Chiyonofuji Mitsugu (June 1, 1955-) is the 58th Yokozuna of sumo. He was born in Hokkaido, Japan.
He is one of the greatest yokozuna of recent times, winning 31 tournament championships, second only to Taiho. He was particularly remarkable for his longevity in sumo's top rank. He won more tournaments in his thirties than any other wrestler and retired in his late thirties, in contrast to most recent yokozuna who have tended to retire around 30. He is the only professional sumo wrestler to have scored more than 1000 wins over his professional career, with over 800 of them coming in Makuuchi, sumo's top division.
In a sport where weight is often regarded as vital, Chiyonfuji was quite light at around 125 kg. He relied on a superior technique and muscle to defeat opponents. His nickname was "the wolf" due to the piercing stare he gave his opponents in the pre-bout rituals.
What made Chiyonofuji exceptional was his domination not only of tournaments but of individual fights as well.
Chiyonofuji retired in 1991, and is now head of the Kokonoe stable.
Yet Chiyonofuji reigned supreme in a decade when sumo first received real international recognition-and for this reason alone, he is probably the most famous champion of all.
Feeds |
Contact