Kaisei Ichirō
Brazilian-born sekiwake who won three Fighting Spirit prizes.
Kaisei Ichirō is a sumo elder and former professional wrestler from São Paulo, Brazil, who competed under the Tomozuna name. He reached the rank of sekiwake, the third-highest in sumo, and was a two-time tournament runner-up. He also earned three Fighting Spirit prizes during his top-division career.
Quick Facts
- Birth name
- Ricardo Sugano
- Born
- 18 December 1986
- Birthplace
- São Paulo, Brazil
- Height
- 1.95 m / 6 ft 5 in
- Weight
- 190 kg / 419 lb
- Record
- 590-592-37
- Debut
- September 2006
- Prizes
- Fighting Spirit (3)
Facts from the source article.
Early life and sumo background
As a child, Sugano had no interest in football, unlike his friends, and instead practiced judo. At sixteen, a friend of his father's suggested his large size suited sumo. He trained at sumo clubs in São Paulo, where he met the Brazilian former rikishi Wakaazuma Yoshinobu, who trained him strictly. Sugano pursued his dream of becoming a professional rikishi, seeing no other career path in Brazil. He won the All Brazil amateur sumo championship in the free weight category, believing that size and power were enough to win in Brazilian amateur sumo. He traveled to Japan and joined Tomozuna stable in 2006, introduced by Wakaazuma. The stable already housed another Brazilian wrestler, Kaishin. He received the shikona Kaisei Ichirō; Ichirō was the name of his late Japanese grandfather.
Career
Kaisei moved quickly through the lower divisions, reaching sandanme in March 2007 and makushita after March 2008, though his progress then slowed. He came through the September 2009 tournament undefeated, losing a playoff for the yūshō to Gagamaru, and earned promotion to jūryō in July 2010, becoming the fourth Brazilian to reach that division. After winning the jūryō yūshō in November 2010 with an 11–4 record, he followed with an 8–7 at jūryō 1 in January 2011, earning promotion to maegashira 16 for the May Technical Examination tournament. In his makuuchi debut, he won his first six bouts, the first debutant to do so since Takanonami in 1991, and reached 9–0 before losing to Tochinoshin on Day 10; he finished 10–5 and won the Fighting Spirit Award. He also served as Hakuhō's tsuyuharai. Promoted to maegashira 5 for July 2011, he finished 6–9. With Kaiō's retirement, Kaisei became heyagashira of Tomozuna stable. Disappointing scores in late 2011 and January 2012 saw him demoted to jūryō, but he returned to makuuchi after a 10–5 in March 2012. In July 2012 he scored eleven wins, earning his second Fighting Spirit Award and promotion to maegashira 1. He fell short with a 7–8 in September 2012. He has since largely alternated winning and losing tournaments, proving longevity but not consistent performances. He was unable to defeat a yokozuna in 37 attempts.
Retirement from sumo
In July 2022, ranked at the bottom of the second division, Kaisei finished 5–10 and was demoted to the unsalaried third division after more than 12 years in the salaried ranks. He retired in late August 2022. Having obtained Japanese citizenship in November 2014, he acquired elder stock and now uses the name Tomozuna oyakata. He coached at his stable, renamed Ōshima stable, until May 2023, when he transferred to Asakayama stable. His danpatsu-shiki was held on 1 October 2023 at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan, with about 340 people taking turns snipping his ōichōmage; the final cut was made by former ōzeki Kaiō. His mother, brother, and sister traveled from Brazil to attend.
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