Wakashoyo Shunichi (born 8 March 1966 as Yoichi Babaguchi) is a Japanese mixed martial artist, kickboxer, professional wrestler and former sumo wrestler.

Career

Although born in Chiba, he grew up in Nakano, Tokyo. He joined sumo in 1981, wrestling out of Futagoyama stable. He first entered the top makuuchi division in 1991 and made his sanyaku debut in March 1993 from komusubi rank. Unusually, he came through with a winning record (which included a win over new yokozuna Akebono), and was awarded his second successive special prize for Fighting Spirit. After the tournament he was promoted to sekiwake, which was the highest rank he was to achieve. He retired in November 1997 and became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association under the name Otowayama. However, the retirement of his former stablemate, Wakanohana in March 2000 meant that his elder name was needed by the former Takamisugi (who had been borrowing Wakanohana's), and Wakashoyo had to leave the sumo world.

He then signed with K-1, a kickboxing and mixed martial arts organization, fighting under his old shikona (He uses the Latin script, appearing as "WAKASHOYO" rather than using the Japanese characters. The Sumo Association requested that Konishiki do the same thing in his post-sumo career). He made his debut in a kickboxing bout against fellow newcomer, South Korean giant Choi Hong-man in the quarter-final of the K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Seoul on 19 March 2005. Wakashoyo was knocked down twice in the first round; he was not able to recover from the second one. In July 2005 he entered Hero's, the mixed martial arts series promoted by K-1, against kickboxing legend Peter Aerts in an MMA bout at Hero's 2. He was again knocked out in the first round. Wakashoyo returned to the promotion against Kazuhiro Hamanaka at Hero's 5 on 3 May 2006 and was submitted with an arm lock.

In 2008 he began using his real name, Yoichi Babaguchi, as his fighting name. However, he reverted to the name Wakashoyo in December 2010 for a kickboxing match with fellow former sekitori Sentoryu. Out of shape in his first match in over two and a half years, he lost in the first round.

Babaguchi, under his Wakashoyo name, started his career in professional wrestling in Inoki Genome Federation in 2008, later changing to Real Japan Pro Wrestling in 2011.

Fighting style

During his sumo career Wakashoyo favoured yotsu-sumo, or grappling techniques. He preferred a hidari-yotsu, or right hand outside, left hand inside grip on his opponent's mawashi. His most common winning kimarite was yori-kiri, or force out, but he also liked using kotenage, or armlock throw.

Sumo career record

Wakashoyo Shunichi
YearJanuary Hatsu basho, TokyoMarch Haru basho, OsakaMay Natsu basho, TokyoJuly Nagoya basho, NagoyaSeptember Aki basho, TokyoNovember Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
1981xx(Maezumo)West Jonokuchi #29 4–3West Jonidan #139 4–3East Jonidan #115 4–3
1982East Jonidan #93 4–3East Jonidan #64 3–4West Jonidan #81 4–3West Jonidan #55 3–4East Jonidan #71 5–2West Jonidan #27 2–5
1983East Jonidan #49 4–3West Jonidan #34 5–2West Sandanme #89 5–2West Sandanme #60 4–3West Sandanme #45 2–5West Sandanme #72 3–4
1984West Sandanme #83 4–3West Sandanme #62 3–4West Sandanme #81 4–3West Sandanme #62 5–2East Sandanme #33 5–2West Sandanme #1 1–6
1985West Sandanme #39 5–2West Sandanme #9 3–4West Sandanme #24 5–2East Makushita #55 2–5West Sandanme #22 3–4East Sandanme #35 4–3
1986East Sandanme #15 7–0 ChampionEast Makushita #20 3–4East Makushita #34 3–4East Makushita #48 5–2West Makushita #24 2–5East Makushita #42 5–2
1987East Makushita #28 1–6West Makushita #56 6–1–PWest Makushita #28 4–3West Makushita #19 2–5West Makushita #39 6–1East Makushita #19 5–2
1988East Makushita #10 4–3East Makushita #6 0–3–4East Makushita #41 4–3East Makushita #30 5–2West Makushita #17 6–1East Makushita #4 5–2
1989West Makushita #1 0–1–6East Makushita #36 0–2–5East Sandanme #12 Sat out due to injury 0–0–7West Sandanme #72 6–1West Sandanme #20 5–2West Makushita #50 Sat out due to injury 0–0–7
1990East Sandanme #31 Sat out due to injury 0–0–7East Sandanme #92 6–1East Sandanme #38 5–2East Sandanme #12 6–1East Makushita #40 5–2East Makushita #20 5–2
1991East Makushita #10 6–1West Makushita #3 5–2East Jūryō #11 10–5West Jūryō #3 9–6East Maegashira #13 3–12West Jūryō #4 10–5–P
1992West Maegashira #15 6–9East Jūryō #2 10–5East Maegashira #11 5–10East Jūryō #2 10–5West Maegashira #13 10–5East Maegashira #4 8–7
1993West Maegashira #3 10–5 FWest Komusubi #1 10–5 FEast Sekiwake #2 7–8West Komusubi #1 7–8East Maegashira #1 5–10West Maegashira #5 8–7
1994West Komusubi #1 6–9East Maegashira #2 4–11East Maegashira #10 2–13East Jūryō #6 8–7West Jūryō #4 9–6West Jūryō #1 11–4–P
1995East Maegashira #15 8–7West Maegashira #12 9–6East Maegashira #4 3–12East Maegashira #15 11–4East Maegashira #4 7–8West Maegashira #4 5–9–1
1996East Maegashira #10 Sat out due to injury 0–0–15East Maegashira #10 6–9West Maegashira #14 4–11East Jūryō #7 11–4–PEast Jūryō #3 5–10West Jūryō #9 9–6
1997East Jūryō #5 10–5East Jūryō #2 4–11West Jūryō #7 8–7East Jūryō #5 1–14East Makushita #7 3–4West Makushita #13 Retired 1–1–0
Record given as wins–losses–absences Top division champion Top division runner-up Retired Lower divisions Non-participation Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira

