Kōtetsuyama Toyoya


Kōtetsuyama Toyoya, born Kōnoshin Suga, was a sumo wrestler from Otaru, Hokkaidō, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1957, and reached the top division in September 1963. His highest rank was sekiwake. He is one of the rare examples of a wrestler whose only tournament in the sanyaku ranks was at sekiwake, rather than komusubi. He retired in January 1975. He branched out from Asahiyama stable and established the Onaruto stable in October 1975. He produced the top division wrestler Itai and jūryō Ishinriki. He was married to a ballet instructor. Onaruto stable closed in December 1994 and he left the Japan Sumo Association. He died in somewhat mysterious circumstances in 1996, a month before claims he made about match fixing in sumo were published in a book called Yaocho. The co-writer of the book died within hours of Onaruto, in the same hospital. Police found no evidence of foul play, but Onaruto's wrestler Itai later said his boss had links to a major yakuza crime syndicate.

Career record