Wakamisugi Akiteru

Wakamisugi Akiteru - 若三杉 彰晃 (born September 24, 1937 - November 2, 1983) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Marugame, Kagawa. He made his debut in March 1955 and wrestled for Hanakago stable. He reached the makuuchi division in November 1958 and has five special prizes, eight kinboshi and one top division championship. His highest rank was sekiwake and he retired in May 1967.

## **Career**

### **Early Career**

He belonged in the judo club at Marugame High School, but dropped out for professional sumo after he was recruited by Hanakago Oyakata (former maegashira Onoumi). He made his debut in March 1955, wrestling for Hanakago stable, and was promoted to sandanme in January 1956 and makushita in September 1956. He used a variety of different shikona, including his own surname of Sugiyama, Kunikaze and Misugiiso, before adopting the name Wakamisugi when he reached sekitori status upon promotion to the juryo division in May 1958.

### **Juryo Career**

In his first tournament as a sekitori, he finished with an 11-4 record, but missed out on the yusho after losing to stablemate Wakachichibu in the playoff. Nevertheless, he followed with two more 11-4 records and was promoted to makuuchi in November 1958.

### **Makuuchi Career**

Wakamisugi posted a strong 10-5 record in his first top division tournament, but was not awarded the Fighting Spirit prize as that was not the standard back then. Nevertheless, he went on to win special prizes on five different occasions.

He won the top division championship in May 1960 from the rank of maegashira 4. After losing to ozeki Wakahaguro on the opening day of the tournament he won his next 14 bouts. One of his wins was by default, over yokozuna Tochinishiki who had announced his retirement the previous day. He had a genuine victory over yokozuna Asashio on Day 4. He finished with a 14–1 record, one win ahead of yokozuna Wakanohana, who he did not have to fight as they were members of the same stable. It was his first and only tournament win.

In September 1962 Wakamisugi changed his shikona once again, to Daigo Hisateru. He was a tournament runner-up in November 1962 and November 1965, both times to Taiho. He held the sekiwake rank ten times in total, including seven consecutive tournaments from May 1963 to May 1964. He earned eight kinboshi for defeating yokozuna (most of them coming after he dropped from the sekiwake rank in 1964) and five came from the same yokozuna, Tochinoumi.

## **Retirement from Sumo**

He retired in May 1967 and became an elder of the Sumo Association under the name Araiso, working as a coach at Hanakago stable. In addition, he worked as a judge during the official tournaments.

### **Death**

He died on September 24, 1937, while still active as a coach, at Nihon University Hospital in Chiyoda, Tokyo, due to liver cirrhosis. He was 46 years old.

## **Personal Life**

He was the brother in law of yokozuna Wakanohana Kanji I.

## **Fighting Style**

Wakamisugi was a yotsu-sumo wrestler who prefers grappling to pushing and thrusting techniques. He favored a hidari-yotsu (right hand outside, left hand inside) position when gripping his opponent's mawashi (belt). His most common kimarite was yorikiri, or force out. He was also fond of employing uwatenage, or overarm throw.

## **Record**

### **Division Results**

* **Total:** 501-412-4/912 (69 basho)
* **Makuuchi:** 387-374-4/760 (51 basho)
* **Juryo:** 33-12/45 (4 basho)
* **Makushita:** 46-18/64 (8 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 20-4/24 (3 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 13-3/16 (2 basho)
* **Shinjo:** 2-1/3 (1 basho)

### **Championships**

* 1 **Makuuchi** Championship (May 1960)
* 1 **Makushita** Championship (March 1958)

### **Achievements**

* **Special Prizes:** Fighting Spirit Prize (3), Outstanding Performance Prize (2)
* **Kinboshi:** 8: (5) Tochinoumi, (1) Sadanoyama, (1) Kashiwado, (1) Asashio

## **Shikona History**

* Sugiyama Noboru (1955.03 - 1956.09)
* Kunikaze (1957.01 - 1957.01)
* Sugiyama Noboru (1957.03 - 1957.11)
* Misugiiso (1958.01 - 1958.01)
* Sugiyama Noboru (1958.03 - 1958.03)
* Wakamisugi Akiteru (1958.05 - 1962.07)
* Daigo Noboru (1962.09 - 1962.09)
* Daigo Hisateru (1962.11 - 1967.05)

## **Gallery**

Wakamisugi smokes a cigarette before his big match (c. 1960)Wakamisugi defeats Iwakaze to win his first Yusho (c. 1960)Wakamisugi wins his first and only Yusho (c. 1960)Wakamisugi celebrates after winning the Yusho (c. 1960)Wakamisugi's first and only Yusho parade (c. 1960)Wakamisugi poses for his Yusho portrait (c. 1960)Daigo with one of his many sansho prizes (c. 1960)Daigo poses with his kesho-mawashi (c. 1967)Wakamisugi after retirement as Araiso Oyakata (c. 1976)Wakamisugi's tegataDaigo's signature
## **Sources**

* Wakamisugi Akiteru Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Wakamisugi Akiteru Rikishi Information