Kiyokuni Katsuo

Kiyokuni Katsuo - 清國勝雄 (born November 20, 1941) is a former Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Ogachi, Akita. He made his debut in September 1956 and last wrestled for Isegahama stable. He reached the makuuchi division in November 1963 and has seven special prizes, seven kinboshi and one top division championship. His highest rank was ozeki and he retired in January 1974.

Career[]

Early Career[]

Recruited by former Yokozuna Terukuni, he made his professional debut in September 1956 (in the same tournament as Taiho). Initially fighting under the shikona of Wakaikuni, he was promoted to sandanme in January 1958 and makushita in January 1959. He briefly wrestled under the name "Umenosato" (梅ノ里) in 1962 before changing it to "Kiyokuni" (清國) in May of the same year. After 26 tournaments in makushita he was promoted to juryo for the May 1963 tournament.

Juryo Career[]

In his first tournament as a sekitori, Kiyokuni finished with a 10-5 record. In July 1963 he produced a strong 12-3 record and followed with a 10-5 record in September. He was promoted to makuuchi in November 1963 after only three tournaments in juryo.

Makuuchi Career[]

He was promoted to the top makuuchi division in November 1963. In just his second makuuchi tournament, ranked at maegashira 13, he produced a superb 14–1 record, losing only on the final day and finishing runner-up to yokozuna Taiho who won with an unbeaten score. (Because he was ranked so low he was not matched against Taiho during the tournament and so never had the chance to defeat him and force a playoff.) He was awarded the Technique Prize and was promoted straight to sekiwake, sumo's third highest rank – the biggest jump to sekiwake ever recorded in the six tournaments a year era. He defeated yokozuna in three consecutive tournaments from September 1964 to January 1965, earning promotion back to the san'yaku ranks.

Ozeki Career[]

After a year or so of being stuck at the sekiwake rank, Kiyokuni was finally promoted to ozeki in May 1969 after his second runner-up performance. Although he had scored only 31 wins in the three tournaments prior to his promotion, below the usual threshold of 33, he immediately dispelled any doubts over his worthiness by taking what was to be his only tournament championship or yusho in his ozeki debut. He defeated Taiho for only the third time in 25 meetings on the final day and then beat maegashira Fujinokawa in a playoff after both had finished on 12–3. This was to be the last yusho by a member of the Tatsunami-Isegahama ichimon or group of stables until ozeki Asahifuji won his first championship in January 1988.

Kiyokuni was never able to make yokozuna, partly due to neck and spinal injuries from which he never fully recovered. Nevertheless, he was a strong ozeki, remaining there for 28 basho and finishing runner-up in May 1971, May 1973 and September 1973. He retired in January 1974, due to a heart complaint.

Retirement from Sumo[]

Kiyokuni became an oyakata, or elder of the Japan Sumo Association after his retirement, and in April 1977 he became head coach of Isegahama stable following the death of his second stablemaster, former yokozuna Terukuni, who had been in charge since 1961.

Initially he had some success, overseeing the late blooming Kurosegawa's rise to komusubi in 1980 and also producing Wakasegawa who reached the top division in 1983. However, On August 12, 1985 Isegahama's First wife and two children died in the Japan Airlines Flight 123 disaster. He was never the same again and the stable began to deteriorate. He was demoted from his position in the Sumo Association after giving an outspoken interview to the Shukan Gendai in 2004 in which he criticised the attitude of amateur college champions and foreigners in sumo and made allegations of match-fixing and steroid abuse. By the time he reached the mandatory retirement age of sixty-five in November 2006, there were just two active wrestlers in Isegahama stable left, compared with dozens when he took over. Much to his chagrin he had not even been able to persuade his nephews, Tamanoshima and Tamamitsukuni to join, the two eventual sekitori opting for Kataonami stable instead. With no long term successor to Kiyokuni available, former maegashira Katsuhikari took on the Isegahama name, but he dissolved the stable, which dated back to 1859, on February 1, 2007. Its two remaining wrestlers moved to Kiriyama stable. In an attempt to revive the fortunes of the once prestigious Isegahama name, it was assumed by the former Asahifuji in December of that year, who renamed his existing Ajigawa stable to Isegahama stable.

Fighting Style[]

Kiyokuni was a yotsu-sumo wrestler who prefers grappling to pushing and thrusting techniques. He favored a hidari-yotsu (right hand outside, left hand inside) position when gripping his opponent's mawashi (belt). His most common kimarite was yorikiri, or force out. He was also fond of employing oshidashi, or push out.