Tokitsunada Hironori

Tokitsunada Hironori - 時津洋 宏典 (born August 2, 1969 - February 14, 2019) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Waki, Tokushima. He made his debut in March 1985 and wrestled for Tokitsukaze stable. He reached the makuuchi division in May 1992. His highest rank was maegashira 4 and he retired in September 1999.

## **Early Life**

Hironori Yoshioka attended Mima Shiritsu Wakimachi Elementary School and Mima Shiritsu Wakimachi Junior High School. He participated in shot put during junior high school and was ranked nationally. After graduating from junior high school he decided to join Tokitsukaze stable.

## **Career**

### **Early Career**

He made his debut in March 1985 and wrestled under his surname of Yoshioka. He was promoted to sandanme in March 1987 and makushita in January 1988. He changed his shikona to "Tokitsunada" (時津洋) in May 1990 and two tournaments later he won the makushita yusho with a perfect 7-0 record at the rank of makushita 15 which guaranteed him a promotion to juryo in September 1990.

### **Juryo Career**

Tokitsunada produced an 8-7 record in his debut, but followed with a 4-11 record which resulted in a demotion back to makushita. He returned to juryo four tournaments later in September 1991 and posted four consecutive winning records which earned him a promotion to makuuchi in May 1992.

### **Makuuchi Career**

Tokitsunada's first makuuchi run lasted five tournaments where a 3-12 record in January 1993 sent him back down to juryo. He returned immediately after winning the juryo yusho with an 11-4 record. In his return, he produced a strong 10-5 record and was promoted to a career-best maegashira 4 in the July 1993 tournament. In this tournament he only managed 5 wins. He was demoted back down to juryo in March 1995 where he won his second juryo yusho and was promoted back to makuuchi. He only lasted in makuuchi for three tournaments and was demoted back to juryo in November 1995.

### **Later Career**

He remained in juryo for four years and produced consistent, but unspectacular results. He fell down to makushita in July 1999 and announced his retirement in the following tournament.

## **Retirement from Sumo**

He retired in September 1999 and remained in the Sumo Association as jun-toshiyori. He had to leave the Sumo Association in September 2001, having failed to acquire a permanent toshiyori. He was the first jun-toshiyori wrestler to be forced to leave sumo in this way. However he later worked in a private capacity as a coach at Arashio stable.

After sumo, he ran a chankonabe restaurant called "Tokitsunada" in Tokyo. He had a restaurant in Singapore, but it closed down. He also owned his own farm in Izu.

### **Death**

Tokitsunada died of heart failure at his home in Tokyo on February 14th, 2019.

## **Fighting Style**

Tokitsunada favored techniques are listed at the Sumo Association as migi-yotsu (a left hand outside, right hand inside grip on the opponent's mawashi) and yori (forcing). He won majority of his matches by yorikiri, or force out.

## **Record**

### **Division Results**

* **Total:** 505-486-10/990 (88 basho)
* **Makuuchi:** 127-155-3/281 (19 basho)
* **Juryo:** 231-219/450 (30 basho)
* **Makushita:** 57-48-7/105 (16 basho)
* **Sandanme:** 41-29/70 (10 basho)
* **Jonidan:** 45-32/77 (11 basho)
* **Jonokuchi:** 4-3/7 (1 basho)

### **Championships**

* 2 **Juryo** Championships
	+ 1st (March 1993)
	+ 2nd (March 1995)
* 1 **Makushita** Championship (July 1990)

## **Shikona History**

* Yoshioka Hironori (1985.03 - 1990.03)
* Tokitsunada Hironori (1990.05 - 1999.09)

## **Gallery**

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

Tokitsunada Hironori - 1998 (Retrieved from the JSA)Tokitsunada's tegata
### **Career Overview**

Tokitsunada (c. 1992)Tokitsunada defeats Asasoyo to win the Juryo Yusho (c. 1993)Tokitsuada accepts his money after winning a matchTokitsunada battles Mitoizumi (c. 1998)Tokitsunada (c. 1999)Tokitsunada after retirement as Tokitsunada Oyakata (c. 1999)Tokitsunada's retirement ceremony (c. 2000)Tokitsnada outside his restaurant, "Tokitsunada"
## **Sources**

* Tokitsunada Hironori Japanese Wikipedia Article
* Tokitsunada Hironori Rikishi Information