Chiyonokuni Intai

[Katooshu 3,328]

Just announced - now Sanoyama

Edited July 21, 2023 by Katooshu

[Akinomaki 40,760]

Not much yet - also no date for the intai press conference

o

May 21st, nakabi of his last basho, endless kyujo 2 days later

o

[Tigerboy1966 1,474]

Good luck to him. Was he the best wrestler of the last decade never to make sanyaku?

[Fashiritētā 184]

24 minutes ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

Good luck to him. Was he the best wrestler of the last decade never to make sanyaku?

Definitely earned his nickname of Angry Badger 

[Reonito 1,519]

59 minutes ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

Good luck to him. Was he the best wrestler of the last decade never to make sanyaku?

Tried this to get an idea. Of those already retired, I guess the other contenders would be Arawashi, Sokokurai, Takanoiwa, and Toyohibiki. Of the active guys, Nishikigi is about to remove himself from the list, which would leave Midorifuji, Ura, Chiyoshoma ... not sure where Tokushoryu's yusho places him.

[ryafuji 815]

One of my favourite rikishi - never gave up despite all those injuries. Fell from makuuchi to sandanme, made it back to makuuchi. Fell to makushita, made it back to makuuchi again. 

[Katooshu 3,328]

Although it's easy to remember all his faceplanting, Toyohibiki had a 3-4 year stretch ranked almost always as a single digit maegashira, and he also had significantly more top level longevity than Chiyonokuni, so I would rank him higher. But Chiyonokuni is definitely up there for best non-sanyaku to be active in the last 10 years.

Edited July 23, 2023 by Katooshu

[Gurowake 4,100]

4 hours ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

Good luck to him. Was he the best wrestler of the last decade never to make sanyaku?

I wouldn't say so.  Chiyonokuni's highest KK looks like M6 and he had 1 kinboshi and 2 kantosho.  My go-to rikishi as the best non-sanyaku is Osunaarashi, who had a KK at M2 and 3 kinboshi; it's really hard to get a KK at M2 and not make sanyaku at some point, but it fits with Osunaarashi's story.  Ura looks like the best non-sanyaku active rikishi for the same reason, with a KK at M2 and M3, 2 kinboshi and a ginosho - I'd say that's better than Osunaarashi, but he could easily eventually get there.  As to others that are retired, Arawashi had 3 kinboshi and a top KK of M4.  Toyohibiki had 3 kantosho and a kinboshi and highest KK of M5.    And obviously there's Tokushoryu who somehow managed to group 14 wins into the same tournament despite probably being worse than all of those previously-mentioned.  Regardless of what metric you use for superlatives that don't require making sanyaku, Chiyonokuni wasn't the top and there are many other good candidates.   

I'm pretty sure he's the only rikishi to drop from Makuuchi to Sandanme then back to Makuuchi, down to Makushita, and back to Makuuchi, so he definitely persevered  (Ura only got to Makushita before his second injury).  I'm not really sure how easy it is to check that, but I imagine in older times most people would have given up after the second injury that left them out a year.

Edited July 22, 2023 by Gurowake

[Churaumi 745]

I enjoyed watching him a lot when he was healthy, which was sadly pretty rare in my decade or so of really watching. 

I'd have to weigh in and say Tokushoryu counts as a great one to never make sanyaku. He was a makuuchi regular and won a pretty impressive yusho. I know a lot of people criticize it for competition being weak, but he was still the best of who showed up, and kept it together long enough to win.

[Kishinoyama 596]

I will miss Chiyonokuni. It is true that he was often injured but he had loads of fighting spirit when it came to competing on the dohyo.

Can you image if someone like Hokuseiho had his fighting spirit?

[Jabbamaru 167]

[Akinomaki 40,760]

Chiyonokuni online intai press conference in the Nagoya Dolphins Arena today with Kokonoe-oyakata

  o o o  o o o vid

a few more older pics

230113 - this Hatsu basho

o

o

Edited July 24, 2023 by Akinomaki

[Koorifuu 1,020]

On 22/07/2023 at 00:32, Katooshu said:

Although it's easy to remember all his faceplanting, Toyohibiki had a 3-4 year stretch ranked almost always as a single digit maegashira, and he also had more significantly more top level longevity than Chiyonokuni, so I would rank him higher. But Chiyonokuni is definitely up there for best non-sanyaku to be active in the last 10 years.

