{{short description|Japanese sumo wrestler}} {{hatnote|In this Japanese shikona name, the surname is Azumafuji.}} {{Infobox sumo wrestler | name = {{nihongo2|東富士 欽壹}}<br />Azumafuji Kin'ichi | image = Azumafuji.JPG | caption = Azumafuji performing his ''yokozuna'' ring-entering ceremony, late 1948 | birth_name = Inoue Kin'ichi | birth_date = {{Birth date|1921|10|28}} | birth_place = Tokyo, Japan | death_date = {{death date and age|1973|7|31|1921|10|28}} | height = {{height|meters=1.79}} | weight = {{convert|178|kg|lb st|abbr=on}} | heya = Takasago | rank = | record = 335-137-54-1draws-1hold | debut = January 1936 | highestrank = Yokozuna (October 1948) | retireddate = September, 1954 | eldername = Nishikido | yushos = 6 (Makuuchi)<br />1 (Jūryō)<br />1 (Makushita) | update = June 2020 }}
{{nihongo|'''Azumafuji Kin'ichi'''|東富士 欽壹||October 28, 1921 – July 31, 1973|lead=yes}} was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Taitō, Tokyo. He was the sport's 40th ''yokozuna'', and later a professional wrestler.
==Sumo career== [[File:Azumafuji vs Tochinishiki 1953-10-29.jpg|thumb|left|Azumafuji defeating Tochinishiki in the 1953 fall tournament]] thumb|Azumafuji Kin'ichi with the Emperor's Cup (天皇賜杯, Tennō shihai) (Top Division Champion of Natsu Basho 1950) Azumafuji's real name was {{nihongo|Inoue Kin'ichi|井上 謹一}}. He made professional debut in January 1936, joining Takasago stable. He was promoted to the top ''makuuchi'' division in May 1943. On the sixth day of the November 1944 tournament, he defeated ''yokozuna'' Futabayama, the last wrestler ever to do so as Futabayama pulled out of the tournament the next day and only fought one more bout before his retirement. Azumafuji was promoted to ''ōzeki'' in June 1945 on the strength of two runner-up performances. He won his first top division championship in May 1948, and was promoted to the top ''yokozuna'' rank in October of that year after finishing as runner-up. Going against historical trends, he managed to win his debut ''yokozuna'' tournament, in January 1949.
On the 12th day of the September 1951 tournament, Azumafuji recorded an ''azukari'', or hold, a rare result. On that day, he had come down with acute pneumonia but he forced himself to continue in the tournament as he had only one loss. Azumafuji fought with then ''ōzeki'' Yoshibayama twice, but the outcome still could not be determined. After the second bout, Azumafuji could not stand up any more and conceded defeat, but the gentlemanly Yoshibayama insisted that the fairest result was to declare a hold, which was confirmed by the officials. Azumafuji went on to win the tournament, his fourth championship.
[[File:Azumafuji handprint.JPG|thumb|right|180px|Azumafuji's handprint displayed on a monument in Ryōgoku, Tokyo]] Azumafuji won his sixth and final championship in September 1953, and struggled with injuries after that. In September 1954, ''ōzeki'' Tochinishiki seemed certain to win his second consecutive championship. Azumafuji suddenly announced his retirement at that tournament, not wishing to hinder Tochinshiki's promotion to ''yokozuna''.<ref name="kuroda">{{cite web|author=Kuroda, Joe|title=Tochinishiki Kiyotaka (1925–1990) the 44th Yokozuna Part 2|publisher=Sumo Fan Magazine|url=http://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_15/Rikishi_of_Old.htm|date=October 2007|accessdate=2008-05-01}}</ref> Had he remained, Tochinishiki would have become the fifth active ''yokozuna'', an unprecedented situation. Tochinishiki reportedly asked Azumafuji to reconsider his decision, but to no avail.<ref name="kuroda"/>
==Professional wrestling career== Azumafuji was the first ''yokozuna'' to turn to Western-style professional wrestling, in 1955. This occurred after a dispute in the Japan Sumo Association between two other elders, Takasago and Tatsunami, which he wished to escape.<ref name="kuroda"/> In April 1955 he won the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship in Honolulu alongside another former sumo wrestler turned professional wrestler, Rikidōzan. In 1956 he defeated former judoka Toshio Yamaguchi to win the Japanese Heavyweight tournament.<ref>[http://www.puroresu.com/history/jwa-riki.html History of Puroresu : The Rikidozan Era<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> This tournament was supposed to give him a shot at Rikidozan, at the time the Japanese Heavyweight Champion, but the match never took place.
