Asashoryu in hot water!

Well, it seems the senior Yokozuna is in it now!

As you may know, between major tournaments the top Rikishi travel all over the country (and increasingly, the world) to attend public events, give demonstrations, and rub elbows with wealthy supporters of the sport. Its a good idea, a good system, and a great way to promote the sport.

I suppose its understandable that some top competitors would find this PR stuff a bit tiresome and distracting from their main goal of training hard for competition, but Sumo is a very rigid and established world and everyone has to do what they have to do.

Well, it seems that Asashoryu, the senior Yokozuna, didn't want to get back on the merry-go-round of touring and back-slapping so he 'discovered' that some injuries he has been working through were just too much for him and he had to sit out this round of appearances. That's fine, it happens a lot because these guys train hard and fight harder and its rough on the body. However, a few days after he was given the go-ahead to sit out the PR tour someone noticed that he was on a Mongolian TV station playing an exhibition match with the national soccer team and assorted headliners from Japanese pro teams. There was even footage of him running in and scoring a goal (quite nimbly for a big man). Cut to him riding a horse (the poor horse about the same size as him), meeting with Mongolian dignitaries and accepting honors and such and generally having a grand old time.

The public didn't like this, and the Sumo Association liked it even less. You see, Sumo is really the national sport, even if it has waned in popularity in recent decades, and the participants are very much expected to be representatives of something more than wins and losses. One of the specious arguments given when Konishiki was unfairly denied promotion to Yokozuna back in his day (when he was the first foreign Ozeki) was that a gaijin could not 'get it' and carry on the tradition as well as the sport. He, and the other foreign Rikishi to follow (notably Akebono and Musashimaru) made a point of following protocol and custom to the letter to prove their commitment to all aspects of the Sumo tradition. This paid off, as the public soon came to accept foreigners in the national sport. Akebono was elevated to Yokozuna, and eventually so was Musashimaru. Quite a few other foreign Rikishi have followed. In recent years a number of candidates from Mongolia have been accepted and embraced by the public. Of course Mongolia has a great wrestling tradition of its own, and the Mongolians really seemed to understand and respect what the public felt about Sumo.

Asashoryu became Yokozuna about 5 years ago and has been virtually unstoppable ever since. He has broken record after record for wins and has usually practiced 'good' Sumo, combining straight-forward power with technical acumen. However, over time he has become a little 'uncouth' in his Sumo. He was always a rather rough character, but this has worn thin with a segment of the Sumo fan base.

One of the great things about Sumo is that these great athletes are generally very humble, respectful, and accessible. When one rikishi wins by putting the other violently face down on the clay he invariably stays and lends the other man a hand up before going to his position to accept accolades. On their way out of the arena, it is not at all uncommon to see a 400 lbs behemoth stop and very gently shake the hand of an infant in its mother's arms or tousle the hair of a young fan.

Asashoryu, on the other hand, has a bit of a bad-boy reputation. He is known for giving his opponent one more smack to the side of the head or a push off the dohyo after he has clearly won, and then turning his back on him with a "how you like that, *****?" look on his face. I can tell you that Sumo purists are none too appreciative of such behavior. But, as long as he keeps winning, its hard to argue.

Until now.

After hearing all the evidence about his ditching of official duties and deliberating on the matter, the Sumo Association ruled yesterday that Asashoryu will not be allowed to compete again for the rest of the year and that further, he will be confined to his residence until further notice. This is a HUGE slap to one of the most successful Yokozuna of all time and a deliberate assertion of authority by an organization whose very existence (some say) depends upon maintaining tradition and control.

So there you have it, sports fans. Big news today from the world of Sumo!

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Wolfgang says:

I could think of a million better things to do in Japan for a month besides jumping off of picnic tables. - x893