Takakeisho is Minatogawa-oyakata now

[Akinomaki 40,207]

NHK just reported it as top news, the oyakata announced it

Edited November 26, 2024 by Akinomaki

[Bunbukuchagama 703]

Good for him.

 

[Faustonowaka 115]

The Ozeki (Takakeisho) is dead, long live the Ozeki (Onosato)!

[Katooshu 3,182]

One thing I enjoy about sumo is how competitors of various builds can have major success. Takakeisho was an example of this, regularly blasting opponents who towered over him, and not being far off the highest rank at just 5'8 or so. While lacking yotsu sumo and often called one-dimensional, he struck me as being complex in his own way - he could blast you off the dohyo, but was also very good at timing pivots, pull downs, feints, and adding in the occasional henka to keep opponents guessing and to exploit misjudgments. I also believe his ring sense and positioning helped him keep his balance more than most other pusher/thrusters. Highly educated oshi sumo I would call it.

Anyway, best of luck to him and I hope he doesn't hurt too much in retirement. I'm sure we'll see him plenty as an oyakata in the years to come.

Edited September 20, 2024 by Katooshu

[code_number3 698]

On 06/08/2024 at 23:15, code_number3 said:

I haven't read SF for a while. I still remember how livid Chris Gould was in January 2019, when Takakeisho reached 33 wins but was not promoted to Ozeki at that time. 

 

[Akinomaki 40,207]

A few minutes after NHK, the NSK announced it, as expected he's Minatogawa oyakata now https://x.com/sumokyokai/status/1837059314617552945

not time listed for the official announcement https://www.sumo.or.jp/IrohaKyokaiInformation/detail?id=663

- might have been earlier

Edited September 20, 2024 by Akinomaki

[Koorifuu 924]

Probably the best choice for his long term health. Here's hoping he uses whatever free time he's got after his oyakata duties to do something that makes him happy, since allegedly sumo wasn't it.

[RabidJohn 1,732]

This is great news. He entertained me way more than I ever expected, and I wish him good fortune as Minatogawa-oyakata.

[Leoben 126]

A couple years ago I read a comment about him on the sumo subreddit that has stuck with me ever since. 

Takakeisho isn't athletic, but he is magnificently conditioned to do one thing, and do it as well as someone with his physical attributes possibly could. 

I had never thought about him like that, and when I read that comment it made me respect him more, even if his style of sumo was never my favorite. It also made me appreciate the little nuances in his sumo, like @Katooshu mentioned.

 

[dingo 1,222]

Just a year ago in September he got his final yusho, though 11-4 with a playoff win against Atamifuji. Next basho he once again attempted yokozuna promotion, but once again failed. What a difference a year makes. 2024 has only been suffering for him so at least that's done and he can look forward to a hopefully long oyakata career. Eve though he didn't make it to yokozuna, I hope he will have the same no-regrets outlook on his career that Kisenosato constantly mentions. 

Interestingly, since that September 2023 playoff Atamifuji hasn't been doing well either with just one minimum kachikoshi. 

 

[Tochinofuji 378]

I have to say, I wasn't his biggest fan, but he certainly earned a ton of credit in my books for his grit and determination to make as much of his body and style of sumo as he could. I also quite deeply respect his decisive and prompt retirement when he felt he could no longer perform as he wanted to. I'll certainly raise a glass to the exit of Takakeisho-zeki and the rise of Minatogawa-oyakata. 

[Koorifuu 924]

There was something in his attitude that always rubbed me the wrong way, I could never bring myself to cheer for him. But that doesn't detract from my respect towards his ability to make the most of what he got, making it so far on uneven grounds.

[rhyen 1,827]

2 hours ago, dingo said:

Just a year ago in September he got his final yusho, though 11-4 with a playoff win against Atamifuji. Next basho he once again attempted yokozuna promotion, but once again failed. What a difference a year makes. 2024 has only been suffering for him so at least that's done and he can look forward to a hopefully long oyakata career. Eve though he didn't make it to yokozuna, I hope he will have the same no-regrets outlook on his career that Kisenosato constantly mentions. 

Interestingly, since that September 2023 playoff Atamifuji hasn't been doing well either with just one minimum kachikoshi. 

 

Well…Atamifuji is fighting in the joi-jin. The two previous playoffs came from him fighting in low and mid maegashira 

[Churaumi 728]

4 minutes ago, Koorifuu said:

There was something in his attitude that always rubbed me the wrong way, I could never bring myself to cheer for him. But that doesn't detract from my respect towards his ability to make the most of what he got, making it so far on uneven grounds.

He burned a lot of respect from me after pulling off the henka in the playoff with Atamifuji and then talking about aiming for yokozuna. Still, it's not mine to gatekeep and I have to show respect to anyone that can claw their way up to the top and stay there. He did earn a little respect back from me by pulling the plug before the banzuke is made for November, freeing up a spot in makuuchi. I don't blame guys that need the time to figure out the next thing, but it's not great when someone with a kabu lined up does it.

