Shigeru Tamanofuji

Tamanofuji Shigeru (玉ノ富士 茂, born Shigeru Akutsu, 24 November 1949 – 21 June 2021) was a Japanese sumo wrestler. He made his professional debut in 1967, reaching a highest rank of sekiwake in 1978. He won three special prizes and earned two gold stars. He retired in 1981 and became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association. He was the head coach of the Kataonami stable from 1987 until 2010, when he changed his elder name to Tateyama. He reached 65 years of age in 2014, the normal age of retirement for an elder, but was re-hired for a further five years as a consultant.

Career Shigeru was born in Ogawa, Nasu District, Tochigi Prefecture. He played basketball in high school. He began his career in May 1967, joining Kataonami stable. However, he ran away from the stable shortly after fighting his first tournament in the lowest jonokuchi division, and joined the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. After being discharged, he returned to sumo in September 1970, winning two straight tournaments (or yūshō) in the jonokuchi and jonidan division. He was awarded the Outstanding Performance prize. He defeated Kitanoumi again in the next tournament in November 1979, but did not get a kinboshi as he was ranked as a komusubi (he also defeated Wajima for the third time in this tournament, and was awarded his second Fighting Spirit prize). In October 1987 he became head of the Kataonami stable following the death of the previous head, his old boss Tamanoumi Daitaro. As Kataonami Oyakata he produced several top division wrestlers including Tamakasuga, Tamanoshima, and Tamawashi. He died of liver cancer on 21 June 2021 at the age of 71. His most common winning kimarite was yorikiri or force out, followed by hatakikomi, slap down. His favoured grip on his opponent's mawashi was migiyotsu, a left hand outside, right hand inside position.