Mitoryu Takayuki - 水戸龍 聖之 (born April 25, 1994) is a Mongolian professional sumo wrestler from Ulaanbaatar. He made his debut in March 2017 and currently wrestles for Nishikido stable. He reached the juryo division in January 2018 and the makuuchi division in September 2022. His highest rank as of 2025 is maegashira 13.
Early Life[]
Turbold in high school during sumo training
Baasansuren Turbold was born on April 25, 1994, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Growing up in Mongolia, Turbold was a great athlete participating in many different sports like judo, basketball, darts, and speed skating. He was especially good at speed skating having the ability to win at the district level.[1]
For high school Turbold studied abroad in Japan at Tottori Johoku High School, and this is where he started training in sumo. He arrived in Japan alongside the future Terunofuji and Ichinojo.[2] After graduating from high school he entered Nihon University and their sumo club.[3] In his third year at the university he won the All-Japan Sumo Championship giving him the title of amateur Yokozuna (the first foreigner to do so).[4] The following year he served as the club captain, and won the National Student Sumo Championship and giving him the title of Student Yokozuna (also the first foreigner to do so).[5] After graduating from university, he opted to become a professional sumo wrestler.[5]
Career[]
Early Career[]
After graduating from university Turbold entered Nishikido stable, recruited by former sekiwake Mitoizumi. His amateur success granted him makushita tsukedashi status, allowing him skip the lower divisions and start at Makushita 15. He started his career with a make-koshi or losing record but quickly rebounded with three consecutive winning records. After this string of winning records he was given sekitori status by being promoted to the juryo division. He was the first sekitori produced by his stable since its founding in 2002.[6]
Juryo Career[]
Mitoryu battles fellow Mongolian Hoshoryu (c. 2019)
He started off his juryo debut with a winning 8–7, he followed this up with another winning record although he had to withdraw the last four days with he injury. The next tournament he was unable to achieve a winning record managing only a 6–9 record. He rebounded to with a 8–7 winning record the following tournament but suffered only his third losing record with a 7–8 finish. He rebounded yet again to get his highest winning record yet with a 9–6 finish.[7]
In 2019, Mitoryu alternated between winning records (kachi-koshi) and losing records (make-koshi) for the whole year and stayed mainly in the lower end of juryo. Mitoryu got off to a bad start in 2020 and produced two losing records in a row which regulated him to the very bottom of juryo (juryo 14 west). After these disastrous tournaments, Mitoryu bounced back with his first double-digit record of 10-5 and participated in a six-man playoff for the juryo yusho, however he lost in the first round. In July 2021, he won the juryo yusho with a strong 12-3 record and was subsequently promoted to the top of juryo in September 2021. However, in this tournament he suffered a herniated disc and withdrew from the tournament on the ninth day. He withdrew from the January 2022 tournament due to a COVID-19 case within his stable.[8]
Makuuchi Career[]
After a winning record in the top ranks of the juryo division, Mitoryu was promoted to the top division for the September 2022 tournament, but he finished with a 5-10 record and was demoted back down to juryo. He returned to makuuchi in January 2023, but was only able to last for three tournaments before falling back down to juryo in July 2023. In August 2023, Mitoryu was the heaviest active sekitori wrestler at 201 kg (443 lb).[9] Later in the year, at the November tournament, Mitoryu was involved in a match with Shimanoumi marked by a rare mizu-iri (water break), the first in the juryo division in 24 years.[10]
Mitoryu defeats Roga (c. 2024)
At the March 2024 tournament, Mitoryu won his second juryo tournament with a 12–3 record, almost certainly earning him re-promotion to sumo's top division. During his return to sumo's top division, he lost his match against one of the tournament leaders (Takarafuji) and had to limp off the ring after Takarafuji fell on his ankle. After the match, however, he insisted that he was not injured.[11]
Mitoryu withdrew on Day 11 of the May 2024 tournament. It was reported that a few days earlier, he appeared to be favoring his left leg after inadvertently collapsing in his match against Takarafuji. His medical certificate with the Sumo Association stated that the withdrawal was due to osteoarthritis in both of his knees.[12] With only two wins, Mitoryu was demoted back down to juryo for the July 2024 tournament.[7]
Personal Life[]
Fighting Style[]
Mitoryu defeats Oho by uwatenage (overarm throw)
Mitoryu is a yotsu-sumo wrestler, preferring grappling techniques to pushing and thrusting. His most common winning kimarite is a straightforward yorikiri, or force out, and he uses a migi-yotsu grip on the mawashi or belt, with his right hand inside and left hand outside his opponent's arms.[13] He also regularly employs oshidashi (push out), hatakikomi (slap down), uwatenage (overarm throw), and kotenage (arm-lock throw).[14]
Record[]
Division Results[]
- Total: 332-327-29/653 (48 basho)
- Makuuchi: 27-44-4/70 (5 basho)
- Juryo: 285-275-25/555 (39 basho)
- Makushita: 20-8/28 (4 basho)
Championships[]
- 2 Juryo Championships
- 1st (July 2021)
- 2nd (March 2024)
Shikona History[]
- Mitoryu Takayuki (2017.03 - )
Gallery[]
JSA Profile Pictures and Tegata[]
Career Overview[]
(c. 2017)
(c. 2020)
(c. 2022)
(c. 2024)
See Also[]
External Links[]
- Mitoryu Takayuki Japanese Wikipedia Article
- Mitoryu Takayuki Rikishi Information
- Mitoryu Takayuki JSA Profile Page
References[]
- ↑ BBM Sumo April 2017 Issue p. 104
- ↑ Ozora Publishing "Sumo Fan" Vol.06 p. 73
- ↑ Nihon University: Athlete Interview Vol.018 Baasansuren Turbold
- ↑ Sankei: First foreign amateur Yokozuna, will Turbold match Ichinojo and Terunofuji?
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Hochi Sports: Nihon University's Turbold joins the Nishikido stable!
- ↑ Jiji Press: Mitoryu and Akua promoted to juryo
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Mitoryu Rikishi Information
- ↑ Nikkan Sports: Coronavirus infection in Nishikido stable
- ↑ Nikkan Sports: Latest height and weight announcement for sumo wrestlers
- ↑ Nikkan Sports: First water break in 24 years for the Juryo division
- ↑ Sponichi Annex: Mitoryu almost sustains serious injury but quickly avoids it
- ↑ Jiji Press: Mitoryu is absent from the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Mitoryu JSA Profile
- ↑ Mitoryu Kimarite Information