Ushiomaru Motoyasu
潮丸 元康
Motoyasu in September 2008
Personal information
BornMotoyasu Sano
(1978-05-11)May 11, 1978
Shizuoka, Japan
DiedDecember 13, 2019(2019-12-13) (aged 41)
Katsushika, Tokyo, Japan
Height1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Weight167 kg (368 lb)
Web presencewebsite
Career
StableAzumazeki
Record482-448-51
DebutMarch 1994
Highest rankMaegashira 10 (November 2002)
RetiredMay 2009
Elder nameAzumazeki
Championships1 (Jūryō)
1 (Makushita)
* Up to date as of Dec 16, 2019.

Ushiomaru Motoyasu (born Motoyasu Sano; May 11, 1978 – December 13, 2019) was a sumo wrestler from Shizuoka, Japan. He began his professional career in 1994 and first reached the top division in 2002. His highest rank was maegashira 10. He retired in May 2009 to take over the Azumazeki stable.

Career

Ushiomaru made his debut in March 1994, joining Azumazeki stable. He began using the fighting name of Takamisano, switching briefly to Tenfuku before adopting his familiar name in November 1995. In his early career in the lower ranks, he served as a tsukebito, or personal attendant, to yokozuna Akebono. After a long stint in the third makushita division, he reached sekitori status by winning promotion to the second jūryō division in January 2002. After winning the jūryō division title in July of that year with a 13-2 record, he was promoted to the top makuuchi division for the next tournament. He was injured during his second top division tournament and had to withdraw, resulting in demotion back to the second division. He struggled in 2005, losing sekitori status on two occasions, but then made something of a comeback, returning to the top division for four straight tournaments from November 2006 to May 2007.

Ushiomaru in March 2005

He was one of the few high ranking sumo wrestlers from Shizuoka Prefecture, which has not supplied nearly as many new entrants as the colder northern parts of Japan such as Aomori and Hokkaidō.[1] When he reached the top division in 2002 he was the first wrestler from Shizuoka Prefecture to do so since Katsunishiki, who spent just one tournament in makuuchi in January 1976. (He has since been followed by Katayama, Sagatsukasa and Midorifuji.)

Retirement from sumo

In 2007, the head coach and founder of Azumazeki stable, former sekiwake Takamiyama, indicated that Ushiomaru would succeed him when he reached the mandatory retirement age of sixty-five in June 2009.[2] This came as a surprise to some, who had assumed that his more high profile and higher ranked stablemate Takamisakari would take over. After completing his last match in the May, 2009 tournament, Ushiomaru did announce his retirement from active sumo to take over head coach duties from the retiring Kuhaulua.[3] He assumed the name Onogawa until 16 June when Kuhaulua officially retired and he became Azumazeki Oyakata. His danpatsu-shiki, or official retirement ceremony, was held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan on 31 January 2010.[4] Takamisakari remained an active wrestler until January 2013, when he announced his retirement. He then assisted Ushiomaru in running Azumazeki stable under the elder name of Furiwake.[5] In February 2018 Azumazeki moved his stable to new premises in Shibamata District, Katsushika.[6]

Death

On December 13, 2019, he died of angiosarcoma in the Azumazeki stable in Shibamata, Tokyo, aged 41.[7] A tsuya (wake) was held at Azumazeki stable on December 18 with Akebono, for whom Ushiomaru was a tsukebito, in attendance despite ill health.[8] The funeral was held on December 19, with the former Azumazeki Oyakata (ex-Takamiyama) attending and the chair of the Sumo Association Hakkaku giving the memorial address. Takamisakari was confirmed as Ushiomaru's successor to the Azumazeki stable in January 2020.

Family

Ushiomaru was married, and the couple's child, a daughter, was born in January 2018.

Fighting style

Ushiomaru preferred oshi-sumo or pushing and thrusting techniques to fighting on the mawashi. His most common winning kimarite were oshi-dashi or push out, and yori-kiri or force out, which together accounted for nearly half his career victories.

