Weight 161 kg (355 lb) Debut January 1935 Retired January, 1953 Role Sumo wrestler Makuuchi rank Yokozuna Parents Hatasegawa Kunishichiro | Record 313-110-74 Highest rank Yokozuna (May 1942) Name Terukuni Manzo Died March 20, 1977 Height 1.74 m | |
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Born Marizo Suga
January 10, 1919
Akita, Japan ( 1919-01-10 ) Championships 2 (Makuuchi)
1 (Juryo)
1 (Makushita) Stables Former Isegahama stable (until 1953), Tateyama stable Similar People Haguroyama Masaji, Akinoumi Setsuo, Chiyonoyama Masanobu, Futabayama Sadaji, Tochinishiki Kiyotaka | ||
Terukuni Manzō (照國 万藏, January 10, 1919 – March 20, 1977) was a sumo wrestler from Ogachi, Akita Prefecture, Japan. He was the sport's 38th yokozuna. He was promoted to yokozuna without any top division tournament titles to his name, although he later attained two.
Contents
Career
In the summer of 1930, he was scouted by Isegahama, former sekiwake Kiyosegawa Keinosuke, his distant relative. However, he was largely forgotten due to the disruption caused by the Shunjuen Incident of 1932, in which a large number of wrestlers went on strike. After the dispute was settled, he joined Isegahama stable in 1934, making his debut in January 1935.
He was promoted to the top makuuchi division in May 1939, and reached the ōzeki rank in May 1941. After two tournaments at ōzeki, he finished in a three way tie for the championship in May 1942 with Futabayama and Akinoumi, on 13-2. The championship was awarded to Futabayama (whom Terukuni had defeated in their individual match) simply because he was of a higher rank, as was the rule at the time. Nevertheless, after the tournament both Terukuni and Akinoumi were promoted to yokozuna. At 23 years of age, Terukuni was the youngest wrestler to reach the yokozuna rank until the promotion of Taihō in 1961. He did well in his yokozuna debut, scoring 14-1, although he finished one win behind Futabayama, who won his last match by default.
He was a heavy wrestler for his time, weighing over 160 kg (350 lb). During World War II, his weight declined due to the food shortages.
Having been a runner-up on five previous occasions, he finally won his first championship in September 1950, about eight years after his promotion. He won his second championship in the very next tournament with a perfect 15-0 record.
Three days into the January 1953 tournament, he announced his retirement. After the tournament, Kagamisato was promoted to yokozuna, and a photograph was taken of Terukuni and Kagamisato alongside the other grand champions Chiyonoyama, Azumafuji and Haguroyama. As Terukuni had not yet had his official retirement ceremony, some regard January 1953 as being the only occasion on which there were five yokozuna at the same time.
Retirement from sumo
After his retirement, he became head coach of Isegahama stable and produced ōzeki Kiyokuni Katsuo. He had already made arrangements to pass control over the stable over to Kiyokuni at the time of his death in 1977 at the age of 58.