Ryūji Chiyotaikai is a Japanese former sumo wrestler. He made his professional debut in 1992 and reached the top makuuchi division in 1997. He held the second highest rank of ōzeki or champion for 65 consecutive tournaments from 1999 until 2009, making him the longest serving ōzeki in the modern era. He won three top division yūshō or tournament championships, and was a runner-up on seven other occasions. However, he also held the dubious record of being in danger of demotion from ōzeki fourteen times. He wrestled for Kokonoe stable until his retirement in January 2010 at the age of 33. He remained in sumo as a coach at his stable, and became the head coach in August 2016 following the death of Chiyonofuji.
A shikona is a sumo wrestler's ring name. The tradition of ring names in sumo dates back to the Edo period, where they were used as a means to attract customers and hide the identities of the rikishi.
Kotomitsuki Keiji is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Okazaki City. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1999. He reached the top makuuchi division in November 2000 and won one yūshō or tournament championship, in September 2001. He was a runner-up in eight other tournaments, and earned thirteen sanshō or special prizes. He is one of six wrestlers in the history of sumo to receive all three sanshō in the same tournament, accomplishing the feat in the November 2000 honbasho. After a record 22 tournaments at sekiwake, he achieved promotion to sumo's second highest rank of ōzeki in July 2007 upon winning 35 out of 45 bouts in three consecutive tournaments. This made him at 31 the oldest man to reach ōzeki in the modern era. He wrestled for Sadogatake stable. On July 4, 2010, he was expelled from professional sumo by the Japan Sumo Association for his involvement in an illegal gambling ring.
Miyabiyama Tetsushi is a former sumo wrestler from Mito, Ibaraki, Japan. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1998. With the exception of two tournaments, he was ranked in the top division of professional sumo from 1999 until the end of his career in 2013, holding the second highest rank of ōzeki from 2000 to 2001. He won eight special prizes and was runner-up in four top division tournaments. He wrestled for Fujishima stable, where he worked as a coach until opening his own Futagoyama stable.
Dejima Takeharu is a former sumo wrestler from Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. A former amateur champion, he made his professional debut in 1996, reaching the top makuuchi division the following year. In July 1999 he won the yūshō or tournament championship and earned promotion to the second highest rank of ōzeki. He lost the rank in 2001 and, for the most part, remained a maegashira until his retirement in 2009. He won ten special prizes and six gold stars over his long career. He wrestled for Musashigawa stable. He is now an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name Ōnaruto Oyakata.
Asasekiryū Tarō is a former sumo wrestler. He made his debut in January 2000, reaching the top makuuchi division in March 2003. He won four special prizes, and spent a total of five tournaments in the titled san'yaku ranks. The highest rank was sekiwake. He was a runner-up in two tournaments in 2004 and 2007. After 2013 he was mainly ranked in the lower jūryō and makushita divisions. He acquired Japanese citizenship in April 2017 and retired from active competition the following month. He became a coach at Takasago stable under the elder name Nishikijima Oyakata. In November 2020 he became head coach of Takasago stable.
Tamanoshima Arata is a former sumo wrestler from Izumizaki, Fukushima, Japan. A former amateur champion, he made his professional debut in 1998, reaching the top makuuchi division at the end of 2000. He was twice runner-up in a tournament, and earned six special prizes and two gold stars during his career. His highest rank was sekiwake. He wrestled for Kataonami stable. He retired in November 2011 to become an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and is now known as Hanaregoma Oyakata. In December 2021 he became head coach of Hanaregoma stable.
Tochiazuma Tomoyori is a former sumo wrestler from Sōma, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was sekiwake, which he held for one tournament in 1970. He won the top division championship in January 1972. After retirement he worked as a coach at his stable, Kasugano, until 1990 when he set up his own Tamanoi stable. He is the father of the former ōzeki Tochiazuma Daisuke, and upon his retirement as a coach in 2009 his son took over from him.
Fujinishiki Akira was a sumo wrestler from Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan. His highest rank was komusubi, which he held on ten occasions. He won the top makuuchi division tournament championship or yūshō in 1964 and was runner-up in two other tournaments. He won seven special prizes and seven gold stars for defeating yokozuna. After his retirement in 1968 he was an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and was the head coach of Takasago stable from 1988 until shortly before his retirement from the Sumo Association in 2002. He died of liver disease in 2003.
Asashio Tarō IV was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Muroto, Kōchi, Japan. His highest rank was ōzeki. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1978. He won one top division tournament championship and was a runner-up on four other occasions. He won fourteen special prizes, including a record ten Outstanding Performance Awards, and five gold stars for defeating yokozuna. He retired in 1989 and became head coach of the Wakamatsu stable, which in 2002 merged with Takasago stable. As a coach, he raised yokozuna Asashōryū and ōzeki Asanoyama. He stood down as an elder in 2020.
Tamanoi stable is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi ichimon or group of stables. It was set up in 1990 by former sekiwake Tochiazuma Tomoyori, who branched off from Kasugano stable. He coached his son, who also wrestled under the name Tochiazuma, to ōzeki rank. Tamanoi reached retirement age in September 2009, and was succeeded by his son. As of January 2023, the stable had 21 wrestlers, two of them being a sekitori.
The following are the events in professional sumo during 2009.
The following are the events in professional sumo during 2007.
The following are the events in professional sumo during 2006.
The following are the events in professional sumo during 2005.
The following are the events in professional sumo during 2004.
The following are the events in professional sumo during 2003.
The following are the events in professional sumo during 2002.
The following are the events in professional sumo during 2001.
Musashimaru Kōyō is an American-born Japanese-naturalized former professional sumo wrestler. He was born in American Samoa, before moving to Hawaii at the age of 10. At 18 he moved to Japan and made his professional sumo debut in 1989, reaching the top makuuchi division in 1991. After reaching the rank of ōzeki in 1994 his progress seemed to stall, but in 1999 he became only the second foreign-born wrestler in history to reach the sport's highest rank of yokozuna. Musashimaru won over 700 top division bouts and took twelve top division tournament championships during his career. His sheer 235 kg (518 lb) bulk combined with 1.92 m of height made him a formidable opponent, and he was remarkably consistent and injury-free for most of his career. An amiable personality, his fan base was helped by a surprising facial resemblance to Japanese warrior hero Saigō Takamori. After becoming a Japanese national in 1996 and retiring in 2003, he became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and founded the Musashigawa stable in 2013.
