Yokozuna Asashoryu Scandal - The Final Chapter

[Washuyama 641]

..and he is definitely not allowed to go back to Mongolia.

Yeah, OK... We'll see how THAT goes.

[madorosumaru 7]

According to someone familiar with the investigation of the case, the apparent cause for all the trouble was a rather innocuous exhortation by the bar manager to Asashoryu. The grand champion was leaving the establishment when he was surrounded on the street by some passersby. The manager stepped in to give Ryu some room to proceed to the waiting car. It was at that time that the manager said, "Yokozuna, gambatte kudasai!" Upon hearing that, the inebriated Ryu got furious and yelled back, "Who the %$#@ do you think you are to tell me to gambarize." Ryu then got the man to get into the car and the rest is . . . [obfuscation].

As far as what happened in the car, according to the driver's statement at the police questioning, "The two of them were arguing in the back seat. As I was concerned with safe driving, I was looking forward [at the road]. I don't know if there was any violence committed in the back." Hmm. Sounds like the man was rehearsed.

The police officially told the press that they received a document from the alleged victim saying he would not file a victim's report. The document did not mention anything about violence being committed.

The committee appointed by the Kyokai to investigate the matter plans to wrap up their work by the 10th. The riji board would then meet to discuss Asashoryu. The YDC also plans a meeting to discuss the yokozuna. Mr. Tsuruta, the chairman, said that due to the repeated offenses by Asashoryu, the council will consider recommending harsh penalties including dismissal.

Edited February 4, 2010 by madorosumaru

[Jonosuke 28]

"Whether or not anything happened, whether Asashoryu did hit him by accident or not.. settling with money is common in Japan! Companies, schools, etc... people apologize, give presents or money to calm the other side down even when (I) don't see why it is necessary...

Well that may be so but in this case since Takasago oyakata insists both were more or less at fault, why would Asashoryu be the only one to pay for it as the other guy is as weathy as Asashoryu? According to a latest report, the amount may be as much as 50 million Yen.

Why did his personal manager come forward as soon as the first report of incident was reported, insisting it was him who was punched by Asashoryu if there was no one getting punched to begin with?

"I can't answer this one except that John said he saw the manager sporting a black eye... he must have gotten punched by someone."

The thing about this is that the manger was not even at the scene. Only Asashoryu's chauffeur, the other man and Asashoryu were the only ones in the car. If the manager got punched out by someone, perhaps he got punched out for coming up with such a dumb lie.

[sekihiryu 51]

Asashoryu INTAI!!!! on the news live now! are my eyes deceiving me!!!!! ;-) :-O

Mod edit: The INTAI thread.

Edited February 8, 2010 by Manekineko

[Torabayama 51]

nooooo!

[Jakusotsu 6,045]

Same with "otsukaresama". Just hearing that makes me tired. When people use it as a greeting early in the day I want to punch them sometimes.

Deliver the punch by replying with "otsukasa!"

[Sasanishiki 57]

My real question, and point of interest here, is: if they suspend Asashoryu, will he fall into the mental collapse that happened the last time he was suspended? Shades of Blackadder trying to avoid war through mental incapacity!

Does anyone actually believe that he was truly clinically depressed? snip

Nice summary. i hope you didn't miss my tongue planted firmly in my cheek (and alluded to by the reference to Blackadder).

[kozlodoev 0]

Apparently, Asa's going to retire.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9...;show_article=1

[madorosumaru 7]

My real question, and point of interest here, is: if they suspend Asashoryu, will he fall into the mental collapse that happened the last time he was suspended? Shades of Blackadder trying to avoid war through mental incapacity!

Does anyone actually believe that he was truly clinically depressed? snip

Nice summary. i hope you didn't miss my tongue planted firmly in my cheek (and alluded to by the reference to Blackadder).

I definitely sensed the wryness of your remark. I just piled on, to use an American football metaphor. ;-)

[madorosumaru 7]

It was officially an intai but in reality Asashoryu was told it was either that or dismissal.

The rijikai began at 11 a.m. About an hour later, the board members broke for recess. One of them said, "There's a lot of arguing going on in there. We are going to summon Asashoryu." When the meeting began, few believed the matter was going to be resolved that day. The special committee to investigate the incident had planned to complete its study on the 10th. They were scheduled only to make an interim report on this day.

