Koji Iihashi (飯橋 浩司 Iihashi Kōji, born January, 24 1961 in Suginami, Tokyo, Japan), better known by the ring name, Ishinriki (維新力 Ishinriki) (Japanese for "Renewal Power") is a Japanese professional wrestler and a former sumo wrestler, currently working for Dragon Gate (DG).
After his retirement of sumo in 1990 he became a professional wrestler for a number of organizations including Super World of Sports, WAR, Pro Wrestling Crusaders and IWA Japan.
Early Life[]
Despite his family having a background in professional wrestling he took part in many regional sumo competitions in elementary and junior high school. He entered professional sumo in March 1976, joining Onaruto stable. He was recruited by the former Sekiwake Kōtetsuyama. He initially fought under the shikona of Wakakotetsu, based on his stablemaster's, but in 1984 he became Ishinriki ("renewal power"), the name which he was also to use in pro-wrestling.
Professional wrestling career[]
With 20 consecutive tournaments as a sekitori Ishinriki met the minimum requirement of inheriting an elder name in the Japan Sumo Association, and his stablemaster was prepared to let him inherit Onaruto stable, but Ishiniriki decided against it, believing he could make more money in professional wrestling. Although his elder brother was active in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), Ishinriki instead joined Super World of Sports (SWS), making his debut in January 1991 in a match against Jeff Jarrett in Dallas, Texas. After SWS folded he was a member of its successors NOW and WAR, but then retired due to kidney problems. He returned to wrestling in 2006, participating in IWA Japan and freelance promotions.
In August 2015, he said he would likely retire from wrestling the following year, which would mark the 40th anniversary of his sumo career.However, in August 2016 he was promoting a mixed tag team match also involving Funaki to be held on 6 November at the Shinjuku Face.
Personal Life[]
He married former Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling and LLPW wrestler Utako Hozumi, whom he met during his WAR days. Their sons Riki and Ishin are also professional wrestlers who made their debuts for Dragon Gate on September 20, 2021. Riki, however, retired on June 6, 2022.
He and Hozumi opened a chankonabe and karaoke restaurant in Kichijōji in 1994. He frequently appeared as a guest on talk shows to discuss sumo. He appeared on the TV Asahi program "Live TV until the morning" (朝まで生テレビ!) to discuss the Tokitsukaze stable hazing scandal in 2007, and in 2011 when many top wrestlers were dismissed in a match-fixing scandal he denied that sumo had a problem with gambling and yazuka ties, despite his stablemaster Onaruto making similar claims in a book published shortly after his death in 1996.
Championships and accomplishments[]
- Universal Wrestling Association
- UWA World Middleweight Championship (1 time)