Asanoyama Hiroki

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In this Japanese shikona name, the surname is Asanoyama.
Asanoyama Hiroki
朝乃山 広暉
Asanoyama 2017 March.jpg
Asanoyama in March 2017
Personal information
BornHiroki Ishibashi
(1994-03-01) March 1, 1994 (age 30)
Toyama Prefecture, Japan
Height1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight174 kg (384 lb; 27.4 st)
Career
StableTakasago
UniversityKindai University
Current ranksee below
DebutMarch, 2016
Highest rankŌzeki (May 2020)
Championships1 Makuuchi

1 Makushita

1 Sandanme
Special Prizes3 Fighting Spirit
2 Outstanding performance
1 Technique
Gold Stars1 (Kakuryū)
* Up to date as of 30 August, 2022.

Asanoyama Hiroki (朝乃山 広暉, born Hiroki Ishibashi (石橋 広暉, Ishibashi Hiroki) on March 1, 1994) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Toyama Prefecture. He wrestles for Takasago stable. He debuted in sumo in March 2016 and made his makuuchi debut in September 2017. His highest rank has been ōzeki. He has earned six special prizes, and one gold star for defeating a yokozuna. In May 2019 he won his first top division yūshō or tournament championship, the first of the Reiwa era. He was also runner-up in November 2019 and finished the calendar year with more top division wins than any other wrestler. He was promoted to ōzeki after the March 2020 tournament, and was a runner-up in his ōzeki debut in July 2020 and in January 2021.

In June 2021 Asanoyama was handed a one-year (six tournament) suspension for violating sumo protocols related to COVID-19.[1] He returned to competition in the July 2022 tournament having been demoted to the third-lowest rank of sandanme.[2]

Background

After initially showing more interest and aptitude for handball, Ishibashi began to concentrate on sumo in Junior High School. He took part in the national championships in his third year but sustained an elbow injury which led to him considering quitting the sport. He then attended Toyama Commercial High School and was persuaded to persevere by the school's sumo director.[3] After competing successfully in High School tournaments he won a place at Kindai University where he studied Economics. He won seven college titles and reached the top four in all-Japan Sumo Championships.[4]

Career

Early career

In 2016 Ishibashi joined the professional Takasago stable, bringing him under the tutelage of the former ōzeki Asashio. Like most new wrestlers he began his career under his family name.

As a University champion, Ishibashi was allowed to bypass the two lowest tiers of professional sumo and begin his career in the fourth sandanme division in March 2016. Three kachi-koshi (winning records) in his first three basho (tournaments) saw him promoted to the makushita division for September. Winning records in September and November were followed by a perfect 7–0 in January 2017 which earned him the divisional championship and promotion to the second division (jūryō). At this point he took the shikona (ring name) of Asanoyama. His promotion ensured that Takasago stable would once again have a sekitori, following the demotions of Asasekiryū and Asabenkei to makushita which had left the stable with no wrestlers in the top two divisions for the first time since 1878. Asanoyama revealed his determination to reach jūryō to honour the memory of his sumo coach at high school who had recently died of cancer, and that his resolve did not falter even though he lost two matches in November and had to wait for one more tournament to earn promotion.[5]

In his jūryō debut in March 2017 Asanoyama recorded 10 wins to tie for the lead on the final day of the tournament but was beaten in a play-off by the much more experienced Toyohibiki. After 8 wins in May, he tied for the championship with 11 wins in July but again lost a play-off, this time to his near contemporary Daiamami. His efforts were enough to secure promotion to the top makuuchi division for the next tournament.[6] He was the second sandanme tsukedashi entrant to reach makuuchi following Yutakayama.

