Courtesy of the magic that is YouTube, some enterprising soul has encoded and uploaded a segment covering Asanoyama’s promotion ceremony. For your viewing pleasure!
From the always amazing Sumo Forum:
The acceptance phrase of the new ozeki:
相撲を愛し力士として正義を全う
Loving sumo and as a rikishi entirely righteous
sumo o ai shi, rikishi to shite, seigi o mattou
Hey, what can I say, did I call it or what? Asanoyama ❤️ Sumo…
[UPDATE] Also this clip below uploaded to Twitter… Note the rikishi pyramid, and the BIG-ASS FISH OF VICTORY!
Japanese TV is excessively fond on on-screen graphics.
Great to see him able to relax and laugh atop the rikishi pyramid!
Not exactly atop yet now is he? There’s still the rank that matters the most.
I meant literally and physically atop, when the two guys below were holding him on their shoulders in the second video.
In the picture of the Great Fish of Victory, a woman is holding a portrait. Does anyone know the who it is (the portrait)? I would guess someone that passed recently of signigicant importance to Asanoyama, a coach or parental figure.
I think that would be Katsuhito Ito, his Kinki University Sumo coach, whom Asanoyama credit a lot of his Sumo
I needed to see the FISH!
He’s a solid Rikishi and can be counted on for 8 wins or more per Basho, but he needs to improve. his last few days string of losses needs to be better, at least 1 of them should of been a victory. Still, I look forward to seeing him at Ozeki for awhile.
The thing is that Asanoyama seems to be still improving. He’s about the same age as Takayasu when he was promoted but there is a big difference: Takayasu had been in the sport for 12 years whereas Asanoyama made his debut only 4 years ago.
It’s not like Asanoyama didn’t do any high-level sumo prior to these four years… If anything, the pattern with the collegiate guys is that they start plataeuing earlier than rikishi who turn professional younger, because their physical development at university (and frequently now already in high school) is geared towards getting them to peak condition while they’re still part of the school team. An ozumo coach can afford to build up his rikishi more gradually to have them peak later in their career, commonly around age 27-29.
Let’s go Asanoyama! Hoping he could get some good wins and rise up to the highest rank when his number is called! Btw who is that lady on the left? His mother?
He doesn’t have cauliflower ears yet. Still wet behind the ears …
Maybe he gets his ear contusions drained before they turn into permanent disfigurements.
Oh, so that’s how it works!
I’m very happy for Asanoyama’s promotion to Ozeki! Good luck big boy!