Hanada, 'Prince of Sumo,' dies in Tokyo hospital

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Mitsuru Hanada, the "Prince of Sumo" who hailed from one of the sport's most powerful dynasties and rose to the second-highest rank of ozeki, died yesterday at 55.

He died at a Tokyo hospital, the Japan Sumo Association said. NHK, Japan's public broadcast station, said the cause of death was oral cancer.

Hanada, more commonly known by his title as stablemaster Futagoyama, had a 16-year career in the ring. He was the father of the immensely popular brothers, former yokozuna Takanohana and Wakanohana, who dominated the sport in the 1990s.

Hanada also fought under the ring name of Takanohana. He rose to sumo's top makuuchi division at the record early age of 18 under the training of his elder brother, Katsuji, the first Wakanohana and also a grand champion. But he never reached sumo's top rank of yokozuna despite winning two Emperor's Cups.