Wakanohana Masaru

Wakanohana Masaru (Japanese若 乃 花 胜, own Hanada Masaru, Japanese花田 胜; born January 20, 1971 in Tokyo ) is a former yokozuna and the elder son of the late sumo wrestler Takanohana Kenshi.

Wakanohana is a member of the famous Sumōfamilie Hanada and his brother Takanohana was trained in his father Heya. How Takanohana was also Wakanohana in March 1988 his debut. At the same time the Hawaiians Akebono began his ascent.

Due to the success of the two in the highest Sumoliga the brother team soon became known as Waka - Taka. Wakanohana climbed the Sumōleiter much slower than his brother. He was much smaller and lighter than Takanohana, was able to compensate physical disadvantages in many cases due to its excellent fighting technique. So he finally reached also the highest ranks of the Sumosports: he was promoted to ozeki in 1993, In 1998 he became the yokozuna, the highest rank in sumo, to his brother already held. However, during his time as Grand Master he was unlucky and was able to meet the demands made of a yokozuna requirements with regard to the balance sheets do not always fight. He ended his career in 2000 without having won a single tournament as yokozuna. But it was also partly the fact that he previously had to quit several tournaments through injury prematurely or at these could not compete only.

By 1993 Wakanohana was as Wakahanada known, then he took the combat name of his uncle, the 45th Yokozuna Wakanohana Kanji I.. Wakanohana is 1,80 m tall and had in his time a fighting weight of about 134 kg. Specializing he was mainly due to dodge and counter techniques such as Hatakikomi, Tsukiotoshi or Hikiotoshi. However, its breadth was very far on techniques so that he was one of the most accomplished fighters in the Makuuchi division.

So far, he went to only once against his younger brother Takanohana, in a playoff for the title of the November tournament in Fukuoka in 1995 which Wakanohana could win. How sumo wrestler of the same stall ( " Heya ") is also brothers normally not against each other. Exceptions are tie-breaks to win the tournament if necessary.

After end of his career as a wrestler, he left the Sumōverband and dabbled in the entertainment industry and even in American football, which was a long-cherished desire for their own information. However, his job as a player in the AFL Team Arizona Rattlers he could not compete because the U.S. authorities refused to grant him a work visa.