Maedayama Eigorō

was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Ehime Prefecture. He was the sport's 39th yokozuna.

Career He was born in Nishiuwa District. On his school excursion to Ōita in the spring of 1926, he met future yokozuna Futabayama Sadaji, who had not yet joined Tatsunami stable, and was participating in the track meet. After joining Takasago stable in the autumn of 1927, he met Futabayama again. Subsequently, he and Futabayama practiced together regularly after he entered sumo.

He made his professional debut in January 1929 using the shikona or ring name , before changing it to in May 1930. In January 1935 he changed its surname to Maedayama in honour of the surgeon who saved his career after he was forced to sit out the whole of 1934 due to injury.

Maedayama reached the top makuuchi division in January 1937. In May 1938, he was promoted to ōzeki, straight from the fourth komusubi rank, after finishing as tournament runner-up. It was the quickest rise to ōzeki since Ōnishiki in 1916. He was promoted to yokozuna in June 1947 after taking part in a three way play-off that also included fellow ōzeki Azumafuji and yokozuna Haguroyama. He was thirty-three years old at the time of his promotion and in his short yokozuna career he was unable to win any further tournament championships, only managing to produce two winning scores. Always a temperamental and controversial figure, he was forced to retire by the Japan Sumo Association in October 1949 after dropping out of a tournament claiming illness, only to be subsequently photographed at a baseball game with Lefty O'Doul.

Retirement from sumo

Maedayama had become head coach of Takasago stable in 1941 while still active in the ring (a practice no longer permitted) and upon his retirement he formally adopted the name Takasago Oyakata. In 1964 he recruited Takamiyama from Hawaii, the first foreigner to succeed in professional sumo. He went on an extended tour of the United States to promote sumo, without the permission of the Sumo Association's directors.

Through most of the 1930s and 1940s only two tournaments were held a year, and in 1946 only one was held.