Takanoiwa Yoshimori

Early life and sumo background

Baasandorj passed a selective test administered by a Japanese coach from Johoku High School in Shimane prefecture, who had come to Mongolia looking for sumo prospects. He was then invited to come to Japan as an exchange student on a sumo program at the age of sixteen. Only three months after coming to Japan, his father died of liver disease in Mongolia. He had already lost his mother to heart disease when he was eight years old. Through this adversity, he still managed to excel, and in 2007 made the best four in the individual category at a national junior sumo competition and in 2008 finished second in the middle-weight category at the World Junior Sumo Championships held in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Career

In November 2008 he joined Takanohana stable, run by former yokozuna Takanohana who he had idolized since a young age. The ring name he would choose is purported to have come from a chance meeting with singer and author Akihiro Miwa in Haneda airport, as he was being accompanied by Takanohana from Shimane prefecture to his new stable. Upon meeting him, Miwa described him a "like a rock" (岩 iwa). This left an impression on him and that very evening he consulted with his stablemaster and together they conceived of the ring name of Takanoiwa (noble rock), the taka (貴) coming from his stablemaster's ring name (as is the custom at the stable).

His debut was delayed one tournament while his visa was procured, and he debuted in maezumō in the January 2009 tournament along with fellow recruits Takageppō and Takatoshi. Proceeding him were graduates from Johoku High School (well known for its strong sumo program) Takarafuji, Kimikaze and Tokushōryū. He official debut was in the following March 2009 tournament where he managed a strong 5-2 record in the jonokuchi division. In the May 2009 tournament in the jonidan division, he would vie for the championship, logging a perfect 7-0 record and only losing on the final day in a play-off. After two winning tournaments in the sandanme division, in the November 2009 he took the championship in that division with a 7-0 record and playoff win. This allowed him promotion to the makushita third division, but he struggled in this division for an over a year, rarely achieving a winning tournament and in the midway through the May 2011 tournament he dropped out and also missed the following tournament. He was relegated back to sandanme but was not deterred and posted a 6-1 record his first tournament back which allowed him to be promoted back to makushita the very next tournament where he achieved a 6-1 record and participated in a three-man playoff for the championship, losing the second playoff match to future sekitori Chiyoōtori. His fortunes continued to improve and after four winning tournaments at makushita he was promoted to the salaried ranks of jūryō for the first time for the July 2012 tournament. After recording a winning 8-7 record, he had managed only two 7-8 tournaments after this. However, at the rank of jūryō 13, a rank low enough to face possible relegation if he did not perform well, he turned his fortunes around and took the championship in jūryō with a 12-3 record. After another five tournaments, achieving mostly winning records in jūryō he was finally promoted to the top tier makuuchi division for the January 2014 tournament.

Over the next two years Takanoiwa moved back and forth between the top two divisions. He was relegated after the May tournament but returned immediately after recording twelve wins in July. After two losing records he dropped back to jūryō but was promoted again after the March 2015 tournament. He again lasted only two tournaments before being relegated but was promoted for the fourth time after a kachi-koshi or winning record in November 2015. In January and March 2016 he achieved back-to-back winning records for the first time in the top division. In July he had his best performance to date in the top division, scoring 12–3 and finishing runner-up to Harumafuji. He was awarded his first special prize, for Fighting Spirit, and won promotion to his highest rank to date of maegashira 3 for the September 2016 tournament.

Losing records in the last two tournaments of 2016 saw him drop to maegashira 10 but he returned to form in January 2017. After compiling a 10-3 record he earned his first kinboshi on day 14 with force out (yorikiri) win over Hakuhō. Despite losing to Sokokurai on the final day he finished in a tie for third place and was awarded the special prize for Outstanding Performance. He was promoted to his highest rank to date of maegashira 2 for the Haru tournament in March. He withdrew from the May 2017 tournament on the 12th day due to a thigh injury.

Fighting style

Takanoiwa is a yotsu-sumo wrestler who prefers grappling techniques to pushing and thrusting. His favoured grip on his opponent's mawashi or belt is migi-yotsu, a left hand outside, right hand inside position. He regularly uses his left hand outer grip to win by uwatenage, or overarm throw, but his most common winning kimarite is a straightforward yori-kiri, or force out.