Ozutsu Takeshi
| Ōzutsu Takeshi | |
|---|---|
| 巨砲丈士 | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Takakoshi Matsumoto April 18, 1956 Mie, Japan |
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Weight | 147 kg (324 lb) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Taihō |
| Record | 753–809–25 |
| Debut | May, 1971 |
| Highest rank | Sekiwake (May, 1981) |
| Retired | May, 1992 |
| Championships | 1 (Jūryō) |
| Special Prizes | Outstanding Performance (2) Fighting Spirit (1) Technique (1) |
| Gold Stars | 10 Wakanohana II (4) Chiyonofuji (2) Wajima Kitanoumi Mienoumi Takanosato |
| * Up to date as of August 2009. | |
Ōzutsu Takeshi (born 18 April 1956 as Takakoshi Matsumoto) is a former sumo wrestler from Mie, Japan. Beginning his professional career in May 1971, he was ranked in the top makuuchi division continuously from March 1979 to January 1992, and his record of 1170 consecutive bouts there is the second best in history after Takamiyama. His highest rank was sekiwake. He was runner-up in one tournament and earned ten kinboshi or gold stars for defeating yokozuna. He also won four sanshō or special prizes. He wrestled for Taihō stable and after his retirement in May 1992 he worked there as a coach before leaving the Japan Sumo Association in 2008.
Born in Yokkaichi, he joined Nishonoseki stable in May 1971 at the age of 15. The great yokozuna Taihō retired in the same tournament and that December he followed Taihō to a newly created heya, Taihō stable. In his early days he wrestled under a different shikona, Daishin. In July 1977 he became a sekitori for the first time upon promotion to the jūryō division. He was injured during the November 1977 tournament and had to withdraw, dropping back to makushita. However, he was never to miss another bout in his career. Upon his return to jūryō in March 1978 he adopted the shikona of Ōzutsu (literally "big cannon"; he was sometimes nicknamed "Top Gun"). In September 1978 he claimed the jūryō championship with an 11–4 record (his only career yusho), and in January 1979, after losing a playoff for the championship to Ōshio he was promoted to the top makuuchi division for the March 1979 tournament.
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