Shōtenrō Taishi

Shōtenrō Taishi (born 31 January 1982 as Nyamsuren Dagdandorj) is a former sumo wrestler from Khovd Province, Mongolia. He joined professional sumo in 2001 and was known as Musashiryū Taishi until 2007. He made the top makuuchi division for the first time in 2009 and his highest rank was maegashira 2. He wrestled for Fujishima stable (formerly Musashigawa stable). He acquired Japanese citizenship in 2017 and retired shortly before the January 2018 tournament to become an elder of the Japan Sumo Association. As of June 2022 he is known as Nishikijima Oyakata.[1]

Shōtenrō Taishi
翔天狼 大士
Personal information
BornNyamsuren Dagdandorj
(1982-01-31) January 31, 1982
Mongolia
Height1.89 m (6 ft 2+12 in)
Weight166 kg (366 lb; 26.1 st)
Career
StableFujishima
Record494-484-51
DebutMarch, 2001
Highest rankMaegashira 2 (September, 2009)
RetiredJanuary, 2018
Elder nameKitajin
Championships2 (Jūryō)
Special PrizesFighting Spirit (1)
Gold Stars1 (Hakuhō)
* Up to date as of Dec 28, 2017.

Early life and sumo background

It has been reported that in his childhood in Ulan Bator he lived in the same apartment complex as future sumo contemporary Mōkonami, though they never met in person. As an amateur, Dagdandorj took third place in the open weight division in the Junior World Sumo Championships in 2000.[2] He began his professional career in March 2001, at the same time as Hakuhō. He was given the shikona of Musashiryū, the prefix being a common one at Musashigawa stable.

Career

His rise through the ranks was relatively smooth until he reached the third highest makushita division in January 2003, where an early injury put him out of action and dropped him back to the sandanme division. He continued to struggle with his own sumo and injuries in these two divisions for the next five years, changing his shikona to Shōtenrō in 2007 in a bid to improve his fortunes. When he finally found his stride again, his steady rise to the top division was a stark contrast to his previous struggles; he reached makuuchi after winning two consecutive jūryō division championships, only the third post-war wrestler after Kushimaumi and Miyabiyama to achieve this feat. All in all, it had taken him 48 tournaments from his professional debut to reach the top makuuchi division, the third slowest at the time amongst foreign born wrestlers. In July 2009 he was awarded the Fighting Spirit Prize for his record of eleven wins and four losses. In the September tournament he won his first kinboshi, becoming the first maegashira in a year to defeat Hakuhō, but could win only one other match. A 9–6 score in the following tournament in November seemed to steady him, but he suffered a surprising slump in January 2010 and a poor 3–12 record saw him demoted to jūryō. He returned to the top division for the July 2010 tournament, and after slipping back to jūryō in September won promotion again for November 2010.

In 2011 he was one of several wrestlers investigated by the Sumo Association after his name was mentioned in a text message about match-fixing. The text, dating from May 2010, was sent by low ranker Enatsukasa, an alleged go-between, to jūryō wrestler Chiyohakuho and said, "the match with Shotenro is for real", implying that bouts with other wrestlers were being fixed. Shōtenrō vehemently denied any involvement in bout-rigging, and in April 2011 was found not guilty by the investigative panel.[3]

He missed the November 2011 tournament after undergoing surgery for appendicitis, dropping to the jūryō division in January. Despite only making a bare majority of eight wins at jūryō 5, this was enough for an immediate return to makuuchi. He had a superb start to the March tournament, winning nine of his first ten matches, but he faded in the home stretch, losing his last five bouts as he was matched against higher ranking opponents. He remained a middle ranking maegashira for several tournaments before finally being demoted to the second division for the March 2014 tournament. He was unable to return to makuuchi, and in September 2015 he lost his sekitori status and was demoted to the makushita division. A 4–3 record at the rank of Makushita #1 in January 2016 was enough to earn promotion back to jūryō for the March tournament in Osaka, but he pulled out of that tournament with only three wins and was demoted back to makushita. This was to be his last appearance in jūryō.

Retirement from sumo

He acquired Japanese citizenship on August 18, 2017, and took the naturalized Japanese name of Matsudaira Shō.[4] Japanese citizenship is a requirement for staying in the Japan Sumo Association as an elder, and with 25 tournaments fought in the top division he was eligible to coach after his retirement from active competition.[4]

Shōtenrō sat out the July 2017 tournament, and was relegated to sandanme. It was disclosed on October 31 that he had been diagnosed with cancer during a health check-up prior to that tournament.[5] At the meeting of the 70 sekitori held that day, all agreed to give Shōtenrō a cash donation as a mark of support.[5] On December 28, 2017, Shōtenrō announced his retirement. He had spent 100 tournaments on the banzuke with a final career record of 494 wins against 484 losses, with a top division record of 164–196.

