Harumafuji Kōhei

Did You Know?

• He won his first top division championship in May 2009, defeating Hakuhō in a playoff.
• He admitted to assaulting fellow Mongolian wrestler Takanoiwa during a regional sumo tour in late October 2017 and resigned on November 29, 2017.

Career

Harumafuji began his professional career in 2001 under the shikona Ama Kōhei and reached the top makuuchi division in November 2004. He rose slowly to komusubi in May 2006, but a disappointing 4–11 result sent him back to maegashira. On the eve of the January 2007 tournament, his father was killed in a traffic accident; nevertheless, he turned in a strong 10–5 record and earned promotion back to komusubi. In May 2007 he made his debut at sekiwake, becoming the ninth foreign-born rikishi to do so, and held his rank with an 8–7 record. In September 2007, as komusubi, he defeated new yokozuna Hakuhō on opening day and also beat two ōzeki, finishing 10–5 and winning his first Outstanding Performance award. He picked up his second in November with another defeat of Hakuhō, earning promotion back to sekiwake. In January 2008 he was the only wrestler to defeat Hakuhō during Hakuhō's championship run, winning his third consecutive Outstanding Performance award, but failed to score more than nine wins. After a poor start to March 2008, he preserved his rank with an 8–7 record. In May 2008 he amazed audiences by defeating Wakanohō with a perfectly executed utchari, and later threw yokozuna Hakuhō into the seats with an overarm throw, ending his winning streak; he was awarded his third Technique prize.

Ōzeki career

Harumafuji's debut as an ōzeki in January 2009 was inauspicious: he lost his first four matches, then returned to his customary black mawashi and rallied to an 8–7 record. In March he defeated Asashōryū and won ten bouts. In May he went undefeated in his first twelve matches until Hakuhō beat him with a rare leg sweep, susoharai. Harumafuji recovered to defeat Asashōryū with an outer leg trip, sotogake. With Hakuhō falling to Kotoōshū, both entered the final day at 13–1. Harumafuji defeated Kotoōshū for a career-best 14–1 record, then beat Hakuhō in a playoff to win his first top division championship, becoming the third Mongolian to win the Emperor's Cup. His mother was in the audience to see him awarded the trophy by Japanese Prime Minister Tarō Asō. In the following July tournament he recorded only 9–6. He pulled out of the November 2010 tournament on Day 4 after injuring his right ankle in a defeat to Tochinoshin. In July 2011 he won his second championship, defeating Hakuhō on Day 14 to end Hakuhō's streak of seven consecutive yūshō. Harumafuji finished 14–1 after losing his final match to Kisenosato. Any chance of immediate promotion to yokozuna ended when he scored only 8–7 in the following tournament.

Promotion to yokozuna

In May 2012 Harumafuji finished 8–7, defeating Hakuhō in his final match to begin a winning streak. In July he won his third championship without a loss, beating Hakuhō on the last day for his first zenshō-yūshō. In September he again defeated Hakuhō to win his fourth championship and a second consecutive zenshō-yūshō. With two successive tournament victories, he met the criteria for promotion to yokozuna and was formally promoted as the 70th yokozuna on September 26, 2012, becoming the third consecutive Mongolian-born wrestler to achieve the rank. He performed his first yokozuna dohyō-iri on September 28, 2012, at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, with Aminishiki as sword carrier and Takarafuji as dew sweeper, using the Shiranui-style coached by his stablemaster.

Yokozuna career

Harumafuji's first tournament as yokozuna in November 2012 was disappointing: he gave up a kinboshi to Okinoumi on Day 2 and finished 9–6, becoming the first new yokozuna to lose his last five matches. He bounced back in the following tournament by winning all 15 matches for his third zenshō-yūshō. He scored 11–4 in May but was never in contention for the championship.