(Latest Video: there is a movie of the title-conferring ceremony at the bottom of this page)
2017 May Grand Sumo Tournament was held in Ryogoku Kokugikan at Tokyo. On the 15th day, there was the match of Yokozuna Harumafuji vs. Yokozuna Hakuho in May 28. Hakuho beat Harumafuji by “Yorikiri” that mean “forcing out”, so Hakuho was 15 wins and he won 2017 May Grand Sumo Tournament. It was Hakuho’ 38th victory for the first time in a year.
On the same day, there was a match of Sekiwake (the Junior champion) Takayasu vs. Ozeki Terunofuji. Takayasu lost Terunofuji by “Kotenage”, so Takayasu was 11 wins and 4 loss. But he won the Technique prizehe and will be promoted to the Ozeki (second-highest rank wrestler) in the next tournament.
Akira Takayasu was born at Ibaraki prefecture in 1990 (Age 27), he is part-Filipino (mother) and part-Japanese (father). Takayasu had played baseball until junior high school and didn’t play Sumo. But after graduating from junior high school, he wanted to earn money with his own body and was apprenticed to Stable Naruto.
In the beginning as an initiation, because the Sumo practice was hard so Takayasu descended and went home sometime. But as Takayasu was well built, he went up the rankings gradually.
In 2010 September Grand Sumo Tournament, Takayasu won title in the makushita division (the third highest division in sumo) and became the second division wrestler（Jyuryo). In Jyuryo, he earned more wins than losse 3 tournaments in a row and became the top division wrestler (Maegashira) in 2011.
After that Takayasu experienced a rise in performance, he won the Outstanding performance prize 3 times, the Technique prize 1 time and the Fighting spirit prize 4 times until 6 years. Then his performance was 11 wins and 4 loss in before last tournament, and was 12 wins and 3 loss in last tournament.
In a criterion of Grand Sumo Tournament, if the wrestler of junior champion second grade (Komusubi) of junior champion was 33 wins or more in 3 continuous tournaments, he will be promoted to Ozeki. So Takayasu exceeded the criterion in this tournament. In 31 May, the messenger of Sumo Association arrived and told Takayasu that he was promoted to the Ozeki (the title-conferring ceremony) at Imperial Hotel, Tokyo.
Yokozuna Kisenosato is so precious to Takayasu. They belong to the same Tagonoura stable and practice Sumo everyday. So it is one of the reasons why Takayasu became stronger. And when Kisenosato showed ring entering ceremony (Japanese say “Dohyo iri”), Takayasu followed the Yokozuna into the ring with a sword. It is called “Tachimochi” in Japanese. But the Ozeki can not done “Tachimochi”.
This youtube’s video is the title-conferring ceremony of Takayasu. Then he is not married yet and still single. So his next goal is to find a good wife and to be promoted to Yokozuna.
