Ryūkō Gō
184 cm (6 ft 1⁄2 in)Weight 161 kg (355 lb; 25 st 5 lb) Career Stable Tamanoi University Takushoku University Record 167-150-26 Debut May, 1992 Highest rank Jūryō 8 (March, 1995) Retired January, 1999
Ryūkō Gō (born 26 May 1968 as Luis Gō Ikemori) is a former sumo wrestler from São Paulo, Brazil.
Career
As a youth he did judo, turning to sumo at age 16. At age 18 he went to Japan and won an international tournament, and in 1990 competing for Takushoku University he became the first Brazilian to win the Japanese National Collegiate Sumo Championship.[1] He turned professional in May 1992, joining the Tamanoi stable. He was the first foreign wrestler ever to be granted makushita tsukedashi status, meaning that because of his amateur sumo achievements he could start at the bottom of the third highest makushita division. He reached elite sekitori status in March 1994 when he was promoted to the jūryō division. Ryūkō was his final shikona or fighting name – he was also known as Ikemori and Ryūdō. His highest rank was Jūryō 8, achieved in March 1995. He had Japanese parentage and adopted Japanese citizenship on 22 April 1996 (the same day as Akebono). Having fallen down the banzuke rankings he retired in January 1999. He has remained in Japan, working for a Tokyo business.
Career record
| Year | January Hatsu basho, Tokyo | March Haru basho, Osaka | May Natsu basho, Tokyo | July Nagoya basho, Nagoya | September Aki basho, Tokyo | November Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | x | x | Makushita tsukedashi #60 5–2 | West Makushita #38 5–2 | West Makushita #22 3–4 | West Makushita #29 3–4 |
| 1993 | West Makushita #38 6–1 | East Makushita #18 4–3 | West Makushita #13 5–2 | West Makushita #4 3–4 | West Makushita #8 4–3 | West Makushita #4 5–2 |
| 1994 | East Makushita #1 4–3 | West Jūryō #12 6–9 | East Makushita #2 4–3 | East Makushita #1 4–3 | West Jūryō #13 5–10 | West Makushita #4 5–2 |
| 1995 | West Jūryō #13 10–5 | West Jūryō #8 6–9 | West Jūryō #11 8–7 | West Jūryō #10 8–7 | East Jūryō #10 1–2–12 | West Makushita #8 Sat out due to injury 0–0–7 |
| 1996 | West Makushita #8 3–4 | East Makushita #16 2–5 | West Makushita #34 5–2 | West Makushita #19 3–4 | West Makushita #28 4–3 | West Makushita #21 4–3 |
| 1997 | East Makushita #15 6–1 | West Makushita #5 3–4 | West Makushita #10 2–5 | West Makushita #27 3–4 | West Makushita #38 4–3 | West Makushita #29 3–4 |
| 1998 | East Makushita #39 4–3 | West Makushita #28 3–4 | West Makushita #39 3–4 | West Makushita #50 3–4 | West Sandanme #2 3–4 | West Sandanme #15 5–2 |
| 1999 | East Makushita #54 Retired 0–0–7 | x | x | x | x | x |
| Record given as wins–losses–absencies Top division champion Top division runner-up Retired Lower divisions Non-participation Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) | ||||||
