felt relieved from all the pressure." Araiso-oyakata (former yokozuna Kisenosato) commented, "People are always telling him to lose weight. But the weight that had been a shortcoming is now an asset." Tokushōryū also paid tribute to his mentor at Kindai University's sumo club, Katsuhito Ito, who had died suddenly at the age of 55 on the seventh day of the tournament. Tokushōryū's shikona was based on Ito's name, as the two share the kanji character for "win." For the March 2020 tournament Tokushōryū was promoted to maegashira 2, his highest ranking. He managed to earn a kinboshi by defeating Kakuryū on Day 6, his first win over a yokozuna, but ended the tournament with a 4–11 record. After maintaining a position in the mid-maegashira ranks for the rest of 2020, a 3–12 record at the rank of maegashira 8 in January 2021, five tournaments after his championship, saw demoted to jūryō for the March 2021 tournament. This was the quickest demotion to jūryō ever after winning a makuuchi championship, surpassing Wakanami who was demoted after seven tournaments. Following the November 2022 tournament he was demoted once again, to makushita. During this tournament he had lost to Asanoyama in the first ever match in the jūryō division between two former makuuchi division tournament champions. Tokushōryū earned immediate promotion back to jūryō after the January 2023 tournament. Fighting style Tokushōryū is a oshi-sumo wrestler, preferring thrusting and pushing (tsuki/oshi) techniques to fighting on the mawashi or belt. His most common winning kimarite are yori-kiri (force out) and oshi-dashi (push out). While he was a member of Kitanoumi stable, head coach Kitanoumi encouraged him to go for a left hand inside grip on the belt, hidari-yotsu, recognizing his power, and this is the technique he used in his championship winning match against Takakeisho in January 2020. Personal life Tokushōryū was married in June 2016, with the wedding reception in February 2017. Career record See also List of sumo tournament top division champions List of sumo tournament top division runners-up List of sumo tournament second division champions Glossary of sumo terms List of active sumo wrestlers Active special prize winners References External links 1986 births Living people Japanese sumo wrestlers Sumo people from Nara Prefecture