Takuetsuyama Goro

Takuetsuyama Goro - 卓越山 吾郎 (born November 8, 1961) is a former Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Moriguchi, Osaka. He made his debut in March 1977 and last wrestled for Takadagawa stable. He reached the juryo division in July 1985. His highest rank was juryo 5 and he retired in July 1986.

## **Career**

After graduating from junior high school, he joined Takadagawa stable and made his debut in March 1977. He was given the shikona "Maenohikari" (前の光). He was promoted to sandanme in May 1978 and makushita in November 1979. After several mediocre results, he changed his shikona to "Takuetsuyama" (卓越山) in November 1983. In May 1985, he produced a 4-3 record at the rank of makushita 2 and was promoted to juryo in the following July 1985 tournament.

In his first tournament as a sekitori, Takuetsuyama produced a solid 9-6 record and followed with an 8-7 record in September 1985 which promoted him to the rank of juryo 5 in November 1985. However, in this tournament he injured his right knee during a match on the 1st day and he withdrew from the tournament on the 2nd day. He returned 6th day, and managed to finish with a 6-6-3 record. But, in the following tournament he finished with a poor 3-12 record and was demoted back down to makushita after four tournaments in juryo.

## **Retirement from Sumo**

### **Professional Wrestling Career**

In 1986, at the age of 24, he decided to quit sumo and joined AJPW upon an offer from owner Giant Baba. He made his debut in 1987. The same year he accompanied Baba to an excursion into Jim Crockett Promotions, where they competed in the Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament. They made it into the semifinals before being defeated by eventual runners-up Lex Luger and Tully Blanchard.

Takagi remained a strong member of the undercard, feuding with dojo classmates Akira Taue, Kenta Kobashi, Tsuyoshi Kikuchi and Tatsumi Kitahara. In 1990, however, he decided to follow former sumo wrestler Genichiro Tenryu out of AJPW and into a new promotion, Super World of Sports. Takagi was fired from SWS in early 1991, with the company claiming he missed too many training sessions due to claimed injuries and he spent too much time gambling. Afterwards, Takagi wandered in the independents until settling down in the successor promotion, WAR.

In WAR he adopted the name Arashi (storm), originally a masked gimmick used by also former rikishi Benkei Daikokubo. His first success came teaming with Koki Kitahara (formerly known as Tatsumi), and with Nobutaka Araya, formerly of International Wrestling Association of Japan, to win the WAR 6-Man Tag Team Championship. In 1998, as WAR went into decline due to Tenryu making a comeback in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Arashi went to Yoshiaki Yatsu's SPWF promotion. He stayed there until Tenryu called him back to AJPW in 2001. Initially he supported Tenryu's WAR faction, but after Tenryu left yet again, aligned himself with Keiji Mutoh, and won the World Tag Team Championship with him in 2003. On December 27, he and Muto (under his Great Muta persona) defeated Christopher Daniels and Dan Maff to retain the title at an ROH vs. All Japan card.

In September 2006, after a trial on drug charges, Takagi was sentenced to three years in prison. Freed after serving a portion of his sentence, Takagi returned to puroresu, wrestling in Tatsumi Fujinami's Muga World (now Dradition) promotion. In 2007, Takagi appeared during a match under his real name for the first time since 1993. He's since brought back his real name as a ring name periodically.

## **Fighting Style**

Chokairyu was a tsuki/oshi specialist, who prefers pushing and thrusting at his opponents rather than fighting on the mawashi or belt. His most common winning kimarite was oshidashi, or push out.

## **Record**

### **Division Results**

* **Total:** 222-185-17/406 (57 basho)
* **Juryo:** 26-31-3/56 (4 basho)
* **Makushita:** 130-115-7/245 (36 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 41-29/70 (10 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 19-9-7/28 (5 basho)
* **Jonokuchi:** 6-1/7 (1 basho)

## **Shikona History**

* Maenohikari Isamu (1977.03 - 1980.01)
* Maenohikari (1980.03 - 1983.09)
* Takuetsuyama Goro (1983.11 - 1986.07)

## **Gallery**

Takuetsuyama during the juryo dohyo-iri (c. 1985)Takuetsuyama warms up for his upcoming match (c. 1985)Takuetsuyama after retirement as a professional wrestlerIsao Takagi's signature
## **Sources**

* Takuetsuyama Goro Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Takuetsuyama Goro Rikishi Information