Abi is a thrusting-pushing (tsuki-oshi) sumo wrestler from Shikoroyama stable who won the Emperor’s Cup at the November 2022 Kyushu tournament. He fights with rapid-fire thrusts and a high leg-lift in his shiko, and he modeled his style on his stablemaster, the former sekiwake Terao. This guide explains his rise, his suspension and comeback, and his surprise title.
Key takeaways
- Abi is a top-division sumo wrestler from Shikoroyama stable, known for a fast tsuki-oshi (thrusting-pushing) attack.
- He won his first Emperor’s Cup at the November 2022 Kyushu tournament after winning a three-way playoff against Takayasu and Takakeisho.
- He earned a Fighting Spirit Prize on his top-division debut in January 2018 and a second in May 2019.
- He took kinboshi off yokozuna Hakuho and Kakuryu in 2018, and beat yokozuna Terunofuji in January 2022.
- A three-tournament suspension in 2020 dropped his rank to Makushita 56, but he climbed back to the top division in four tournaments.
Career and rise through the ranks
Abi made his jonokuchi debut under his family-name shikona, Horikiri, at the July 2013 tournament, and he won the jonidan championship that September. He reached the juryo division ten tournaments out of jonokuchi and renamed himself Abi on that promotion. His first juryo stint lasted only four tournaments before he fell back into makushita.
He fought his way back and won a juryo championship playoff in September 2017, defeating Kotoyuki. That run carried him to the top makuuchi division for the January 2018 tournament, where he was 23 years old and rated a top prospect.
Style and techniques
Abi fights as a tsuki-oshi (thrusting-pushing) wrestler. He launches rapid-fire thrusts from the tachiai and lifts his leg high during his shiko. He built this style on his stablemaster, the former Terao, a famed thrusting specialist; early in his career his thrusts lacked power, but they sharpened over time. His title run leaned on classic pushing techniques (kimarite) such as oshidashi (push-out) and hataki-komi (slap-down).
Notable results
Abi won the Fighting Spirit Prize on his top-division debut in January 2018. He took a kinboshi off yokozuna Hakuho in May 2018 and another off yokozuna Kakuryu in July 2018. He broke out in 2019, winning a second Fighting Spirit Prize with ten wins in May, then making his komusubi debut that July, where he survived a 5-7 start and won his last three bouts for an 8-7 winning record. His full-year 2019 record was 54-36, including a strong 6-3 against ozeki.
Career highlights
| Date | Result |
|---|---|
| July 2013 | Jonokuchi debut as Horikiri; jonidan championship that September |
| September 2017 | Juryo championship playoff win over Kotoyuki |
| January 2018 | Top-division debut; Fighting Spirit Prize |
| May / July 2018 | Kinboshi off yokozuna Hakuho, then Kakuryu |
| May 2019 | Second Fighting Spirit Prize (ten wins) |
| July 2019 | Komusubi debut; 8-7 winning record |
| January 2022 | Beat yokozuna Terunofuji |
| March 2022 | Ranked sekiwake after back-to-back 12-3 tournaments |
| November 2022 | First Emperor’s Cup (Kyushu tournament) |
Suspension and comeback
His last bout before suspension was day 6 of the July 2020 tournament, against Ryuden, after which he withdrew. During a period when the Sumo Association urged everyone to avoid non-essential outings, Abi repeatedly visited a hostess club, filed a false report, and had an accompanying junior wrestler corroborate the lie. He had married only on June 24 that year.
The Board’s August 6 sanctions were a three-tournament suspension, a 50% pay cut for five months, automatic retirement if he caused further trouble, life under his stablemaster’s supervision, and a ban on outings. The withdrawal and suspension dropped his rank from Maegashira 5 all the way down to Makushita 56.
Returning in March 2021, Abi won back-to-back makushita championships at 7-0, climbed back to juryo, and ran off 21 straight wins counting from makushita. He won the juryo championship in September 2021, taking the 2,000,000 yen title prize and returning to makuuchi in just four tournaments.
The 2022 Kyushu title
After returning to makuuchi, Abi posted 12-3 and 12-3 in two tournaments and was ranked sekiwake for March 2022. He beat yokozuna Terunofuji in January 2022.
At the November 2022 Kyushu tournament, on the final day, Abi won his first Emperor’s Cup. Sitting at three losses, he beat two-loss Takayasu to force a three-way playoff (tomoe-sen). In the playoff he slapped Takayasu down instantly, then thrust out Takakeisho to take a major upset title. He had no ozeki bout in the regular schedule, so Takakeisho’s entry into the playoff finally gave him an ozeki opponent.
Related reading
- Ichinojo’s first title — another surprise maegashira champion.
- Kotoshoho’s first title — a companion first-title story.
- Daieisho — Abi’s most-frequent top-division opponent and a fellow tsuki-oshi specialist.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of sumo does Abi fight?
Abi is a tsuki-oshi (thrusting-pushing) wrestler. He fires rapid thrusts from the tachiai and lifts his leg high in his shiko, a style he built on his stablemaster, the former Terao.
When did Abi win his first championship?
He won his first Emperor’s Cup at the November 2022 Kyushu tournament, taking a three-way playoff against Takayasu and Takakeisho on the final day.
Which yokozuna has Abi beaten?
He took kinboshi off yokozuna Hakuho in May 2018 and Kakuryu in July 2018, and he beat yokozuna Terunofuji in January 2022.
Why was Abi suspended in 2020?
During a period when the Sumo Association urged everyone to avoid non-essential outings, Abi repeatedly visited a hostess club, filed a false report, and had a junior wrestler corroborate the lie. The Board suspended him for three tournaments.
What stable does Abi belong to?
Abi belongs to Shikoroyama stable, run by the former sekiwake Terao, whose thrusting style he models his own sumo on.
How high did Abi rise in the rankings?
He reached sekiwake, the higher of the two junior titled ranks (sanyaku) below ozeki, for the March 2022 tournament after back-to-back 12-3 records.
