▁he ▁had ▁already ▁won ▁a ▁European ▁championship . ▁He ▁was ▁accepted ▁by ▁the ▁Bulgar ian ▁National ▁Sports ▁Academy ▁where ▁he ▁major ed ▁in ▁wrest ling . ▁He ▁hoped ▁to ▁comp ete ▁for ▁Bulg aria ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁Olympic ▁Games , ▁but ▁as ▁his ▁weight ▁increased ▁beyond ▁the ▁ 1 2 0   kg ▁upper ▁limit , ▁he ▁switched ▁instead ▁to ▁sum o . ▁He ▁was ▁rec ru ited ▁by ▁Sad og ata ke ▁stable , ▁whose ▁stable master ▁was ▁im pressed ▁by ▁his ▁fil ial ▁duty ▁of ▁sending ▁money ▁home ▁to ▁his ▁parents . ▁ ▁Mah ly an ov ' s ▁professional ▁sum o ▁debut ▁was ▁in ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁starting ▁in ▁the ▁lowest - rank ed ▁j on ok uch i ▁division . ▁He ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁sh ik ona ▁of ▁K oto ō sh ū , ▁derived ▁from ▁his ▁place ▁of ▁origin ▁— ▁k oto , ▁shared ▁by ▁all ▁wrest lers ▁at ▁his ▁stable , ▁and ▁ ō sh ū , ▁meaning ▁Europe . ▁( F ollow ing ▁the ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁tournament , ▁he ▁changed ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁characters ▁in ▁his ▁ring ▁name , ▁ 州 ▁becoming ▁ 洲 , ▁although ▁the ▁pron unci ation , ▁sh ū , ▁is ▁the ▁same ▁for ▁both .) ▁He ▁posted ▁k ach ik oshi ▁( win ning ▁records ▁in ▁tournament s ) ▁throughout ▁his ▁early ▁career , ▁going ▁ 7 1 – 1 5 ▁in ▁the ▁five ▁divisions ▁below ▁the ▁mak u