Makuuchi career

In his first tournament in the top division Asanoyama was assigned the rank of maegashira 16. He stood at only 3–3 after Day 6 but then went on a five-match winning streak and was on the leaderboard towards the end of the tournament, trailing Gōeidō by just one win on Day 13.[7] He finished with a 10–5 record and was awarded the Fighting Spirit Prize.[8] After his final match Asanoyama commented, "I have fought with the spirit of a challenger over the 15 days and that has led to my finishing with double figures in wins. I am really happy about that."[8] He was less successful in his second top division tournament, scoring only five wins against ten losses and barely avoiding demotion back to jūryō. In January 2018 he produced a 9–6 record from the rank of maegashira 16. In July he was on the leaderboard for much of the tournament and finished with an 11–4 record and a share of the Fighting Spirit prize. For the next few tournaments he remained in the middle of the maegashira ranks, mostly alternating between 8–7 and 7–8 records.

Asanoyama receives the President's Cup from Donald Trump

In the May 2019 tournament, the first to be held in the Reiwa era, he was the sole leader with ten wins and just one loss on Day 11.[9] He lost his second bout of the tournament on Day 12, but regained the sole lead on Day 13 with a controversial win over Tochinoshin. He appeared to have hit the ground first, but the judges ruled that Tochinoshin's heel had touched out of bounds.[10] By defeating Gōeidō on Day 14 he won the tournament after his only challenger Kakuryū was defeated by Tochinoshin, leaving Asanoyama two wins ahead with only one day to go. He was the first wrestler without previous sanyaku experience to win a yūshō since Sadanoyama in 1961.[11] He lost his final day match to Mitakeumi to finish on a 12–3 record. In addition to the tournament championship he won special prizes for Outstanding Performance and Fighting Spirit and received the inaugural US President's Cup from President Donald Trump.[12] Speaking to reporters the day after his victory Asanoyama said that he never imagined he could win the championship within three years of his professional debut but that the next tournament would be different and he would be seeking a winning record.[13] He was the first wrestler from Toyama Prefecture to win a top division championship in 103 years, and 25,000 people attended a parade in his hometown on June 16.[14] In the July 2019 tournament he just missed out on a sanyaku debut, instead being ranked at maegashira 1. He fell one win short of his goal of kachi-koshi with a 7–8 record. On the fifth day of the September tournament he earned his first kinboshi or gold star for a win over a yokozuna, against Kakuryū. He held a share of the tournament lead after Day 10,[15] but lost both his bouts on Days 11 and 12 and finished with a 10–5 record.[16] He was awarded his second Outstanding Performance Prize, for defeating Kakuryū and two ōzeki.[17]

He made his sanyaku debut in November 2019, one of four komusubi on the banzuke in that tournament.[18] He is the first komusubi from Takasago stable since Asasekiryū in 2006, the third post-World War II from Toyama Prefecture after Wakamiyama and Kotogaume, and the third from Kindai University after his stablemaster Asashio and Takarafuji.[19] He was runner-up to Hakuhō with an 11–4 record, and won his first Technique Prize. He also finished 2019 with 55 top division wins, more than any other wrestler that year.[20] He is the first ranked below yokozuna or ōzeki to achieve the most wins in a calendar year.

Asanoyama original Ozeki tegata (handprint & signature)

Promotion to ōzeki

In the January 2020 tournament Asanoyama made his debut at sekiwake and produced a 10–5 record. The demotion of Takayasu and the retirement of Gōeidō left only one ōzeki on the March banzuke for the first time in 38 years, and Asanoyama told a press conference on 24 February, "There is another spot available for ōzeki. I want to make the most of this opportunity."[21] Asanoyama finished with an 11–4 record in the March tournament, good enough for a sumo advisory board to recommend his promotion to the ōzeki rank.[22] The Japan Sumo Association officially promoted him on 25 March.[23] He is the first ōzeki from Toyama Prefecture since the 22nd yokozuna Tachiyama made the rank 111 years earlier; Asanoyama said he hoped to reach his level, and also inspire youngsters from his prefecture to join professional sumo.[23]

