Kotozakura Masakatsu
| Kotozakura Masakatsu | |
|---|---|
| 琴櫻 傑將 | |
 |
|
| Personal information | |
| Born | Kamatani Norio November 26, 1940 Kurayoshi, Japan |
| Died | August 14, 2007 (aged 66) |
| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 150 kg (330 lb) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Sadogatake |
| Record | 723-428-77 |
| Debut | January 1959 |
| Highest rank | Yokozuna (January 1973) |
| Retired | July 1974 |
| Championships | 5 (Makuuchi) 2 (Jūryō) |
| Special Prizes | Outstanding Performance (4) Fighting Spirit (2) |
| Gold Stars | 2 (Kashiwado, Sadanoyama) |
| * Up to date as of August 2007. | |
Kotozakura Masakatsu (琴櫻 傑將, November 26, 1940 – August 14, 2007) was a former sumo wrestler from Kurayoshi, Tottori, Japan. He was the sport's 53rd yokozuna. He made his professional debut in 1959, reaching the top division in 1963. After several years at the second highest rank of ōzeki, in 1973 he was promoted to yokozuna at the age of thirty-two years two months, becoming the oldest wrestler to be promoted to yokozuna since 1958, when the current six tournaments system was established. After his retirement he was head coach of Sadogatake stable and produced a string of top division wrestlers.
Born Norio Kamatani, he came from a sumo background, as his father was involved in organising regional amateur sumo tournaments and his grandfather's brother had been a professional rikishi. The young Kamatani at first competed in judo, achieving shodan level while still in middle school. However, after doing well in a national high school sumo competition he decided on a career in professional sumo. Initially his parents wanted him to continue with judo but they were persuaded by former komusubi Kotonishiki Noboru to let him join Sadogatake stable.
Kotozakura made his professional debut in January 1959. He reached the jūryō division in July 1962 and the top makuuchi division in March 1963. After making his san'yaku debut at komusubi in January 1964 he suffered an injury and returned to jūryō, but he quickly recovered. After an 11-4 record at sekiwake in September 1967 he was awarded the Outstanding Performance prize and promotion to ōzeki. He won two tournament championships in July 1968 and March 1969, but by the early 1970s he had begun to be regarded as something of a "perpetual ōzeki", often struggling with injuries and finding it difficult to come up with the necessary wins to maintain his rank. He was kadoban, or in danger of demotion from ōzeki, three times during this period. Remarkably however, he won consecutive championships in November 1972 and January 1973 to earn promotion to yokozuna at the age of thirty two, after thirty two tournaments at ōzeki. In July 1973 he defeated Kitanofuji in a playoff to win his only championship as a yokozuna. After injuring his knee in 1974 he withdrew from several tournaments and announced his retirement that July.
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