Hōshōryū Tomokatsu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hōshōryū Tomokatsu
豊昇龍 智勝
Hōshōryū in January 2022
Personal information
Born	Sugarragchaagiin Byambasuren (1999-05-22) May 22, 1999 (age 26) Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Height	188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	148 kg (326 lb)
Career
Stable	Tatsunami
Current rank	See below
Debut	January 2018
Highest rank	Yokozuna (January 2025)
Championships	2 (Makuuchi) 1 (Jonidan)
Special Prizes	Technique (2) Fighting Spirit (1)
* Up to date as of January 29, 2025.

Hōshōryū Tomokatsu (Japanese: 豊昇龍 智勝, born Sugarragchaagiin Byambasüren ; May 22, 1999) is a professional sumo wrestler from Mongolia. He wrestles for Tatsunami stable and started his professional sumo career in January 2018. Hōshōryū is well-known for his powerful throws. Many Mongolian sumo wrestlers are good at throws, which comes from their skills in Mongolian wrestling.

Hōshōryū is the nephew of Asashōryū, who was the 68th yokozuna (the highest rank in sumo). Hōshōryū has won three championships so far. Soon after he started in 2018, he won the lower-division jonidan title without losing any matches. In July 2023, Hōshōryū won his first championship in the top division. This win helped him get promoted to the rank of ōzeki. After coming in second place at the November 2024 tournament, Hōshōryū won his second top-division championship in January 2025. Because of this, he was promoted to the highest rank in professional sumo, becoming the 74th yokozuna.

Early Life and Sumo Journey

Sugarragchaa was born in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on May 22, 1999. He is the second son of the older brother of former yokozuna Asashōryū. His father was also a bökh wrestler. Sugarragchaa grew up in the city but spent his long summer breaks camping in yurts (traditional Mongolian tents).

As a child, he was very active and learned to ride horses when he was only three years old. At five, he started taking lessons in basketball and judo at the same club as Kirishima, who would also become a top sumo wrestler. Sugarragchaa came from a wrestling family and often met other sumo wrestlers, like the 73rd yokozuna Terunofuji, at dinner parties. He also watched his uncle's sumo matches on TV and looked up to him a lot. Even though he wasn't very keen on wrestling at first, he started taking bökh lessons at age 11 and won some local competitions.

After middle school, a sumo coach from Japan, Tomohiro Ōsawa, visited Mongolia to find new international students for his sumo club. He saw Sugarragchaa and noticed he looked a lot like his famous uncle. Sugarragchaa decided to visit Japan and was later recruited to Nippon Sport Science University Kashiwa High School. There, he first joined the wrestling club because he was a bit scared of sumo. However, after a school trip to the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, he became interested in sumo. He talked to his uncle and decided to try sumo in high school. Even without much experience, he quickly did well in amateur sumo tournaments and showed great promise.

Starting His Professional Sumo Career

Hōshōryū in January 2019

After high school, Hōshōryū joined Tatsunami stable. His uncle often gave him advice, like "build on your own strengths" and "don't gain weight too fast or you might get hurt." Hōshōryū had his first professional match in January 2018. In his very first match, called maezumō, he lost to Naya. Naya was also getting attention because he was the grandson of the famous yokozuna Taihō. Hōshōryū and Naya felt a connection because of their strong family ties to sumo.

In his first official tournament in March 2018, Hōshōryū almost won the jonokuchi division championship. He won six matches in a row but was again defeated by Naya, who went on to win the championship. Since then, the two wrestlers have had a friendly rivalry.

In his second tournament, Hōshōryū won the jonidan championship without losing any matches. When he moved up to the sandanme division, he won six out of seven matches, which helped him get promoted to the makushita division. During the summer training tours in June, yokozuna Hakuhō chose Hōshōryū to train with him. This showed that Hakuhō was helping him, just as he had done when Hōshōryū was in high school.

In his first tournament in the makushita division, he won three matches but then lost three. In his seventh match, he faced Naya again. Both wrestlers had a 3–3 record, meaning one of them would be sent down to a lower division. Hōshōryū defeated Naya, who then had his first losing record and was moved down.

In January 2019, Hōshōryū faced Ura, a former top-division wrestler who was coming back from injuries. Hōshōryū won the match, but Ura hurt his knee again and had to leave the tournament. Hōshōryū later said he was nervous to face a former top wrestler and felt bad about Ura's injury.

In July 2019, Hōshōryū was ranked makushita 2. He faced many opponents who had already been in the jūryō division (the second-highest). He even had a match in the jūryō division against Kizakiumi, where he lost. That month, he had his only losing tournament during his climb through the lower divisions.

