Chiyotaikai Ryūji
Chiyotaikai Ryuji, (Japanese千代 大海 龙 二born April 29, 1976 in Chitose, Hokkaidō as Hiroshima Ryuji (广 嶋 龙 二) ) is a former Japanese sumo wrestler.
Chiyotaikai, whose family after the untimely death of his father in 1982 moved to Oita, was already in adolescence an avid baseball and football player and a successful fighter in karate and judo. He had a very wild youth and was involved as a member of a street gang in brawls and petty crime. According to one story, he is said to have once beaten in a backyard dozens of enemies with a baseball bat. After his graduation, he worked briefly as a construction worker, then took but one of the offers, which he had submitted various sumo stables, and was, following his mother's suggestion, a rikishi in Kokonoe Beya the former yokozuna Chiyonofuji. This is said to have rejected him at his first audition for Chiyotaikais bleached hair and sent to the hairdresser. When he appeared for the second time, he had shaved himself and was accepted.
1992 debuted Chiyotaikai wearing his ring name to honor Chiyonofujis, 1995 he reached the juryo Division. It took another two years until he had fought his way into the Makuuchi division. Already in May 1998 Chiyotaikai was appointed komusubi. He has since not leave the sanyaku ranks. In the very next tournament, he was sekiwake. Until his final promotion to ozeki in March 1999 he won three awards for outstanding fighting technique; Tournament in January 1999, he could not only celebrate his first tournament victory in the premier league, but also won awards for fighting spirit and a special achievement after defeating Wakanohana on the last day of the tournament twice. In the next tournament, he broke his nose and had to retire, making him but given his performance shown so far in the tournament before probably saved a worse outcome.
In the next few years Chiyotaikai settled at a for a wrestler of his position rather mediocre level. Only in 2001 and 2002, he scored some of his best results. His success culminated in the near- victory in January 2002, however, the Tochiazuma abjagte him at the last second, and in shiny 14-1 tournament victory in the following July. After an injury, he continued his winning streak and won in March 2003 his third and so far last tournament in the Makuuchi on the last day of the tournament in a duel against Asashoryu.
Chiyotaikai, who weighed 158 kg at a height of 1,81 m, quick decision preferred in battle by Oshi Sumo (shock techniques ). His Tsuppari (beats ) foreshadowed the former karate fighter.
Like his colleagues also no longer active Kaio and Tochiazuma was Chiyotaikai several years with the rank of ozeki, without ultimately being able to book the decisive success that would have been necessary for promotion to yokozuna. With 65 tournaments he is next to the wrestler Kaio with most tournaments this rank. Chiyotaikai also holds the record, the most commonly relegation-threatened ozeki ( kadoban ) since the introduction of the rule to be in July 1969. In November 2009, he lost his ozeki rank and was downgraded to sekiwake. After a 0-4 record in the subsequent tournament in January 2010 Chiyotaikai finally resigned. Today, he continues to be one as Sanoyama Oyakata to the Sumoverband.