Ōzeki career

In his ōzeki debut in July 2020 Asanoyama was the tournament leader until Day 13 when he was defeated by former ōzeki Terunofuji.[24] Asanoyama was unable to take advantage of Terunofuji's defeat the following day to Shodai when he lost for the second day in a row, falling victim to Terutsuyoshi's ashitori leg grab.[25] He finished the tournament runner-up on 12–3.[26] He made a poor start to his September campaign, losing his first three matches, which led to him being criticized by former yokozuna and Takasago stable member Asashōryū.[27] He then won ten in a row before being defeated by Shōdai and Takakeishō on the last two days to finish on 10–5.[28] He withdrew from the November 2020 tournament on Day 3, due to a deltoid muscle injury to his right shoulder suffered on the opening day. This was the first time in his career that he had been forced to withdraw from a tournament.[29] On his return to competition in the January 2021 tournament, he achieved a winning record to retain his ōzeki rank and ended as joint runner-up with fellow ōzeki Shōdai and sekiwake Terunofuji.[30]

Investigation and suspension

Asanoyama withdrew from the May 2021 tournament after Day 11 when it emerged that he had broken COVID-19 protocols.[31] The Sumo Association's director of communications, Shibatayama, said at the time that Asanoyama had initially denied the allegations, which were first reported by the Shūkan Bunshun magazine, but later admitted to them.[32]

The investigation into the matter was handled by the Sumo Association's compliance committee, headed by Oguruma (former ōzeki Kotokaze).[33] The committee found that Asanoyama had visited cabaret nightclubs ten times and dined out three times, all during a period when wrestlers were instructed not to go out for any non-essential reason.[34] It was also discovered that a 44-year-old reporter for Sports Nippon who accompanied Asanoyama during his outings conspired with him to cover-up the incidents to investigators, with Asanoyama found to have destroyed evidence by deleting the reporter's text messages from his smartphone.[33] When initially asked by investigators about the violations, Asanoyama claimed to have been seeking medical treatment, accompanied by the Sports Nippon reporter.[34]

The compliance committee's report noted that Asanoyama had "seriously tarnished his dignity as an ōzeki."[34] An extraordinary session of the full Sumo Association body was scheduled on 11 June for final disposition. Prior to the meeting, it was revealed that Asanoyama had submitted his resignation two days after he withdrew from the May 2021 tournament.[1]

The Sumo Association issued Asanoyama a one-year (six tournament) suspension from sumo and a 50% salary cut for six months, with his retirement papers held in case he causes any further trouble.[1] Oguruma was quoted as saying that Asanoyama "...should have served as a role model for other sumo wrestlers" as an ōzeki, adding that the punishment would not have been as harsh if he admitted to what he did in the first place.[35] Asanoyama appeared at the meeting and apologized to the directors, saying that he lied because he feared what would happen if he had been more straightforward about it.[33]

As his suspension is treated as absences on the banzuke, Asanoyama lost his ōzeki title and fell out of the sekitori ranks completely.[35] In addition to Asanoyama's punishment, his stablemaster Takasago (former sekiwake Asasekiryū) was issued a 20% salary cut for three months.[34] Sports Nippon later announced that the reporter that dined with Asanoyama had been dismissed following an internal inquiry.[36] Asanoyama's former stablemaster Nishikijima (former ōzeki Asashio IV) submitted his resignation after he was found to have violated COVID restrictions by inviting Asanoyama for dinner and drinks with his family and acquaintances.[34]

One month after his suspension was finalized, Asanoyama, his stablemaster and six lower-ranked rikishi in Takasago stable all tested positive for COVID-19.[37]

Return to competition

Asanoyama was demoted to the third-lowest division at the rank of west sandanme 22 for the July 2022 tournament in Nagoya following the completion of his six-tournament suspension. He changed his ring name for his return to competition, switching the first name of Hideki to his real given name of Hiroki.[2] Speaking ahead of Asanoyama's return, his stablemaster Takasago said Asanoyama had not received any special treatment since his fall from the sekitori ranks and had been required to do chores around the stable with the other low-ranking wrestlers.[38] At a training session in June, he won nine out of twelve bouts against jūryō ranked Asanowaka [ja].[38]

