Ryūden_Gōshi

Ryūden Gōshi

Ryūden Gōshi

Japanese sumo wrestler

In this Japanese shikona name, the surname is Ryūden.

Ryūden Gōshi (Japanese: 竜電 剛至, born November 10, 1990 as Yūki Watanabe (渡邊 裕樹, Watanabe Yūki)) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Kōfu, Yamanashi Prefecture. He made his professional debut in March 2006 and first reached the top makuuchi division in January 2018. Ryūden has won a championship in every division except makuuchi and has earned two special prizes, one for Fighting Spirit and one for Technique. His highest rank has been komusubi. He is a member of Takadagawa stable.

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Early career and background

He is the youngest of three brothers and have a judo background, having taken up the sport as a first-grader at Ikeda Elementary School and having continued to practice at Kai Shiritsu Ryūō Junior High School in the nearby town of Kai.[1] There, he won the Yamanashi prefectural judo tournament in the over-90 kilos category.[1] Destined to join the judo club of a prestigious high school outside his native prefecture,[2] he was however persuaded in his second year of junior high school by Sendagawa-oyakata (former sekiwake Akinoshima), a coach at Takadagawa stable who was visiting his school to scout new apprentices, to give sumo a try, telling him he would "become a man among men".[3] He made his debut in March 2006, the same tournament as Tochinoshin and Sakaizawa. He was immediately given the shikona, or ring name, Ryūden, with the "Ryū" part taken from his previous school and the "den" part from the legendary wrestler Raiden.[3] He was talked of, alongside Masunoyama, as a candidate for the first wrestler born in the Heisei era to reach the sekitori status when he produced a 5–2 score at the rank of makushita 15 in November 2009.[2] However his progress then stalled with two consecutive make-koshi, and he suffered a concussion after falling from the dohyō in a match against Takanoiwa in March 2010, and had to be carried off in a wheelchair. He was then overtaken by Takayasu who did become the first Heisei-born sekitori in November 2010, along Masunoyama. Commenting on this historic failure, his master Takadagawa declared that Ryūden had succumbed to pressure.[2]

Ryūden was however promoted to jūryō after scoring a perfect 7–0 record and taking the makushita championship at the September 2012 tournament. He was promoted along five others, including Kyokushūhō, Akiseyama, Homarefuji and Masakaze [ja].[4] Ryūden became the first sekitori produced by the new Takadagawa stablemaster (Akinoshima), who had taken over the running of the stable from former ōzeki Maenoyama, in 2009.[5] He was also the first sekitori from Yamanashi Prefecture since Hidenohana, 24 years earlier.[4] At the time of his promotion, his master encouraged him to wrestle in such a way as to create excitement and rally the public to a Japanese wrestler, since sumo was dominated by Mongolian wrestlers at the time.[3][5]

However Ryūden suffered a fracture of his right hip joint in his jūryō debut in November and had to withdraw from the tournament. During his long injury recuperation he made two abortive attempts to return, breaking the hip twice more. This resulted in him falling all the way down to jonokuchi 17 in the rankings, journalists commenting that Ryūden "had to go through hell".[6] For four consecutive tournaments from January until July 2014, although still injured, he fought (and won) one match at the end of the tournament, solely to prevent falling off the banzuke completely (banzukegai). He was finally fit to return in September 2014 and won three consecutive yūshō to quickly return to the fourth highest makushita division. He was finally promoted back to jūryō in November 2016. Only Hokutokuni [ja] (maezumō) and Kotobeppu (jonokuchi 39) had returned to jūryō from lower ranks than Ryūden had.

Makuuchi career

Ryūden competing against Aoiyama in May 2019, on the day he received his first Technique prize.

