Hokuseiho Osamu

Hokuseiho Osamu - 北青鵬治 (born November 12, 2001) is a former Mongolian-Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Sapporo, Hokkaido. He made his debut in March 2020 and wrestled for Miyagino stable. He reached the makuuchi division in March 2023. His highest rank was maegashira 6 and he retired in March 2024.

Early Life[]

Ariunaa Davaaninj was born on November 12, 2001, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.^[1] He moved to Sapporo, Hokkaido, at the age of five as his mother was studying the Japanese language. When sumo was on a jungyo tour in Sapporo he met Yokozuna Hakuho who advised him to take up sumo wrestling. He reunited with Hakuho at an airport in South Korea and took a picture with him to mark the occasion.^[2]

202107210000879-w1300 4 — A six year old Davaaninj meets Hakuho at a Korean airport

Davaaninj competed at the Wanpaku Sumo Championships from his fourth to sixth year at elementary school. He also took part at the the All Japan Elementary School Sumo Championships for three consecutive years. After graduating from elementary school, he went to study abroad at Tottorishi Ritsunishi Junior High School and was a member of the school's sumo club.^[1] He quit the sumo club after he found the training too intense, but Hakuho persuaded him to return.^[3]

After graduating he enrolled at Tottori Johoku High School, known for its strong sumo program, again at Hakuho's recommendation. Previous attendees of this school are Terunofuji and Ichinojo. During his high school career, he participated in national competitions since his first year and achieved strong results in individual and group competitions.^[1]

Career[]

Early Career[]

After graduating high school, he joined Hakuho at Miyagino stable. Although born in Mongolia, as he had been residing in Japan since five years old, he was able to obtain Japanese nationality and so did not need Miyagino's one foreigner spot (sumo rules allow for only one foreign-born wrestler per stable).^[4]

He listed Hokkaido as his birthplace on the banzuke ranking sheets and was given the shikona of "Hokuseiho" (北青鵬). His debut was in March 2020, at a tournament with no spectators to due coronavirus restrictions.^[5] There he made his debut at the same time as Shishi, the first Ukrainian to join professional sumo, and Hozan Takamori, the second son of former sekiwake Takatoriki and older brother of Oho. With the May 2020 tournament being cancelled altogether, his first official tournament with a ranking was in July 2020. In his first three tournaments he won all 21 of his matches, to equal the fifth longest record start to a professional career in sumo history. He won the yusho or championship in each of the jonokuchi, jonidan and sandanme divisions. He had to sit out the January 2021 tournament, which would have been his debut in the makushita division, due to Hakuho testing positive for COVID-19 and his whole stable being withdrawn from competition.^[6] Upon his return in March 2021 he lost his first bout in professional sumo to Tokisakae to bring his winning streak to an end, but recovered to post a 5–2 record. A 6–1 record in May was followed by a 7–0 yusho in July which saw him promoted to the juryo division. He became the fifth wrestler to win championships in every division from jonokuchi to makushita, and the first since Tochiazuma (now Tamanoi Oyakata).^[7] He told reporters that he was pleased to have reached juryo in just six tournaments and while still in his teens, and said that he was aiming for double-digit wins in his first tournament as a sekitori or salaried wrestler. He said he wanted to be a yokozuna by the age of 21, like his mentor Hakuho.^[8]

Juryo Career[]

He was unable to compete in his juryo debut after he tested positive for COVID-19, which forced the whole of the Miyagino stable to sit out the September 2021 tournament.^[9] He kept his rank for the following tournament in November 2021, but was forced to pull out on the second day with a right knee ligament injury.^[10] This resulted in his demotion back to makushita. By May 2022 he had reached makushita 2, and was a favorite to compete for the third division championship and promotion back to juryo. After a 5–2 record, Hokuseiho's promotion back to juryo was confirmed on May 25.^[11]

HokuseihoDaishoho — Hokuseiho battles against Daishoho (c. 2022)

On the second day of the July tournament Hokuseiho defeated Chiyosakae, and spoke afterwards of his relief at finally getting his first win as a sekitori in his third tournament ranked in juryo, and the encouragement of Magaki Oyakata (the former Hakuho), who he had once again been assigned to as an attendant after dropping to makushita.^[12] He finished the tournament with an 11–4 record, the best of his career to date. Hokuseiho's 9–6 record in the January 2023 tournament was his fourth straight winning record in juryo, ensuring promotion to the top makuuchi division for the first time.^[13]

Makuuchi Career[]

His makuuchi promotion was confirmed with the release of the March 2023 banzuke on February 27, and Hokuseiho told reporters he was aiming for promotion to sanyaku within the year. His previously reported height of 200cm was also updated to 204cm, making him the tallest wrestler ever in the top division since official measurements began in September 1953, alongside Akebono.^[14]

