Inazuma Raigorō

Sumo wrestler infobox
wrestlername = 稲妻 雷五郎 Inazuma Raigorō


realname = Saisuke Nemoto
dateofbirth = 1802
placeofbirth = Ibaraki, Japan
dateofdeath = death date and age|1877|3|29|1802|1|1
height = convert|1.88|m|ftin|abbr=on|lk=on
weight = convert|142|kg|lb|abbr=on|lk=on
heya = Sadogatake
rank =
record = 130-13-73 14draws-3holds-1no result
(Makuuchi)
debut = February 1821
highestrank = Yokozuna (September 1830)
retireddate = November 1839
yushos = 10 (Makuuchi, unofficial)
goldstars =
update = October 2007

Inazuma Raigorō (稲妻雷五郎, 1802 - March 29 1877) was a sumo wrestler from Inashiki, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. He was the sport's 7th Yokozuna. "Inazuma" means lightning in Japanese.

Career

His birth date is ambiguous. According to a strong theory, he was born in 1802. Another claimed that he was born in 1795. If the former is correct, he was the youngest "yokozuna" until the promotion of Umegatani Tōtarō II in 1903. If the latter is correct, he died at the age of 82.

He was worked under Matsudaira clan in Izumo, where legendary sumo wrestler Raiden worked. [cite web|url=http://www.joyoliving.co.jp/special/heritage/00006/|title=稲妻雷五郎の像|language=Japanese|publisher=Joyo Living|date=2007-08-17|accessdate=2008-07-04] Inazuma entered Edo sumo in February 1821 and was promoted to the top "makuuchi" division in October 1824. He reached the highest rank of "ozeki" on ability alone, after only 6 tournaments (some "ozeki" of the period were merely given the rank because of their size or status). Ōnomatsu Midorinosuke was his rival. They differed in that Inazuma hated false starts at the "tachi-ai", or the initial phases of sumo bouts.

As a Osaka based wrestler, Inazuma was awarded a "yokozuna" licence by the "Gojo" family in July 1828. This licence was disputed, but, in September 1830, he was also awarded a "yokozuna" licence by the house of "Yoshida-tsukasa", and thus has been accepted as an official "yokozuna".

In the top "makuuchi" division, he won 130 bouts and lost only 13 bouts, achieving a winning percentage of 90.9. [cite web | author= Kuroda, Joe| title=A Shot At the Impossible-Yokozuna Comparison Through The Ages | publisher=sumofanmag.com | url=http://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_5/Yokozuna.htm| date=February 2006 | accessdate=2008-06-22] After his retirement, he moved to Matsue but he returned to Tokyo in the Meiji period.

Top division record

"*1-2 tournaments were held yearly in this period, though the actual time they were held was often erratic"
"*Championships from this period were unofficial "*Yokozuna were not listed as such on the ranking sheets until 1890
"*There was no fusensho system until March 1927
"*All top division wrestlers were usually absent on the 10th day until 1909

References

reflist

ee also

*Glossary of sumo terms
*List of past sumo wrestlers
*List of yokozuna