News out this morning (Japan time) that Yoshikaze has decided to retire. Due to an injury to his right knee, which has not recovered to the point where he can compete, he will miss his second consecutive tournament. The outcome would have been a demotion outside of the salaried ranks into the hell-storm that is Makushita.
Fear not for Yoshikaze, he owns Sumo Association elder stock, and will re-appear as Nakamura oyakata shortly, and he is going to be a most excellent sumo elder. Sadly, we thought this was quite possible for September.
I wish you the best of luck, sir. Thank you for all of the fantastic sumo over the years. It has been a distinct pleasure to watch the one man I knew could put anyone on the clay on a given day do his stuff.
He closes out his competitive career after: 79 basho, 1 Jun-Yusho, 4 Gino-Sho, 2 Shukun-Sho, 4 Kanto-Sho, 8 Kinboshi. Wow.
It’s that time in September! The yobidashi and support crew in Tokyo are busy re-making the dohyo to prepare for Sunday’s big start to the fall sumo tournament. As is always the case, a variety of tools are employed to get the dohyo in fighting shape for 15 days of brutal competition. Only a few days left, and it’s sumo time!
As Herouth stated, this is expected given the condition of his arm. Tamawashi’s desperate kotenage immobilized and twisted the elbow last tournament. Takayasu won that bout with an oshitaoshi to pick up a vital seventh win. The weakened bruiser lost to Shodai the next day but picked up the eighth two days later against Meisei and promptly went kyujo.
His kyujo was the last shoe to drop as none of the ozeki finished the tournament. Takakeisho didn’t start, newly re-promoted Tochinoshin dropped out after starting with five straight losses, and Goeido followed shortly after.
Since Takayasu was able to finish with a kachi-koshi record, his absense from the upcoming basho will mean he will be kadoban for November. The pressure is on kadoban Goeido and Tochinoshin to pick up eight…but Sekiwake Takakesho needs ten for re-promotion.
A few more details about Takanofuji (Née Takayoshitoshi) and his incident of violence have appeared in the Japanese press and media.
The incident took place on August 31st, right after the YDC keiko-soken was over and Takanofuji returned to the heya. Apparently he was displeased with the tsukebito’s attitude, and hit him on the head once.
The victim, who is a Jonidan rikishi, was still around the heya on September 1st. However, it appears that Takanofuji followed up with some brutal keiko, and the following day, three low-rankers went AWOL. Chiganoura oyakata noticed that, contacted them, and learned about the incident. He immediately reported the issue to the Compliance Committee, and has already publicly apologized for the incident.
The victim does not wish to involve the police and intends to come back to the heya.
Takanofuji has admitted to the facts, and is currently in “disciplinary kyujo” through Aki, and restricted to the heya by his oyakata.
Shibatayama oyakata commented that “Following a series of workshops, to have the same sekitori act violently a second time is exceedingly regrettable. Chairman Hakkaku says the same”. The procedure established in such cases is for the Compliance Committee to investigate the matter, consider an appropriate punishment, and report to the board, which makes the decision. The standard for a violent sekitori is suspension for one basho, but this being a repeat offense, the odds are high that it will be more severe than that.
Takagenji’s response: “This is a real shame. I don’t know what the punishment will be, but if it will be permitted, I hope we will be able to continue to do sumo together”.
(Internet speculation points to Takamasaki being the victim. He is ranked in Jonidan, and has been officially reported as one of Takanofuji’s tsukebito back in Haru this year. However, none of this has been confirmed nor is likely to ever be).