Career record

Ushiomaru Motoyasu[9]
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
1994 x (Maezumo) East Jonokuchi #17
5–2
 		 East Jonidan #166
3–4
 		 West Jonidan #192
6–1
 		 East Jonidan #90
2–5
 
1995 East Jonidan #123
4–3
 		 West Jonidan #95
4–3
 		 East Jonidan #67
4–3
 		 West Jonidan #40
2–5
 		 West Jonidan #79
5–2
 		 West Jonidan #35
5–2
 
1996 East Sandanme #91
4–3
 		 West Sandanme #74
2–5
 		 West Jonidan #7
6–1
 		 East Sandanme #51
3–4
 		 West Sandanme #66
5–2
 		 West Sandanme #34
2–5
 
1997 West Sandanme #64
4–3
 		 East Sandanme #47
4–3
 		 West Sandanme #32
4–3
 		 West Sandanme #17
5–2
 		 East Makushita #53
5–2
 		 West Makushita #33
4–3
 
1998 East Makushita #25
3–4
 		 West Makushita #35
2–5
 		 East Makushita #55
4–3
 		 West Makushita #46
5–2
 		 West Makushita #31
1–6
 		 East Makushita #55
3–4
 
1999 East Sandanme #7
6–1
 		 West Makushita #36
6–1
 		 West Makushita #16
4–3
 		 East Makushita #11
4–3
 		 East Makushita #6
2–5
 		 West Makushita #17
4–3
 
2000 East Makushita #13
1–6
 		 East Makushita #35
6–1
 		 East Makushita #16
3–4
 		 East Makushita #24
4–3
 		 East Makushita #18
3–4
 		 West Makushita #25
6–1
 
2001 West Makushita #9
2–5
 		 West Makushita #22
6–1
 		 West Makushita #8
4–3
 		 West Makushita #5
4–3
 		 East Makushita #3
4–3
 		 West Makushita #1
5–3
 
2002 East Jūryō #11
11–4
 		 East Jūryō #5
6–8–1
 		 West Jūryō #8
Sat out due to injury
0–0–15		 West Jūryō #8
13–2
Champion
 		 East Maegashira #15
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #10
3–7–5
 
2003 West Jūryō #4
Sat out due to injury
0–0–15		 West Jūryō #4
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #2
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #14
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #15
6–9
 		 West Jūryō #4
11–4
 
2004 East Maegashira #14
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #14
7–8
 		 East Maegashira #15
Sat out due to injury
0–0–15		 West Jūryō #7
7–8
 		 East Jūryō #8
6–9
 		 West Jūryō #11
5–10
 
2005 East Makushita #3
5–2
 		 East Jūryō #13
5–10
 		 East Makushita #4
7–0
Champion
 		 West Jūryō #9
9–6
 		 West Jūryō #4
6–9
 		 East Jūryō #7
9–6
 
2006 West Jūryō #2
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #16
4–11
 		 East Jūryō #6
8–7
 		 East Jūryō #3
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #2
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #12
5–10
 
2007 West Maegashira #15
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #12
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #15
5–10
 		 East Jūryō #2
6–9
 		 East Jūryō #4
6–9
 		 West Jūryō #7
8–7
 
2008 East Jūryō #6
5–10
 		 West Jūryō #10
8–7
 		 East Jūryō #7
7–8
 		 West Jūryō #7
6–9
 		 West Jūryō #11
7–8
 		 East Jūryō #13
8–7
 
2009 East Jūryō #12
9–6
 		 West Jūryō #5
7–8
 		 East Jūryō #7
Retired
6–9		 x 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; P=Playoff(s)
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi

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

See also

References

  1. ↑ Sharnoff, Lora (1993). Grand Sumo. Weatherhill. ISBN 0-8348-0283-X.
  2. ↑ Lewis, Ferd (2007-06-07). "Maui-born Kuhaulua able to bridge generation gap". The Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved 2007-06-19.
  3. ↑ 元幕内潮丸が引退＝東関部屋継承へ－大相撲 (in Japanese). Jiji Press. 2009-05-24. Retrieved 2009-05-24.
  4. ↑ "Coming Events". Japan Sumo Association. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
  5. ↑ "Clown prince of sumo Takamisakari retires". The Japan Times. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  6. ↑ "東関部屋が移転 両国国技館で祝賀会 大相撲" (in Japanese). At Shizuoka. 19 February 2018. Archived from the original on 20 February 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  7. ↑ "元前頭潮丸の東関親方が血管肉腫で死去 41歳". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 14 December 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  8. ↑ "急死の東関親方の弔問に闘病中の元横綱・曙が来た…振分親方に「部屋を頼んだぞ」". Hochi (in Japanese). 19 December 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  9. ↑ "Ushiomaru Motoyasu Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2012-09-08.
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