Kotobeppu Yohei

Kotobeppu Yohei - 琴別府 要平 (born October 17, 1965) is a former Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Beppu, Oita. He made his debut in March 1981 and wrestled for Sadogatake stable. He reached the makuuchi division in November 1992 and has 1 special prize. His highest rank was maegashira 1 and he retired in November 1997.

## **Career**

### **Early Career**

Yohei Miura joined Sadogatake stable and made his debut in March 1981. He was given the shikona "Kotobeppu" where the Beppu is derived from his hometown. He was promoted to sandanme in March 1984 and makushita in November 1986. He won his first makushita yusho in July 1987 and his second in November 1988. In May 1989 he produced a 6-1 record at the rank of makushita 4 and was promoted to juryo for the following July tournament.

### **Juryo Career**

Kotobeppu had to withdraw in his juryo debut because of nephritis and a long absence from competition due to uremia saw him fall greatly in rank. During this time he was close to requiring dialysis but eventually made a full recovery. By the time he returned he had fallen all the way down to jonokuchi. In his first tournament back he posted a 6-1 record, where his only lost came to Kamikiiwa. In the following tournament he claimed the jonidan yusho with a perfect 7-0 record after defeating Kamikiiwa in a playoff. After four consecutive 6-1 records he was promoted back to the top ranks of makushita and he eventually returned back to juryo in May 1992. He won the juryo yusho in September 1992 and was promoted to makuuchi in November 1992.

### **Makuuchi Career**

He became the first former sekitori to fall to the lowest jonokuchi division and subsequently manage to reach the top division. The only other wrestler to achieve this feat as of January 2018 is Ryuden. A previous member of Sadogatake stable, former ozeki Kotokaze, had fallen from sekiwake to makushita and had been referred to as "the man who saw hell" and after Kotobeppu's even bigger fall he was called, "the man who saw the new hell." Kotobeppu received the Fighting Spirit Prize for winning ten bouts in his top division debut. He stayed in makuuchi for 26 consecutive tournaments, but he never managed to reach san'yaku or defeat a yokozuna. His ghost rank was maegashira 1 in March 1995. He fell back down to juryo in March 1997.

## **Retirement from Sumo**

Kotopebbu fell back down to makushita in November 1997 and retired after the twelfth day of the tournament. He did not stay with the Japan Sumo association and instead trained as a ramen maker and opened a ramen restaurant in Chiba Prefecture and later in his hometown of Beppu, Oita where he also served chankonabe.

## **Fighting Style**

Kotopebbu preferred to fight on the opponent's mawashi, and his favored grip was (somewhat unusually) morozashi, or double hand inside. His most common winning kimarite was yorikiri, a straightforward force out.

## **Record**

### **Division Results**

* **Total:** 457-433-82/888 (101 basho)
* **Makuuchi:** 164-210-16/373 (26 basho)
* **Juryo:** 45-53-22/97 (8 basho)
* **Makushita:** 99-60-16/159 (25 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 66-53-14/119 (19 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 67-52-14/119 (19 basho)
* **Jonokuchi:** 16-5/21 (3 basho)

### **Championships**

* 1 **Juryo** Championship (September 1992)
* 2 **Makushita** Championships
	+ 1st (July 1987)
	+ 2nd (November 1988)
* 1 **Jonidan** Championship (November 1990)

### **Achievements**

* Special Prizes: Fighting Spirit Prize (1)
* **1st** sekitori to fall to jonokuchi and return to makuuchi

## **Shikona History**

* Miura Yohei (1981.03 - 1981.03)
* Kotobeppu Yohei (1981.05 - 1997.11)

## **Gallery**

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

Kotobeppu Yohei - 1997 (Retrieved from the JSA)Kotobeppu's tegata
### **Career Overview**

Kotobeppu in Juryo (c. 1989)Kotobeppu receives a sansho prize in his Makuuchi debut (c. 1992)Kotobeppu (c. 1997)Kotobeppu loses to future Ozeki Chiyotaikai (c. 1997)Kotobeppu inside his ramen restaurant (c. 2016)
## **Sources**

* Kotobeppu Yohei Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Kotobeppu Yohei Rikishi Information