Ochiai Tetsuya
Ochiai Tetsuya (Japanese: 落合 哲也, born August 22, 2003) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Kurayoshi, Tottori. After a successful amateur career, he turned professional in January 2023, via makushita tsukedashi, winning the division's championship. His highest rank has been makushita 15. He wrestles for Miyagino stable.
| Ochiai Tetsuya | |
|---|---|
| 落合 哲也 | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Tetsuya Ochiai August 22, 2003 Kurayoshi, Tottori, Japan |
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10+1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 156 kg (344 lb; 24.6 st) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Miyagino |
| Current rank | see below |
| Record | 7-0 |
| Debut | January, 2023 |
| Highest rank | Makushita 15 (January, 2023) |
| Championships | 1 Makushita |
| * Up to date as of 23 January 2023. | |
Early life and sumo background
Ochiai began to wrestle regularly when he was in his fourth year of primary school.[1] He entered Tottori Johoku High School and won the title of high school yokozuna in his second and third year of high school competition;[1] in his third year, he was in the top eight at the All-Japan Championships and thus was eligible for sandanme tsukedashi.[2] After graduating from high school, he focused on healing his shoulder injury and worked at his father's metalwork machinery company Noda Gumi in Tottori. By virtue of winning the All Japan Corporate Sumo Championship in September 2022 (and thus being named Corporate Yokozuna) he was eligible to enter professional sumo as makushita tsukedashi.[3]
Career
At the invitation of Miyagino oyakata (the 69th yokozuna Hakuhō), Ochiai joined the Miyagino stable.[4] He made his professional debut in January 2023 at the rank of makushita 15 to reflect his amateur success. He won the makushita title with an undefeated record of seven wins and was subsequently promoted to the jūryō division for March, becoming the first wrestler to earn a jūryō promotion after just one tournament in 90 years.[5] Given Ochiai's quick rise to the second-highest division, Miyagino confessed he hadn't had the time to think of a shikona for his apprentice.[6]
Career record
| Year in sumo | January Hatsu basho, Tokyo |
March Haru basho, Osaka |
May Natsu basho, Tokyo |
July Nagoya basho, Nagoya |
September Aki basho, Tokyo |
November Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Makushita tsukedashi #15 7–0 Champion |
Jūryō – |
x | x | x | x |
| Record given as win-loss-absent Top Division Champion Top Division Runner-up Retired Lower Divisions Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) | ||||||
References
- "Towards the dream of "yokozuna": Tetsuya Ochiai, on his debut as a sumo wrestler" 「横綱」の夢に向かって～落合哲也 大相撲デビューへ～. nhk.jp (in Japanese). NHK. 2023-01-06. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
- "High school yokozuna Ochiai makes the top 8 of the All Japan Championships "I want to go pro soon" Qualifies for sandanme tsukedashi" 高校横綱の落合が全日本選手権８強「すぐプロいきたい」三段目付け出し資格. nikkansports.com (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 2021-12-05. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
- "Last year's high school yokozuna, Tetsuya Ochiai, qualified for makushita 15 ranking, the second high school graduate in history since Ichinojō" 昨年の高校横綱・落合哲也が幕下15枚目格付け出し資格獲得 高卒では逸ノ城以来、史上2人目. Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). 2022-09-18. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
- 2年連続 高校横綱 鳥取城北 落合哲也選手 宮城野部屋に入門へ. NHK News (in Japanese). 2022-12-01. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
- "Ochiai becomes fastest sumo wrestler to reach juryo division in decades". nhk.or.jp. NHK. January 25, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
- "宮城野親方、新十両・落合のしこ名は「みなさんが『おっ』と思うような名前を付けようかと思う」". Sports Hochi (in Japanese). 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- "Ochiai Tetsuya Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
External links
- Ochiai Tetsuya's official biography (English) at the Grand Sumo Homepage