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Terutsuyoshi Shōki
照強 翔輝
Terutsuyoshi in 2022
Personal information
Born	Shōki Fukuoka (1995-01-17) January 17, 1995 (age 29) Minamiawaji, Hyōgo, Japan
Height	1.69 m (5 ft 6+1⁄2 in)
Weight	100 kg (220 lb; 16 st)
Career
Stable	Isegahama
Current rank	see below
Debut	March, 2010
Highest rank	Maegashira 3 (September 2020)
Retired	March, 2024
Championships	1 (Makushita)
Special Prizes	Fighting Spirit (1)
* Up to date as of 5 April 2024.

Terutsuyoshi Shōki (Japanese: 照強 翔輝, born January 17, 1995 as Shōki Fukuoka (福岡 翔輝, Fukuoka Shōki)) is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Hyōgo Prefecture. He made his debut in March 2010, and wrestled for Isegahama stable. He reached the top makuuchi division in March 2019 and won a special prize for Fighting Spirit before retiring in March 2024.

His highest rank has been Maegashira 3. As a professional, he was known for his habit of, during the final salt throw of pre-match rituals, grabbing a huge handful of purifying salt and flinging it high into the air, reminiscent of former sekiwake Mitoizumi.

Early life and sumo experience

Fukuoka was born on the same day and just 15 hours after the Great Hanshin earthquake which hit his local Hyōgo Prefecture. Because of this fact he was often called "earthquake boy" as a child by fellow schoolmates. Having been born on such a day he always felt he needed to do something great and unique with his life. In first grade of elementary school he would take up judo. In his third year of grade school his parents would get a divorce and it was decided that he would retain his father surname of Fukuoka, instead of taking his mother's maiden name of Kikui. Because of the divorce he was often closer to his grandfather, who was an avid sumo fan, and passed this on to Fukuoka. In his fourth year he would attend a local sumo tournament taking second. This would see him join the local sumo club to train. By the time he was in Junior High School he had placed in the best sixteen at the national championship. Fukuoka was not a very good student and had great attendance issues, skipping over thirty days of school one year even though he would still regularly attend his sumo club practices. With his dislike of school and his club coach having a connection to Isegahama-oyakata he would decide to join Isegahama stable right after junior high at fifteen years old.

Career

He would make his debut in March 2010 along with the likes of Kagayaki and Takanosho. He initially failed his physical exam as he was merely 167 cm tall and weighed 89 kg, but would pass after taking the secondary physical exam. He was given the ring name Terutsuyoshi meaning "a strong light" by his stablemaster, wishing for him to be a bright light of hope to the survivors of the Kobe earthquake. Despite his small size he would make quick work of the two lowest jonokuchi and jonidan divisions. He would hit his first snag in the sandanme division posting his first make-koshi or losing record. He would spend a year here going back and forth with winning and losing records before making his makushita debut in March 2012. He initially struggled and bounced between sandanme and makushita for a year before becoming a third division mainstay. He would remain this way for three years from January 2013 until November 2016, when a 7-0 yūshō or tournament championship at makushita 9 earned him automatic promotion to the jūryō division and sekitori status. Making his jūryō debut in January 2017, he would initially struggle, managing just two winning records after a year in jūryō, before a disastrous 4–11 record at jūryō 9 would send him back down to makushita. In January 2018 at makushita 1 he would score 4-3 and manage immediate repromotion back up to jūryō. His second stint in jūryō was far better than his first. After just one make-koshi, on the back of four straight winning records he would get a 8–7 score at Jūryō 1 gaining him promotion the top makuuchi division.

Like with his other division debuts Terutsuyoshi would struggle, getting two back to back 6-9 records. He was somewhat fortunate to remain in the top division for the July 2019 tournament, but at the bottom maegashira 16 spot in July 2019 he would produce his first top division winning record. He would start out with five straight wins before losing on day six to veteran Sadanoumi. He would then go on another winning streak from day nine to day thirteen. On Day fourteen being a part of the leading group he was given a bout against maegashira 1 Hokutofuji, the only opponent he would face above maegashira 7, which he would lose giving him his third loss. On the final day he would face fellow 11–3 record holder Tomokaze who he would then beat by oshidashi giving him a final record of 12–3. After yokozuna Hakuhō's loss to tournament winner Kakuryū, Terutsuyoshi shared runner-up honours with Hakuhō. He was also awarded the Fighting Spirit prize. Speaking to reporters after his final match he said, "I wasn't really thinking about winning the championship, I just thought I should put everything into my sumo." In his subsequent top division career Terutsuyoshi did not manage to pick up any further awards. In the November 2022 tournament he lost every one of his fifteen matches, which had not been seen in the top division since Itai in July 1991.

