Kitanofuji Katsuaki
Career. Kitanofuji began his professional career in January 1957 at the age of just 14, joining Dewanoumi stable. In November 1963 he achieved a perfect 15–0 score in the second highest "jūryō" division (a feat not equalled until 43 years later by Baruto) and was promoted to the top "makuuchi" division. In his debut top division tournament in January 1964 he scored 13 wins, although he faced only his fellow "maegashira." He won the Fighting Spirit award and was promoted straight to "komusubi." By 1966 he was firmly established in the "san'yaku" ranks at "sekiwake." He reached "ōzeki  rank in July 1966. Although he had won only 28 bouts in the previous three tournaments (at least 33 are normally needed), Yutakayama was the only ōzeki" at the time, and he was promoted largely because of his potential. In January 1967 he followed the coach who had scouted him, former "yokozuna" Chiyonoyama, to a new stable, Kokonoe. His first tournament championship came in March of that year. Kitanofuji was competing in an era dominated by Taihō, but he emerged from the great "yokozuna's" shadow by winning consecutive championships in November 1969 and January 1970 to secure his own  promotion to "yokozuna". Promoted alongside him was his friend and rival Tamanoumi. His first title as a "yokozuna" came in May 1970. After a run of relatively mediocre 11–4 marks he won in May 1971 with a perfect record and he took two other championships that year. However, Tamanoumi's sudden death in October 1971 shook Kitanofuji badly and affected his performance in the ring. Now the sole "yokozuna" in sumo, he went into a slump. After poor performances in the first two tournaments of 1972, he pulled out of the May 1972 tourney because of insomnia. He took a  leave of absence from the next tournament in July, but went on a trip to Hawaii and was caught surfboarding. He was cautioned by the Japan Sumo Association and immediately apologised. He returned to win the next championship with a perfect record in September 1972. His final title came in March 1973, and his last challenge for a championship was in July of that year when he lost a playoff to veteran Kotozakura. After several more absences Kitanofuji announced his retirement at the age of 32 three days into the July 1974 tournament, acknowledging that there was now a new  era being led by Wajima and Kitanoumi, both several years younger than himself. Kotozakura retired in the same week, and Kitanoumi was promoted to "yokozuna" after the tournament ended. Kitanofuji's total of ten tournament championships was, at the time, behind only Futabayama's 12 and Taiho's 32. Retirement from sumo. Kitanofuji remained in the Japan Sumo Association after his retirement, initially under the name of Izutsu. Shortly after retiring he branched out and set up his own Izutsu stable. In 1977, however, he became head of the Kokonoe stable of wrestlers following Chiyonoyama's death, and merged his  stable back into Kokonoe. He gave the Izutsu name to former "sekiwake" Tsurugamine and adopted the Kokonoe name. During his tenure as head of Kokonoe stable both Chiyonofuji and Hokutoumi reached the rank of "yokozuna", and he produced a number of other top division wrestlers such as Takanofuji and Tomoefuji. He handed over control of the stable to Chiyonofuji in April 1992, but he remained an "oyakata" under the name Jinmaku. In September 1993 he left Kokonoe stable and joined his former wrestler Hokutoumi’s newly established Hakkaku stable. In February 1998 he failed to be re-elected to the  Sumo Association's Board of Directors, and citing the lack of support from his fellow "oyakata" in the Takasago "ichimon" or group of stables, he decided to leave the organisation several years before the mandatory retirement age. However, he still often appears on television as a sumo analyst for NHK. In 2002, he performed his "kanreki dohyō-iri" or '60th year ring entrance ceremony' to commemorate his years as "yokozuna". In January 2017 he took a break from sumo commentary in order to recuperate from heart surgery. Fighting style. Kitanofuji's favoured grip were "hidari-yotsu" (a right hand outside , left hand inside grip on his opponent's "mawashi"), and his favoured techniques were "yori". His most common "kimarite" (winning techniques) were "yorikiri" (force out), "sotogake" (outer leg trip), "uwatenage" (overarm throw), and "hatakikomi" (slap down). Career record.