Yamamotoyama Ryūta
| Yamamotoyama Ryūta | |
|---|---|
| 山本山 龍太 | |
 |
|
| Personal information | |
| Born | Yamamoto Ryūichi May 8, 1984 Saitama, Japan |
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) |
| Weight | 265 kg (584 lb; 41.7 st) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Onoe |
| University | Nihon University |
| Record | 131-107-34 |
| Debut | January 2007 |
| Highest rank | Maegashira 9 (May 2009) |
| Retired | April 2011 |
| Championships | 1 (Makushita) 1 (Jonidan) |
| * Up to date as of Jan 2011. | |
Ryūichi Yamamoto (山本 龍一 Yamamoto Ryūichi?, born May 8, 1984), known by his shikona Yamamotoyama Ryūta or simply Yama, is a Japanese retired sumo wrestler from the city of Saitama in Saitama Prefecture. He made his professional debut in January 2007, and reached the top makuuchi division in January 2009. His highest rank was maegashira 9. At 265 kg (584 lb), Yamamotoyama is the heaviest Japanese-born sumo wrestler in history, and is also thought to be the heaviest Japanese person ever. In April 2011, he was told to retire by the Japan Sumo Association after he and several other wrestlers were found to be involved in match-fixing. He now lives in Los Angeles and participates in sumo exhibitions and amateur tournaments, often alongside Ulambayaryn Byambajav.
Yamamotoyama won several local, national and world sumo championships before entering Nihon University in 2003. He won a total of five championships at Nihon University. He then entered professional sumo as a member of the Onoe stable. He broke the record for the largest new recruit, weighing in at 233 kg in 2007. The previous record holder, Hokutomori, weighed in at 205 kg when he joined professional sumo in 1994. His shikona or fighting name was created simply by adding the suffix yama (meaning "mountain") to his own surname. This is common for lower ranked wrestlers but it was rather unusual him to keep it even after reaching sekitori status. Yamamotoyama however, shares his name with a well-known producer of Japanese seaweed and tea, with whom he was reportedly keen to secure a sponsorship deal.
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