Kaisei Intai

[Kaninoyama 1,338]

Ex-Sekiwake Kaisei to retire. Will become Tomozuma as an elder in his geneki afterlife. 

 

 

Edited August 29, 2022 by Kaninoyama

[Seiyashi 3,540]

お疲れ様でした. 

One more old guard bows out. And we lose another non-Mongolian foreign rikishi. I was always more interested in them, as their stories in coming to Japan and devoting themselves to sumo always felt like they had more of a human interest element to them. 

I also wonder whether he feels more affinity for assisting Kyokutenhō in Ōshima, or would prefer to move to Asakayama to help Kaiō. And, in the latter case, whether Kaiō would not want to swap elder names to revive Tomozuna. 

Edited August 29, 2022 by Seiyashi

[Seregost 80]

Goodbye, gentle giant. Always liked him, although when I started watching sumo again, around 2018, was not at his prime anymore. When he managed to keep his opponent in front, he could always give a good fight, but was outmanouvered most of the time, losing by okuridashi often. As Seiyaishi says, it's always interesting to see not japonese/mongolian rikishi devoting to sumo, but they are disappearing in the last times. Good luck for him in his new life.

[WAKATAKE 2,382]

I didn't realize the previous Tomozuna had already maxed out his sanyo extension. Sad to see Kaisei go, he was a gentleman on the dohyo

[sumojoann 1,150]

I, too, will miss Kaisei.  I have always heard that he is one of the nicest rikishi in the sport.  It is interesting to know that even though he is Brazilian, one set of his grandparents is of Japanese ancestry.  Not that unusual since there are quite a number of Brazilian citizens of Japanese ancestry, but still amazing that he ended up coming all the way to Japan and becoming a top notch rikishi.  I was sad when he dropped to Juryo and ever sadder to see that it didn't look like he was ever going to make it back to Makuuchi.

Wishing him happiness and fulfillment as he becomes an elder.

[themistyseas 194]

5 hours ago, Seiyashi said:

I also wonder whether he feels more affinity for assisting Kyokutenhō in Ōshima, or would prefer to move to Asakayama to help Kaiō. And, in the latter case, whether Kaiō would not want to swap elder names to revive Tomozuna. 

The other unmentioned wrinkle is that Kaisei himself possesses exactly the number of top division basho required to branch out and open his own Tomozuna-beya. Whether he has the support group behind him or the desire to do that is another question, but it's an intriguing possibility for an Isegahama ichimon whose leadership may have a bit of a youth movement in the next few years.

[Akinomaki 35,622]

The pics so far

new makuuchi Natsu 2011, as tsuyu harai for Hakuho

ooo

 

o

2020

o oo

extra grim look last basho

o

[sumojoann 1,150]

My favorite photo so far is the first one where he is smiling while surrounded by reporters (just promoted to Makuuchi, 2011 Natsu).  Thank you, @Akinomaki, for these great photos.

[since_94 638]

5 hours ago, WAKATAKE said:

I didn't realize the previous Tomozuna had already maxed out his sanyo extension. Sad to see Kaisei go, he was a gentleman on the dohyo

And off, too. I met him very briefly a couple of times. He was very friendly, asked me where I was from, signed cards for me.

[sumojoann 1,150]

34 minutes ago, since_94 said:

And off, too. I met him very briefly a couple of times. He was very friendly, asked me where I was from, signed cards for me.

This photo is hilarious!  Did you take this picture?

[yohcun 376]

47 minutes ago, since_94 said:

And off, too. I met him very briefly a couple of times. He was very friendly, asked me where I was from, signed cards for me.

Could that be after the Kisenosato bout Aki 2018? I only remember it because he was so exhausted he was pulling faces like that up the hanamichi.

[Kaitetsu 180]

It really hits different when your favorite retires... I really hope he has a great run as an oyakata, whenever it is in Oshima-beya, Asakayama-beya or a new Tomozuna-beya.

He was my favorite by far, and a fellow brazilian, so gentle, so fun. I hope to meet him one day. 16 years in sumo is not something to overlook.

