End of an era. A huge part of why I started following sumo was being able to see the absolute GOAT in a sport that’s several centuries old. Hope his new understudy will carry on in his footsteps.
I only just last week learned that the giant macaron award isn’t a real macaron that you can eat. It’s fake.
Surely you jest (that you didn’t know).
He deserves to be well known as one of the GOATs in the history of sport.
Hakuho no more.
Say hello to Magaki Oyakata.
Although rumors are afoot that the sumo elders are already hard at work making him as unwelcome in the organization as possible in an effort to force him out of sumo, a la Takanohana.
Wait, what? Cliffs on his story?
Takanohana is one of the greatest modern yokozuna in the modern era, and one of the most beloved by Japanese fans. But he was essentially forced out of the NSK (Japan Sumo Association) by his peers, partly due to jealousy and partly due to the fact that he was maverick who had progressive ideas on how to reform and evolve the sport, and was unwilling (or unable) to fall in line and be a good soldier.
As a result, he was forced out a couple years ago and is no longer involved with sumo in any official or even unofficial capacity.
Hakuho has many of the same qualities of Takanohana personality wise, so many are speculating that he won’t last long in the organization, or even be given a fair chance at doing so.
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Thanks. After going down the rabbit hole a bit on this, I actually found an answer to one of my earlier questions about rikishi having the same names. Apparently his dad was a rikishi who went by Takanohana as well. And both of their brothers were Wakanohanas. The names weren’t identical (father Takanohana Kenishi and son Takanohana Koji), but they both seemed to go by Takanohana.
I imagine you probably knew all this, but it was news to me.
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Yep, his family is sumo royalty, or was, as he and his brother are both out of sumo and their kids aren’t inclined to follow them into the sport.
Bump. Let the Sumo Games begin.
My boy Takakeisho is looking okay so far.
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Just like Takakeisho of old.
It’s actually been an entertaining start to the basho. Abi is crushing it down below, Mitakeumi looking strong (despite a loss yesterday), and Terunofuji is getting challenged each bout but finding a way to pull out the wins. Finally, Takayasu is employing the strange strategy of making everyone fight a 3-minute bout with him, and it’s been working for the most part. Shodai needs to get it together though…
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Nice, but would have been better if he shaded the jacket blue.
