Kōbō Kenichi

Kōbō Kenichi (born as Kenichi Mineyama; August 18, 1973 – July 2, 2021) was a Japanese sumo wrestler. His highest rank was maegashira 9.

Kōbō Kenichi
光法 賢一
Personal information
BornKenichi Mineyama
(1973-08-18)August 18, 1973
Minamitane, Kagoshima, Japan
DiedJuly 2, 2021(2021-07-02) (aged 47)
Nagoya, Japan
Height1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight136 kg (300 lb)
Career
StableMiyagino
Record582-572-14
DebutMarch, 1989
Highest rankMaegashira 9 (January 2002)
RetiredJanuary 2008
Elder nameSee retirement
Championships1 (Jonokuchi)
* Up to date as of June 2020.

Career

Kōbō made his professional debut in March 1989 at the age of 15. He worked his way quickly through the lowest three divisions, making his makushita debut shortly after his 18th birthday, less than three years into his career. However, he was unable to advance further for several years, reaching sekitori status only in January 1999 upon promotion to the second highest jūryō division, after nearly ten years of toiling in the lower divisions.

He reached the top makuuchi division for the first time in November 2001 but only lasted two tournaments before being demoted. He returned on two other occasions but he largely remained a veteran of the jūryō division, in which he spent 44 tournaments. For a long period he was the highest ranking wrestler in Miyagino stable, before the emergence of Hakuho, now a yokozuna. In July 2007, he fell to the unsalaried makushita division for the first time since September 2000, and he announced his retirement in December of that year.

Retirement from sumo and death

Kōbō remained with the Japan Sumo Association as an elder under the name Ajigawa-oyakata, and initially worked as a coach at his old stable. In May 2008, he had his danpatsu-shiki, or official retirement ceremony, at the Ryogoku Kokugikan. In February 2010 he admitted that, against the wishes of the Tatsunami ichimon, he voted for independent candidate Takanohana instead of the approved candidate Ōshima in the elections to the Sumo Association's board.[1] He offered his resignation,[1] but was persuaded to stay. Following the controversy he moved to the Takanohana stable where he coached under the name Nishiiwa-oyakata, which was owned by the active wrestler Wakanosato. In July 2015, with Wakanosato likely to retire, he switched to the Otowayama name formerly owned by the late Takanonami and subsequently controlled by Takanohana Oyakata. He left the Sumo Association in January 2018 after the Otowayama kabu was needed by ex-maegashira Daido (formerly Onogawa Oyakata).

Kōbō died from COVID-19 on July 2, 2021, at the age of 47.[2]

Fighting style

Kōbō's favoured kimarite or techniques were hidari-yotsu (a right hand outside, left hand inside grip on the opponent's mawashi), shitatenage (underarm throw), and yorikiri (force out).

Career record

Kōbō Kenichi[3]
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
1989 x (Maezumo) West Jonokuchi #8
70
Champion

 
East Jonidan #46
43
 
West Jonidan #20
34
 
West Jonidan #38
34
 
1990 West Jonidan #60
43
 
East Jonidan #26
34
 
West Jonidan #46
61
 
West Sandanme #86
43
 
West Sandanme #63
43
 
East Sandanme #40
43
 
1991 West Sandanme #25
34
 
West Sandanme #40
52
 
East Sandanme #11
34
 
West Sandanme #24
52
 
West Makushita #58
43
 
West Makushita #44
52
 
1992 West Makushita #29
43
 
West Makushita #22
43
 
East Makushita #18
43
 
East Makushita #10
34
 
West Makushita #14
34
 
East Makushita #20
52
 
1993 East Makushita #9
34
 
East Makushita #15
43
 
East Makushita #10
43
 
West Makushita #6
43
 
East Makushita #3
34
 
East Makushita #7
25
 
1994 West Makushita #22
43
 
West Makushita #16
43
 
East Makushita #12
43
 
East Makushita #8
43
 
West Makushita #6
25
 
East Makushita #19
16
 
1995 West Makushita #48
52
 
West Makushita #28
34
 
East Makushita #40
43
 
East Makushita #32
43
 
West Makushita #25
43
 
East Makushita #19
43
 
1996 East Makushita #14
34
 
West Makushita #24
52
 
East Makushita #12
34
 
East Makushita #19
34
 
East Makushita #28
16
 
West Makushita #54
61
 
1997 East Makushita #27
34
 
West Makushita #36
52
 
West Makushita #21
52
 
East Makushita #10
52
 
East Makushita #5
25
 
East Makushita #18
43
 
1998 East Makushita #13
34
 
East Makushita #23
25
 
East Makushita #40
61
 
West Makushita #18
52
 
East Makushita #11
61
 
West Makushita #2
52
 
1999 East Jūryō #12
96
 
East Jūryō #6
87
 
West Jūryō #4
510
 
West Jūryō #9
96
 
East Jūryō #6
69
 
East Jūryō #10
78
 
2000 West Jūryō #11
78
 
East Jūryō #12
177
 
East Makushita #13
Sat out due to injury
007
East Makushita #13
61
 
East Makushita #3
43
 
East Jūryō #12
105
 
2001 West Jūryō #4
510
 
West Jūryō #8
87
 
East Jūryō #6
87
 
West Jūryō #1
87
 
East Jūryō #1
87
 
East Maegashira #14
87
 
2002 West Maegashira #9
312
 
East Jūryō #2
510
 
West Jūryō #6
78
 
West Jūryō #7
105
 
East Jūryō #4
87
 
East Jūryō #3
96
 
2003 East Maegashira #14
510
 
East Jūryō #2
78
 
West Jūryō #3
78
 
West Jūryō #4
78
 
West Jūryō #5
87
 
West Jūryō #3
87
 
2004 West Jūryō #1
78
 
East Jūryō #3
96
 
East Maegashira #17
510
 
West Jūryō #4
510
 
West Jūryō #9
105
 
East Jūryō #4
78
 
2005 East Jūryō #5
69
 
East Jūryō #7
69
 
East Jūryō #9
78
 
East Jūryō #10
96
 
West Jūryō #6
69
 
East Jūryō #9
78
 
2006 East Jūryō #10
69
 
East Jūryō #13
96
 
West Jūryō #9
96
 
West Jūryō #6
510
 
West Jūryō #10
87
 
East Jūryō #9
69
 
2007 East Jūryō #12
96
 
East Jūryō #9
69
 
East Jūryō #12
69
 
East Makushita #2
43
 
West Makushita #1
25
 
West Makushita #9
25
 
2008 West Makushita #20
Retired
000
x x x x 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. "Stablemaster Ajigawa to resign from sumo association in wake of election". Mainichi Daily News. 3 February 2010. Archived from the original on February 5, 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  2. "白鵬の兄弟子で元音羽山親方の峯山賢一さんが死去、47歳 新型コロナ感染". Yahoo! News Japan. July 3, 2021. Archived from the original on July 10, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  3. "Kōbō Kenichi Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  • Kōbō Kenichi's official biography (English) at the Grand Sumo Homepage
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