Hōshōryū Tomokatsu

Hōshōryū Tomokatsu (豊昇龍 智勝), born May 22, 1999, as Sugarragchaagiin Byambasuren (Сугаррагчаагийн Бямбасүрэн) is a Mongolian professional sumo wrestler from Ulaanbaatar. Wrestling for Tatsunami stable, he made his professional debut in January 2018. He is known for his throwing skills, even when measured among Mongolian sumo wrestlers, who tend to use throws more than average reflecting the skills used in bökh. After winning the top division division title in July 2023, Hōshōryū was promoted to his highest rank, ōzeki. He is the nephew of the sport's 68th yokozuna Asashōryū.

Early life and sumo background
Sugarragchaa was born in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, as the second son of former yokozuna Asashōryū's eldest brother (Sugarragchaa Dolgorsürengiin), who has a background as a bökh wrestler. Described as a "city kid", he spent all his summer vacations, particularly long in Mongolia (from June to September) camping in yurts. As a child, he was naturally athletic and learned to ride horses at the age of three. At the age of five, he began taking lessons in basketball and judo at the same club as fellow future-Ōzeki Kirishima, saying that together they "were like friends". Born into a wrestling family, Sugarragchaa often socialized with other professional sumo wrestlers at dinner parties, notably with 73rd yokozuna Terunofuji, long before becoming a professional himself. He also watched his uncle's matches on television, and developed a great respect for him. Although he was not particularly fond of wrestling, he started taking bökh lessons at the age of 11 and achieved some local successes.

Upon graduation from middle school, he was scouted from Mongolia by the coach of Japan's sumo club, who visited the country to scout for international sports students. There, he was recognized because his coach saw his look, similar to his famous uncle's "who always seemed to be fighting something". Although he did not feel like wrestling yet, he decided to give in to temptation and took a trip to Japan. He was finally recruited and attended Kashiwa High School in Chiba Prefecture, along future professional sumo wrestlers Ōshōma and Asahakuryū. There, he first joined the wrestling club, saying he was afraid of sumo, but in his first year he took part in a school trip and visited the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo and became interested in the sport. After consulting with his uncle he committed to trying sumo at the high school level. Though he had no previous experience, he quickly started getting good results in amateur sumo tournaments and was seen as having great potential. In his third year, he was defeated by Tottori Jōhoku High School's wrestler Amartuvshin Amarsanaa at the Inter-High School Championships, allowing Amartuvshin to become the first foreign-born high school-yokozuna in history.

Early career and jūryō
Hōshōryū joined Tatsunami stable after high school. During this time, he was in regular contact with his uncle who gave him such advice as "build on your own strengths" and "don't put on weight quickly or you'll risk injury." Hōshōryū first stepped into the ring professionally in January 2018. In his maezumō debut, he was defeated by fellow debutant Naya, who was also garnering attention as the grandson of the greatly respected yokozuna Taihō. Because of their strong family ties to sumo, he commented that he and Naya (who later changed his shikona to Ōhō) felt close to each other. In his first official tournament on the banzuke in March 2018, Hōshōryū was close to winning the jonokuchi division championship after scoring six consecutive victories, but was defeated again by Naya, who went on to win the championship. Since then, the two wrestlers have maintained a certain rivalry.

In Hōshōryū's second tournament, he took the jonidan championship with a perfect record. On his debut in the sandanme division, he went 6–1 when scoring a win in his final match against Hiradoumi, securing promotion to the makushita division. During the summer tours in June, Hōshōryū was unusually chosen by yokozuna Hakuhō to participate in a training session, showing that he took him under his wing after helping to train him when he was still in high school. In his first tournament in the makushita division, he recorded 3 consecutive victories before recording 3 defeats. In his 7th bout, he was paired against Naya, who also had a score of 3–3, putting both wrestlers in a position of potential demotion to the sandanme division. Hōshōryū defeated Naya by kubinage, the latter suffering the first make-koshi record of his career and being logically relegated to the lower division for the November tournament of the same year.

In January 2019, Hōshōryū faced former makuuchi wrestler Ura, who was rising through the ranks after being absent from the ring since the September 2017 tournament. Although Hōshōryū defeated him by kakenage, Ura injured his knee again during the match and had to withdraw from the tournament before missing another four consecutive tournaments due to injury. Hōshōryū later said he was nervous about facing a former maegashira but felt responsible for the injury, going to the arena infirmary after the match to ask Ura for forgiveness. In May, Hōshōryū also recorded an eighth positive record and had a remarkable match against Kotonowaka, where observers noticed the similarities between Hōshōryū's technique and that of his uncle. In July 2019, Hōshōryū, then ranked as makushita 2, faced competition against opponents who had mostly already been ranked in the jūryō division. During this tournament he was called upon to wrestle in this upper-division with a match against jūryō Kizakiumi, where he suffered a defeat. That month, he suffered his only losing tournament in his rise through the lower divisions.

