Takamai Saneharu

Takamai Saneharu - 貴麻衣 實治 (born September 29, 1988) is a former Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Yamanashi City, Yamanashi. He made his debut in May 2011 and wrestled for Takanohana stable. His highest rank was makushita 7 and he retired in September 2016.

## **Early Life**

Watanabe was a practiced judo from an early age, but when he attended Enzan High School, he participated at a national sumo tournament. After graduating high school, he enrolled at Meiji University's Department of Political Science and Economics and was a member of the school's sumo club. After graduating from university, he entered Takanohana stable. This made him the first college wrestler to join Takanohana stable as well as the first sumo wrestler from Meiji University's sumo club since Tooyama 12 years prior.

## **Career**

He was suppose to make his professional debut in March 2011, but the tournament was cancelled due to the 2011 match-fixing scandal. Instead, he made his professional debut in May 2011 alongside Jokoryu, Chiyotairyu, Terunofuji, and Meisei. Wrestling under his surname of Watanabe, he claimed the jonidan yusho in September 2011 after defeating Sakumayama. He was promoted to sandanme for the following November 2011 tournament and makushita in May 2012. At the time of his makushita debut, Watanabe had not posted a single losing record. However, he finished with a 3-4 record in his makushita debut and was demoted back down to sandanme in July 2012. Nevertheless, he claimed the sandanme yusho with a perfect 7-0 record in the July 2012 tournament and was promoted to the upper quartile of makushita for the September 2012 tournament.

He reached a career-best makushita 7 in November 2012, but finished with a winless 0-7 record. He followed with another 0-7 record in January 2013 and was demoted back down to sandanme for the March 2013 tournament. He did not win his first match until the 11th day of the March 2013 tournament, subsequently ending his 20 match losing streak. In May 2013, he was given the shikona "Takamai" (貴麻衣). In the September 2013 tournament, he suffered a hernia in his lower back and had to withdrew from the tournament. He also missed the following November 2013 tournament which resulted in him falling down to jonidan for the January 2014 tournament. He returned to sandanme in September 2014 which was where he wrestled for until his retirement in September 2016.

## **Fighting Style**

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

## **Record**

### **Division Results**

* **Total:** 109-98-17/207 (33 basho)
* **Makushita:** 7-21/28 (4 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 74-63-17/137 (22 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 23-12/35 (5 basho)
* **Jonokuchi:** 5-2/7 (1 basho)

### **Championships**

* 1 **Sandanme** Championship (July 2012)
* 1 **Jonidan** Championship (September 2011)

## **Shikona History**

* Watanabe Daishi (2011.05 - 2013.03)
* Takamai Saneharu (2013.05 - 2016.09)

## **Gallery**

Takamai defeats Jokoryu to win the Jonidan Yusho (c. 2011)Takamai wins his first Sandanme Yusho (c. 2012)Takamai prepares for his upcoming match (c. 2015)
## **Sources**

* Takamai Saneharu Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Takamai Saneharu Rikishi Information