==Championships and accomplishments== * '''Mid-Pacific Promotions''' :* NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Rikidōzan
==Sumo top division record==
*''From 1953 a New Year tournament was added and the Spring tournament began to be held in Osaka.'' {{Sumo record box start 1933-1952|Azumafuji<ref>{{cite web | author= | title=Azumafuji Kinichi Rikishi Information| publisher=Sumo Reference | url=http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=3850 | date= | accessdate=2007-10-15}}</ref>}} {{Sumo record year start |1943}} {{Basho}} {{Basho|m|8|e|10|5}} {{Basho|note|'''Not held'''}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1944}} {{Basho|m|1|w|7|4|4}} {{Basho|m|2|e|6|4}} {{Basho|s||w|9|1||j}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1945}} {{Basho|note|'''Not held'''}} {{Basho|s|1|e|6|1||j}} {{Basho|o|1|e|9|1}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1946}} {{Basho|note|'''Not held'''}} {{Basho|note|'''Not held'''}} {{Basho|o|1|e|7|6}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1947}} {{Basho|note|'''Not held'''}} {{Basho|o|2|w|9|1|P|j}} {{Basho|o|1|w|6|5}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1948}} {{Basho|note|'''Not held'''}} {{Basho|o|2|w|10|1||y}} {{Basho|o|1|w|10|1|P|j}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1949}} {{Basho|y|2|w|10|2<br>1d||y}} {{Basho|y|1|e|8|7}} {{Basho|y|2|w|10|5}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1950}} {{Basho|y|1|w|6|6|3}} {{Basho|y|1|w|14|1||y}} {{Basho|y|1|e|11|4}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1951}} {{Basho|y|1|w|10|5}} {{Basho|y|2|e|12|3||j}} {{Basho|y|1|e|13|1<br>1h||y}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1952}} {{Basho|y|1|e|7|4|4}} {{Basho|y|2|w|13|2||y}} {{Basho|y|1|e|7|7|1}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record box end}} {{Sumo record box start 1953-1956}} {{Sumo record year start|1953}} {{Basho|y|1|w|2|5|8}} {{Basho|y|2|w|12|3||j}} {{Basho|y|1|e|11|4}} {{Basho|y|1|w|14|1||y}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start|1954}} {{Basho|y|1|e|3|7|5}} {{Basho|y|2|w|5|3|7}} {{Basho|kyujo|rank=y|r-no=2|tozai=e}} {{Basho|INTAI|rank=y|r-no=2|tozai=e|win=4|loss=4|absent=7}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record box end}} ''*d = draw (引分) / h = hold (預り)''
==See also== *Glossary of sumo terms *List of past sumo wrestlers *List of sumo tournament top division champions *List of yokozuna
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070809014024/http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/eng/kiroku_daicho/mei_yokozuna/azumafuji.html Japan Sumo Association profile] * [http://www.sumofanmag.com/content/Issue_26/Rikishi_of_Old.pdf Article on Azumafuji] * {{professional wrestling profiles}}
{{Yokozuna box | previous = Maedayama Eigorō | number = 40th | active = 1948–1954 | next = Chiyonoyama Masanobu}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Azumafuji, Kinichi}} Category:1921 births Category:1973 deaths Category:Japanese sumo wrestlers Category:Yokozuna Category:Japanese male professional wrestlers Category:People from Taitō Category:Sumo wrestlers from Tokyo Category:20th-century Japanese sportsmen Category:Takasago stable sumo wrestlers