Wakanohana Kanji II

Born as Katsunori Shimoyama (下山 勝則) in Aomori Prefecture on 3 April 1953,[1] he began his sumo career as a 15-year-old in July 1968.

Over the next two years he had some up and down results, but from September 1976 to January 1977 at sekiwake rank he put together three 11–4 marks, won three more special prizes and was promoted to ōzeki.

[2] That year he emerged as the chief rival to yokozuna Kitanoumi, as the other grand champion at the time, Wajima, was producing inconsistent results.

[3] During this brief and unhappy marriage he won no tournament championships and was frequently absent from the dohyō due to injury and illness.

[3] The couple divorced shortly before Wakanohana announced his retirement from sumo in January 1983 at the relatively early age of 29,[3] ending a career with four top division championships and six special prizes.

[4] He was a senior member of the Japan Sumo Association, serving as a director from 1998, where he was responsible for the running of the honbasho held in Osaka each year.

"[8][9] In August 2008 he resigned from the board of directors after the top ranking wrestler at Magaki stable, maegashira Wakanohō, was expelled from sumo after being arrested for possession of cannabis.

[12] Along with five other oyakata (Ōtake, Ōnomatsu, Otowayama, Tokiwayama and Futagoyama), he was forced to leave the Nishonoseki ichimon or group of stables in January 2010 after declaring his support for Takanohana's unsanctioned bid to be elected to the board of directors of the Sumo Association.

[4][16] Wakanohana was well known for his flexible body and balance, and his powerful right arm throw, uwatenage, which he officially used 102 times in competition.

[17] Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi