Ryukozan Kazuto

Ryukozan Kazuto - 龍興山 一人 (born June 23, 1967 - February 2, 1990) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Sakai, Osaka. He made his debut in March 1983 and wrestled for Dewanoumi stable. He reached the makuuchi division in January 1990. His highest rank was maegashira 5 and he died while as an active wrestler in February 1990.

## **Early Life**

Miyata attended Hamadera Junior High School. He was recommended to join the school's sumo club by former makushita wrestler Banshuyama. Banshuyama belonged to the prestigious Dewanoumi stable and persuaded Miyata to join the stable after graduation which he did.

## **Career**

### **Early Career**

Miyata initially struggled to adjust to the harsh stable life and his results were average. In December 1983, he ran out of the stable, but decided to change his mind after his father, who was being treated for cancer, encouraged him to return. In 1984 he called some of his stablemates and returned to the stable. Since he still had his topknot and his retirement papers were not submitted, he could still carry on with his career. After his father died, Miyata gained his fighting spirit and started to excel.

In his return to sumo, Miyata won the jonokuchi yusho with a perfect 7-0 record. He was promoted to sandanme in May 1985 and makushita in July 1986. In May 1989, he was ranked at makushita 5 and was in the yusho race for the whole tournament before losing to Takahanada on the thirteenth day. Nonetheless, he was promoted to juryo in July 1989.

### **Juryo Career**

Upon promotion to juryo, he changed his shikona from his surname to "Ryukozan" (龍興山). In his first tournament, he finished with a solid 9-6 record. In the following tournament, he took the juryo yusho with a strong 10-5 record. In his third tournament, he produced an impressive 11-4 record and was promoted to makuuchi alongside stablemate and friend Oginohana.

### **Makuuchi Career**

Ryukozan posted a solid 9-6 record in his makuuchi debut and was promoted to his highest rank of maegashira 5 in March 1990. His style of sumo was compared with ozeki Kotokaze and he had not produced a single losing record as a sekitori.

## **Death**

In February 2nd, 1990, he died of a heart attack in training whilst preparing for the next tournament, making him the first rikishi to die whilst active since Tamanoumi in 1971. Following his death the Japan Sumo Association introduced mandatory ECG checks for all wrestlers and required installation of automated external defibrillators at every stable. On 4 July 2019 his former stablemate Oginohana, now Dewanoumi Oyakata, collapsed at a training session whilst supervising jonokuchi wrestlers. It was diagnosed as variant angina and he was saved by the availability of an automated external defibrillator.

## **Fighting Style**

Ryukozan 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:** 170-109-34/279 (41 basho)
* **Makuuchi:** 9-6-15/15 (2 basho)
* **Juryo:** 30-15/45 (3 basho)
* **Makushita:** 67-51-1/118 (17 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 33-19-4/52 (8 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 13-8-7/21 (4 basho)
* **Jonokuchi:** 18-10-7/28 (5 basho)

### **Championships**

* 1 **Juryo** Championship (September 1989)
* 1 **Jonokuchi** Championship (November 1984)

## **Shikona History**

* Miyata Kazuto (1983.03 - 1989.05)
* Ryukozan Kazuto (1989.07 - 1990.03)

## **Gallery**

Ryukozan's early career in the unsalaried ranks (c. 1989)Ryukozan celebrates juryo promotion with his stablemates (c. 1989)Ryukozan with his kesho-mawashiRyukozan after promotion to Makuuchi (c. 1989)Ryukozan throws salt into the ring (c. 1990)Ryukozan battles his opponentRyukozan listed as deceased on the visual banzuke (c. 1990)Ryukozan's signature
## **Sources**

* Ryukozan Kazuto Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Ryukozan Kazuto Rikishi Information