Shunketsu Yūji


Shunketsu Yūji is a former sumo wrestler from Misato, Saitama, Japan. The highest rank he reached was maegashira 12.

Career

Shunketsu made his professional debut in March 1992, alongside several future top division regulars such as Kyokushuzan, Wakanosato and Takanowaka. He weighed only just over and remained one of the lightest wrestlers in the senior ranks, only managing to put on around in subsequent years.
Shunketsu used several different shikona during his career. He began using his own surname, Ishide. Upon promotion to sekitori status for the first time in January 2001 he was given the name Komahikari. However, after falling back to the unsalaried makushita division he reverted to Ishide. He retained this name until November 2005 when he became Shunketsu.
Restricted by diabetes and several injuries, Shunketsu took 78 tournaments from his professional debut to reach the top makuuchi division for the first time in March 2005, which at the time was the tenth slowest ever. He spent only five tournaments in makuuchi and only made kachi-koshi there once. He was ranked in the second jūryō division for 25 tournaments. In recent years he was the only sekitori from Hanaregoma stable, which once produced yokozuna Onokuni.
Since falling from the top division with a 4-11 record in January 2006 he rarely looked like returning, managing to win more than 8 bouts on only one occasion. From November 2006 to May 2007 he managed four consecutive winning scores, which took him up to jūryō 1 West, but he had five consecutive losing scores after that. After a 3-12 record in March 2008 at the rank of jūryō 11 West, and facing certain demotion to the third division, he announced his retirement.
He won one yusho or tournament title in the makushita division, and one in the jūryō division.

Fighting style

Shunketsu was predominately a yotsu-sumo wrestler, preferring grappling as opposed to pushing and thrusting techniques. His favoured grip on the opponent's mawashi was hidari-yotsu, with his right hand outside and left hand inside his opponent's arms. He also regularly employed henka, or sidestepping at the tachi-ai or initial charge.

Career record