Tochiazuma Daisuke began his professional career in 1994, reaching the top division just two years later after winning a tournament championship in each of the lower divisions.
17 Facts About Tochiazuma Daisuke
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The younger Tochiazuma Daisuke entered professional sumo in November 1994, using his birth name as a shikona.
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Tochiazuma Daisuke had a remarkably rapid rise, winning his first 26 matches and reaching the juryo division in May 1996, only nine tournaments after his debut.
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Tochiazuma Daisuke broke into the top makuuchi division at the end of that year and won the Fighting Spirit prize in his first tournament.
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In July 1997, Tochiazuma Daisuke was promoted to the prestigious san'yaku ranks and was a sekiwake for much of the time during the following years, although he bounced back and forth a few times due to injuries.
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Tochiazuma Daisuke earned 12 sansho prizes, including seven for Technique.
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Tochiazuma Daisuke was the first ozeki since Kiyokuni in 1969 to win the championship on his ozeki debut.
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Tochiazuma Daisuke became the first wrestler since Haguroyama in 1941 to win the tournament championship in all six professional sumo divisions.
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Tochiazuma Daisuke holds the record for the number of times a wrestler has achieved promotion to the ozeki rank after being demoted.
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Tochiazuma Daisuke lost his ozeki rank twice following injuries, but both times he came back by scoring at least ten wins in the next tournament.
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Tochiazuma Daisuke is the only wrestler who has succeeded in doing so since the introduction of the current rules on ozeki promotion and demotion in 1969.
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Tochiazuma Daisuke had great strength as well as technical skill, and was one of the few wrestlers to regularly trouble Asashoryu when he was at his peak as a yokozuna, defeating him six times between 2003 and 2006.
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Tochiazuma Daisuke was diagnosed with high blood pressure and a brain scan revealed he had suffered a mild stroke.
14.
On May 7,2007, Tochiazuma Daisuke announced his retirement from sumo.
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Tochiazuma Daisuke kept his ring name as he made the transition into his role as oyakata, as ozeki are permitted to do so for three years.
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Tochiazuma Daisuke had lost a noticeable amount of weight since his retirement.
17.
Tochiazuma Daisuke was married in December 2008 to a 31-year-old former office worker and the reception was held in February 2009.