Bushuyama Takashi

Bushuyama Takashi - 武州山隆士 (born May 21, 1976) is a former Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Namioka, Aomori. He made his debut in January 1999 and last wrestled for Fujishima stable. He reached the makuuchi division in November 2008. His highest rank was maegashira 3 and he retired in January 2013.

Early Life[]

In elementary school Yamauchi had aspiration on becoming a professional baseball player, but he switched to sumo in junior high school. He won the Tohoku tournament in his third year of high school and defeated many future sekitori such as Wakanosato and Takamisakari. He attended Kanagi High School where he was also a member the school's sumo club. He was a member of the sumo club at Daito Bunka University, and reached the round of 16 in the 1998 All Japan Sumo Championship. As his club did not have many members, they regularly trained at Musashigawa stable, and this was the heya he joined upon entering the professional ranks.

Career[]

Early Career[]

He made his debut in the same tournament as Asashoryu. He was given special dispensation to begin his career in the third highest makushita division because of his achievements in amateur sumo, but in 2001 fell to the jonidan division because of an elbow injury. He immediately returned to makushita and in March 2002 he changed his shikona from his family name to "Bushuyama" (武州山). In January 2003 he participated in a six-man playoff for the makushita yusho, but lost to Hochiyama in the first round. After this he produced four straight winning records and was promoted to juryo in November 2003.

Juryo Career[]

Bushuyama was the first member of his university to attain sekitori status. He won his first five matches in his juryo debut tournament, however, he went on to lose the next eight of ten matches and finished with a lackluster 7-8 record. After three straight losing records Bushuyama was demoted back to makushita in January 2005.

He returned to juryo in January 2007, but fell back down to makushita after three tournaments. He again returned to juryo in May 2008. A couple months later, he won the juryo division championship for the first time in July 2008, with a 12-3 record. He followed up with a 10-5 score in September. In November 2008, he was finally promoted to the top division. It had taken him 59 tournaments to win promotion to the top division from his debut, which at the time was the longest of any former collegiate champion (this dubious honor is now held by stablemate Tsurugidake). At 32 years and five months he was also the fourth oldest wrestler to make his top division debut since the end of World War II.

Makuuchi Career[]

Bushuyama scored eight wins in his top division debut and was promoted to maegashira 6 for the January 2009 tournament. However, a very disappointing 2-13 record there meant he was demoted back to the juryo division for the March 2009 tournament. He scored 8-7 there, enough for an immediate top division return.

He recovered from 1-5 down in May to score 9-6 at maegashira 15. In the September tournament he produced his best top division score of 10-5, narrowly failing to win a special prize after being beaten on the final day. He was promoted to his highest rank of maegashira 3 for November 2009. He defeated ozeki Kotomitsuki in this tournament, but recorded a make-koshi score of 6-9. In January 2010 he produced a poor 2-13 record, the same score from the same rank as the previous Hatsu basho in 2009. However, on this occasion he remained in the top division for the following tournament, albeit at the very lowest rank of Maegashira 16 West. He lost his top division status after scoring only 4-11 in March, but won his second juryo championship with an 11-4 record in May and secured an immediate return to makuuchi. He was demoted to juryo again after the November 2010 tournament, and lost sekitori status altogether after the May 2012 tournament, never to regain it.

Retirement from Sumo[]

Bushuyama announced his retirement after the January 2013 basho. He became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name Onogawa Oyakata. His danpatsu-shiki or official retirement ceremony was held in the Ryogoku Kokugikan October 2013, with around 300 guests and his stablemaster, former yokozuna Mienoumi, making the final cut of his topknot. He works as a coach at his old stable, now renamed Fujishima stable. In January 2016 he switched to the Kiyomigata elder name (owned by active wrestler Tochiozan). In May 2020 he switched to the Kasugayama kabu (owned by Ikioi). In May 2021 he acquired the Matsuchiyama name following the retirement of the former Banryuyama.

Fighting Style[]

Bushuyama favored yotsu-sumo or a grappling style, preferring a hidari-yotsu or right hand outside, left hand inside grip on his opponents mawashi. His most common winning technique was yorikiri (force-out) followed by oshidashi (push out) and yoritaoshi (force out and down).