Popular former sekiwake Terao died Sunday at 60 due to congestive heart failure, the Japan Sumo Association said.
Known for his lean, muscular physique, handsome face and hard-thrusting sumo, Terao, whose real name was Yoshifumi Fukuzono, was a fan favorite along with former yokozuna brothers Takanohana and Wakanohana in the 1980s and 1990s, before retiring in 2002 at 39.
He established the Shikoroyama stable in 2004 and served as its master, counting former sekiwake Abi, the 2022 Kyushu tournament winner, among his proteges.
The Kagoshima Prefecture native made his debut in 1979 and earned "ironman" status after racking up 93 top-tier makuuchi tournament appearances, the sixth-most in the ancient sport's history. His 1,795 career appearances are fourth and 860 wins are 10th on the all-time list.
Terao, whose father was former sekiwake Tsurugamine and stablemaster Izutsu, was the youngest of three sumo wrestling brothers.
The eldest brother, Kakureizan, fought in second-tier juryo, while middle brother Sakahoko also reached the third-highest rank of sekiwake. They died in 2020 and 2019, respectively.
