Ozora Hiroshi

Ozora Hiroshi - 大空 洋 (born December 2, 1971 - July 23, 2013) was an American professional sumo wrestler from Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. He made his debut in September 1989 and wrestled for Azumazeki stable. His highest rank was makushita 13 and he retired in May 1995.

## **Early Life**

Troy Levi Talaimatai was born on December 2, 1971, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was a successful American football player at Farrington High School and earned All-State honors. Despite receiving an athletic scholarship offer from Pasadena City College for football, Talaimatai passed up on it to join professional sumo. He was recruited to join Azumazeki stable by former sekiwake Takamiyama, another Hawaiian, and joined the stable alongside Hidenokuni (first European sumo wrestler) and Taikai (Akebono's brother).

## **Career**

He made his debut in September 1989 under the shikona "Ozora" (大空) and produced an impressive 6-1 record in his jonokuchi debut, where his only loss came to future yokozuna Musashimaru. In the following tournament, he won all seven bouts and a playoff match against future juryo wrestler Kotokuri for the jonidan yusho.

He continued his dominant streak and reached the makushita division in March 1991. Weighing well over 200 kg (440 Ib), he was one of the biggest rikishi in sumo and would usually overpower much smaller opponents. In May 1992, he reached a career-high rank of makushita 13. In September of that year, he produced a 6-1 record and participated in an eight-man playoff, where he defeated fellow Hawaiian Sunahama in the first round, but ended up losing to Narimatsu. He would remain mainly in makushita for the majority of his later career.

In March 1994, he fell back down to sandanme and remained there around a year. After sitting out of the March 1995 tournament, his retirement was announced in the following tournament.

## **Personal Life**

* He is married and has one son and one daughter. He resided in Aiea, Oahu, Hawaii, after retirement from sumo.
* He is of Samoan descent.
* Troy Talaimatai sadly passed away on July 23, 2013, after suffering a heart attack. He was 41 years old. He is buried in Hawaiian Memorial Park in Kaneohe, Hawaii.

## **Fighting Style**

Ozora was an oshi-sumo wrestler who prefers pushing and thrusting techniques to fighting on the mawashi. His most common kimarite used was a straightforward oshidashi, or push out. At his biggest he weighed 211.3 kg (466 Ib) which meant that he could easily overpower his opponents.

## **Record**

### **Division Results**

* **Total:** 122-99-10/221 (34 basho)
* **Makushita:** 64-69/133 (19 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 45-29-10/74 (12 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 7-0/7 (1 basho)
* **Jonokuchi:** 6-1/7 (1 basho)

### **Championships**

* 1 **Jonidan** Championship (January 1990)

## **Gallery**

Troy Talaimatai's early days in American Football (c. 1988)Ozora joins alongside future Yokozuna Musashimaru (c. 1989)Ozora (right) acts as a tsukebito (c. 1989)Ozora defeats Kotoarashi to win the Jonidan yusho (c. 1990)Ozora at a charity event (c. 1992)Ozora during a training session (c. 1992)
## **See Also**

* List of American Sumo Wrestlers
* List of Heaviest Sumo Wrestlers

## **Sources**

* Ozora Hiroshi Rikishi Information
* Sumo Forum Thread on American Rikishi
* Honolulu Advertiser, *Two Bound for Jesse's Stable*
* Los Angeles Times Article on Sumo
* Ozora Hiroshi Obituary