Ryūden was promoted to the top makuuchi division in January 2018, becoming the second top division wrestler from Takadagawa stable (after Kagayaki) to achieve this feat since the new head coach took over.[7] At the time of his promotion, he was the first Yamanashi Prefecture native to be ranked in makuuchi since Ōnohana in March 1988, and the seventh postwar wrestler from this prefecture to achieve this promotion.[7] He was also the second wrestler in sumo history, after Kotobeppu, to earn a promotion to makuuchi after being relegated to the jonokuchi division.[7]

He scored ten wins in his top division debut and shared the Fighting Spirit prize with fellow newcomer Abi.[8] Since then, he has stayed in makuuchi and has mainly shown solid performances. In September 2018, Ryūden was the fastest maegashira-ranked wrestler to reach the positive kachi-koshi balance with a win over Shōhōzan.[9] For this feat and his 10 wins in total, he was nominated for the Fighting Spirit Award, but was shelved because he did not reach the majority of the attending committee members votes. In May 2019, he notably defeated ōzeki Gōeidō on Day 11 and earned a tenth victory by defeating komusubi Aoiyama on the last day of the tournament. For this performance, he received his first special prize for Technique.[10] The following tournament, he was promoted to komusubi, a first for a wrestler from Yamanashi Prefecture since Fujizakura, 47 years earlier.[11] His promotion to the san'yaku ranks makes Ryūden the first wrestler in sumo history to earn a promotion to this status after being relegated to jonokuchi. With 79 tournaments elapsed since entering professional sumo, Ryūden is also the 10th slowest wrestler to reach the san'yaku ranks.[11] Entering the July 2019 tournament at his highest rank, Ryūden recorded an initial defeat to yokozuna Kakuryū,[12] but bounced back to claim back-to-back victories over ōzeki Takayasu and Tochinoshin.[13][14] However, he finished the tournament with a poor 4–11 record and was demoted after only one tournament in san'yaku, remaining in the mid-maegashira ranks until May 2021, where he fell to maegashira 14.

Suspension

Ryūden was withdrawn from the May 2021 tournament by his stablemaster, after the latter was tipped off by Ryūden's wife about a cheating affair.[15] Takadagawa accused Ryūden of having breached COVID-19 compliance guidelines.[16][17] After an investigation by the compliance department of the Sumo Association, it was found that on 25 different occasions between 12 March 2020, and 20 January 2021, Ryūden had gone out with several adulterous women, breaking the rules on unnecessary trips.[18] Ryūden was therefore suspended for three tournaments retroactive to the May basho; he was eligible to compete again in November.[18]

Return to competition

When Ryūden competed again after his suspension in November 2021, he entered the competition at the rank of makushita 47. He commented that since the Sumo Association had let him continue to fight, he now had no choice but to fight without shame,[19] while staying away from the press for a while.[20] Ryūden won the makushita division title with a perfect 7–0 record.[21] Thanks to his championship victory, he was promoted to makushita 5 and during this period he was competing to win a second tournament in a row but was beaten on the final day by Gōnoyama (then called Nishikawa).[22] He however earned a promotion to the jūryō division for the March 2022 tournament, where he won his first championship in that division.[23] After the May tournament of the same year, where he scored a 9–6 record, he won the jūryō division again in July, leading to his promotion back to the makuuchi division.[24] On his return to sumo's top division, he finished just a few victories behind the tournament winner (junyūshō), maegashira Tamawashi, notably achieving a seven-match winning streak.[25] Ryūden was subsequently promoted to maegashira 6.

Fighting style

Ryūden is a yotsu sumo specialist who prefers grappling techniques. His favourite winning kimarite is yori-kiri, with a moro-zashi hold, or both arms inside his opponent's.

Personal life

In February 2019, Ryūden announced his engagement to his partner, a nurse named Mai Fukumaru, after a four-year relationship.[26] The couple married in June of the same year, with 430 guests in attendance.[27] In May 2021, it was revealed by the Shūkan Shinchō, alongside the investigation into the breached COVID-19 compliance guidelines, that Ryūden was having an affair with one of his fans.[28] It was also revealed that as a result of this relationship, the woman in question became pregnant and had, at Ryūden's insistence, an abortion; Ryūden had tried to pay her approximately 5 million yen in compensation, in vain.[28]

Career record

More information Year, January Hatsu basho, Tokyo ...

