Kiribayama Tetsuo

His father was a sheep-raising nomad in Dornod Province. From a young age, he rode horses to help his father at work, which strengthened his legs and waist – an advantage for sumo. In 2014, he was invited by an acquaintance along with four other Mongolians to Japan to try out sumo at Michinoku stable. He had judo experience but not sumo experience. At that time, he was over 180 cm tall, but weighed less than 70 kg. The Michinoku stablemaster, former ōzeki Kirishima, thought Byambachuluun was the best of the five, but was reluctant at first to take on a foreign recruit. The stable had not had a foreigner since Hakuba was forced to retire over match-fixing allegations in 2011. He eventually relented after Byambachuluun committed to staying in Japan, and let him take the new recruits examination in February 2015. After satisfying visa requirements, he made his dohyō debut in May 2015. Despite his lack of sumo experience he looked good in sumo school against future top division wrestlers such as Hokutofuji and Ura.

Original tegata (handprint and autograph) of Kiribayama

He took four years from his professional debut to reach the sekitori ranks, hindered by a serious knee injury in May 2016, but was eventually promoted in March 2019. He was the first new sekitor Michinoku stable had produced since Kirinowaka in January 2008. He moved through the jūryō division in just five tournaments.[1] His fellow Mongolian, yokozuna Kakuryū, became his stablemate in October 2019 when Izutsu stable closed.[1] He took part in a four-way playoff for the jūryō championship or yūshō in November 2019, his 11–4 record securing his promotion. In his debut top makuuchi division tournament in January 2020 he won the Fighting Spirit Prize with an 11–4 record.[2] In March he stood at only four wins against six losses after Day 10, but won his last five matches to secure a 9–6 record and promotion to a new highest rank of maegashira 3 for the next tournament, which was originally scheduled for May but actually took place in July. He withdrew on Day 10 of the September 2020 tournament with a shoulder injury, [3] but returned from Day 13 to secure a winning record of 9–4–2.[4]

Kiribayama was promoted to komusubi for the November 2021 tournament, the first Mongolian to debut in san'yaku since Tamawashi and Terunofuji in March 2015.[5] He managed only six wins against nine losses in this tournament, and returned to the maegashira ranks.[6] He was promoted to komusubi again following the July 2022 tournament, and maintained his rank for the next three tournaments. In January 2023 he was runner-up with an 11–4 record and was awarded his first Technique Prize.[7] He would be promoted to sekiwake for the next basho in March.

Kiribayama entered the final day of the March 2023 tournament one win behind the leader and his next opponent, komusubi Daieishō. Kiribayama was also competing on one day's rest after his Day 14 opponent, Wakatakakage, defaulted due to injury. In their scheduled contest, Kiribayama was able to repel Daieishō's charge and score the win by thrust down. With their records equalized at 12–3, the two had to face off again to determine the makuuchi champion. In the playoff, Kiribayama used the same thrust down technique to defeat Daieishō. Kiribayama's first top-division championship was confirmed after the ringside judges agreed that Daieishō touched the ground before Kiribayama stepped out of the dohyō. After receiving the Emperor's Cup, Kiribayama said that he didn't understand anything that was going on when he entered sumo in 2015, but "somehow, eight years later, I've made it this far." He was awarded his second Technique prize for his efforts.[8] The following day Kiribayama, who became the ninth top-division champion from Mongolia, said that winning the yūshō was the best feeling, but that he would start focusing on the next tournament. Having won 23 contests in his last two basho, Kiribayama will likely be considered for promotion to sumo's second-highest rank of ōzeki by winning at least 10 matches in the May 2023 tournament.[9]

According to his Japan Sumo Association profile, Kiribayama's preferred grip on his opponent's mawashi is hidari-yotsu, a right arm outside and left hand inside position. His favourite techniques are listed as yori-kiri (force out) and nage (throws), both underarm and overarm. In the run-up to his top division promotion he increased his weight by 10kg to 140kg, giving him a more powerful attack, but he is still able to outmaneuver his opponents by his speed and footwork.

• List of sekiwake
• List of active sumo wrestlers
• Active special prize winners
• List of sumo tournament top division champions
• List of sumo tournament top division runners-up
• Glossary of sumo terms

• Kiribayama Tetsuo's official biography (English) at the Grand Sumo Homepage