However, things got moving in a hurry. Asashoryu and Takasago Oyakata came and testified after the break. Then the board discussed the matter again and called the yokozuna and his shisho into the room once more. When Ryu came out, he had tears in his eyes.

Apparently, the members of the rijikai were swayed by the expressed opinions of the YDC, especially Chairman Tsuruta, who had been a Ryu defender in the past. He had done some investigation on his own. He claimed he saw photos and videos of the victim's face. There was a one millimeter wound on his nose. The YDC chairman had gotten the evidence from someone close and trustworthy. Mr. Tsuruta was furious, "The police may not take up the matter but there is no denying that he caused all this trouble during the course of a honbasho."

When the YDC met formally after the rijikai, they were unanimous in deciding on an "intai advisory." When the members heard about Ryu's intai declaration, they were all very glad. Mr. Sawamura, a member, said, "We all felt it turned out correctly."

Edited February 4, 2010 by madorosumaru

[Kozaru 0]

Apparently, the members of the rijikai were swayed by the expressed opinions of the YDC, especially Chairman Tsuruta, who had been a Ryu defender in the past. He had done some investigation on his own. He claimed he saw photos and videos of the victim's face. There was a one millimeter wound on his nose. The YDC chairman had gotten the evidence from someone close and trustworthy. Mr. Tsuruta was furious, "The police may not take up the matter but there is no denying that he caused all this trouble during the course of a honbasho."

I'm sorry, one millimeter?! That's tiny! Please tell me that you made some kind of mistake there! All this trouble over a 1mm wound? My girlfriend accidentally gave me a 1mm wound this week when she clawed me while trying to grab my hand. It's smaller than a typical papercut.

[madorosumaru 7]

According to a report by a major sports paper, Musashigawa Rijicho had instructed Asashoryu's shisho, Takasago, to convince his deshi to decide on retirement by the 4th. He had tried all he could to delay matters and find an alternative solution but the pressure from the YDC, the media, the Ministry of Education, and the irate public was too much to withstand.

Another paper mentioned that at the same time, Kokonoe Oyakata, head of Takasago Ichimon and their representative on the rijikai, approached the yokozuna with the advice to retire. Asashoryu resisted. He said he had reached a settlement with the alleged victim. He did not feel he needed to retire.

Prior to the start of the rijikai on the 4th, Mr. Tsuruta of the YDC had told the rijicho that if the board did not decide on a satisfactory penalty, the YDC would declare an "Intai Advisory." Still the board members were divided. Of the 12 members, six were for dismissal but there were six others who were willing settle for a five-basho suspension. The meeting recessed at that point, and as reported earlier, one member told the press, "There's a lot of argument going on in there. We are totally divided."

After the break, Asashoryu and Takasago were called to the meeting and were questioned. During the afternoon proceedings, several riji, including Kokonoe, Nishonoseki and Tomozuna, cornered Ryu and told him that if he did not retire, he would almost certainly be dismissed. He would then have to leave Ozumo without honor, without dampatsu-shiki and without the special benefits given to retiring yokozuna.

With Ryu and Takasago out of the room, the riji continued to discuss the matter. They took another vote and this time there were seven votes for dismissal. Asashoryu was informed of this and he signed and put his seal on the retirement notice that had already been prepared for him.

Edit: I am going to flesh out the above with some details from late reports.

Ryu had been steadfastly holding his ground in not retiring because he believed there were forces within the Kyokai that would see how much of an asset he was to Ozumo and would try to settle for a suspension. He knew it would be a long one--six months to a year but that would be better than intai.

Indeed, there were many oyakata-riji who held that position--former rijicho Kitanoumi and Tomozuna were among the six that argued for suspension. However, there were those like Takanohana and Nishonoseki who were adamant about dismissal. They were joined by Musashigawa Rijicho and the two outside riji. Musashigawa Rijicho, by virtue of his position, has to deal with external pressures. He had been told by the Ministry of Education to come down with "an [appropriately severe] penalty." The YDC was not meeting officially until the afternoon but Mr. Tsuruta, who had polled the members, told the rijicho before the rijikai that the YDC would be unanimous in declaring the "Intai Advisory." The rijicho really had no choice.

When Asashoryu was questioned by the rijikai about whether he had committed a violent act on the victim, all the yokozuna could say was, "I was drunk so I don't remember." Then, Takasago Oyakata got the third degree. He finally came out and said, "I advised Ryu to retire but he just can't come to grips with that."

