Keitenkai Kosei

Keitenkai Kosei - 慶天海孔晴 (born March 10, 1990) is a former Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Setouchi, Kagoshima. He made his debut in January 2008 and wrestled for Onomatsu stable. He reached the juryo division in September 2012. His highest rank was juryo 11 and he retired in March 2024.

Early Life[]

Kosei Kei was born on March 10, 1990, in Setouchi, a town on Amami Oshima, one of the Ryukyu Islands. Sumo is highly popular in the Ryukyu Islands and Kei took up sumo from a young age and began practicing at the age of three. In junior high school, Kei would practice sumo everyday for three hours at his school's sumo club. Kei later went abroad to study at Saitama Sakae High School, renowned for its prestigious sumo club. However, in his first year of high school he dislocated his shoulder and was out for the rest of the year. He returned in his second year and achieved fifth place at the national tournament. Upon graduation from high school, he joined Onomatsu stable.^[1]

Career[]

Early Career[]

Me made his professional debut in January 2008 and wrestled under his family name. Kei got off to a strong start and produced two consecutive 6-1 records and was promoted to sandanme in July 2008. However, he sat out of the July 2008 tournament to undergo surgery on his right shoulder.^[1] He sat out of the following tournament as well and fell back to the bottom of jonidan. In his return in November 2008, Kei won all seven matches and was placed in a playoff against Torugawa. Kei defeated Torugawa by uwatenage, or overarm throw, to win the jonidan yusho, however, he also seriously injured his left knee ligament and subsequently pulled out of the following tournament.^[1] He returned in March 2009 and began to gradually rise up the rankings. In July 2010, he was promoted to makushita. After six consecutive winning records, Kei was promoted to the salaried juryo division in September 2012.^[2]

Juryo Career[]

Upon promotion to juryo, he was given the shikona "Keitenkai" (慶天海). He was promoted simultaneously with stablemate Tanzo. Keitenkai defeated ex-komusubi Kokkai in his first match, but lost to heavyweight Tokushinho in his second match. During this match he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament on his right knee and was given a one-year recovery time.^[3] As a result, he withdrew from the tournament on the third day. Sadly this proved to be his only tournament as a sekitori.^[2]

Later Career[]

After sitting out for six straight tournaments, Keitenkai fell all the way down to the lowest division of jonokuchi. He returned to action in September 2013 and won both the jonokuchi and jonidan yusho in September and November 2013. Keitenkai was promoted back to makushita two tournaments later in March 2014. In January 2015, Keitenkai was at the verge of promotion back to juryo as he was ranked at makushita 2, however, he lost on the last day to finish with a 3-4 record. After this, he went on a slump and wrestled mainly in the mid-makushita ranks.^[2]

Keitenkai sat out of the September 2016 tournament due to an operation on his right knee.^[4] As a result, he was relegated back to sandanme, but immediately returned to makushita after one tournament. In January 2018, he defeated fellow Kagoshima-native Shosei after two torinaoshi's (rematch).^[5] In January 2022, Keitenkai fell back down to sandanme and stayed there for the remainder of his career.^[2]

Retirement from Sumo[]

Keitenkai's retired from sumo after the January 2024 tournament and his retirement was announced by the Japan Sumo Association on March 6th, shortly before the March 2024 tournament.^[6] His retirement ceremony, or danpatsu-shiki, was held at the Tobu Hotel Levant in Sumida, Tokyo, on June 23, 2024. After retiring, he has reportedly been working in the funeral industry since May.^[7]

Fighting Style[]

Keitenkai was a yotsu-sumo wrestler, preferring grappling techniques to pushing and thrusting. His most common winning kimarite was a straightforward yorikiri, or force out, and he uses a hidari-yotsu grip on the mawashi or belt, with his right hand outside and left hand inside his opponent's arms.^[8] He also regularly won by shitatenage, or underarm throw.^[9]