Asanoyama won his opening match on the second day of the July 2022 basho, which marked his first professional sumo contest in 418 days.[39] He would go on to win the sandanme championship with a perfect record of 7 wins.[40]

In September 2022 he was ranked at makushita 15 and would have been promoted back to jūryō for November if he had produced another perfect score, but he unexpectedly lost one of his matches and his 6–1 record means his return to jūryō will be delayed for at least one more tournament.[41]

Fighting style

Asanoyama has shown a preference for yotsu techniques which involve grasping his opponent's mawashi or belt. His most common kimarite or winning move is yorikiri, the force-out.[42] His preferred grip is migi-yotsu, a right arm inside and left hand outside position, although in the run-up to the March 2020 tournament he worked on obtaining a left hand inside grip as well.[43]

Career record

　　
Asanoyama Hiroki[6]
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
2016 x Sandanme tsukedashi #100
5–2
 		 East Sandanme #66
6–1
 		 West Sandanme #11
6–1
 		 West Makushita #36
6–1
 		 East Makushita #14
5–2
 
2017 West Makushita #7
7–0
Champion
 		 East Jūryō #12
10–5–P
 		 East Jūryō #7
8–7
 		 West Jūryō #5
11–4–P
 		 East Maegashira #16
10–5
F		 West Maegashira #11
5–10
 
2018 West Maegashira #16
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #13
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #12
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #13
11–4
F		 West Maegashira #5
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #5
6–9
 
2019 West Maegashira #8
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #8
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #8
12–3
OF		 East Maegashira #1
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #2
10–5
O★		 West Komusubi #2
11–4
T
2020 East Sekiwake #1
10–5
 		 East Sekiwake #1
11–4
 		 West Ōzeki #1
Tournament Cancelled
0–0–0		 West Ōzeki #1
12–3
 		 East Ōzeki #1
10–5
 		 West Ōzeki #1
1–2–12
 
