Izutsu-oyakata has died

[Yubinhaad 10,219]

Sad news. Izutsu-oyakata (former Sekiwake Sakahoko) died in a Tokyo hospital today, at the age of 58. According to Nikkan he was suffering from pancreatic cancer.

Edited September 16, 2019 by Yubinhaad

[Rocks 1,672]

4 minutes ago, Yubinhaad said:

Sad news. Izutsu-oyakata (former Sekiwake Sakahoko) died in a Tokyo hospital today, at the age of 58. According to Nikkan he was suffering from pancreatic cancer.

So young. Very sad. May he R.I.P.

[Asojima 2,833]

Which heya will pick up Kakuryu? It seems unlikely that Izutsu heya will remain open with 2 rikishi.

Edit:  A second thought that one of the other heya could split off an oyakata and a group of rikishi to revitalize Izutsu heya.

 

Edited September 16, 2019 by Asojima

[Eikokurai 3,287]

How terribly sad. Far too young. I wonder if his condition was such that it was on Kakuryu’s mind these past few days.

Edited September 16, 2019 by Eikokurai

[Kaiomitsuki 373]

Kinboshi against Yokozuna Takanosato, Hatsu 1984

 

Kinboshi against Yokozuna Chiyonofuji, Hatsu 1987

 

Kinboshi against Yokozuna Chiyonofuji, Aki 1987

 

 

[Asashosakari 16,481]

Sad news indeed, and also an explanation for why the status quo of the stable wasn't much more than "continues to remain in existence" for the last several years. Condolences to his family, friends and heya members.

You'd have to think that succession arrangements have been made in some form, given it's - as depressing as that sounds - likely not an unexpected death for those in the sumo world.

[Tigerboy1966 870]

Does this help explain why Kakuryu didn't seem to be quite there in this basho?

It must also have been tough for Terao to do the color commentary for Abema today.

Edited September 16, 2019 by Tigerboy1966
paragrafz

[ryafuji 719]

This is very sad news. Watching sumo coverage on Channel 4 as a kid in the late 80s, Sakahoko was probably my favourite wrestler. He was at his peak then, the "perennial sekiwake" they used to call him as he emulated his father Tsurugamine's sekiwake rank but could never mount an ozeki challenge. He was always exciting to watch with his trademark moro-zashi grip very effective.

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

I don't know the kabu situation, but it may be time for Yokozuna Kakuryu to assume leadership of the stable. My sincere condolences to all family and deshi, and best wishes for a smooth and strong transition in leadership.

[ryafuji 719]

41 minutes ago, Otokonoyama said:

I don't know the kabu situation, but it may be time for Yokozuna Kakuryu to assume leadership of the stable.

He would need to get Japanese citizenship first. My guess is Shikoroyama will absorb the heya, perhaps switching to the Izutsu name to keep the history.

[Tsuchinoninjin 914]

Condolences, explains a lot of the challenges there. Hopefully he found peace.

[Nantonoyama 218]

That is a very sad news indeed. I guess moto-Terao will kinda inherit the Fukuzono family affait of the Izutsu kabu... unless Kakuryu has plans

[Swami 235]

Very sad news, another fine talent from the 1980s has passed away.

 

Swami

[WAKATAKE 2,256]

Kakuryu, the two junior wrestlers, and the tokoyama will temporarily be taken care of by Kagamiyama oyakata until the end of the basho. At the rijikai they will decide where they will move to.

https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/201909170000283.html

[WAKATAKE 2,256]

Sakahoko is known in sumo history as being the first Japanese wrestler to celebrate a kinboshi with the "guts" pose, or fist pump after his defeat of Takanosato, Takamiyama had done it once before. In a culture where wrestlers are supposed to keep that composure, he broke the barrier in a way for the Japanese. He was also involved in the first torinaoshi match that September when he did not have his hands properly down all the way when he seemingly defeated ozeki Hokutenyu. He also had a stare down contest with then head judge Kokonoe (ex-Kitanofuji) because of that.

https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/201909170000003.html

[orandashoho 718]

11 hours ago, ryafuji said:

My guess is Shikoroyama will absorb the heya

Why Shirokoyama? He's not even in the same ichimon.

