Tamanoumi Masahiro
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| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Real name | Takeuchi Masao | |
| Date of birth | February 5, 1944 | |
| Place of birth | Aichi | |
| Height | 177.0cm | |
| Weight | 135.0kg | |
| Career* | ||
| Heya | Kataonami | |
| Rank | retired | |
| Record | 469-221 (Makuuchi) | |
| Debut | March, 1959 | |
| Highest rank | Yokozuna (January, 1970) | |
| Yushos | 6(Makuuchi) | |
| Special Prizes | Outstanding Performance (4) Fighting Spirit (2) |
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| Gold stars | 4 (Tochinoumi (2), Sadanoyama (2)) |
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* Career information is correct as of March 2007. |
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Tamanoumi Masahiro (玉の海 正洋, February 5, 1944 - October 11, 1971), was a sumo wrestler, born in Aichi, Japan. He was the sport's 51st yokozuna.
Tamanoumi began his professional career in March 1959, joining the same stable as the great yokozuna Taihō. At that stage he used a different shikona, or fighting name: Tamanoshima. In 1962 his coach, Kataonami, set up a new stable and Tamanoshima joined it. He reached the top makuuchi division in March 1964. He was promoted to sumo's second highest rank of ozeki in November 1966. In May 1968, after three runner-up performances in a row, he finally captured his first yusho, or tournament title, with a 13-2 record. His second title came in September 1969. In November he posted a 10-5 record, and in January 1970 he took part in a playoff for the title with fellow ozeki Kitanofuji. Tamanoshima lost the match, but after the tournament both Kitanofuji and Tamanoshima were promoted to the yokozuna rank.
Upon reaching yokozuna Tamanoshima changed his name to Tamanoumi. His first tournament championship as a yokozuna came in September 1970 and he followed it up with another victory in November, defeating Taihō in a playoff. In July 1971 Tamanoumi won his sixth and final championship, his first with a perfect 15-0 record.
On October 11th, 1971, Tamanoumi underwent an appendectomy but suffered a fatal heart attack during the procedure. He was only the fourth man in history to die whilst an active yokozuna. Kitanofuji was a good friend of Tamanoumi as well as a rival and was shocked by his death. He was just 27 years old and would undoubtedly have won many more championships had he lived.
[edit] External Links
[edit] References
Grand Sumo: The Living Sport and Tradition by Lora Sharnoff, Weatherhill, 1993.
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