Kyokunankai Hiromitsu

Kyokunankai Hiromitsu - 旭南海 廣光 (born December 14, 1977) is a former Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Amagi, Kagoshima. He made his debut in March 1993 and wrestled for Oshima stable. He reached the makuuchi division in September 2010. His highest rank was maegashira 16 and he retired in May 2011.

## **Career**

### **Early Career**

He joined Oshima stable from junior high school, having met in 1992 a wrestler at the stable, Kyokudozan, who was from the nearby town of Tokunoshima. He made his professional debut in March 1993, fighting under his real surname of Ken. In May 1995 he adopted a formal shikona of Kyokunankai. Weighing less than 100 kg (220 lb), he rose slowly up the ranks, not reaching the third highest makushita division until 1999. It took him another six years to win his first yusho or tournament championship in the division, which came in March 2005 with a 6–1 record. After another 6–1 record in the following tournament in May he finally became a sekitori and was promoted to the juryo division.

### **Juryo Career**

In March 2006 he scored ten wins in a tournament for the first time and reached a new highest rank of juryo 2, but reaching the top division still proved beyond him as he could score only 4–11 in the following tournament. After some mediocre results he fell back to the makushita division in January 2008 but made an immediate return to juryo after just one tournament's absence.

### **Makuuchi Career**

In July 2010 he earned promotion to the top makuuchi division for the first time. His record of 10–5 at the low rank of juryo 12 would not under normal circumstances have been enough to win promotion, but due to six makuuchi wrestlers (Toyonoshima, Miyabiyama, Toyohibiki, Goeido, Okinoumi and Wakakoyu) being suspended from the tournament because of a baseball betting scandal and being demoted, there were a large number of vacancies on the banzuke for the Sumo Association to fill. It had taken Kyokunankai 105 tournaments from his professional debut to reach the top division, which is the second slowest in sumo history after fellow Kagoshima Prefecture native Hoshiiwato. Kyokunankai scored only four wins against eleven losses in his makuuchi debut from the rank of maegashira 16, and was demoted back to juryo.

## **Retirement from Sumo**

Kyokunankai last competed on the dohyo in the January 2011 tournament. Following this tournament he was one of 22 wrestlers identified after an investigation by the Sumo Association as being guilty of match-fixing and was ordered to retire. Kyokunankai denied involvement but nonetheless handed in his retirement papers on April 5th, 2011 (ensuring that he would retain his retirement benefits and avoid being formally expelled).

On April 28th he was invited by Antonio Inoki of the IGF professional wrestling organization to visit the GENOME 15 event, but he decided not to participate, declaring that he would move to his wife's parents home in Fukuoka.

## **Fighting Style**

Kyokunankai was a yotsu-sumo wrestler, preferring grappling techniques to pushing or thrusting. His favoured grip on his opponent's mawashi was hidari-yotsu, a right hand outside, left hand inside position. His most common winning kimarite was yori-kiri, a straightforward force out.

## **Record**

### **Division Results**

* **Total:** 512-493-9/1003 (108 basho)
* **Makuuchi:** 4-11/15 (1 basho)
* **Juryo:** 233-245-2/477 (32 basho)
* **Makushita:** 134-112/246 (35 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 66-67/133 (19 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 63-49-7/111 (17 basho)
* **Jonokuchi:** 12-9/21 (3 basho)

### **Championships**

* 1 **Makushita** Championship (March 2005)

### **Achievements**

* **Record:** **2nd** Slowest progress to top division (105 tournaments)

## **Shikona History**

* Ken (1999.03 - 1995.03)
* Kyokunankai Joichiro (1995.05 - 2010.09)
* Kyokunankai Hiromitsu (2010.11 - 2011.05)

## **Gallery**

### **JSA Profile Pictures and Tegata**

Kyokunankai Hiromitsu - 2005 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kyokunankai's tegata
### **Career Overview**

Kyokunankai during his early sumo daysKyokunankai after promotion to Juryo (c. 2005)Kyokunankai after a match (c. 2005)Kyokunankai during the dohyo-iriKyokunankai after promotion to Makuuchi (c. 2010)Kyokunankai after being found guilty for match fixing (c. 2011)Kyokunankai's retirement ceremony (c. 2011)Kyokunankai hints at an MMA career (c. 2011)Kyokunankai hints at a pro wresting career (c. 2011)
## **Sources**

* Kyokunankai Hiromitsu Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Kyokunankai Hiromitsu Rikishi Information