Hōshōryū quickly bounced back the following tournament in September 2019 and, with a winning record of 4–3 (kachi-koshi), he earned jūryō promotion for the November tournament in Fukuoka along with Kotoshōhō. At a press conference, Hōshōryū vowed to surpass his uncle's 25 championships. He also received a kimono from his uncle at the time of his promotion. In his jūryō debut, Hōshōryū began the tournament with a victory over Akiseyama, but suffered a make-koshi record on Day 14, with a loss to Sōkokurai. Despite this setback he logged two 8–7 records in the next two consecutive tournaments. In the July 2020 tournament (held in Tokyo instead of the usual Nagoya due to COVID concerns) he took part in a rare situation, where six wrestlers were lined up for the championship with ten wins each. In the preliminary stages of the playoff, he defeated Kyokutaisei. The race for the title culminated in a three-man playoff (tomoesen) between three members of Tatsunami stable. This playoff comprised himself, Akua, and Meisei. Bouts between stablemates are only allowed in the case of playoffs, where two or more wrestlers end up with the same record, and is a rare occurrence. Hōshōryū was defeated by former makuuchi wrestler Meisei, who went on to defeat Akua to take the championship.

Promotion and san'yaku career
Hōshōryū's performance in July 2020 was enough to propel him into the top-tier makuuchi division for the September 2020 tournament. He is the 50th foreigner to reach the top division, and the 27th Mongolian. In his first match in the division, he won his first victory in the opening match, beating Ichinojō with the surprising kimarite (winning technique) of yorikiri, the two wrestlers having a 70 kg difference at the time.

In the July 2021 tournament Hōshōryū had his best result in the top division up to that point. On Day 11, he notably defeated Ōzeki Shōdai by yoritaoshi, his fastest win to date. In total, he won ten bouts during the tournament, and was awarded his first special prize, the Ginō-shō (Technique prize). After the tournament, he also received public congratulations from the executives of the Japan Sumo Association, including Chairman Hakkuku and Nishikido. In October of the same year, Sports Hōchi reported that after the July 2021 tournament he received a comment from the winner of the championship (yokozuna Hakuhō) who passed the baton to him in the hope that he would occupy the top of the sumo world. His performance saw him promoted to a new highest rank of Maegashira 1 for September, but in that tournament he had to withdraw on Day 5 with only one win because of tonsillitis. He returned on Day 8 and won four of his remaining eight matches. In the January 2022 tournament he produced a strong 11–4 record, and was then promoted to san'yaku for the first time, ranked at komusubi for the March 2022 tournament. He achieved winning records in three consecutive tournaments at komusubi, and earned a promotion to sekiwake for the September 2022 tournament. In the November tournament, Hōshōryū stood out by winning his fifth bout against Midorifuji with a rare kawazugake winning-move, a technique not seen in 10 years. He was the leader of the tournament after Day 11 with just one loss, but ultimately finished at 11–4. Still, it was his best performance to date in the san'yaku ranks. He received his second Technique Prize of his career by recording his eleventh victory over Kiribayama.

Hōshōryū had hopes of promotion to ōzeki if he produced double-digit wins in the January 2023 tournament, but he withdrew on Day 10 with a sprained left ankle. He returned to the tournament on Day 12 having missed just one day, and preserved his sekiwake rank on the final day, winning his eighth match after his opponent Ōnoshō was disqualified for a hair pull. In the March 2023 rankings, Hōshōryū retained his position as sekiwake. In that tournament he finished with a 10–5 record. Between March and May 2023, Hōshōryū won enough victories to reach double-digit records. After the May tournament, Judging Department chairman Sadagotake commented on the sekiwake results and announced that the July tournament would be one where promotion to ōzeki would be considered if Hōshōryū's results were good enough. Hōshōryū would need 12 wins at the July basho to reach the normal ōzeki promotion requirement of 33 wins at san'yaku in three tournaments.

Ōzeki race and promotion
In early June, Hōshōryū returned to Mongolia for the first time in four years, to recover physically and mentally in preparation for his run (ōzeki-tori) to the rank of ōzeki. There, he benefited in particular from advice from his uncle Asashōryū and declared that he intended to approach the tournament like his previous ones, "as usual" and without worrying too much about promotion. Prior to the July tournament, Hōshōryū also received a keshō-mawashi designed by manga artist Rieko Saibara, depicting one of the patrons of his stable (Katsuya Takasu) as Genghis Khan and the "blue wolf", a Mongolian legend. Originally, the keshō-mawashi was to be offered after a possible promotion to the rank of ōzeki, but Hōshōryū insisted on having it ready at the July tournament.