During the July 2023 tournament, Hokuseiho recorded a negative score (make-koshi) for the first time with an eighth defeat on day thirteen against Kotoshoho. This score was worsened by a ninth defeat (the third in a row) against former sekiwake Meisei the next day. After finishing this tournament with a score of 5–10, Hokuseiho was relegated to maegashira 11. At the September 2023 tournament, he and Daieisho remained neck-and-neck with tournament leaders Atamifuji and Takakeisho, recording only one more defeat than the latter and being able to force his way into a kettei-sen (playoff). Hokuseiho was also promised the Fighting Spirit award if he recorded an eleventh victory. On the final day of the tournament, however, Hokuseiho was defeated by ozeki Hoshoryu, effectively taking him out of the title race and removing his hopes of receiving the award.^[15]

During the November 2023 tournament, Hokuseiho had a notable match with Midorifuji on day seven; the match being between the tallest and lightest wrestler in the division. The match also received attention after lasting a total of 6 minutes 40 seconds, and being marked by a very rare mizu-iri (water break), an event that had not happened in makuuchi for 8 years, since day fourteen of the March 2015 tournament during the match between Terunofuji and Ichinojo.^[16] Following his match, he also received criticism from his master, who encouraged him to win quick victories without getting bogged down in long matches, too costly in terms of stamina for a full tournament.^[17]

Assault Allegations and Retirement[]

Following a victory over Shonannoumi on Day 5 of the January 2024 tournament, Hokuseiho withdrew from competition. Stablemaster Miyagino said that Hokuseiho's right knee condition had worsened, and that he would not be returning to the tournament.^[18] Hokuseiho announced the next day that he had suffered a meniscus injury, and was planning to undergo surgery on 5 February. He was expected to require about four weeks of rehabilitation.^[19]

HokuseihoMeetsWithJSA — Hokuseiho after meeting with the JSA over his assault allegations (c. 2024)

However, during the same period, reports of violence committed by Hokuseiho began to emerge in the press, raising suspicions that Hokuseiho's withdrawal would also be to keep him away from the ring and put him on enforced rest.^[20]

In February, it was confirmed by the Sumo Association's Compliance Committee that Hokuseiho had assaulted several stablemates and had stolen money from them, and that an investigation had been launched after one of them made a formal complaint to the association. Further details later emerged that for over a year Hokuseiho had mistreated other wrestlers by striking them with sticks made from pieces of mawashi and abusing them using a combination of insecticides and burners.^[21] Summoned to inform him that disciplinary proceedings had been launched against him, Hokuseiho simply told the press that he was "honestly remorseful".^[22]

The Sumo Association planned to hold an emergency board meeting to discuss the Compliance Committee's report, which included a recommendation that Hokuseiho retire and that stablemaster Miyagino be demoted two positions in sumo's hierarchy.^[23] The day before the meeting, on 22 February 2024, it was reported that Hokuseiho did not show up to his stable.^[24] On the same day it was announced that Hokuseiho had submitted his notification of retirement.^[25] On 23 February the Sumo Association board accepted the committee's report. In the case of Hokuseiho, the board did not take any formal disciplinary action and accepted his retirement papers instead.^[26] Following the board meeting Hokuseiho said to the press: "I deeply regret having used violence against my stablemates."^[27]

Despite the circumstances that led to his departure from the Sumo Association, it has been pointed out by several sources that Hokuseiho wanted to hold a haircutting ceremony in April.^[28] As of August 2024, however, it was reported he had not yet cut his chonmage, on the occasion of his first public appearance after the scandal when he attended a training session at Arashio stable.^[29]

Personal Life[]

Hokuseiho's favorite singer is Sakanaction, his favorite food is pizza, his hobby is gaming, and his favorite manga is One Piece.^[30]

Fighting Style[]

At 204 cm (6 ft 8 in) Hokuseiho was the tallest sekitori during his professional years,^[31] and with his big height advantage he was able to overwhelm most of his early opponents by quickly grabbing their mawashi and forcing them out of the dohyo.^[32] He won most of his matches by yorikiri (force out) and prefers a migi-yotsu (left hand outside, right hand inside) position.^[30]^[33] Hokuseiho's style, in which he remained firmly and passively supported on his legs, had been criticized by his master as being dangerous for the health of his knees, particularly during the January 2024 tournament from which Hokuseiho had to withdraw after a knee injury.^[22]

In the run-up to the Nagoya tournament in July 2023, he also confided that he was beginning to practice pushing and thrusting techniques (tsuki/oshi) in order to diversify his fighting style, taking particular inspiration from the matches of former yokozuna Akebono.^[34]