Goeido has decided to call it quits after a 15-year long career. A determined yotsu specialist from Osaka, he rose quickly through the junior ranks collecting yusho in Jonokuchi, Sandanme, and two in Makushita before becoming sekitori at the close of 2006. Two years later he cracked into the sanyaku for the first time.
In 2012, he reached Sekiwake again and stayed for 14 consecutive tournaments before his promotion to Ozeki after an impressive run, picking up two jun-yusho and three consecutive tournaments with special prizes. The highlight of his career was his zensho yusho in September 2016.
Unfortunately, the later phase of his career was hampered by injury, notably his ankle. This may have contributed to consistency issues which cropped up early in his Ozeki phase. Shortly after his promotion, this blog commonly referred to him and Kotoshogiku as the “kadoban twins” for the frequency with which they were under demotion pressure. For Hatsu 2020, he was kadoban yet again due to his kyujo in Kyushu but this time he was not able to clear that status with a winning record. He finished with a poor 5-10 performance, though he gave it all in each bout.
With the Osaka tournament coming up next, it seemed a perfect time for a last stand, a chance to throw everything at getting 10 wins to reclaim his Ozeki rank or at least have a last hurrah in front of the home crowd. Perhaps the condition of his injury is too poor to perform to his expectation with too little time between now and then, even with a break from jungyo.
*Update*
The Official Sumo Kyokai account announced that Goeido of Sakaigawa-beya had acquired a kabu (stock), afterall, and would be taking on the elder name Takekuma (武隈). We’re eager to see Takekuma-oyakata build his own stable.
We will post future updates on dates for the intai ceremony. Ceremonies for top former wrestlers, of which he would certainly be included, are usually held at Kokugikan but I would hope they would be able to hold his in Osaka next March. In the meantime, Takekaze is next on the docket for this weekend.
Intai Watch 2020
Hakuho’s shock admission that he plans to retire this year has put the sumo world on notice that change is coming. Obviously, the date for Hakuho’s retirement is likely in the latter half of the year but a massive question mark remains. With his and Kakuryu’s kyujo, dates for both announcements may be soon.
There are also several big name retirement ceremonies on the docket this year.
Takekaze
Takekaze’s intai celebration will take place at Kokugikan, next Saturday, Feb. 1. We should all get used to his elder name: Oshiogawa (押尾川). Below is the announcement from his official Twitter profile. If you’ll be in Tokyo next week there are only a few seats left in the A and B rings of the upper level!
Arawashi
Arawashi announced his retirement during the Hatsu Basho 2020. The tournament was his second consecutive complete kyujo (全休). He had fallen from Juryo into Makushita for Kyushu and was no longer the top-ranked rikishi (heyagashira) at Minezaki beya. Arawashi’s retirement ceremony will be on May 31, at Kokugikan. (Hat tip to Herouth!) If I find a website, I will pass that info along.
Aminishiki
Uncle Sumo’s storied career came to an end in Nagoya last year. Versatility was his virtue, having won using some 46 kimarite. He was well adapted to win using both yotsu and oshi styles…though late in his career he became quite fond of the henka. Now known as Ajigawa-oyakata (安治川), you can go watch his retirement ceremony on October 4. Some seating has sold out but you can get lower level MASU boxes in the B and C rings, as well as A, B, and C rings of the second level.
Yoshikaze
Yoshikaze followed Aminishiki off the dohyo the following tournament after falling into Juryo. However, he’s getting his haircut one day earlier, on October 3 at Kokugikan. Tickets have not yet gone on sale but that is expected to happen around Feb. 2.
The berserker’s wild, aggressive style was still quite successful in the lower ranks of the maegashira so his kyujo and subsequent retirement appeared to be quite sudden compared to the longer slides we have seen. We look forward to seeing the deshi Nakamura-oyakata (中村) produces.
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Wow. Some of my personal favorites. At least the up and comers are looking interesting lately.
Great write up Andy – thanks for putting it together.
Ah… didn’t mention Arawashi’s retirement, did you? His danpatsu-shiki will take place on May 31, in the Kokugikan.
Ah, thank you! His retirement was the first “Intai Watch” article but I need to add him to the list.
Does this mean that Goeido will retire as an ozeki, rather than as a sekiwake or below? I can see where that might be important to him.
I don’t actually see a reason for that. Once you retire, you are always referred to by the highest rank you held. So now Arawashi, for example, will be “Former maegashira”.
I can’t “like” this post, because it makes me sad.
I started watching Sumo late in Goeido’s career, and never considered him one of my favorites, but I still have respect for him – to hold his rank for that long.
I’ll miss watching him. But I understand his decision. I fear Kotoshogiku will be next.
This is a rough sport to love.
Sad new indeed. Can anyone please enlighten us about elder stocks. I understand their sale is now prohibited and that the association determines to whom a vacant stock will pass to. How is it that Goeido does not have one when less illustrious wrestlers like Endo and Okinoumi have them? How is Goeido supposed to find a stock in his 3 year grace period? Does he express interest to the association and they’ll in turn consider him when the next stock becomes vacant? Also, if stocks are created in the names of past sumo wrestlers, why can’t new ones be created for the new successful wrestlers?
I don’t think that rule about the NSK controlling the stocks has actually taken effect. At the time it was proposed there was great opposition from owners of existing kabu who feared they won’t see their investment returned. The SumoDB still marks ownerships of kabu. I haven’t seen a clear authoritative source on this yet.
