on this day: 1915

["Rowan Klein" <rowanchan@hotmail.com>]

The Japan Times, Friday 28th May 1915

NEW CHAMPION WRESTLER HAS BEEN APPOINTED

Onishiki, a Popular Member of the Eastern Camp, Has Most Extraordinary 
Success During the Season Just Closed

WON ALL BUT ONE ROUND

The report that Onishiki, a young popular wrestler of the Eastern Camp, will 
be promoted to the rank of Ozeki or champion ring fighter of the first grade 
has created a ripple of pleasurable interest among the lovers of the 
Japanese national game. The decision to nominate the wrestler as a champion 
fighter of the Ryogoku amphitheatre was made on Monday, May 14, at a 
conference of elder wrestlers. In the recent tournament of wrestling matches 
lasting for ten days, which closed the
day before this important nomination took place, Onishiki always came out 
victorious except only in one instance at which he fought with Tachiyama, a 
leading wrestler of the Western Camp. He successfully defeated three 
well-known wrestlers of the opposite camp, which is an extremely rare event.

www.juryo.com/newspaper/19150616.jpg
Wrestler Onishiki, best winner of the season

The honoured is perhaps the youngest of the champion wrestlers now alive, 
having scarcely completed his 25th year. And yet his skill and strength is 
wonderfully great, and very few wrestlers of either camp can successfully 
compete against him, among which few are two or three , who have been his 
seniors for many years past. He is a wrestler of gigantic construction, 
standing full 6 feet high and weighing 356.68 pounds - a stature and weight 
quite unique for his age. Unusual for a man who makes muscular exercises his 
occupation, Onishiki is known to be a wrestler of good education. He has 
received a fine academical training, once a student of the Tennoji middle 
school in Osaka, where he studied for four years. As a student, the honoured 
wrestler early distinguished himself as a proficient scholar. Alike in 
wrestling he took the lead in his studies, for which the teachers all 
praised him as well as for all the energy with which he took part in 
athletic sports. The future wrestler, quite early, determined to start his 
career as a military officer, and when seventeen or so, attempted the 
entrance examination to the Military Cadet's School.
Unexpectedly, however, he failed to pass. He then considered seriously how 
best to begin life. To become a Government official, which is usually the 
ambition of Japanese boys in general, seemed him too difficult. About this 
time a grand wrestling tournament came off in Osaka, and he attended them.
At the matches both Tokyo and Osaka wrestlers appeared on the ring, but 
evidently owing to the inferiority of the Osaka fighters they were 
mercilessly beaten.
Seeing a series of these sensational matches at which none of the Osaka 
wrestlers came out successful, young Uichiro-, that is the real name of the 
champion wrestler - decided that this would be a good occupation for him. He 
made up his mind to become a wrestler, -, but a wrestler of great fame. He 
soon initiated himself as a petty wrestler of the Eastern Camp, and had 
underwent a hard training. Some years later he came to realize his ambition.




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