Terutsuyoshi said prior to the January 2023 tournament that diabetes had affected his performance. He could only win five out of his fifteen jūryō matches that month, resulting in his demotion out of sekitori status for the March 2023 basho. Due to a series of defeats, Terutsuyoshi was demoted to Makushita 12 for the July 2023 tournament. During this tournament he recorded his first kachi-koshi by beating Dewanoryū (Dewanoumi stable) in his sixth match. Congratulating himself on his first positive score in eight tournaments, he mentioned that his diabetes had caused him to lose 20 kg (44 lb).

However, Terutsuyoshi's career did not take off any further, and at the March 2024 tournament he decided to retire. At the press conference held the following day to formalize his decision, he announced his intention to hold a haircutting ceremony on 23 June. About 300 people took turns cutting his topknot at the ceremony, with Terutsuyoshi crying after his hair was cut by his seniors Takarafuji and Terunofuji. After the ceremony Terutsuyoshi announced that he would start a new career that would include travel between Tokyo and his hometown on Awaji Island.

Fighting style

Despite his small size, Terutsuyoshi preferred a direct attacking style, moving forward rather than attempting to sidestep or pull down his opponents. Terutsuyoshi's style was unusual in that he preferred a maemitsu grip on his opponent's mawashi (or belt) – grabbing the front part directly below the stomach area. He was also fond of nage (throwing) techniques and has been known to pull off seldom seen techniques such as nekodamashi. In July 2022, he won by ashi-tori, or leg grab, on three consecutive days. However, most of his wins are by frontal push out or force out. His most common winning kimarite is oshidashi closely followed by yorikiri and shitatenage.

Personal life

Prior to the January 2023 tournament, Terutsuyoshi revealed that he married a 31-year-old friend of his stablemaster's daughter in August 2022.

Career record

See also

• List of sumo tournament top division runners-up
• Glossary of sumo terms
• List of active sumo wrestlers
• Active special prize winners

References

1. ^ "Terutsuyoshi adds flair to makuuchi division". Japan Times. 27 February 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
2. Gunning, John (24 July 2019). "Kakuryu adds to solid resume with latest win". Japan Times. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
3. "Sumo: Kakuryu outguns Hakuho in yokozuna duel to claim 6th title". The Mainichi. 21 July 2019. Archived from the original on 1 August 2019.
4. "照強が31年ぶり15戦全敗…91年名古屋場所の板井以来５人目 ("Teruyoshi lost all 15 matches for the first time in 31 years ... Fifth person since Itai in Nagoya '91")". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 27 November 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
5. "照強、先場所15連敗は持病の糖尿病が影響「悲観的になっても何も始まらない」初場所で奮闘誓う". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 5 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
6. "【春場所新番付】正代ら先場所三役３人が平幕降格 栃ノ心と逸ノ城は十両陥落／番付降下など". Nikkan Sports. 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
7. "元幕内・照強が8場所ぶりの勝ち越し「まずは病気を治さないと」体重20キロ減…糖尿病と闘う日々". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). 20 July 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
8. "引退の照強　身長169センチ、阪神・淡路大震災の95年１月17日淡路島生まれの29歳／略歴". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
9. "元幕内・照強が引退会見　阪神大震災が起きた日に淡路島で生まれ「やりきれた」". Sports Hochi (in Japanese). 19 March 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
10. "照強が断髪式　照ノ富士に抱き締められ号泣　第２の人生は東京と故郷淡路島行き来しながら新事業" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 23 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
11. ^ Gunning, John (5 September 2019). "Emperor's Cup up for grabs at Autumn Basho". Japan Times. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
12. "Rikishi Profile – Terutsuyoshi Shoki". Japan Sumo Association. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
13. ""足取リスト"誕生！照強、3日連続で足取りに実況びっくり「史上初じゃないですか！？」ファン「やりおったw」(Terutsuyoshi surprised at winning by leg grab for three consecutive days -"Isn't it the first time in history?!")". Yahoo! Japan. 21 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
14. "Terutsuyoshi bouts by kimarite". sumodb.sumogames.de.
15. "十両照強が３歳上"姉さん女房"会社経営者と昨夏入籍「破天荒なところとかとにかく価値観合う」". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 5 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
16. "Terutsuyoshi Shoki Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 2019-07-21.

External links

• Terutsuyoshi Shōki's official biography (English) at the Grand Sumo Homepage

• 1995 births
• Living people
• Japanese sumo wrestlers
• Sumo people from Hyōgo Prefecture