After the 7-5 vote for dismissal, three oyakata--Kokonoe, representing Takasago Ichimon, Nishonoseki, representing the other ichimon, and Tomozuna, who headed the investigating committee--went to Ryu and told him flatly, "If you don't declare your intai, you will be dismissed"--no ifs and buts.

Edited February 5, 2010 by madorosumaru

[paolo 0]

The description reported in madorosumaru's post is very plausible and at the same time terribly sad: it describes men who had probably been waiting for an opportunity like this for months or years ... All things apart, a bad picture of a board of directors (or should I say two, including YDC ?).

[madorosumaru 7]

What's sad was that Ryu should have known that he was walking on a precarious path. Yet, he blithely, almost defiantly, gave his enemies both within and without Ozumo ample opportunities to undermine him. His "protectors" on the rijikai and on the YDC did all they could to hold back the assault on so many occasions that they finally ran out of patience and excuses.

Asashoryu had and still has many positive attributes. They have been enumerated countless times so I am not going to repeat them. He also has a very dark side. Many are obvious and also have been enumerated ad nauseam. One knowledgeable forum member described him as a "fighting drunk." Under the influence, he was a wild, uncontrollable beast. He has been in numerous drunken incidents, some more violent than others. As I have mentioned before, his treatment of women of the night was downright shameful. These are not idle gossip. There were too many similar incidents. In Washington, DC, they have what are commonly called "informed government sources who give background material that are not for attribution." The subject cannot be used in a news story. It is only for better understanding by the media. The same goes for the sumo world. Sumo beat reporters hang around oyakata and rikishi all year long. They hear all kinds of stories that they don't publish in the papers or magazines. But that doesn't mean they are not true. Ofttimes, the media hint at them and occasionally, reporters would leak them to the "weeklies."

This incident could be best described as the proverbial "last straw" that broke the camel's back. For the longest time, I knew it was inevitable that the day would come when the poor, over-burdened ungulate would finally collapse. I had dreaded this day because I have been following Ryu since the beginning of his rise. A young Mongolian rikishi in juryo caught my attention and, in those days before the widespread use of the internet, I asked a friend in Japan to send me some videotapes. The young Ryu reminded me a lot of the old time rikishi, who used quickness, smarts and technique unlike the vast majority of current rikishi who plodded around like over-sized buffoons and flopped onto the ground at the least provocation. Most of my friends, who were real sumo tsuu (cognoscenti), had long ago given up on this pathetic farce they now call sumo.

Asashoryu kept me interested in sumo and revived the dormant passion in some of my friends. Those few in the forum who have read my posts over the years know that they are Ryu-dominant. Occasionally, I would write about the sumo situation in general or a rikishi du jour that momentarily struck my fancy--like Bart or Ama. Yes, Ama, never Haruma-whatever.

With Ryu gone, my interest in sumo will wane. I will probably become one of those dreaded "lurkers." Maybe, in a while, another young guy would come forth and capture my attention. Maybe, someone like Sokokurai or Kyokushuho. Maybe. I can always hope.

Until then, I will drift away to other interests. Hey, what do you guys think about the Mariners this year? Is Ichi going to continue his way to become a first-ballot Hall of Famer? My attention is already somewhere else . . .

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Don't mess with the Mob.

[Shomishuu 0]

What's sad was that Ryu should have known that he was walking on a precarious path. Yet, he blithely, almost defiantly, gave his enemies both within and without Ozumo ample opportunities to undermine him..........

(snip)

With Ryu gone, my interest in sumo will wane. I will probably become one of those dreaded "lurkers." Maybe, in a while, another young guy would come forth and capture my attention. Maybe, someone like Sokokurai or Kyokushuho. Maybe. I can always hope.

Until then, I will drift away to other interests. Hey, what do you guys think about the Mariners this year? Is Ichi going to continue his way to become a first-ballot Hall of Famer? My attention is already somewhere else . . .

I have been one of those dreaded lurkers for several months but this has certainly recaptured me. There's not much point in reworking the various posts already made but this one pretty much sums up how I feel about it. I've heard that Asashoryu said an ending like this was his destiny, but he was in total control of that destiny all along...oops, I guess I've started reworking...

