Ouchiyama Heikichi

Ouchiyama Heikichi
大内山 平吉
Ōuchiyama Heikichi
Personal information
Born Heikichi Ouchi
June 19, 1926(1926-06-19)
Ibaragi, Japan
Died November 1, 1985(1985-11-01) (aged 59)
Height 2.02 m (6 ft 7 12 in)
Weight 153 kg (340 lb)
Career
Heya Tokitsukaze
Record 347-278-53
Debut January 1944
Highest rank Ozeki (May 1955)
Retired March 1959
Yūshō 1 (Makushita)
Sanshō Outstanding Performance (1)
Kinboshi 2 (Chiyonoyama, Tochinishiki)
* Career information is correct as of October 2008.

Ouchiyama Heikichi (born Heikichi Ouchi, 19 June 1926 - 1 November 1985) was a sumo wrestler from Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.

He joined Tokitsukaze stable in 1944 and reached the top makuuchi division in 1949. After finishing as runner-up to Chiyonoyama with a 13-2 record in March 1955 (Chiyonoyama defeated him in a playoff) he was promoted to sumo's second highest rank of ozeki. He only managed to stay at ozeki for eight tournaments, as injury meant he had three consecutive make-koshi or losing scores which saw him demoted from the rank. He fought in the maegashira ranks until his retirement in 1959. He became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association, working as a coach at his old stable. He was known as Shikoroyama Oyakata until 1961 and then Tatsutayama Oyakata until his death in 1985.

He was well known for his extraordinary size: at 2.02 m (6 ft 7 12 in) tall he was the tallest modern era ozeki until Akebono in 1992.

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