Wakatoba Hiromi
Encyclopedia
Wakatoba Hiromi is a former sumo
wrestler from Fuchū, Tokyo
, Japan
. His highest rank was maegashira 11.
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. 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.
. He worked as a coach at Oguruma stable
, the stable to which he was transferred in March 2005 when his old stable was shut down upon the retirement of Oshiogawa. Wakatoba used the same name of Oshiogawa as an elder until he left the Sumo Association in August 2010.
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 Fuchū, Tokyo
Fuchu, Tokyo
is a city located in western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 255,394 and a population density of 8,700 persons per km². The total area was 29.34 km²...
, 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...
. 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 sekitoriSekitori
A sekitori is a sumo wrestler who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: makuuchi and juryo.Currently there are 70 rikishi in these divisions...
status in May 2001 upon promotion to the jūryō division. To mark the occasion he changed 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...
to Wakatoba. After a 10-5 record at the rank of jūryō 4 in July 2003 he was 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. 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. 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
In August 2007, having fallen to the rank of makushita 57, he retired from active competition and became an elder of the Japan Sumo AssociationJapan 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 worked as a coach at Oguruma stable
Oguruma Stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Nishonoseki group of stables. In its modern form it dates from 1987 when it was founded by Kotokaze, a former Sadogatake stable wrestler. He gives all his new recruits shikona with the suffix "kaze" , taken from his own fighting name. The first wrestler...
, the stable to which he was transferred in March 2005 when his old stable was shut down upon the retirement of Oshiogawa. Wakatoba used the same name of Oshiogawa as an elder until he left the Sumo Association in August 2010.