Shōtenrō has remained in sumo as a coach, originally under the elder name of Kasugayama Oyakata owned by Ikioi. In July 2019 he switched to the Kitajin elder name owned by Endō. In June 2022 he changed his elder name to Nishikijima; the name became vacant in June of the previous year following the resignation of former ōzeki Asashio.[1]

Fighting style

He was an oshi-sumo specialist, preferring pushing and thrusting techniques. He was however also capable of fighting on the mawashi or belt, where he preferred a migi-yotsu (left hand outside, right hand inside) grip. His most common winning move was oshi-dashi (push out), followed by yori-kiri (force out).

Personal life

Shōtenrō married the sister of fellow Mongolian sekitori Kyokutenhō in 2011, and the reception was held in June 2012. As brothers-in-law, the two wrestlers could no longer meet in competition.[6]

Career record

Shōtenrō Taishi[7]
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
2001 x (Maezumo) East Jonokuchi #26
61
 
East Jonidan #68
52
 
East Jonidan #26
52
 
West Sandanme #91
43
 
2002 West Sandanme #72
34
 
West Sandanme #89
43
 
West Sandanme #70
52
 
East Sandanme #39
16
 
East Sandanme #74
61
 
East Sandanme #18
52
 
2003 East Makushita #53
124
 
East Sandanme #25
61
 
East Makushita #45
34
 
West Makushita #54
232
 
East Sandanme #16
43
 
East Sandanme #4
43
 
2004 West Makushita #49
52
 
East Makushita #29
43
 
East Makushita #24
07
 
East Sandanme #1
43
 
East Makushita #51
61
 
East Makushita #22
52
 
2005 East Makushita #12
43
 
West Makushita #10
34
 
East Makushita #16
43
 
West Makushita #11
43
 
West Makushita #9
25
 
West Makushita #20
52
 
2006 West Makushita #10
124
 
West Makushita #28
007
 
West Sandanme #8
43
 
East Makushita #58
61
 
West Makushita #27
52
 
East Makushita #15
43
 
2007 East Makushita #13
61
 
West Makushita #3
16
 
West Makushita #26
61
 
West Makushita #9
43
 
East Makushita #8
16
 
East Makushita #23
61
 
2008 West Makushita #8
52
 
West Makushita #3
34
 
West Makushita #6
52
 
East Makushita #4
43
 
West Makushita #1
43
 
West Jūryō #9
123
Champion

 
2009 East Jūryō #1
114P
Champion

 
West Maegashira #12
78
 
East Maegashira #15
87
 
East Maegashira #10
114
F
East Maegashira #2
213
East Maegashira #12
96
 
2010 West Maegashira #9
312
 
East Jūryō #1
78
 
East Jūryō #2
87
 
West Maegashira #16
510
 
East Jūryō #5
96
 
East Maegashira #16
96
 
2011 East Maegashira #11
87
 
West Maegashira #8
Tournament Cancelled
000
West Maegashira #8
411
 
West Maegashira #13
78
 
West Maegashira #14
96
 
East Maegashira #8
Sat out due to injury
0015
2012 East Jūryō #5
87
 
East Maegashira #16
96
 
East Maegashira #11
96
 
West Maegashira #6
78
 
West Maegashira #7
69
 
East Maegashira #9
510
 
2013 East Maegashira #14
87
 
East Maegashira #12
87
 
East Maegashira #11
510
 
West Maegashira #16
96
 
West Maegashira #10
510
 
East Maegashira #15
96
 
2014 East Maegashira #11
213
 
East Jūryō #4
492
 
West Jūryō #8
96
 
East Jūryō #4
87
 
East Jūryō #3
69
 
East Jūryō #4
78
 
2015 East Jūryō #5
510
 
West Jūryō #9
87
 
West Jūryō #6
411
 
East Jūryō #13
78
 
West Jūryō #13
312
 
West Makushita #6
61
 
2016 East Makushita #1
43
 
East Jūryō #14
393
 
East Makushita #7
25
 
East Makushita #22
52
 
West Makushita #12
34
 
East Makushita #19
61
 
2017 East Makushita #7
16
 
East Makushita #24
16
 
East Makushita #49
34
 
West Makushita #59
52
 
West Makushita #41
Sat out due to injury
007
West Sandanme #21
Sat out due to injury
007
2018 West Sandanme #81
Retired
000
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. "元前頭翔天狼の北陣親方が年寄「錦島」に名跡を変更" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  2. Gilbert, Howard (February 2009). "Amateur angles". Sumo Fan Magazine. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
  3. "SUMO/ Angry sumo wrestlers threaten to sue over lifetime ban". Asahi Shimbun. 5 April 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  4. "幕下翔天狼が日本国籍取得、新しい本名は「松平翔」" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 9 September 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  5. "がん闘病の元幕内翔天狼に力士会から見舞金寄付へ" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  6. "Akinomaki" (9 June 2012). "Another sekitori marriage". Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  7. "Shotenro Taishi Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
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