This is from the first few years of my watching-ozumo-on-the-internet and I couldn't agree more on Toyohibiki.

His unrivaled ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory over and over again seriously dented his historical records and belie how good he was to those who didn't watch it at the time.

[Akinomaki 40,760]

Chiyonokuni at the heya location on day 15  

[Akinomaki 40,760]

Local TV with a news clip about Chiyonokuni's career

vid

and one with local reactions from Iga: comment from his karate mentor at primary school and from the head of his local koenkai

vid

[Kaikitsune Makoto 209]

Chiyonokuni left everything on the dohyo. Even when it was rather risky and desperate he always did his sumo to the end. Of course he was one of the most injury ridden rikishi and without injuries he would have made bigger impact for sure (duh..). His style may have looked erratic, wild and somehow uncontrolled but it was his sumo and he was good at such rowdy and ineloquest rampage. No doubt he was difficult to face as you always knew he is going to be aggressive and if he was able to stay offensive, it was painful sumo indeed against him.

 

He was one of my favourite rikishi due to his strange style and unlimited fighting spirit. I am sure he went kyujo only when he really needed to or when some oyakata or janitor locked him in secure toilet or hid his mawashi. I am not a fan of dumb injury worsening hanging in there sumo when rest is needed but in any case he made a huge impression and was underappreciated rikishi. May he rest in peace now in non-mortal manner and if ever otsukaresama deshita is valid expression, in Chiyonokuni's case it surely is.

 

Also he was more skillful than most think. 

[Tsuchinoninjin 1,276]

I saw a sweet interview with him and his wife and they both seemed so down to earth and homebodies. It’s good he can continue as oyakata.

[Akinomaki 40,760]

More from Iga - the head of the koenkai Nakamura (75) is this since Chiyonokuni's return to makuuchi in 2016 - with a picture taken then

he got a call from Chiyonokuni on the 15th to come to the basho at the 20th - to tell him then in advance that he would retire

The deputy head of the koenkai lives near the Hashimoto temple that each basho had the nobori of Chiyonokuni: he is the son of the late chief priest

o

http://news.goo.ne.jp/article/chuplus/region/chuplus-735353.html

Edited July 25, 2023 by Akinomaki

[hakutorizakura 643]

On 22/07/2023 at 05:47, Kishinoyama said:

Can you image if someone like Hokuseiho had his fighting spirit?

Hakuho...?

[Akinomaki 40,760]

Intai press conference

[Yubinhaad 11,761]

Chiyonokuni's danpatsu-shiki is scheduled for June 8th 2024 at the Kokugikan, according to his social media posts.

[Akinomaki 40,760]

Chiyonokuni today was home in Iga to report his intai to about 90 local supporters

o

[Akinomaki 40,760]

On 09/10/2023 at 21:44, Akinomaki said:

Chiyonokuni today was home in Iga to report his intai to about 90 local supporters

On the 10th Chiyonokuni was at the city hall - he was tourism ambassador for his hometown. http://www.iga-younet.co.jp/2023/10/10/82050/

A present to the mayor of Iga - banzuke of his last basho, this year Nagoya, in the official NSK frame (on sale) with oo-iri-bukuro for all days of manin-onrei /(close to) full house

ooo 

and he told the mayor he'll donate a kesho mawashi (back) to the city

He also was at the Mie prefectural office to report his intai, but unlike for Tokushoryu, this wasn't prominent in the news (yet)

Edited October 11, 2023 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 40,760]

Sales for the danpatsushiki on June 8th have started, the NSK posted an information before the basho, with chiyonokuni_intai_flyer.pdf    https://www.sumo.or.jp/IrohaKyokaiInformation/detail?id=637

https://twitter.com/kuni_danpatsu

Edited March 15, 2024 by Akinomaki

[rhyen 1,846]

Interesting timing, I wonder how will this impact the heyas’ summer training camps.