Kotozakura Masakatsu

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
In this Japanese shikona name, the surname is Kotozakura.
Kotozakura Masakatsu
琴櫻 傑將
Sadanoyama
)
* Up to date as of June 2020.

Kotozakura Masakatsu (

Kurayoshi, Tottori. He was the sport's 53rd yokozuna. He made his professional debut in 1959, reaching the top division in 1963. After several years at the second highest rank of ōzeki, in 1973 he was promoted to yokozuna at the age of thirty-two years two months, becoming the oldest wrestler to be promoted to yokozuna since 1958, when the current six tournaments system was established.[1] After his retirement he was head coach of Sadogatake stable
and produced a string of top division wrestlers.

Career

Born Kamatani Norio (鎌谷 紀雄), he came from a sumo background, as his father was involved in organising regional amateur sumo tournaments and his grandfather's brother had been a professional

komusubi Kotonishiki Noboru to let him join Sadogatake stable.[2]

Kotozakura made his professional debut in January 1959. He reached the

Kitanofuji
in a playoff to win his only championship as a yokozuna. After injuring his knee in 1974 he withdrew from several tournaments and announced his retirement that July.

He made an appearance in the 1967

Fujinishiki.[3]

After retirement

The 53rd Yokozuna Kotozakura Memorial Museum in his hometown of Kurayoshi

Kotozakura had been expecting to open up his own training stable, but when his stablemaster died suddenly just days after Kotozakura's retirement, he took over

Asashōryū was criticized for his behaviour in 2003, Kotozakura defended the Mongolian by pointing out the lack of emotional strength in young Japanese sumo wrestlers at the time.[4] After 31 years as head coach, he passed on ownership of the stable upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of sixty five in November 2005 to Kotonowaka, who had become his son-in-law.[3] Shortly after attending the ōzeki promotion ceremony of Kotomitsuki, Kotozakura died on August 14, 2007.[5] He had battled diabetes for several years and had also suffered the trauma of a leg amputation.[3]

Fighting style

Kotozakura was known for his bull-like rushing style of sumo, earning him the nickname "Mō Gyū" (猛牛, lit. 'Wild Bull').[2][5] His favoured techniques were the two most common kimarite in sumo – yorikiri (force out) and oshidashi (push out). When grabbing his opponent's mawashi he preferred a migi-yotsu, or left hand outside, right hand inside grip.

Career record

Kotozakura Masakatsu[6]
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
1959 (Maezumo) East Jonokuchi #20
7–1
 		 East Jonidan #93
6–2
 		 East Jonidan #55
6–2
 		 West Jonidan #21
6–2
 		 West Sandanme #85
6–2
 
1960 East Sandanme #52
7–1–PP
Champion
 		 East Sandanme #17
4–4
 		 East Sandanme #17
3–5
 		 East Sandanme #29
6–1
 		 East Makushita #84
5–2
 		 West Makushita #68
6–1
 
1961 West Makushita #46
5–2
 		 West Makushita #33
4–3
 		 East Makushita #24
4–3
 		 West Makushita #20
3–4
 		 East Makushita #25
2–5
 		 East Makushita #37
7–0–P
 
1962 East Makushita #7
3–4
 		 East Makushita #9
5–2
 		 East Makushita #2
6–1
 		 East Jūryō #16
11–4–PP
Champion
 		 West Jūryō #7
7–8
 		 West Jūryō #8
8–7
 
1963 West Jūryō #4
13–2
Champion
 		 East Maegashira #13
6–9
 		 East Jūryō #2
11–4
 		 East Maegashira #15
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #9
12–3
F		 East Maegashira #1
8–7
O
1964 West Komusubi #1
3–4–8
 		 East Maegashira #5
Sat out due to injury
0–0–15		 East Maegashira #15
5–10
 		 West Jūryō #2
9–6
 		 East Jūryō #1
10–5
 		 East Maegashira #12
10–5
 
1965 West Maegashira #4
10–5
 		 West Komusubi #1
8–7
 		 West Sekiwake #1
8–7
 		 East Sekiwake #1
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #1
9–6
O★★		 West Komusubi #1
10–5
 
1966 East Komusubi #1
8–7
 		 East Komusubi #1
5–10
 		 East Maegashira #3
10–5
 		 East Komusubi #1
9–6
 		 West Sekiwake #1
7–8
 		 West Komusubi #1
10–5
O
1967 East Sekiwake #1
8–7
 		 East Sekiwake #1
7–8
 		 East Komusubi #1
10–5
 		 West Sekiwake #1
11–4
F		 East Sekiwake #1
11–4
O		 East Ōzeki #2
8–7
 
1968 West Ōzeki #2
10–5
 		 East Ōzeki #2
10–5
 		 East Ōzeki #2
9–6
 		 West Ōzeki #2
13–2
 		 East Ōzeki #1
6–5–4
 		 East Ōzeki #2
10–5
 
1969 East Ōzeki #2
5–10
 		 East Ōzeki #2
13–2
 		 East Ōzeki #1
8–7
 		 East Ōzeki #2
11–4
 		 West Ōzeki #1
10–5
 		 East Ōzeki #2
9–6
 
1970 East Ōzeki #2
9–6
 		 West Ōzeki #1
10–5
 		 East Ōzeki #1
9–6
 		 West Ōzeki #1
11–4
 		 West Ōzeki #1
8–7
 		 East Ōzeki #2
9–6
 
1971 East Ōzeki #2
9–6
 		 West Ōzeki #1
11–4
 		 East Ōzeki #1
2–4–9
 		 West Ōzeki #2
9–6
 		 East Ōzeki #2
10–5
 		 West Ōzeki #1
2–4–9
 
1972 West Ōzeki #2
10–5
 		 East Ōzeki #1
10–5
 		 East Ōzeki #1
1–2–12
 		 West Ōzeki #2
8–7
 		 West Ōzeki #1
9–6
 		 West Ōzeki #2
14–1
 
1973 East Ōzeki #1
14–1
 		 East Yokozuna #1
11–4
 		 West Yokozuna #1
10–5
 		 West Yokozuna #1
14–1–P
 		 East Yokozuna #1
9–6
 		 West Yokozuna #1
11–4
 
1974 West Yokozuna #1
3–3–9
 		 West Yokozuna #1
8–7
 		 West Yokozuna #1
0–4–11
 		 West Yokozuna #1
Retired
0–0
Record given as wins–losses–absencies    Top division champion Top division runner-up Retired Lower divisions Non-participation

Playoff
(s)
Divisions:
Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: 
Maegashira

See also

References

  1. ^ 鎌谷紀雄氏（第５３代横綱琴桜）が多臓器不全のため死去 (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 2007-08-15. Retrieved 2008-10-26.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ a b c d e Kuroda, Joe (October 2006). "Rikishi Of Old". sumofanmag.com. Retrieved 2007-07-03.
  3. ^ a b c Gunning, John (15 March 2020). "Kotozakura had limited run as yokozuna but successful tenure as stablemaster". The Japan Times. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  4. ^ Onishi, Norimitsu (2003-08-03). "Fears That the New State of Sumo Defiles Tradition". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
  5. ^ a b "Ex-yokozuna Kotozakura dies". The Japan Times. 2007-08-15. Retrieved 2023-01-04.
  6. ^ "Kotozakuara Masakatsu Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2012-07-27.

External links

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Preceded by 53rd Yokozuna
1973–1974 		Succeeded by
Wajima Hiroshi
Yokozuna
 is not a successive rank, and more than one wrestler can hold the title at once
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