Kickboxing record

Res.RecordOpponentMethodEventDateRoundTimeLocationNotes
0 wins, 6 losses, 1 draw
Loss0–6–1United States SentoryūTKO (3 knockdowns)Survivor: Round 625 December 201011:09Tokyo, Japan
Loss0–5–1Japan Noboru TadashiTKO (low kicks)Utsunomiya Utsunomiya Vol.229 March 200910:46Japan
Loss0–4–1Japan Masami UenoKOChikusei Fighting Dream15 September 200810:40Japan
Loss0–3–1Japan Atsushi HamadaKO (right low kick)Dragon Moero22 December 200711:55Japan
Loss0–2–1Japan Gen ShiyoKO (right low kick)New Japan Kickboxing Association: Titans Neos II16 September 200710:54Japan
Draw0–1–1Japan Mr. KamikazeNo decisionRyukyu Kamikaze Spirit13 November 200533:00Okinawa Prefecture, Japan
Loss0–1South Korea Choi Hong-manKO (left hook)K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Seoul19 March 200511:40Seoul, South Korea2005 Seoul Grand Prix quarter-final bout.

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
8 matches1 win6 losses
By knockout05
By submission11
Draws1
Res.RecordOpponentMethodEventDateRoundTimeLocationNotes
Loss1–6–1Kyoshiro KawadaKO (punches)Kingdom Ehrgeiz: Majors vs. Indies30 April 20121N/ATokyo, Japan
Loss1–5–1Hirohide FujinumaTKO (punches)Deep: 47 Impact17 April 201010:17Tokyo, Japan
Loss1–4–1Yusuke KawaguchiTKO (punches)Deep: Megaton Grand Prix 2008 Semifinal24 May 200810:16Tokyo, Japan
Win1–3–1Kintaro TsurukameSubmission (punches)Deep: Megaton Grand Prix 2008 Opening Round29 March 200811:22Tokyo, Japan
Loss0–3–1Kengo WatanabeTKO (punches)GCM: Cage Force EX Western Bound17 February 200710:20Tottori, Japan
Loss0–2–1Kazuhiro HamanakaSubmission (kimura)K-1: Hero's 53 May 200611:22Tokyo, Japan
Draw0–1–1Soichi NishidaDrawGCM: D.O.G. 411 December 200525:00Tokyo, Japan
Loss0–1Peter AertsTKO (punches)K-1: Hero's 26 July 200511:36Tokyo, Japan

See also

External links

  • at the Grand Sumo Homepage