, his highest rank in the professional sport was maegashira 13. He was forced to retire in April 2011 after an investigation by the Japan Sumo Association
Japan Sumo Association
The is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Rikishi , gyōji , tokoyama , and yobidashi , are all on the Association's payroll, but the organisation is run...
found him guilty of match-fixing.
Career
Initially competing under his real surname of Ichihara, he was an amateur sumo champion at Nihon UniversityNihon University
Nihon University is the largest university in Japan. Akiyoshi Yamada, the minister of justice, founded Nihon Law School in October 1889....
, where he won eleven national titles. He won the Japan Games and the National Amateur Championships and was runner-up in the Japanese university championship. He was crowned the "Amateur Yokozuna" of 2006. He joined Kise stable
Kise stable
Kise stable was a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi ichimon or group of stables. It established in December 2003 by former maegashira Higonoumi, who branched off from Mihogaseki stable. The stable's first top division wrestler was Ichihara , a former amateur champion, in January 2008...
, run by another former Nihon University champion, the ex-maegashira Higonoumi. Because of his amateur achievements, Ichihara was able to make his professional debut at the rank of Makushita 10, the first makushita tsukedashi entrant to begin as high as the tenth rank.
After steady scores of five wins to two losses in his first two tournaments in January and March 2007, followed by 4-3 in May and July, he was promoted to the second jūryō division in November 2007 after a 6-1 at Makushita 1 East in September. He scored 13 wins to 2 losses, although he lost a playoff for the championship on the final day, and was immediately promoted to the top makuuchi
Makuuchi
or 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 for January 2008. He was the first wrestler to make his makuuchi debut after spending only one tournament in jūryō since Daikiko in January 1991.
In his top division debut Ichihara won five of his first seven bouts but tired in the second week of the tournament, finishing with an 8-7 score. He injured his right knee on the opening day of the March 2008 tournament after losing to Homasho and had to withdraw. As a result, he was demoted all the way down to the rank of Jūryō 11 for the May tournament. He participated in the basho
Honbasho
A 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 ....
with his knee heavily strapped, and struggled to a make-koshi 7-8 score. In July he recovered from 0-5 down to post eight wins but withdrew on the final day after a recurrence of the injury.
He announced in December 2008 that he would be changing his shikona
Shikona
A shikona is a sumo wrestler's ring name.As with standard Japanese names, a shikona consists of a 'surname' and a 'given' name, and the full name is written surname first. However, the given name is rarely used outside formal or ceremonial occasions. Thus, the former yokozuna Asashōryū Akinori is...
from his family name to Kiyoseumi for the January 2009 tournament. He produced a 9-6 score in his first tournament under his new name, but only a poor 4-11 in March. He managed a bare majority of wins in his next two tournaments, and remained near the bottom of the jūryō division for the rest of 2009.
He was suspended along with over a dozen other wrestlers from the July 2010 tournament after admitting involvement in illegal betting on baseball. As a result, he fell to the makushita division in September. After two 4-3 scores in makushita he returned to the juryo division in January 2011.
In February 2011, it was revealed that text-messages discovered on confiscated mobile phones implicated Kiyoseumi in match-fixing, as they appeared to show him agreeing to throw bouts in exchange for money. Unlike Kasuganishiki (the wrestler with whom the texts were exchanged), Chiyohakuho and Enatsukasa who have admitted their involvement, Kiyoseumi has denied the allegations. However, the independent panel investigating the match-fixing claims has stated that it cannot deny his involvement based on the evidence. Of the 46 text messages discovered by the Metropolitan Police Department that mention match-fixing, 19 were either sent or received by Kiyoseumi. After an investigation by the Japan Sumo Association
Japan Sumo Association
The is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Rikishi , gyōji , tokoyama , and yobidashi , are all on the Association's payroll, but the organisation is run...
, he was one of 23 wrestlers found guilty of fixing the result of bouts and he was forced to retire in April 2011.
Fighting style
Kiyoseumi was an oshi-sumo specialist, preferring pushing and thrusting techniques (tsuki/oshi). His most common winning kimariteKimarite
Kimarite are winning techniques in a sumo bout. For each bout in a Grand Sumo tournament , a sumo referee, or gyoji, will decide and announce the type of kimarite used by the winner...
was hataki-komi, the slap down.
He was one of the largest wrestlers in sumo, at 180 kg or 400 lb. Being so large, he lacked speed and mobility, and there were concerns that his knee injury hampered his movement even further and hold him back.