Wakanohana Kanji I
Sumo wrestler
Died when: 82 years 169 days (989 months)Star Sign: Pisces
Wakanohana Kanji I (Japanese: ??? ??, Hepburn: Wakanohana Kanji, March 16, 1928 – September 1, 2010) was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler.He was the sport's 45th yokozuna.
He was a popular wrestler and was nicknamed the "Devil of the Dohyo" (????, Dohyo no Oni) due to his great fighting spirit and endurance.
Wakanohana's younger brother (by twenty-two years) was the late former ozeki Takanohana Kenshi and he was the uncle of Wakanohana Masaru and Takanohana Koji.
He won ten top division yusho or tournament championships during his career and at a fighting weight of around 100 kg was one of the lightest yokozuna ever.
He had a long-standing rivalry with Tochinishiki and was one of the most popular wrestlers of the 1950s.After his retirement in 1962 he established Futagoyama stable and was also head of the Japan Sumo Association from 1988 until 1992.
