Hananosato Yukio

Hananosato Yukio
塙ノ里幸与
Personal information
Born Yukio Murakami
(1983-05-08) May 8, 1983
Ibaraki, Japan
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 114 kg (251 lb; 18.0 st)
Career
Stable Takasago
Record 243-214-12
Debut March, 1999
Highest rank Makushita 8 (March, 2005)
Retired May, 2010
* Up to date as of May 2010.

Hananosato Yukio (塙ノ里幸与, born 8 May 1983 as Yukio Murakami) is a sumo wrestler from Hitachi, Ibaraki, Japan.

Career

Hananosato was a junior member of the Takasago stable, home to yokozuna Asashoryu, and he serves as one of Asashoryu's tsukebito, or personal attendants. He made his professional debut in March 1999, an entry class that also included ōzeki Kotomitsuki, komusubi Takamisakari and former maegashira Wakakirin. He initially fought under his own surname of Murakami, switching to Hananosato in January 2000. His highest rank was makushita 8, which he achieved in March 2005. This brought him close to sekitori status, but he was unable to achieve the necessary number of wins to earn promotion to the second highest jūryō division. Following this his progress faltered and he was in the fourth sandanme division from March 2006 until September 2007, and again from July to September 2008 after he was forced to pull out of the May 2008 tournament with an injury after only one bout. He fell to sandanme again in July 2009. At just 114 kg, very light for a sumo wrestler, he seemed to lack the weight necessary to make it to the top. In January 2010, he managed to again gain promotion to the makushita division, but after struggling again in this division he announced his retirement at the end of the May 2010 tournament.

Fighting style

Hananosato's most common winning kimarite or technique was yori-kiri, or force out, but he was also fond of throws, both the underarm throw, shitatenage, and the overarm throw, uwatenage.[1]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Hananosato bouts by kimarite". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
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