2021 East Ōzeki #2
11–4
 		 West Ōzeki #1
10–5
 		 East Ōzeki #1
7–5–3
 		 West Ōzeki #2
Suspended
0–0–15		 East Sekiwake #2
Suspended
0–0–15		 West Maegashira #10
Suspended
0–0–15
2022 West Jūryō #4
Suspended
0–0–15		 West Makushita #2
Suspended
0–0–7		 West Makushita #42
Suspended
0–0–7		West Sandanme #22
7–0
Champion
 		 East Makushita #15
6–1
 		 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. ^ a b c "Sumo: Ozeki Asanoyama gets 1-year ban for breaking coronavirus rules". Kyodo News. 11 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b "【名古屋場所新番付】朝乃山が西三段目22枚目で土俵復帰、父の無念を胸にしこ名も変え心機一転" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 27 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  3. ^ 朝乃山　応援よろしく　新十両昇進で県庁訪問 Archived 2017-02-19 at the Wayback Machine 中日新聞　2017年1月28日
  4. ^ ベースボール・マガジン社刊 『相撲』 2016年2月号（初場所総決算号） 95頁
  5. ^ "関取ゼロの高砂部屋を救った朝乃山は、" (in Japanese). Sportiva. 21 March 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Asanoyama Hideki Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference.
  7. ^ "Sumo: Ozeki Goeido crashes again, lead cut to 1 at Autumn tourney". Kyodo News. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Sumo: Harumafuji beats Goeido in playoff to win 9th career title". The Mainichi. 24 September 2017. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  9. ^ "Sumo: Tochinoshin, Kakuryu upset on Day 11 at Summer meet". The Mainichi. 22 May 2019. Archived from the original on 23 May 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  10. ^ "Sumo: Asanoyama takes sole lead on Day 13 with controversial win". The Mainichi. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  11. ^ "Asanoyama falls on basho's last day". Japan Times. 26 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  12. ^ "Awards day for Asanoyama". Japan News/Yomiuri Shimbun. 26 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  13. ^ "Asanoyama wants to build on first title". Japan Times. 28 May 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  14. ^ "25,000 attend hometown parade for new sumo champion Asanoyama". The Mainichi. 17 June 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  15. ^ "Sumo: Five wrestlers hold joint lead after Day 10". Japan Times. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  16. ^ "Asanoyama results by basho". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  17. ^ "Sumo: Mitakeumi wins 2nd title after sekiwake playoff with Takakeisho". The Mainichi. 22 September 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  18. ^ "Sumo: Kakuryu tops rankings as Takakeisho makes ozeki return". The Mainichi. 28 October 2019. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  19. ^ "2019 November Grand Sumo Tournament Banzuke Topics". Japan Sumo Association. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  20. ^ "Sumo: Hakuho puts final winning touch on 43rd championship". The Mainichi. 24 November 2019. Archived from the original on 27 November 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  21. ^ "Sumo left with only one ozeki for first time in over 38 years". Japan Times. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  22. ^ "Asanoyama achieves goal of promotion to sumo's second-highest rank". japantimes.co.jp. Kyodo. 23 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  23. ^ a b "Sumo: Asanoyama promoted to ozeki, ready to live up to new rank". The Mainichi. 25 March 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  24. ^ "Terunofuji continues epic comeback with win over Asanoyama". Japan Times. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  25. ^ "Terunofuji maintains slim lead despite upset loss on Day 14 of July basho". Japan Times. 1 August 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  26. ^ "Terunofuji returns to glory with second championship". Asahi Shimbun. 2 August 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  27. ^ Gunning, John (16 September 2020). "Are ozeki Asanoyama's struggles all in his head?". Japan Times. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  28. ^ "Sumo: Shodai clinches 1st-ever title, ozeki promotion". Kyodo News. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  29. ^ "Sumo: Ozeki Asanoyama pulls out of November grand tourney". The Mainichi. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  30. ^ "Confident Daiesho wraps up first Emperor's Cup on final day". Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  31. ^ "Sumo: Asanoyama out of tourney after violating safety rules". Kyodo News. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  32. ^ "Sumo: Asanoyama withdraws from meet over coronavirus safety breach". Kyodo News. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  33. ^ a b c Suzuki, Kensuke (12 June 2021). "Asanoyama gets 1-year ban for breaking COVID-19 rules". Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  34. ^ a b c d e "Asanoyama suspended for six tournaments for violating JSA guidelines". Mainichi Shimbun. 12 June 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  35. ^ a b "Asanoyama gets 1-year ban for breaking COVID-19 rules". 12 June 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  36. ^ "本紙元記者を諭旨解雇　力士との深夜会食で" (Press release) (in Japanese). Sports Nippon. 11 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  37. ^ "大関朝乃山ら５人感染の高砂部屋で新たに１人、他部屋で１人感染". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 30 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  38. ^ a b "１年ぶり復帰の朝乃山「動き良くなっている」高砂親方　名古屋場所三段目から出直しへ (Asanoyama returning after a year - movement getting better, says Takasago)". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 11 June 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  39. ^ "朝乃山418日ぶり復帰場所で白星発進を飾る「体は1年間しっかり稽古はできた」師匠の高砂親方". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 11 July 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  40. ^ "朝乃山が三段目Ｖ　見守った高砂親方へ「師匠にはうそをついてしまった。恩返ししたい思いで」" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  41. ^ "Former ozeki Asanoyama in line for return to juryo next year after 1-year suspension". Yomiuri Shimbun. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  42. ^ "Asanoyama Hideki bouts by kimarite". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  43. ^ "Sumo: Asanoyama's ozeki bid overshadowed by sport's 1st empty arena". The Mainichi. 6 March 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2020.

External links

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