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "中学までは柔道部、けがで一時は序の口に／竜電略歴". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 18 November 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  2. [2]
    "大相撲九州場所:足踏み４年、今からが勝負　新十両の竜電". The Mainichi Shimbun. 26 September 2012. Archived from the original on 11 January 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
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    "元安芸乃島が育てた関取１号竜電にゲキ". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 27 September 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
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    "竜電が新十両　山梨県出身で２４年ぶり関取誕生". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 27 September 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
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    "２１歳の新十両　竜電「これからが重要。横綱に上がりたい」". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 26 September 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
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    "股関節を３度骨折しても…竜電、序ノ口転落から新小結に". Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 26 June 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
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    "竜電　大ケガを乗り越え２７歳で新入幕「頑張ってきたかいがあった」". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 26 December 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
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    "竜電＆阿炎、２人の新入幕が初の三賞「敢闘賞」に". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 29 January 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
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    "竜電が平幕唯一勝ち越し、快進撃支える２つの理由". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 17 September 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
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    "竜電　勝って技能賞「最高」連続2桁勝利に来月披露宴". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 27 May 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
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    "竜電の小結昇進に地元沸く　山梨から４７年ぶり新三役". Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). 24 June 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
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    "【玉ノ井親方　視点】竜電　スタミナ＆気持ちで高安上回っていた". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 9 July 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
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    "【荒磯親方　真眼】竜電、相手に当たらせないうまさ　白鵬戦も力出し切れば". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 10 July 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
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    "1500万で口止め報道…不倫疑惑の竜電「疎かにした親方の苦言」". Friday Kodansha (in Japanese). 6 May 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
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    "夏場所休場の竜電 感染防止ガイドラインに抵触する行動の疑い". NHK (in Japanese). 7 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
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    "Sumo: Terunofuji returns, joins perfect Summer tourney start for ozeki". Kyodo News. 9 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
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    "場所中「女性と合計25回」竜電３場所出場停止処分 ガイドライン違反" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  19. [19]
    "竜電　再起1勝、新型コロナガイドライン違反で3場所出場停止処分　幕下で復帰" (in Japanese). Sports Nippon. 15 November 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  20. [20]
    "竜電６勝目　一気に前へ、碧天に何もさせない完勝劇" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 24 November 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  21. [21]
    "出場停処分明けの竜電が幕下で全勝Ｖ「相撲を取らせていただけるだけでありがたい」" (in Japanese). Sports Hochi. 26 November 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  22. [22]
    "幕下は西川V、三役経験者の竜電を引き落とす　各段を通じて初の優勝" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 21 January 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  23. [23]
    "十両は竜電が13勝でＶ「感謝してこれからもやっていきたい」来場所は再入幕を狙える番付に" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 27 March 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  24. [24]
    "竜電十両優勝、幕内復帰確実な来場所へ「前に出るいい相撲をとっていきたい」" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 23 July 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  25. [25]
    "返り入幕竜電、琴恵光下し勝ち越し「まだ残りありますから」６日目から７連勝" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  26. [26]
    "竜電、婚約発表！看護師と４年の交際実らせ…愛称は「お電くん」". Sports Hochi (in Japanese). 1 February 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
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    "竜電が結婚式「三役目標に」高安ら400人超が祝福". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 9 June 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  28. [28]
    "元小結「竜電」が不倫相手に中絶強要　1500万円で口止めを持ち掛けるも、女性は拒否". Daily Shincho (in Japanese). 28 May 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  29. [29]
    "Ryuden Goshi Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  30. [30]
    Note: Ryūden was originally kyūjō from the May 2021 tournament. This was later changed to a suspension. Source: Nikkan Sports
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