Toyonobori Michiharu

Toyonobori Michiharu - 豊登 道春 (born March 21, 1931 - July 1, 1998) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Kanada, Fukuoka. He made his debut in June 1947 and wrestled for Tatsunami stable. He reached the makuuchi division in March 1954. His highest rank was maegashira 15 and he retired in September 1954.

## **Career**

### **Early Career**

Michiharu Sadano joined Tatsunami stable and made his professional debut in June 1947. Initially wrestling under the shikona "Kanatayama" (金田山), he was promoted to sandanme in January 1949 and makushita in May 1949. In October 1949 he changed his shikona to "Toyonobori" (豊登) and was promoted to juryo in September 1950.

### **Juryo Career**

At the time of his juryo promotion, Toyonobori was only 19 years old and was the youngest sekitori. However, he could only manage a 2-13 record in his juryo debut and was demoted back down to makushita. He returned to juryo in September 1951, but was demoted down to makushita in January 1953 after four tournaments in juryo. He was promoted back to juryo for a third time in March 1953 and he won the juryo yusho in September 1953 with a strong 12-3 record. He followed with an 11-4 record and was promoted to makuuchi for the March 1954 tournament.

### **Makuuchi Career**

In his top division debut, Toyonobori finished with a 9-6 record. In the following tournament he injured his left eye, and withdrew from the tournament on the third day before returning on the ninth day to finish with a 6-4-5 record. Unusually, he was promoted from maegashira 17 to maegashira 15 in September 1954, although he finished with a losing record in the previous May tournament. He could only manage a 6-9 record in this tournament. After only three tournaments in the top division, he retired from sumo after the September 1954 tournament due to a disagreement with his stablemaster.

## **Retirement from Sumo**

### **Professional Wrestling Career**

On December 12, 1954, Toyonobori became a professional wrestler, joining the Japanese Wrestling Association, which was the top wrestling promotion in Japan from 1953 until 1972 and the only male significant Japanese wrestling promotion from 1953 until 1966, when its predominance began to be challenged by International Pro Wrestling.

The top wrestler of the JWA was Rikidozan, the founder of the promotion; he dominated the Japanese wrestling scene. As a result, few Japanese wrestlers were able to get into the spotlight. The more recognizable among them was Toyonobori himself, who dominated the tag team scene in Japan, forming a successful tag team with Rikidozan, with whom he became a four-time winner of the All Asia Tag Team Championship, which was the top tag title in Japan and which is now contested in All Japan Pro Wrestling.

After Rikidozan's death on December 15, 1963, Toyonobori, along with Yoshinosato, Koukichi Endo and Michiaki Yoshimura announced their intention to continue the JWA on January 10, 1964. Therefore, he became the president of the JWA and its top wrestler, as he had been the second most important wrestler of the promotion during the Rikidozan era.

He held multiple championships throughout his career including the All Asia Tag Team Championship (7 times), JWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time), TWWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time), IWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time), and the WWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time). In addition, he also won the World Big League tournament, in 1964 and 1965.

On January 5, 1966, the JWA announced the resignation and departure of Toyonobori as the company president; he was later expelled from the JWA along with Antonio Inoki on March 21, 1966. On April 23, 1966, Toyonobori announced the formation of Tokyo Pro Wrestling; on the same day Inoki announced his intention to join the company, as Toyonobori has privately promised Inoki to make him the promotion's top star.

On February 11, 1970 Toyonobori announced his retirement at an IPW event. However, in March 1972, when Inoki left JWA to form New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Toyonobori came out of retirement for a few matches to help give the promotion name value. His last match was on February 20, 1973, a win over Bruno Bekkar in Yokohama, more than three years after his original retirement ceremony.

### **Death**

Toyonobori died on July 1, 1998 due to heart failure.

## **Fighting Style**

Toyonobori 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 favorite kimarite were shitatenage (underarm throw), kainahineri (two handed arm twist down), and yaguranage (inner thigh throw).

## **Record**

### **Division Results**

* **Total:** 174-135-11/308 (24 basho)
* **Makuuchi:** 21-19-5/39 (3 basho)
* **Juryo:** 66-63-6/129 (9 basho)
* **Makushita:** 64-41/105 (7 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 9-3/12 (1 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 8-4/12 (2 basho)
* **Jonokuchi:** 3-3/6 (1 basho)
* **Shinjo:** 3-2/5 (1 basho)

### **Championships**

* 1 **Juryo** Championship (September 1953)

## **Shikona History**

* Sadano Michiharu (1947.06 - 1948.10)
* Kanatayama Michiharu (1949.01 - 1949.05)
* Toyonobori Michiharu (1949.10 - 1954.09)

## **Gallery**

Toyonobori with his kesho-mawashiToyonobori during his time as an active sumo wrestlerToyonobori's newfound career of professional wrestlingToyonobori with his mentor and tag team partner RikidozanToyonobori and Giant Baba pay their respects to RikidozanToyonobori's tegata
## **Sources**

* Toyonobori Michiharu Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Toyonobori Michiharu Rikishi Information