Hōshōryū quickly bounced back in the next tournament in September 2019. With a winning record, he earned promotion to the jūryō division for the November tournament. At a press conference, Hōshōryū promised to win more than his uncle's 25 championships. His uncle also gave him a kimono for his promotion. In his jūryō debut, Hōshōryū started with a win but ended with a losing record. However, he then had two winning records in the next two tournaments.

In the July 2020 tournament, Hōshōryū was part of a rare situation where six wrestlers had ten wins each, leading to a playoff. He won his first playoff match. The final playoff was between three wrestlers from his own stable: Hōshōryū, Akua, and Meisei. Wrestlers from the same stable usually don't fight each other unless it's a playoff. Hōshōryū lost to Meisei, who then won the championship.

Reaching the Top Division (Makuuchi)

Hōshōryū's good performance in July 2020 helped him get promoted to the top-tier makuuchi division for the September 2020 tournament. He became the 50th foreign wrestler and the 27th Mongolian to reach the top division. In his first match there, he won against Ichinojō, who was much heavier than him.

In the July 2021 tournament, Hōshōryū had his best result in the top division so far. He defeated Ōzeki Shōdai very quickly. He won ten matches and received his first special award, the ginō-shō (Technique prize). After this, he was congratulated by leaders of the Japan Sumo Association. The winner of that tournament, yokozuna Hakuhō, even told Hōshōryū that he hoped he would reach the top of the sumo world. Hōshōryū was then promoted to his highest rank yet, Maegashira 1, for September. However, he had to withdraw from that tournament due to tonsillitis. He came back later and won four of his remaining matches.

Hōshōryū receiving the Best Makuuchi Newcomer Award in January 2022 for his 2020 debut

In January 2022, Hōshōryū had a strong record of 11 wins and 4 losses. This led to his first promotion to a special rank called san'yaku, specifically komusubi, for the March 2022 tournament. He continued to win more matches than he lost in three tournaments as komusubi. This earned him a promotion to sekiwake for the September 2022 tournament. In November, Hōshōryū won a match using a rare move called kawazugake, which hadn't been seen in ten years. He was leading the tournament after Day 11 but finished with 11 wins and 4 losses. This was his best performance in the san'yaku ranks, and he received his second Technique Prize.

Hōshōryū hoped to be promoted to ōzeki if he won ten or more matches in the January 2023 tournament. However, he hurt his ankle and had to withdraw on Day 10. He returned later and kept his sekiwake rank by winning his eighth match on the final day. In March 2023, Hōshōryū stayed at sekiwake and finished with a 10–5 record. After the May tournament, sumo officials said that if Hōshōryū did well enough in the July tournament, he could be considered for promotion to ōzeki. He would need 12 wins in July to reach the usual goal of 33 wins in three tournaments at a san'yaku rank.

Becoming an Ōzeki

In early June, Hōshōryū went back to Mongolia for the first time in four years. He wanted to rest and prepare for his push to become an ōzeki. His uncle Asashōryū gave him advice. Hōshōryū said he would approach the tournament "as usual" without worrying too much about the promotion. Before the July tournament, Hōshōryū also received a special keshō-mawashi (ceremonial apron) designed by a famous artist.

Hōshōryū started the July 2023 tournament well. He won six matches in a row, putting him in the race for the championship. He defeated Ōzeki Kirishima and another ōzeki hopeful, Wakamotoharu. He entered the final day tied for the lead with two other wrestlers. Hōshōryū won his match, getting his 12th win of the tournament and his 33rd win in three tournaments at a san'yaku rank. This was enough for ōzeki promotion. He then went on to win a playoff match, securing his first top-division championship! After winning, Hōshōryū was very emotional. He said, "I was just so overwhelmed with joy, I was trying to hold it back but the tears just came." He was happy to share his joy with his stablemaster and uncle.

Because he reached the required number of wins, the Japan Sumo Association approved Hōshōryū's promotion to ōzeki. On July 26, Hōshōryū gave his official acceptance speech. His parents had flown from Mongolia to be there. In his speech, Hōshōryū promised to work hard with a strong spirit so he would not dishonor the rank of ōzeki. This made Hōshōryū the first wrestler from Tatsunami stable to become ōzeki in 37 years. He is also the seventh Mongolian ōzeki.

Ōzeki Career and Becoming a Yokozuna

Hōshōryū started his ōzeki career in September 2023. He managed to avoid being in a dangerous "kadoban" situation (where he would be at risk of demotion) by winning his eighth match on the final day.

In the November 2023 tournament, Hōshōryū had a very long start to one of his matches, with three failed attempts to begin. Even though he won, he received a warning from the head judge because of his high rank and the unusual delay.

