Satoshi Ōrora

Ōrora Satoshi (born April 26, 1983 as Anatoliy Valeryevich Mikhakhanov, ) is a Russian former sumo wrestler. His highest rank was makushita 43. In 2017, he became the heaviest professional sumo wrestler ever by reaching the weight of , surpassing the record previously held by Konishiki. He reached a peak weight of . He decided to retire from sumo in September 2018.

Career He was born on April 26, 1983, in the small town of Zaigrayevo, Zaigrayevsky District, Buryatia in the Soviet Union. He had been extraordinarily large since childhood, and after seeing sumo on television for the first time at the age of eight he was inspired to become a sumo wrestler. In 1999 at the age of 16 he moved with his family to St.Petersburg so he could study sumo. He was given the shikona of Ōrora, a reference to the aurora. He had nine tournaments ranked in the third-highest makushita division, which he first reached in January 2008, peaking at Makushita 43 East in November 2011. His career record was 376 wins against 382 losses, with 12 absences due to injury, over 111 tournaments. and in 2010 reached , surpassing Yamamotoyama to be the second-heaviest sumo wrestler recorded.

Ōrora remarked that he had not been aiming for the record, but at least would now have a place in history. His peak weight officially recorded by the Sumo Association was , just before his retirement. Speaking to reporters he paid tribute to his late stablemaster Kitanoumi, and said his most memorable match was his victory over a young Hakuhō in September 2001. After a retirement ceremony at his stable, he returned to Russia on October 7, 2018. He was planning to find a job in sports events.

Based once again in his hometown in Siberia, he has a large social media following. He announced on his Instagram account in April 2020 that since retiring he had lost 100 kg. Speaking to the Asahi Shimbun in June 2020, said he had now switched to five small meals a day, does not eat after 7 pm, walks 6 kilometres a day and goes to a gym. He said that it was difficult to stay healthy while living in a sumo stable as "you are the only person that can take care of you. Nobody in your sumo stable cares about you." and would require an oxygen tank for taking short walks. On the twelfth day of the September 2001 tournament he won with the extremely rare technique of tsukaminage or lifting throw, which can only be achieved against opponents much lighter than oneself, and had not been seen in a tournament since Tokitsuyama won with it in November 1957.

He also enjoyed employing the rare kimarite of kimedashi, or arm-barring force-out, and was credited with this technique 41 times as of July 2017, by far the most among his contemporaries. His most common winning technique was a straightforward force out or yori-kiri. However, Ōrora was severely restricted by his lack of speed and agility, and only won around half his bouts. Many of his opponents simply circled him, waiting for him to tire.

Career record Note: Six official basho or tournaments are held each year—the Hatsu (First), Haru (Spring), Natsu (Summer), Nagoya, Aki (Autumn) and Kyushu. Wrestlers in lower divisions fight seven bouts per tournament.