Where I depart from Mado is that this incident will have absolutely no effect on how I choose to follow sumo from here on. I've been watching it 'from afar' for too many years to be affected by what has happened in the past seven years. I might lose interest in it but hey, at my age I might lose interest in a lot of things for any number of reasons.

By they way, Mado...I had a hamburger across the street from Safeco Field yesterday. The buzz around the Mariners this year is palpable. And they just signed Erik Bedard back for one more year. Wooohooo! ;-) ;-) (Clapping wildly...)

[Asashosakari 19,647]

By they way, Mado...I had a hamburger across the street from Safeco Field yesterday. The buzz around the Mariners this year is palpable. And they just signed Erik Bedard back for one more year. Wooohooo! :-P :-P (Clapping wildly...)

Give a little thanks to the Milwaukee Brewers for grooming your GM so well. ;-)

[BuBa 77]

Don't mess with the Mob.

Can you elaborate bit more, because his brother in after-intai press conference in Mongolia was talking about a "group of people" who succeeded this time in bringing Asashoryu down. He was literally addressing them saying they know who I am talking about. .

[Coo-cook 0]

Don't mess with the Mob.

Can you elaborate bit more, because his brother in after-intai press conference in Mongolia was talking about a "group of people" who succeeded this time in bringing Asashoryu down. He was literally addressing them saying they know who I am talking about. .

We will never know the truth. Still if Asa got provoked deliberately it's his fault reacting to it and allowing it.

I heard Japanese commentators complaining that Toyota's good name is ruined deliberately by Americans to give American car makers unjust advantage.

Sounds familiar huh ?

[madorosumaru 7]

A major media source, Mainichi Shimbun, conducted a public opinion poll on the intai of Yokozuna Asashoryu.

Proper and reasonable - 52%

Should have been fired (and made ineligible for any retirement compensation) - 29%

No need for him to quit - 16%

As for Takanohana's "promised" reforms, 83% of the respondents felt they were hopeful while 14% thought Taka's talk was [a bunch of malarkey].

[ilovesumo 12]

Optimists.

[Kintamayama 45,495]

Former sumo grand champion Asashoryu was causing a disturbance retired assault drunk (29), 5 night, only one was left alone in Hawaii. For the time being, is expected to recuperate in the field, many challenges that the future life

Still, there is likely to be questioned by police, the situation can not be easily retired sumo wrestler.

He also pointed out problems in the business at home.

The play did not expect his retirement, by sumo relationship actually "Asashoryu ejectment strategy" that there was a voice. Is no doubt that it was all your own fault ....

Asashoryu grin, the retired 10 billion yen profit Borough ... Asashoryu retired "road" Sumo poised again for charging into

Text article [more to Hawaii one person] The retirement of Asashoryu, the Japan Sumo Association was to stir the beehive Tsutsuita July 5, normal business division launched a new job.

The day before was decorated with "Yokozuna Asashoryu" Nobori is also readily removed, and the traces of Kokugikan in Blue Dragon in the morning were wiped out overnight.

At that time, Asashoryu returned to Daguwadoruji Sumiyaabazar the real name is compassionate to leave his room.

While the original seemed to be behaving differently.Ready for a journey straight to Narita. Only one person without付Ke人.

Wearing a black knit cap, and headed for the departure lounge at the foot.

According to the ordinary people offer to shake hands and noticed a light, even when the reporter asked "a little. There are around" "Excuse me, from a private" just say.

[Kintamayama 45,495]

At today's one day tournament, Asashouryuu memorabilia were selling like hot cakes-bento, shirts, pens, dolls underwear-everything was grabbed until everything was gone. The vendors are looking forward to the danpatsushiki where they hope to danpa all they have left.

Goods:

Bads, with sold out signs:

Edited February 7, 2010 by Kintamayama

[Treblemaker 254]

At today's one day tournament, Asashouryuu memorabilia were selling like hot cakes-bento, shirts, pens, dolls underwear-everything was grabbed until everything was gone.

Is the fact that they stop making all merchandise with a rikishi's name or image as soon as they retire a sign that ozumo is not a sport or just a sign or marketing incompetence?

Either way, it certainly kicks up the value of the goods...

[Washuyama 641]

I bought the Asashoryu figurine at Ushiomaru's danpatsu. I was going to get the Hakuho one (my wife's favorite) but bought the Asa one as I figured it may not be available in May. Glad I did... Now I have to buy the Hakuho one in May to make my wife happy...