Hōshōryū was competing for the top-division championship in January 2024. He hurt his knee during a match and had to withdraw from the tournament the next day. However, he had already won enough matches to keep his rank. In March, Hōshōryū was still in the championship race. He notably defeated Takerufuji, a new top-division wrestler who had been unbeaten until then. Hōshōryū's chances for the title ended on Day 14 when he lost to fellow ōzeki Kotonowaka. In July, Hōshōryū withdrew from the tournament due to a thigh injury, but he had already secured enough wins to maintain his rank.

Hōshōryū entered the final day of the November 2024 tournament tied for the lead with Kotozakura. In the final match, Hōshōryū tried a throw but slipped and fell, giving the victory to Kotozakura. Even though he didn't win the championship, Hōshōryū's strong performance meant he would be considered for yokozuna promotion at the next tournament in January 2025. This was a rare event, as two wrestlers (Hōshōryū and Kotozakura) were being considered for yokozuna at the same time, which hadn't happened in 55 years.

At the January 2025 tournament, Hōshōryū started with four straight wins. He then lost a couple of matches, which seemed to make his yokozuna promotion harder. However, he fought back, defeating the tournament leader and other top wrestlers. On the final day, Hōshōryū won his match, leading to a three-way playoff for the championship. He won the title by defeating his two opponents one after the other. It was special because the Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba personally gave him the Prime Minister's Cup, which hadn't happened since 2019.

Hōshōryū dedicated his championship to his old high school coach, Tomohiro Ōsawa, who had passed away in September 2024. He also mentioned that he wished he could have faced Terunofuji one last time, as Terunofuji had beaten him in all their previous matches.

After Hōshōryū's victory, the Japan Sumo Association discussed his promotion to the highest rank of yokozuna. Even though some judges had concerns about his losses to lower-ranked wrestlers, the head of the Judging Department was confident in the promotion.

Promotion to Yokozuna

On January 27, 2025, the Yokozuna Deliberation Council officially recommended Hōshōryū's promotion to the highest rank in professional sumo. He became the 74th yokozuna in sumo history. It was reported that Hōshōryū would use the Unryū style for his ring-entering ceremonies, just like his uncle Asashōryū. He would also use a special sword and ceremonial aprons that belonged to former yokozuna Musashimaru.

On January 29, 2025, the Sumo Association officially promoted Hōshōryū to yokozuna. He is the sixth Mongolian to reach this top rank and the first yokozuna since Terunofuji in July 2021. He reached the top rank in 42 tournaments, making him the sixth-fastest wrestler to do so since 1958. His promotion also happened on the same date in 2003 that his uncle Asashōryū became the first Mongolian-born yokozuna.

Soon after the promotion, Sumo Association representatives visited Hōshōryū and his stablemaster to give him the official news. In his acceptance speech, Hōshōryū said, "I will continue to work hard with a strong determination in order not to tarnish the title of yokozuna." He used the same Japanese words, "kihaku issen" (meaning "the mental strength to fight powerfully"), that he used for his ōzeki promotion and that his uncle had used before. Hōshōryū told reporters that reaching the top rank was his dream. "I will try to elevate myself higher and higher," he said. "No matter what happens, I will stand strong." His first ring-entering ceremony as a yokozuna was planned for January 31 at Tokyo's Meiji Shrine.

Fighting Style

Hōshōryū's official profile says he prefers to grab his opponent's mawashi (belt) with his left hand outside and right hand inside. He often uses shitatenage ('underarm throw') and yori kiri ('frontal force out'). He also likes to use the outside leg trip, or sotogake, which is becoming his special move. With his strong and active fighting style, he uses his speed and athletic ability very well. This has made him popular with many sumo fans since the start of his career.

Family Background

Hōshōryū comes from a famous wrestling family. His father and uncles all have wrestling backgrounds. Besides his uncle, former yokozuna Asashōryū, his other uncles include Dolgorsürengiin Sumyaabazar, a Mongolian politician and former Olympic freestyle wrestler, and Dolgorsürengiin Serjbüdee, who was a professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. His grandfather was also a well-known bökh wrestler in Mongolia. In October 2024, his cousin also became a professional sumo wrestler.

Since Hōshōryū is the nephew of the 68th yokozuna Asashōryū, his uncle often shares comments about his matches.

Career record

See also

• Active special prize winners
• Glossary of sumo terms
• List of active sumo wrestlers
• List of non-Japanese sumo wrestlers
• List of sumo tournament top division champions
• List of sumo tournament top division runners-up
• List of yokozuna