Tenkaihō Takayuki

{{Short description|Japanese sumo wrestler}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}} {{Infobox sumo wrestler | image = Tenkaiho 2012 Jan.JPG | native_name = 天鎧鵬貴由輝 | name = Tenkaihō Takayuki | birth_name = Takayuki Minami | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1984|10|14}} | birth_place = Tamana, Kumamoto, Japan | height = {{height|meters=1.82}} | weight = {{convert|185|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | heya = Onoe | university = Nihon University | record = 367–365–4 | debut = January, 2007 | highestrank = Maegashira 8 (November, 2012) | retireddate = March, 2019 | eldername = Kitajin | yushos = 1 (Sandanme) | prizes = | goldstars = | update = 21 July 2023 }} '''Tenkaihō Takayuki''' (born 14 October 1984 as '''Takayuki Minami''') is a retired sumo wrestler from Tamana, Kumamoto, Japan. He made his professional debut in January 2007, and reached the top division in January 2012. His highest rank was ''maegashira'' 8. He won one ''sandanme'' championship. He retired in March 2019 to become a coach in the Japan Sumo Association, where he remained until his departure in October 2025.

==Early life and sumo background== Minami began sumo in only his first year of primary school.<ref name="sumofan">{{cite web|url=http://www.sumofanmag.com/content/lists/gakusei.htm|title=Active University/College Grad Rikishi: Minami|publisher=Sumo Fan Magazine|accessdate=3 November 2017}}</ref> In middle school he was regular participant in tournaments and came in third place in a Kyūshū wide tournament. In his second year of high school he was in the best eight in a national sumo tournament, and in his third year made the best sixteen in the same national tournament. He continued practicing sumo at Nihon University and was a teammate of later sumo stars Yamamotoyama and Kiyoseumi. Upon graduation he chose to join Onoe stable which was led by former Hamanoshima who went to the same high school and university as Minami had.<ref name="sumofan"/> He also became stablemates with future ''ōzeki'' Baruto.

==Career== Minami started his professional career with a consistent string of successes, only losing a few bouts in his first several tournaments and winning the ''sandanme'' division championship from the low rank of ''sandanme'' 92 with a 7–0 record and a playoff win over veteran Kihonoumi. He rose slowly but consistently through the ranks, recording mostly winning records over the next three years. In the November 2010 tournament he had a breakout performance, losing only to future ''maegashira'' Yoshiazuma. In a playoff for the ''makushita'' division championship, he lost to future ''sekiwake'' Myōgiryū. He again continued to rise slowly but consistently through the ranks, achieving second division ''jūryō'' promotion for the July 2011 tournament. He was helped by there being a large number of retirements due to a match-fixing scandal. Upon promotion to the second division he took the ring name of Tenkaihō. It took him only three winning tournaments in the remainder of 2011 to gain promotion to the top division. After battling for three tournaments in the top tier ''makuuchi'' he was relegated back to the second division. He managed to be re-promoted three times after that, but was soon demoted again, and became more of a ''jūryō'' regular than a ''makuuchi'' performer. He was demoted to the ''makushita'' division after the May 2016 tournament, scoring only 4–11 at ''Jūryō'' 14. He competed in the upper ''makushita'' ranks until 2019 but was never able to secure another promotion.

==Retirement from sumo== Tenkaihō announced his retirement after the March 2019 tournament. He stayed in sumo as an elder of the Japan Sumo Association with the elder name Hidenoyama (borrowed from the active wrestler Kotoshogiku), and coaches at Onoe stable. In February 2020 he switched to the Otowayama elder name, and in January 2023 he changed to Sanoyama.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sumo.or.jp/EnSumoDataSumoBeya/detail/10008/|title=Onoe Beya|publisher=Japan Sumo Association|access-date=26 January 2023}}</ref> Following the retirement of former ''maegashira'' Chiyonokuni, Tenkaihō changed his elder name from Sanoyama (inherited by Chiyonokuni) to Kitaijin, previously held by former ''sekiwake'' Kotoyūki.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202307210000918.html|title=元幕内千代の国が引退、佐ノ山を襲名元天鎧鵬→北陣、元琴勇輝→荒磯元若嶋津の荒磯親方退職|language=ja|date=21 July 2023|publisher=Nikkan Sports|access-date=21 July 2023}}</ref>

In late October 2025, it was announced that Tenkaihō had retired as a coach and departed from the Japan Sumo Association.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202510270000271.html|title=元前頭天鎧鵬の北陣親方が退職明るいキャラと巧みな話術で引退後もファンに愛された41歳|date=27 October 2025|publisher=Nikkan Sports|access-date=27 October 2025|language=ja}}</ref> Soon after his departure, it was reported that he would be joining Abema's Grand Sumo Tournament coverage as a commentator.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202511060000941.html|title=10月に日本相撲協会退職の天鎧鵬さん、九州場所３日目にABEMA大相撲解説デビュー|date=6 November 2025|publisher=Nikkan Sports|access-date=6 November 2025|language=ja}}</ref>