I wish him well, I hope he finds and trains the next big brazilian rikishi.

Ganbare Kaisei!

[Yamanashi 3,053]

I loved this guy; maybe too nice to stay in the upper echelon of Makuuchi.  His face when he lost was classic: "oh, why did I do that?"

Now I'm looking forward to see if he can drop a lot of weight post-rikishi.  He's 6'4" (195 cm) and entered at 146 kg; I'll bet his natural weight is a lot less.

The other memorable thing about him was the Forum's discussion as to whether Kaisei A or Kaisei B showed up for a basho.

[Washuyama 588]

I got to meet him soon after he was announced as shin-juryo.  Really nice guy. I wish him the best.

 

 

[Seiyashi 3,540]

1 hour ago, Yamanashi said:

The other memorable thing about him was the Forum's discussion as to whether Kaisei A or Kaisei B showed up for a basho.

Makes him sound like a cassette tape.

[Kaninoyama 1,338]

I hadn't realized (or remembered) that he had reached sekiwake.

Was never my most exciting rikishi to watch inside the ring, but seemed like one of the nicest guys outside it. He carved out a long, respectable career and I wish him nothing but the best in his next stage of life. 

[Kintamayama 41,309]

1 hour ago, Yamanashi said:

 

The other memorable thing about him was the Forum's discussion as to whether Kaisei A or Kaisei B showed up for a basho.

Showed up for a bout.. 

[Yubinhaad 10,773]

Record holder for most bouts vs. Yokozuna without a single win - 0-37. The previous record was 0-29 by Toki, before that 0-28 by Aobayama.

Among those who eventually did defeat a Yokozuna, Tamanofuji started 0-31 (excluding a fusensho) while Kakuryu and Takekaze both started 0-27.

I believe the longest streak of losses vs. Yokozuna belongs to Kaneshiro/Tochihikari II - after winning a kinboshi from Wajima in consecutive basho, he never managed to beat a Yokozuna again, chalking up 63 defeats over the next eight years.

 

At the moment he's listed as not owning the Tomozuna myoseki which surprises me.

Edited August 29, 2022 by Yubinhaad

[Yamanashi 3,053]

1 hour ago, Seiyashi said:

Makes him sound like a cassette tape.

A good analogy.  i have had cassettes like that (Side A = classic top ten hits, Side B = album filler).

[Reonito 788]

13 hours ago, Seiyashi said:

One more old guard bows out.

If we draw the line at Hatsu dohyo before 2010, we have a dozen left in Makuuchi from the old guard.

[Seiyashi 3,540]

1 minute ago, Reonito said:

If we draw the line at Hatsu dohyo before 2010, we have a dozen left in Makuuchi from the old guard.

I have difficulties with considering some of them "old guard", but I bet you we lose at least 3 more from that list by this time next year.

[Reonito 788]

2 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

I have difficulties with considering some of them "old guard", but I bet you we lose at least 3 more from that list by this time next year.

I agree re "old guard" especially for those who took a long time to reach Makuuchi or bounced up and down, but I wanted to use an objective criterion.

[Kishinoyama 513]

1 hour ago, Yamanashi said:

A good analogy.  i have had cassettes like that (Side A = classic top ten hits, Side B = album filler).

Well Kintamayama said quite often during his sumo highlights their was Kaisei A and Kaisei B. 

[Gurowake 3,528]

3 hours ago, Kaninoyama said:

I hadn't realized (or remembered) that he had reached sekiwake.

 

He was one of the 6 rikishi that were new Sekiwake in 3 consecutive tournaments in 2016.  For 4 of them, Kaisei, Kotoyuki, Ikioi, and Takarafuji, it was their only basho at Sekiwake (so far, though I doubt Takarafuji is coming back, and the other 3 are now retired).  The other two made Ozeki, Takayasu and Tochinoshin.

[Kintamayama 41,309]

1 hour ago, Kishinoyama said:

Well Kintamayama said quite often during his sumo highlights their was Kaisei A and Kaisei B. 

Yes, it originated from me, like the earth itself...