Anyway, there are a couple of stocks which are currently free. Furthermore, in the same way that one of Takanohana’s last steps has been to take a kabu from one of his associates and pass it to another (another evidence that the NSK is not calling the shots here), Sakaigawa oyakata may decide to take the kabu from one of his three subordinate oyakata and give it to Goeido.
But he’d have to shell out to “buy-in”?
Either he, or his koen-kai.
I think that explains the “Why doesn’t he have one already.” Endo, OTOH, had so many sponsors from so early.
When I came back to sumo in late 2014 Goeido had just got his promotion, but I didn’t know that: I just knew that he was an ozeki and that he didn’t look that good. But somehow he survived over and over again, and I developed a grudging respect for his tenacity and eventually learned to spell his name correctly, And he was entertaining: Goeido was always trying to do something, even if it wasn’t apparently obvious what or why. Aki 2016 was obviously his shining moment and once he bested Okinoumi on day 7 he never really looked like losing. Of course he should have taken the same basho in 2017 but had a meltdown and ran then into an inspired Harumafuji on the final day.
I’ve seen some comments here and there expressing surprise that he didn’t have one more try in front of his adoring Osaka fans in March, but I think I understand. He knew he didn’t have it anymore and didn’t want to be embarrassed in hometown. Five years as ozeki, a zensho-yusho from kadoban, eleven sansho and seven jun-yusho. He will be remembered for a long time.
As a tribute to Goeido, here’s the list of rikishi he defeated on his way to his zensho yusho. Not a pushover in the bunch, 7 yusho winners, and 7 rikishi who were then or would soon be Ozeki/Yokozuna. M2 Tochinoshin, M2 Shodai, K Tochiozan, M3 Takanoiwa, S Takarafuji, S Takayasu, M1 Okinoumi, M1 Yoshikaze, M5 Aoiyama, O Terunofuji, O Kisenosato, Y Kakuryu, Y Harumafuji, M6 Tamawashi, O Kotoshogiku.
That zensho was just a daily bout of “did you see that?”. Pure, white-hot power channeled into overwhelming offense, with no quarter given, no thought to defense or what happens if this fails. Regardless of what anyone else thinks of his career, each of those matches was worthy of study.
Goeido is also on a very short list of rikishi to defeat Hakuho at least 5 times during his reign as Yokozuna:
1. Harumafuji 22
2. Kisenosato 13
3. Kakuryu 8
4. Goeido 7
4. Kotoshogiku 7
6. Kotooshu 6
7. Asashoryu 5
Love this list, thank you Iksumo
Oh, and his epic stare-downs with Harumafuji!
I will be binging this basho tomorrow with a bottle of sake in honor of Goeido.
And we must never forget that Goeido’s dangly parts once were used to brutally throw him to the clay. One of the most epic throws in sumo history, in my book: call it a chinpotaoshi
Oh, the infamous “bit of a bother” bout! How could I forget?!?!
Too soon.
Arguably my favourite Harumafuji fight. Having him does it to Goeido makes it doubly so.
But I prefer this version of the fight.
my full respect goes to goeido.
he concludes his career in dignity.
this brings me to tochinoshin.
he is on the verge of missing a way out in dignity.
option 1 – he undergoes a comprehensivel sugergy of his damaged knee and returns to sumo from way down the ranks after 1-1,5 years of full (!) recovery. a healthy tochinoshin can be a high ranked asset among the rikishi for some more years.
option 2 – he retires asap, while still holding maegashira status.
maybe the same decision will come up soon for takayasu with his damaged arm?
the next tournament will most likely be decisive …
Very sad to see another great leaving and we will miss the “go-go-Goeido” chants from the crowd. I will also always remember Goedo’s quote “I’m not good looking or smart so I have to make the most of it” referring to his sumo career and I hope there is an elder opportunity for him.
Both drastic churn and retirements will result in seizmic changes to the banzuke in 2020.
Goeido in a well tailored suit and a haircut from this century would be very quite dashing I bet.
I never question a Fighter in any sport hanging it up. (or other contact sports for that matter)
They know their body better than we do.
Congrats to him on a wonderful career.
I wonder what Goeido 3.0 will look like
Wow, I am so surprised, but I guess only Goeido knows what it costs him physically to fight.
Good luck, Goeido! May you fulfill your dreams!
I’ve only been watching Sumo since Jan 2016 but it’s still sad to see the old guard turning it in. I’m excited to see the direction sumo takes with the young guard coming up though.
Looks like Goeido will be assuming the vacant Takekuma toshiyori. He will now be known as Takekuma Oyakata.
I am really sad he is retiring but not for reasons as many of you.
Goeido has always been the riskshi I like the least. I have never like him from the day I started watching Sumo and I will always root for opponent and I cheered loudly whenever he lose.
I am not trying to be mean. You need your personal heroes and villains in the sports to spice things up and makes it interesting.
I may not like him but I respect his sumo skill nevertheless.
Seeing so many Ozekis tumbling out of the rank in quite succession is testimony to the fact that it is not easy to become one and remain one. With 33 tournaments as Ozeki, he’s currently 10th in the list of Most tournaments ranked at ōzeki. That is no mean feat.
I will miss him. He makes watching Sumo fun when he is the BIG BAD. Now that he has retires, I guess the sole remaining ozeki will have to be my BIG BAD now.