Kotetsuyama Konoshin

Kotetsuyama Konoshin - 高鐵山 孝之進 (born July 9, 1942 - April 14, 1996) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Otaru, Hokkaido. He made his debut in March 1957 and wrestled for Asahiyama stable. He reached the makuuchi division in September 1963 and has two special prizes as well as two kinboshi. His highest rank was sekiwake and he retired in January 1975.

## **Career**

### **Early Career**

At the age of 14 he moved to Tokyo and joined Asahiyama stable. He made his professional debut in March 1957 and initially wrestled under the shikona "Aoiryu" (葵龍). He was promoted to sandanme in May 1959 and makushita in January 1960. In July 1961 he changed his shikona to "Kotetsuyama" (高鐵山) and was promoted to juryo a little over a year later in January 1963.

### **Juryo Career**

In his first tournament as a sekitori, Kotetsuyama finished with a solid 9-6 record. He won the yusho or tournament championship with a 13-2 record in the juryo division in July 1963 and was promoted to the top makuuchi division in the following tournament in September 1963.

### **Makuuchi Career**

He was demoted back to juryo after only two tournaments and changed his shikona to Futasegawa, which had been the fighting name of his stablemaster. He won promotion back to makuuchi in July 1964 but was demoted again, this time after three tournaments. After switching back to the Kotetsuyama name he won promotion to makuuchi for the third time in May 1965 after a 12-3 juryo runner-up performance, and this time stayed in the top division. He was runner-up to Taiho in March 1966, and won his first sansho, for Fighting Spirit. In November 1966 he was runner-up for the second time, defeated yokozuna Sadanoyama to earn his first kinboshi, and received the Technique Prize. In the following tournament in January 1967 he was ranked at sekiwake, but scored only 3–12 and never reached the rank again. He is one of the rare examples of a wrestler whose only tournament in the sanyaku ranks was at sekiwake, rather than komusubi (along with Hayateumi and Hokutoriki). He earned a second kinboshi in July 1969 for beating Taiho, and remained a rank-and-file maegashira until March 1971, when a poor 1–14 record saw him demoted back to juryo. He managed to return to makuuchi in November 1971 but was demoted to juryo a number of times after that, his last makuuchi appearance coming in January 1974.

## **Retirement from Sumo**

He retired in January 1975. He remained in the Japan Sumo Association as an elder under the name Onaruto. He branched out from Asahiyama stable and established the Onaruto stable in October 1975. He produced the top division wrestler Itai, a pusher-thruster like himself who also briefly used the Kotetsuyama shikona, and the lightweight juryo wrestler Ishinriki. He was married to a ballet instructor. Onaruto stable closed in December 1994 and he left the Japan Sumo Association.

### **Death**

He died in somewhat mysterious circumstances in 1996, a month before claims he made about match-fixing in sumo were published in a book called Yaocho. The co-writer of the book died within hours of Onaruto, in the same hospital. Police found no evidence of foul play, but Onaruto's wrestler Itai later said his boss had links to a major yakuza crime syndicate. His official cause of death was listed as pneumonia and heart failure.

## **Fighting Style**

Kotetsuyama was short for a sumo wrestler at 175 cm, but was known for the power of his pushing attack. He was very much an oshi-sumo specialist, who preferred pushing and thrusting at his opponents to fighting on the mawashi or belt. His most common winning kimarite or techniques at sekitori level were oshidashi (push out), tsukiotoshi (thrust over) and hatakikomi (slap down).

## **Record**

### **Division Results**

* **Total:** 661-668-10/1327 (107 basho)
* **Makuuchi:** 323-425-2/747 (50 basho)
* **Juryo:** 193-144-8/336 (23 basho)
* **Makushita:** 76-53/129 (18 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 23-9/32 (4 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 44-36/80 (10 basho)
* **Shinjo:** 2-1/3 (1 basho)

### **Achievements**

* **Special Prizes:** Fighting Spirit Prize (1), Technique Prize (1)
* **Kinboshi:** 2: (1) Taiho, (1) Sadanoyama

## **Shikona History**

* Aoiryu Konoshin (1957.03 - 1961.05)
* Kotetsuyama Konoshin (1961.07 - 1963.11)
* Futasegawa Konoshin (1964.01 - 1964.11)
* Kotetsuyama Konoshin (1965.01 - 1967.01)
* Kotetsuyama Toyoya (1967.03 - 1975.01)

## **Gallery**

Kotetsuyama (left) with one of his special prize (c. 1966)Kotetsuyama poses with his kesho-mawashi (c. 1967)Kotetsuyama after promotion to Sekiwake (c. 1967)Kotetsuyama prepares for his upcoming match (c. 1970)Kotetsuyama after retirement as Onaruto Oyakata (c. 1982)Newspaper clipping details Kotetsuyama's mysterious death (c. 1996)
## **Sources**

* Kotetsuyama Konoshin Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Kotetsuyama Konoshin Rikishi Information