Wakatoba Hiromi
若兎馬 裕三
Personal information
BornHiromi Yamada
(1977-06-15) June 15, 1977
Tokyo, Japan
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight130 kg (290 lb)
Career
StableOshiogawa → Oguruma
Record416-406-28
DebutMarch, 1993
Highest rankMaegashira 11 (November, 2003)
RetiredSeptember, 2007
Elder nameSee retirement
* Up to date as of June 25, 2020.

Wakatoba Hiromi (born June 15, 1977 as Hiromi Yamada) is a former sumo wrestler from Fuchū, Tokyo, Japan. His highest rank was maegashira 11.

Career

He made his professional debut in March 1993, joining Oshiogawa stable, run by former ōzeki Daikirin. He initially wrestled under his own surname of Yamada. After a long apprenticeship in the junior ranks he achieved senior sekitori status in May 2001 upon promotion to the jūryō division. To mark the occasion he changed his shikona to Wakatoba. After a 10-5 record at the rank of jūryō 4 in July 2003 he was promoted to the top makuuchi division. An 8-7 mark in his top division debut saw him promoted to his highest rank of maegashira 11. He fought in the top division for a total of seven tournaments. In March 2005 he was transferred to Oguruma stable when Oshiogawa stable shut down. He was demoted back to jūryō in March 2006 and after pulling out of the January 2007 tournament after only five days with an injury to his left leg he was relegated to the unsalaried ranks.

Retirement

After the May 2007 tournament it was reported that Wakatoba had retired, and he was quoted as saying he had lost his will to continue, and that his most memorable match was one against Terao. However, he subsequently denied that he had retired, and he competed in the following tournament in July. However, after that tournament, having fallen to the rank of makushita 57, he did retire and became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under his old stablemaster's name of Oshiogawa the following month.[1] His danpatsu-shiki, or official retirement ceremony, was held in February 2008, and he introduced his fiancé at the event. He worked as a coach at Oguruma stable until leaving the Sumo Association in August 2010. This move coincided with the death of the previous Oshiogawa, and the Oshiogawa stock was obtained by Takekaze.

In June 2018 he was featured in Tokyo Broadcasting System Television's The Friday, working alongside fellow former sumo wrestlers Wakanojō and Wakatenrō, in care for the elderly.[2]

Career record

Wakatoba Hiromi[3]
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
1993 x (Maezumo) East Jonokuchi #5
5–2
 		 East Jonidan #140
5–2
 		 West Jonidan #95
3–4
 		 East Jonidan #118
4–3
 
1994 West Jonidan #93
5–2
 		 West Jonidan #50
5–2
 		 East Jonidan #11
4–3
 		 East Sandanme #94
4–3
 		 East Sandanme #76
6–1
 		 East Sandanme #24
2–4–1
 
1995 West Sandanme #50
2–5
 		 West Sandanme #78
4–3
 		 East Sandanme #62
2–4–1
 		 East Sandanme #84
5–2
 		 West Sandanme #53
4–3
 		 West Sandanme #33
6–1
 
1996 East Makushita #53
3–4
 		 East Sandanme #11
4–3
 		 East Makushita #60
5–2
 		 East Makushita #38
5–2
 		 East Makushita #21
3–4
 		 West Makushita #29
3–4
 
1997 West Makushita #37
2–5
 		 West Makushita #57
3–4
 		 East Sandanme #12
3–4
 		 West Sandanme #25
5–2
 		 West Makushita #59
2–3–2
 		 East Sandanme #21
Sat out due to injury
0–0–7
1998 East Sandanme #21
Sat out due to injury
0–0–7		 East Sandanme #81
5–2
 		 East Sandanme #51
7–0–P
 		 East Makushita #32
3–4
 		 West Makushita #40
5–2
 		 West Makushita #27
2–5
 
1999 East Makushita #44
2–5
 		 East Makushita #29
5–2
 		 West Makushita #17
2–5
 		 East Makushita #31
1–6
 		 West Makushita #50
3–4
 		 East Sandanme #4
4–3
 
2000 West Makushita #54
4–3
 		 West Makushita #44
4–3
 		 East Makushita #37
5–2
 		 East Makushita #21
4–3
 		 East Makushita #16
5–2
 		 West Makushita #7
5–2
 
2001 East Makushita #4
4–3
 		 East Makushita #2
4–3
 		 East Jūryō #12
7–8
 		 West Jūryō #13
9–6–P
 		 West Jūryō #9
6–9
 		 East Jūryō #12
7–8
 
2002 East Jūryō #13
4–11
 		 West Makushita #5
6–1
 		 East Jūryō #12
2–13
 		 West Makushita #10
4–3
 		 East Makushita #8
6–1
 		 East Makushita #1
4–3
 
2003 West Jūryō #11
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #8
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #5
8–7
 		 East Jūryō #4
10–5
 		 East Maegashira #13
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #11
7–8
 
2004 West Maegashira #12
4–11
 		 East Jūryō #4
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #3
9–6
 		 Maegashira #15
3–12
 		 East Jūryō #5
5–10
 		 East Jūryō #10
11–4
 
2005 West Jūryō #3
7–8
 		 West Jūryō #4
8–7
 		 East Jūryō #1
6–9
 		 East Jūryō #5
10–5
 		 West Maegashira #15
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #12
5–10
 
2006 West Maegashira #15
4–11
 		 East Jūryō #6
6–9
 		 East Jūryō #10
9–6
 		 East Jūryō #7
5–10
 		 West Jūryō #11
9–6
 		 East Jūryō #8
7–8
 
2007 East Jūryō #10
1–4–10
 		 West Makushita #8
2–5
 		 West Makushita #22
1–6
 		 East Makushita #46
3–4
 		 East Makushita #57
Retired
0–0–0		 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. ↑ "Sumo Beya Guide". Japan Sumo Association. 2007-08-27. Retrieved 2007-08-29.
  2. ↑ Akinomaki (6 June 2018). "Sumo Program Announcements". Sumo Forum. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  3. ↑ "Wakatoba Hiromi Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2013-05-26.
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