Hōshōryū began the July 2023 tournament by facing Maegashira Tobizaru. Despite designated the winner of the match, many spectators and journalists mentioned that Hōshōryū's hand had touched the ring floor before Tobizaru had fallen. In response to the growing criticism, the Nikkan Sports newspaper commented in an editorial that the judges had probably awarded the victory to Hōshōryū because he had shown himself to be dominant in the match and Tobizaru was not in a position to continue fighting. Nevertheless, Hōshōryū performed well in the following days, winning his second match against former ōzeki Shōdai, but lost to Maegashira Nishikigi, one of the tournament's surprise leaders, on Day 3. Hōshōryū bounced back, however, to win six consecutive victories to put him in the title race, including a notable one against Komusubi Abi by okurihikiotoshi, an unusual winning move. Between Days 10 and 12, however, he suffered two defeats to Komusubi Kotonowaka and title contender Hokutofuji. After defeating back-to-back Ōzeki Kirishima and ōzeki promotion-seeker Wakamotoharu, he entered the final day of the tournament in a three-way tie for the lead with eight-year sumo veteran Hokutofuji and 19-year-old makuuchi-newcomer Hakuōhō. Hōshōryū took on Hakuōhō in their scheduled Day 15 contest with the winner then needing to face Hokutofuji, who by winning that day against Nishikigi had triggered the necessity of a playoff. Hōshōryū brought down Hakuōhō, thus winning his 12th match of the tournament and his 33rd in three tournaments at a san'yaku rank, the threshold typically needed for ōzeki promotion. Hōshōryū then went on to defeat Hokutofuji in the playoff to secure his first top-division championship and second overall title in professional sumo. Upon winning the playoff and leaving the dohyō, Hōshōryū could not contain his emotions. "I was just so overwhelmed with joy, I was trying to hold it back but the tears just came," he said. He added that he did everything he could and did not think about a possible promotion, and that he wanted to share his joy with his stablemaster Tatsunami and with his uncle.

Since he had reached the quota of victories required for promotion, the board of directors of the Japan Sumo Association approved Hōshōryū's appointment to the rank of ōzeki, after JSA Chairman Hakkaku accepted the request of Judging Department head Sadogatake to hold an extraordinary board meeting to discuss the promotion. On July 26, Hōshōryū made his formal acceptance speech at his stable's lodging house in Nagoya, with his parents who had flown in from Mongolia for the ceremony. In his speech, Hōshōryū said that he would work hard with a spirit of kihaku issen (気魄一閃) so as to not tarnish the rank of ōzeki. This promotion makes Hōshōryū the first wrestler promoted to the rank of ōzeki from Tatsunami stable in 37 years, since Futahaguro Kōji in 1986. He is also the seventh Mongolian ōzeki to date, after Kirishima was elevated to the rank in May 2023. After the September banzuke was released, Hōshōryū noted that he had to work even harder than before because many people were offering congratulations to him during the summer regional tours and he became accustomed to people referring to him as an ōzeki. He said that he had to win the September tournament by wrestling well.

Ōzeki career
Hōshōryū began his ōzeki career in September 2023 by narrowly escaping a kadoban situation with an eighth victory on the final day of the tournament against Hokuseihō.

During the November 2023 tournament, Hōshōryū stood out on the fifth day of the tournament in his match against Gōnoyama, a match during which the two wrestlers waited at the moment of the tachi-ai for a minute and a half, leading to three unsuccessful attempts to launch the initial charge. Although he won the match, Hōshōryū, due to his rank and three unsuccessful attempts was summoned by head judge Kumegawa to receive a verbal warning.

Hōshōryū was in contention of the top division championship during much of the January 2024 tournament. He aggravated his knee injury during his match with ozeki Kirishima, another championship contestant. He withdrew from the tournament the following day. Nevertheless, he had already achieved kachi-koshi. During the March tournament of the same year, Hōshōryū remained in the group of wrestlers still able to compete for the championship, notably standing out on Day 12 by beating Takerufuji, the newly promoted makuuchi who had been unbeaten until then. Hōshōryū's chances of staying in contention for the title came to an end on Day 14, however, after he was defeated by fellow ōzeki Kotonowaka.

Fighting style
Hōshōryū's Japan Sumo Association profile lists his preferred grip on his opponent's mawashi as migi-yotsu, a left hand outside, right hand inside position. He is fond of using shitatenage ('underarm throw') and yori kiri ('frontal force out'). He also likes the outside leg trip, or sotogake, which is beginning to be seen as a trademark move of his. With his fierce fighting style, he makes full use of his speed and athleticism. Because of that, he has captured the attention of many fans early in his career.

Personal life
Hōshōryū comes from a prestigious wrestling family, his father (the eldest brother) and uncles all having wrestling backgrounds. In addition to former yokozuna Asashōryū, he also counts among his uncles Dolgorsürengiin Sumyaabazar a Mongolian politician but former Olympic freestyle wrestling athlete, and Dolgorsürengiin Serjbüdee, who was a professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. His paternal grandfather,, is also a renowned bökh wrestler, having achieved the status of Ulsyn zaan (Улсын заан), meaning "National Elephant", which means he reached a semi-final in a national Naadam wrestling festival.

Since Hōshōryū is the nephew of the 68th yokozuna Asashōryū, the latter regularly comments on his performances in the ring. Hōshōryū notably cited his uncle's anger when he suffered three consecutive defeats in March 2019, and his uncle's criticism on Twitter of his style at the September 2019 tournament. Hōshōryū maintains a complicated relationship with the aura his uncle has over professional sumo, feeling that he is "perpetually chasing his shadow." Before his promotion to the rank of ōzeki he also commented on his annoyance at being regularly compared to his uncle.