The anticipated shin-makushita (新幕下) wrestlers for the Hatsu 2024 tournament will be: Anōshō, Ōyamada, Ōka, Nishida, and Nagamura. However, before we turn to them, we should see how the crop of Makushita debutants performed in Kyūshū.
A Look Back at Kyushu
The great: Satorufuji – he won the division as shin-makushita. He may soon join his fellow Hiryū high stablemate, Atamifuji, in the top division. Isegahama has recruited another Hiryū high prospect, Suzuki, who will join in January.
The good: Ōnokatsu, who I did not cover as he was given special dispensation to join at Makushita 15 last time. The Mongolian college Yokozuna from Nittaidai performed well in his debut, with a 5-2 record. Haruyama also did well, showing that the solid Uni- performers do not really reach a good challenge until the top of division three.
Needs work: Kenshin – actually, his getting a 3-4 record was a bit of a surprise for me. He is around his peak performance and after so many years in division 4, I figured he would never reach division 3. I figured a big flame out if he ever did – but he was solid. I enjoyed seeing his sumo, too, in some of the makushita videos I found.
The wheels fell off: I figured that Kenshin would have a tough time, but also I thought that Asashinjō was ranked well above his abilities. Expectations were met with a 2-5 record. The biggest disappointment was 1-6’ Gōnoumi. The former high-school Yokozuna was overmatched, even against the limited competition he faced (Sadonhikarai, Okinohama, Kenshin, and others). I am guessing there is more to this story (injury or other reasons) and that he will come back once the issue is resolved.
Looking Ahead to Hatsu
Anōshō (安大翔) is one of the first recruits to come out of the new Ajigawa stable (oyakata is former Aminishiki). He began sumo in third grade and was a part of Sanbongi Agricultural High School’s team. He finished in the top 8 at the national championships before being scouted by Ajigawa. He is 18 years old and 5’8” (175cm)/ 350 lbs (159kg) wrestler out of Miyagi prefecture. He made his debut in May 2023 and has shot up the ranks like a rocket. He won the Jonokuchi division in May and Jonidan in July, defeating former Jūryō, Ōki, in the playoff. He has generally fought only against lower division lifers, so this tournament may be the first real challenge he has faced. He is an oshi sumo specialist. He currently has a lifetime record of 19-2 (.905)
Ōyamada (欧山田) is an interesting recruit out of Naruto-beya. He is already 24 years old, and on the light side at 5’10” (180cm)/ 223 lbs (101kg) and hails from Akita prefecture. He comes from a wrestling background and was on the wrestling clubs at Akita Commercial High School and Yamanashi Gakuin University. He is a former Asian champion in the 86kg freestyle wrestling class – essentially performing at the top levels and even with dreams of representing his country in the Tokyo Olympics. However, he lost in the semifinals of the All-Japan Championships and did not qualify. He made his debut in Natsu 2022 and has only one make-koshi tournament on his way up the banzuke. He aims to “purge himself of lingering regrets” from his wrestling career by joining sumo. Because of his background, he is often interesting to watch as he applies his wrestling techniques on the dōhyō. He currently has a lifetime record of 38-22-3 (.633)
Ōka (鷹翔) is a veteran out of Minato-beya. He made his debut in Natsu 2011, so he has more than 12 years’ experience as a journeyman in the lower divisions. He is now 30 years old and 6’3” (191cm)/ 357 lbs (162 kg). He is from Saitama prefecture and comes out of Hakuyō High School in Utsunomiya, where he was a member of the Judo club. Here is a short video about his 30th birthday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPUWaeY57KQ It took him over three years to make Sandanme, and he has been in Sandanme exclusively since the March 2016 tournament. His 6-1 record in November was only the third time he has achieved 6 wins in a tournament across his long career. His career record currently stands at 260-258 (.502). I like to cheer on such veterans who find themselves in a new division after a long-career.
Nishida (西田) is a 19-year old wrestler from Nishonoseki-beya. He is 5’11’’ (183cm)/ 369lbs (167kg) and hails from Fukuoka prefecture. He made his debut in the Covid-cancelled Haru 2020 tournament. He has been taking sumo for many years, beginning in the second grade at the Tsukiage-cho Boys Sumo Club. While in fourth grade he won third place in the Hakuhō Cup team competition and 16th place in the individual competition. In sixth grade he participated in the All-Japan Elementary School Sumo Championship Tournament. Nishida’s was scouted during his third year of junior high school when he placed second in the junior high division at the “Yoshikaze Sumo Tournament” as he was approached directly by Nakamura Oyakata (former Sekiwake Yoshikaze) and decided to join the Oguruma-beya. Upon closure of Oguruma-beya, he joined Yoshikaze in the move to Nishonoseki-beya. He currently has a career record of 82-65 (.558) and has been steadily rising up the ranks.
Nagamura (長村) is also 19 years old. Unlike other Hiryū High School prospects (Atamifuji and Satorufuji) he did not join Isegahama and was scouted by Kise-beya. He is 5’7” (172cm)/277 lbs (126kg) and hails from Miyazaki Prefecture. He made his debut in Hatsu 2023. He began participating in local children’s sumo tournaments in the third grade, but did not really pursue sumo until 6th grade when he want a local sumo tournament and qualified to participate in a nationwide tourney. He joined the Kitakata Sumo Club in elementary school and then attended Nobeoka Sumo Dojo at Nobeoka Minami Junior High. In his junior year at Hiryū he placed 8th at the National High School Tournament and his team finished in 3rd. He wants to emulate the pushing/thrusting of Takakeishō and the also hails Midorifuji (also Hiryū grad) as a model. Satorufuji is a rival, given their common background. He has a career record of 25-10 (.714).