==Fighting style== Tenkaihō was a ''yotsu-sumo'' wrestler who preferred grappling techniques to pushing and thrusting. His favoured grip on his opponent's ''mawashi'' or belt was ''migi-yotsu'', a left hand outside, right hand inside position. His most common winning ''kimarite'' was a straightforward ''yori-kiri'' or force out, which accounted for about half of his career victories.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi_kim.aspx?r=6770|title=Tenkaiho bouts by kimarite|publisher=Sumo Reference|accessdate=14 April 2016}}</ref>

==Personal life== He registered his marriage in September 2015, to a care worker from Anjo, Aichi. Their wedding reception was held in June 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sumoforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=12155&page=6#entry303438|title=Another sekitori marriage|last=Akinomaki|date=14 April 2016|publisher=Sumo Forum|accessdate=14 April 2016}}</ref>

==Career record== {{Sumo record box start|Tenkaihō Takayuki<ref>{{cite web | author= | title=Tenkaihō Takayuki Rikishi Information | publisher=Sumo Reference | url=http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=6770 | date= | accessdate=2012-09-12}}</ref>}} {{Sumo record year start link|2007}} {{Basho|MAEZUMOU}} {{Basho|jk|31|w|6|1}} {{Basho|jo|60|w|6|1}} {{Basho|sa|92|e|7|0|P<br>Champion}} {{Basho|ma|59|e|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|41|e|5|2}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2008}} {{Basho|ma|28|e|6|1}} {{Basho|ma|12|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|8|e|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|5|w|2|5}} {{Basho|ma|16|e|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|23|e|5|2}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2009}} {{Basho|ma|13|w|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|22|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|17|w|2|5}} {{Basho|ma|32|w|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|26|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|20|w|5|2}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2010}} {{Basho|ma|16|w|2|5}} {{Basho|ma|28|e|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|18|e|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|29|e|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|22|e|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|11|e|6|1|P}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2011}} {{Basho|ma|1|w|3|4}} {{Basho|CANCELLED|absent=0}} {{Basho|ma|6|e|4|3}} {{Basho|j|10|w|10|5}} {{Basho|j|3|w|8|7}} {{Basho|j|1|e|8|7}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2012}} {{Basho|m|13|w|8|7}} {{Basho|m|11|w|6|9}} {{Basho|m|13|e|5|10}} {{Basho|j|2|e|9|6}} {{Basho|m|13|w|6|9}} {{Basho|j|1|e|5|10}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2013}} {{Basho|j|6|e|8|7}} {{Basho|j|5|w|7|8}} {{Basho|j|6|w|8|7}} {{Basho|j|5|w|10|5}} {{Basho|m|12|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|8|w|2|13}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2014}} {{Basho|j|2|e|8|7}} {{Basho|m|15|e|3|8|4}} {{Basho|j|6|w|6|9}} {{Basho|j|10|w|5|10}} {{Basho|ma|1|e|4|3}} {{Basho|j|13|e|10|5}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2015}} {{Basho|j|7|e|7|8}} {{Basho|j|8|e|10|5}} {{Basho|j|2|e|5|10}} {{Basho|j|6|w|7|8}} {{Basho|j|7|e|5|10}} {{Basho|j|13|e|9|6}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2016}} {{Basho|j|7|e|5|10}} {{Basho|j|11|e|6|9}} {{Basho|j|14|e|4|11}} {{Basho|ma|6|w|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|12|e|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|18|e|4|3}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2017}} {{Basho|ma|12|w|2|5}} {{Basho|ma|25|e|2|5}} {{Basho|ma|41|e|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|29|w|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|21|w|4|3}} {{Basho|ma|17|w|4|3}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2018}} {{Basho|ma|14|e|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|4|w|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|8|e|2|5}} {{Basho|ma|22|w|5|2}} {{Basho|ma|11|w|3|4}} {{Basho|ma|19|w|3|4}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record year start link|2019}} {{Basho|ma|29|e|1|6}} {{Basho|INTAI|rank=ma|r-no=52|tozai=w|win=4|loss=3}} {{Basho}} {{Basho}} {{Basho}} {{Basho}} {{Sumo record year end}} {{Sumo record box end}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{Goo Sumo|A=|2963}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tenkaiho, Takayuki}} Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:Japanese sumo wrestlers Category:Nihon University alumni Category:People from Tamana, Kumamoto Category:Sumo wrestlers from Kumamoto Prefecture