Hatooka Ryosuke

Hatooka Ryosuke - 鳩岡良祐 (born February 23, 1994) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Yokohama, Kanagawa. He made his debut in March 2016 and currently wrestles for Kise stable. His highest rank as of 2025 is makushita 13.

Early Life[]

Ryosuke Hatooka was born on February 23, 1994, in Yokohama's Kohoku Ward. He attended Takushoku University Koryo High School where he was a member of the school's sumo club. After high school, he enrolled at Takushoku University to continue his amateur sumo career. After graduating, he opted to go professional and joined Kise stable.^[1]

Career[]

He made his professional debut in March 2016 and wrestled under his surname Hatooka. He reached makushita in January 2017 after less than a year in professional sumo. Prior to the January 2018 tournament, Hatooka suffered an injury to his left knee during a training session with Jokoryu. He immediately underwent surgery and had to miss the following five tournaments and was regulated back down to the lowest jonokuchi division.^[2]

He returned to the dohyo in November 2018 and captured the jonokuchi yusho with a perfect 7-0 record. He followed with another flawless 7-0 record to take the jonidan yusho in the following January 2019 tournament. Hatooka quickly returned to makushita in May 2019. However, on the 9th day of the January 2020 tournament, Hatooka suffered another injury, this time to his right knee, and had to withdraw from the tournament.^[3] He sat out of the following four tournaments and was demoted back down to the second lowest jonidan division.^[4]

Hatooka returned to action in January 2021. In July 2021, he defeated former maegashira Sagatsukasa on the 13th day to finish with a perfect 7-0 record and claimed the sandanme yusho. He was promoted to the rank of makushita 15 for the following September 2021 tournament, but could only mange two wins during the tournament. Hatooka reached a career-best makushita 14 in May 2022 and won his first two matches in the tournament before withdrawing from the tournament on the sixth day. He sat out of the following July 2022 tournament and was demoted back down to sandanme in September 2022.^[4]

Hatooka injured his left knee prior to the September 2023 tournament and had to miss three consecutive tournaments which resulted in him dropping down to the second lowest jonidan division. He returned to the dohyo in March 2024 and was promoted back to sandanme in May 2024. After stagnating in sandanme for most of 2024 and early 2025, Hatooka took his second sandanme yusho in May 2025 with a perfect 7-0 record.^[5]

Fighting Style[]

Hatooka is a yotsu-sumo wrestler who prefers grappling to pushing and thrusting techniques. He favors a hidari-yotsu (right hand outside, left hand inside) position when gripping his opponent's mawashi (belt).^[6] His most common kimarite is yorikiri, or force out.^[7]