Rikishi of Old The 60th Yokozuna Futahaguro Koji (1963~) Part II by Joe Kuroda Last time, Joe entertainingly curious to see if he had been truly injuries. explained the early career of rehabilitated and could focus on Yokozuna Futahaguro, the last his sumo. Right on cue, This all happened on December 27 grand champion before Futahaguro appeared to revive his 1987. While Futahaguro Asashoryu to effectively lose his former awesome self and put subsequently locked himself in his rank to bad behaviour. This time, together a 13-bout winning streak house and threatened to walk Joe reveals the exciting conclusion from day 1. He ended up losing to away from sumo, Tatsunami to Futahaguro’s story. both Hokutoumi and Chiyonofuji oyakata promptly went to the on the last two days and missed Kyokai office to tender In October 1987, Futahaguro out on the yusho again. However, Futahaguro's resignation without apparently became upset over a Futahaguro's 13-2 record was his consent from the yokozuna trivial matter and punched his best since promotion and he himself. The Kyokai directors tsukebito Yamanami. Five other looked firmly on the road to were caught off guard as most tsukebito all sympathized with recovery. were preparing for the New Year Yamanami as they too felt they celebration at that time. On could no longer take Futahaguro's As the basho – and indeed 1987 – December 31, the directors held an unpredictable and rough closed, it appeared that emergency meeting where they treatment. The six men then Futahaguro was finally on the way were told that several oyakata decided to run away from sumo to fully realising his potential, headed by then Takekuma oyakata together. The punch quickly following in the great footsteps of (former Sekiwake Kitanonada) turned into a major Tatsunami Beya’s super yokozuna, tried to persuade Futahaguro to embarrassment for the heya and Futabayama. But, just as his sumo stay but that his mind would not Ozumo, for it looked as if Ozumo future appeared brighter than ever budge. The directors had no was condoning wanton violence before, what started out as mere choice but to respect Tatsunami's within its ranks. The Kyokai's innocuous talk spiralled out of wish to dismiss Futahaguro executives and heya officials control and landed him in an outright. They could have chosen furiously attempted to diffuse the explosive situation, eventually the more grave route of expelling escalating crisis and forced leading to total self destruction. him but had no stomach for Futahaguro to apologize to the six inflicting such punishment on tsukebito. Somehow the worst was The story went like this. their yokozuna. Traditionally all averted. Futahaguro’s shisho heard from yokozuna and ozeki receive a sum one of the heya's recruits that the of money upon retirement in Meanwhile, on the dohyo, boisterous yokozuna was recognition of their contribution to Futahaguro’s records as a complaining about the heya's Ozumo. Futahaguro became the yokozuna remained as chanko meals, claiming it to be so only yokozuna not to be provided unimpressive as ever after he put bad that he couldn't eat even one with this bonus as he was the only together two sub-par spoonful. By this time everyone active yokozuna ever to be performances of 9-6 loss and 8-7 should have been accustomed to dismissed in Ozumo history. in July and September 1987. He Futahaguro's constant whining was clearly overshadowed by two over just about everything but, for Leaving Ozumo not because of Kokonoe Beya Yokozuna whatever reason, the shisho took injury or reaching one's physical Chiyonofuji and Hokutoumi (the an exception on this occasion. A limit, but as if to run away from it former Hoshi who earned his big fight thus ensued between in the middle of night, meant that yokozuna promotion earlier that Tatsunami oyakata and Futahaguro was perceived harshly year). Futahaguro, which allegedly ended by the public. The public saw a with the latter hitting a heya man of just 24 years old, never Although Onokuni was facing his supporter and his stable master’s fulfilling expectations and wasting yokozuna debut basho in wife who tried to separate them. It away abnormal potential. November 1987, all the attention was reported that the wife and was on Futahaguro, with everyone supporter sustained minor Futahaguro served only eight Sumo Fan Magazine 1 Issue 30 © SFM April 2010 basho as yokozuna (his name music composed by current along and finally lost the match by appeared on the following 1988 Ozumo commentator Demon penalty. After the loss, Kitao Hatsu Basho banzuke though he Kogure Kakka and then “beating” grabbed a microphone and yelled was long gone by the start). a well known American wrestler to Tenta: “You do nothing but Significantly, he failed to win even Bam Bam (Scott) Bigelow. Having yaocho (“match-fixing”), you one yusho in his eventful