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

1 hour ago, orandashoho said:

Why Shirokoyama? He's not even in the same ichimon.

He's Izutsu oyakata's younger brother.

[yohcun 356]

3 hours ago, Otokonoyama said:

5 hours ago, orandashoho said:

Why Shirokoyama? He's not even in the same ichimon.

He's Izutsu oyakata's younger brother. 

Also, Shikoroyama-beya originally branched off from Izutsu. Both brothers wreslted for Izutsu, and their father was a previous Izutsu-oyakata. A lot of ties.

[ryafuji 719]

6 hours ago, orandashoho said:

Why Shirokoyama? He's not even in the same ichimon.

I forgot about the Takanohana-related defection to Nihonoseki. But as yohcun points out, it is a break-off of Izutsu so could quite easily absorb its parent. See also Hanaregoma/Shibatayama.

[Asashosakari 16,481]

I'll randomly throw Michinoku into the discussion, simply because it's the Tokitsukaze group stable with the most famous/most "important" shisho (ex-ozeki Kirishima) and something like that just might matter when an active yokozuna is involved in the move.

(Or maybe some affiliated oyakata like Urakaze/ex-Shikishima will take over Izutsu-beya as a sort of medium-term caretaker until Kakuryu can take over in a few years, but that would require that the physical heya building can continue to be used, which will depend on what the heirs want.)

Edited September 17, 2019 by Asashosakari

[Saburo 15]

I got back into sumo in the basho of the first video clip above of Sakahoko defeating Chiyonofuji: Hatsu Basho 1987. Master of Morozashi, me and my brother would call him. Sakahoko and Terao made sumo so much easier to get into.

So many of the rikishi I knew from the late 1980s and early 1990s are passing way too soon...

[orandashoho 718]

4 hours ago, yohcun said:

8 hours ago, Otokonoyama said:

10 hours ago, orandashoho said:

Why Shirokoyama? He's not even in the same ichimon.

He's Izutsu oyakata's younger brother. 

Also, Shikoroyama-beya originally branched off from Izutsu. Both brothers wreslted for Izutsu, and their father was a previous Izutsu-oyakata. A lot of ties.

Thanks for putting me straight with this information.

[Akinomaki 32,179]

The funeral service for Izutsu oyakata will be on the 25th in Izutsu-beya, starting at 11a.m. It will be held as a Tokitsukaze-ichimon funeral http://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2019091701179&g=obt

He was a deputy riji - I would have thought that to be enough to have a sumo kyokai funeral

[Swami 235]

I'm just looking at the banzuke for the 1984 Aki Basho, and it is quite a sobering thought:

All three Yokozuna passed away (Kitanoumi, Chiyonofuji & Takanosato_

One ozeki passed away (Hokutenyu)

One sekiwake passed away (Sakahoko)

Of the maegashira, Itai (ex-komusubi), Kurama (ex-sekiwake), Kitao (ex-Yokozuna Futahaguro) and Hachiya have passed away.

That's a sizeable proportion.

 

Swami

[Yubinhaad 10,219]

A few pictures I've stumbled across today.

 

Spoiler

Early career.

Flanked by his brothers, Terao and Kakureizan.

Hanging out with Asahifuji.

Another angle of that 'guts pose' he did when winning his first kinboshi.

His active career was before my time, but I definitely found him easy to recognise as a shimpan, as he rarely managed to keep a straight face when some raw recruit would blunder, or a yobidashi's voice would break.

I recommend reading this interview with him, courtesy of Forum member Martina.

 

6 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

I'll randomly throw Michinoku into the discussion, simply because it's the Tokitsukaze group stable with the most famous/most "important" shisho (ex-ozeki Kirishima) and something like that just might matter when an active yokozuna is involved in the move.

Perhaps personal reasons would motivate that solution as well, Kirishima after all was a senior of Sakahoko in Izutsu-beya. In fact now that I look at it, he debuted in the same basho as the eldest Fukuzono brother.

Edited September 17, 2019 by Yubinhaad