[Akinomaki 40,207]

some Career pics

new makuuchi

o

ozeki promotion

oooo o o

the Saitama Sakae ozeki kesho mawashi

o o

demotion

o

 

the 4 yusho

Kyushu 2018

o o o oooo

Kyushu 2020 ketteisen

o oo o

oo o o

 

Hatsu 2023

o oooo

Aki 2023

ooo ooo

o o

 

ooo

bouts

o o o o o o oo o

o

the last 2 career days

oo  o

 

 

middle school yokozuna 2011

o

[Yarimotsu 552]

You can certainly argue by the numbers that it's a retirement before his time, and a sad case of what could've been. I'd rather take the opinion that this retirement is a severe tragedy avoided, just barely, and hopefully an opportunity for this young man to gain some semblance of a healthy lifestyle. Congratulations on all the good times, Takakeisho, I'm glad you made it this far, and while sumo is not for the faint of heart and will always be a dangerous ring to compete in, hopefully you can raise your deshi well with your own career as an example and a warning.

[Akinomaki 40,207]

The NSK announced - exactly after the end of the broadcast - that the rijikai has acknowledged Takakeisho's intai and the name succession to Minatogawa, the intai press conference is tomorrow in the kokugikan. The shisho had handed in the papers, Takakeisho was at the heya on the 18th and told him that he decided to retire. http://mainichi.jp/articles/20240920/k00/00m/050/310000c

[Kaninoyama 1,718]

12 hours ago, Leoben said:

A couple years ago I read a comment about him on the sumo subreddit that has stuck with me ever since. 

Takakeisho isn't athletic, but he is magnificently conditioned to do one thing, and do it as well as someone with his physical attributes possibly could. 

I had never thought about him like that, and when I read that comment it made me respect him more, even if his style of sumo was never my favorite. It also made me appreciate the little nuances in his sumo, like @Katooshu mentioned.

 

Remember watching him exit a taxi and walk (more like shuffle) up the walkway toward the entrance to the Kokugikan shortly after he reached Juryo. He was so stubby and rotund that he could barely walk and cut a wholly unimpressive figure compared to many of his fellow rikishi.

Who could have guessed at the time that he would surpass most of them and reach the heights that he did? 

[Gurowake 4,031]

3 hours ago, Kaninoyama said:

Who could have guessed at the time that he would surpass most of them and reach the heights that he did?  

If you ignore the results and just looked him, yeah.  But anyone looking at his results before becoming a sekitori would say he certainly looks like a reasonable guess to make Ozeki.  At 9 tournaments to as a high schooler, I don't think it really surprised people.  Most collegiates don't make Juryo that fast, and he was several years younger. 

[Kyokufuji 64]

Unlike most in this thread, Takakeisho was my favorite rikishi for much of the six years I’ve been following sumo.

He always had an absolutely unique style and actually won matches—unlike my other initial favorite, Chiyomaru.

He was one of the few oshi specialists I’ve seen that very clearly had a strategy and had layers of offense.

When his fragility became more apparent, I started worrying about his health, which made it harder to get behind him.

I can’t say I’ll miss the Takakeisho of the last two years, but I’ll definitely miss the Takakeisho of the four years before.

Edited September 21, 2024 by Kyokufuji

[Kaninoyama 1,718]

31 minutes ago, Gurowake said:

If you ignore the results and just looked him, yeah.  But anyone looking at his results before becoming a sekitori would say he certainly looks like a reasonable guess to make Ozeki.  At 9 tournaments to as a high schooler, I don't think it really surprised people.  Most collegiates don't make Juryo that fast, and he was several years younger. 

I was among those who were quite early aboard the Sato train. And I remember that quite a few members of this forum were much slower to join. Most of whom were insistent that a squat, short-armed pushing specialist would never amount to much. 

Edited September 21, 2024 by Kaninoyama

[robnplunder 975]

I knew he would be injury-prone given his phisic, and sumo style.  Still, he overachieved IMO.  I wish him well.

[Kotomiyama 165]

You can count me among his detractors. I didn't like his manners at all, it always seemed to me that he barely bowed when losing a bout. I didn't like his sumo either, too one-dimensional for me.

Yet here I am, paying my respects to the great Takakeisho. I have come to appreciate the sheer effort of the man, maximising the attributes that he was born with. He was a true fighter who probably exchanged years of his life for four yusho and an Ozeki rank.

I wish him a happy retirement, a fast lose of weight and a healthy life from here on.

[dingo 1,222]

It occurs to me that in a time when we sometimes complain about lack of great ozeki, he was one. At least compared to his peers. Yeah there's been kadoban but it's not for his lack of effort or determination, but lack of health. When healthy he was a major force. 

[I am the Yokozuna 188]

A smug overachiever bound to flop as an oyakata spectacularly, unless he works on the way he communicates with people or attracts the right people to do the actual coaching. 

Glad he decided to take care of his health and enjoy his life and the time with his family in a better shape. Wish him all best in that regard.