career. received special training from yaocho Bastard!” amid loud In the long history of Ozumo, legendary Lou Thesz, Kitao booing from the crowd. This was there has not been any yokozuna attempted to model himself on still in the days when the word whose active career was cut short Hulk Hogan but his wrestling “yaocho” was never publicly used in such an abysmal manner. skills never progressed beyond in pro-wrestling circles. Kitao's minimal level due to his habit of contract was thus terminated It was undoubtedly a personal skipping training sessions. quickly by SWS. tragedy of significant magnitude but it was also a great loss to the It was apparent from the moment Even after his dismissal from SWS, world of Ozumo. Yokozuna he stepped into the professional Kitao could not leave the world of Chiyonofuji admitted after his wrestling ring that he expected to combat sport altogether. In 1992 retirement that if Futahaguro had be treated like an active yokozuna He participated in Nobuhiko stayed on longer, his own career and king of the ring despite his Takada's newly launched UWF may not have been as long or his many shortcomings. His brazen International professional achievements as distinguished. attitude, whether an act or wrestling league matches, and With Futahaguro able to rival him otherwise, never warmed the then joined tournaments staged by every basho for yusho, it’s an hearts of wrestling fans. The a new martial arts organization: intriguing question whether honeymoon was over before it PRIDE. Kitao may have had Chiyonofuji could have even began as the fans started to ambitions of starting up his own accomplished his 53-bout winning desert him immediately. Even in a martial arts organization: he set streak or attained 1000 wins. heel role, the fans were yelling at up his own training gym, Kitao Against Chiyonofuji, Futahaguro him to “go home,” turning the hall Dojo, to develop new athletes in had a six win-eight loss career into a cacophony of jeering and 1994. After his first victory in a record (excluding yusho kettei-sen booing. This was quite a contrast PRIDE tournament held in results). As a yokozuna he lost all to another former yokozuna October 1997, Kitao announced three times to Chiyonofuji in his Wajima, who was greeted warmly that he had accomplished all he yusho kettei sen encounters. by fans when he turned to wanted to do in martial arts and Futahaguro thus never achieved professional wrestling. that he would retire from the field the top banzuke ranking of first within a year. East Yokozuna. Kitao's break with New Japan Professional Wrestling group came In January 1999, former After his “retirement” from rather abruptly after he made a Komusubi Asahiyutaka of Oshima Ozumo, Kitao decided to earn his racist comment against New Beya retired to take over living as a sports commentator. Japan's star wrestler Riki Choshu, Tatsunami Beya. Even during his He was always interested in calling him a “Korean son of days as the heya shisho, there were working as a sports analyst. Even bitch.” (Choshu was actually a persistent talks of Tatsunami during his sumo days, he was the resident Korean born and raised in oyakata’s dubious financial first rikishi to acquire a personal Japan). dealings and rumours of his computer and start compiling siphoning off his rikishi's other rikishi's statistics. Calling At this time another major remunerations. While Kitao never himself a “Sports Adventurer”, he professional wrestling star in disclosed publicly how he may contributed articles to a variety of Japan, Genichiro Tenryu, have been cheated out of all the magazines. Though Kitao initially launched a rival professional additional bonuses he had denied any interest, his Ozumo league SWS sponsored by a major received as yokozuna and ozeki, fans naturally expected him to go retail chain of eye glasses in Japan other rikishi started coming into professional wrestling as he named “Megane Super.” However, forward with accusations. was still in his mid-twenties and in even in this new league, Kitao got good competitive shape. himself into major controversy The major problem began when when he was pitted against John Asahiyutaka accused his father-in- Thus, in February 1990, did he Tenta (former Makushita rikishi law (whose daughter he married to make a much ballyhooed New Kototenta from Vancouver, take over the heya) of pocketing all Japan Professional Wrestling Canada). While Tenta attempted the revenues from his retirement debut, parading into the to engage Kitao in wrestling ceremony. Subsequent wrangling mammoth Tokyo Dome with moves, Kitao plainly refused to go resulted in Asahiyutaka divorcing Sumo Fan Magazine 2 Issue 30 © SFM April 2010 Tatsunami’s daughter and moving Current speculation revolves were so wrong in their initial the heya out of the building owned around how the former Tatsunami assessments.