Kakizoe Tōru, is a former sumo wrestler. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 2001 and reached the top division in 2003. His highest rank was komusubi, which he held for just one tournament. He won one special prize, for Technique. After injury problems he fell to the third makushita division in 2011 and retired in April 2012, becoming a sumo coach. He was part of ex-yokozuna Musashimaru's Musashigawa stable from 2013 until 2020, when he moved to Irumagawa stable. He is now a sumo elder, under the name Ikazuchi (雷).
Ōtsukasa Nobuhide is a former sumo wrestler from Miki, Hyōgo, Japan. A former amateur champion, he made his professional debut in 1993. The highest rank he reached was maegashira 4. He retired in March 2009 and is now a sumo coach.
Satoyama Kōsaku is a retired professional sumo wrestler from Ōshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. A former amateur sumo champion at Nihon University, he entered professional sumo in 2004 and first reached the top makuuchi division in 2007. His highest rank was maegashira 12. He spent much of his career in the jūryō and makushita divisions, and won a yusho or tournament championship in each. He won promotion back to the top division in 2014 after a seven-year and 37-tournament absence, the longest ever. He was a member of Onoe stable. He retired in November 2018 and is an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name of Chiganoura.
Kaihō Ryōji is a former sumo wrestler from Aomori, Japan. His highest rank was komusubi. An amateur champion at Nihon University, he entered professional sumo in 1996. He was one of the lightest sekitori wrestlers in recent years. He won two special prizes for Technique. He retired from active competition in 2010 and became a coach, but in April 2011 he was asked to resign from the Japan Sumo Association after being found guilty of match-fixing.
Jūmonji Tomokazu is a former sumo wrestler from Aomori, Japan. Joining the professional ranks in 1992, he reached the top division in 2000 and was ranked there for 34 tournaments until 2007. His highest rank was maegashira 6. He was forced to retire in April 2011 after an investigation by the Japan Sumo Association found him guilty of match-fixing.
Shimotori Norio is a former sumo wrestler from Arai, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. A former amateur champion, he made his professional debut in 2000 and first reached the top division in 2002, although due to injuries he had trouble maintaining that position. He earned one special prize, for Fighting Spirit. His highest rank was komusubi. He was forced to retire in April 2011 after an investigation by the Japan Sumo Association found him guilty of match-fixing.
Towanoyama Yoshimitsu is a former sumo wrestler from Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1993. His highest rank was maegashira 13, achieved in March 2002. He had many injury problems and had perhaps the unluckiest top makuuchi division career of any wrestler in sumo, being injured before even fighting a match in the division. He is the only wrestler since the beginning of the Shōwa era in 1926 to have been ranked in the top division without winning any bouts there.
Onoe stable is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi group of stables. It is situated in Tokyo's Ōta ward. It was established in August 2006 by former komusubi Hamanoshima, who branched off from Mihogaseki stable and took several of its leading wrestlers with him. For its first few years, Onoe stable was located in what was essentially a "converted garage," where numerous miscellaneous items were only about a meter away from the edge of the practice ring's straw bales.
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.
Masatsukasa Kōshin is a former sumo wrestler from Aomori Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was maegashira 8. He was forced to retire in April 2011 after an investigation by the Japan Sumo Association found him guilty of match-fixing.
Ryūichi Yamamoto, known by his shikonaYamamotoyama Ryūta, or simply Yama, is a Japanese retired sumo wrestler from the city of Saitama in Saitama Prefecture. He made his professional debut in January 2007, and reached the top makuuchi division in January 2009. His highest rank was maegashira 9. At 265 kg (584 lb), Yamamotoyama is the heaviest Japanese-born sumo wrestler in history, and is also thought to be the heaviest Japanese person ever. In April 2011, he was told to retire by the Japan Sumo Association after he and several other wrestlers were found to be involved in match-fixing. He currently resides in Los Angeles and participates in sumo exhibitions and amateur tournaments, and has made a number of appearances in television shows, commercials and music videos.
Mōkonami Sakae is a former sumo wrestler from Mongolia. After making his professional sumo debut in March 2001, he had his top makuuchi division debut 8 years later in July 2009. His highest rank was maegashira 6. He has acquired Japanese citizenship. In April 2011 he was ordered to retire by the Japan Sumo Association after an investigation found him guilty of match-fixing.
Hakuba Takeshi is a former sumo wrestler from Ulan Bator, Mongolia. Joining the professional sport in 2000, he entered the top division for the first time in 2008, returning in 2010. His highest rank was komusubi. He was forced to retire from sumo in 2011 after being found guilty by the Japan Sumo Association (JSA) of involvement in match-fixing.
Hamanoshima Keishi is a former sumo wrestler from Uto, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1992, reaching the top makuuchi division in 1994. His highest rank was komusubi. After his retirement from active competition in 2004 he became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and founded Onoe stable in 2006, which has produced a number of top division wrestlers.
Tokusegawa Masano is a former sumo wrestler from Ulan Bator, Mongolia. Joining the professional sport in 2003, he entered the top division for the first time in March 2010, and rose to the top of the maegashira ranks. He was forced to retire by the Japan Sumo Association in 2011 after being found guilty of match-fixing.
Sōkokurai Eikichi is a former professional sumo wrestler from Inner Mongolia, China. He is the only Chinese national to reach the top makuuchi division. Sōkokurai is of Mongolian descent. He made his professional debut in 2003 and was promoted to the top division in September, 2010.
The following are the events in professional sumo during 2011.
Tenkaihō Takayuki is a retired sumo wrestler from Tamana, Kumamoto, Japan. He made his professional debut in January 2007, and reached the top division in January 2012. His highest rank was maegashira 8. He won one sandanme championship. He retired in March 2019 to become a coach in the Japan Sumo Association.
Kyokunankai Hiromitsu is a former sumo wrestler from Amagi, Kagoshima, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1993 and reached the top division in September 2010. The 17 years it took him to reach the top division is the second slowest progress ever, in the history of professional sumo wrestling. His highest rank was maegashira 16. He was forced to retire by the Japan Sumo Association, as a result of the 2011 match-fixing scandal.
Arawashi Tsuyoshi is a former professional sumo wrestler from Ulan Bator, Mongolia. He made his professional debut in November 2002. He is the 21st Mongolian to reach the top makuuchi division, which he achieved in May 2014. His 68-tournament rise through the ranks is the second-slowest progress for a foreign wrestler after Sentōryū. He won three kinboshi or gold stars for defeating yokozuna. He was a member of three stables, Araiso, Hanakago and Minezaki. His highest rank was maegashira 2.
