Breaking sumo news: Nikkan Sports reports Ichinojo, the March Juryo Champion and July 2022 Emperor’s Cup winner, has retired effective immediately. He will submit a formal notice to the Japan Sumo Association today (tomorrow US time). A translation of the Nikkan Sports report says the reason is chronic back pain which is not completely treatable. It should be noted that Ichinojo, at well over 450 pounds/206 kilos, is the largest rikishi in the top 2 tiers of sumo. The report also states he will not take a former master’s name and will leave sumo completely.
Ichinojo, real name Takashi Miura, is from Mongolia but is a Japanese citizen. He was ranked at Maegashira 13 for the May tournament and has 3 career championships, one top tier championship (July 2022) and 2 Juryo championships including March. He won 4 special prizes and is believed to lead all current rikishi with 9 kinboshi (Gold Star victories, when a Maegashira defeats a Yokozuna). His highest ranking was Sekiwake, the 3rd highest in sumo. He debuted in January 2014 at Makushita 15 and needed just 2 tournaments to reach Juryo, tied for the second-fastest promotion ever, won the chanpionship in his Juryo debut, and just 5 tournaments to reach the top tier, reaching Sekiwake in just his second top tier tournament after going 13-2 with 2 Special Prizes in his Makuuchi debut. But after his July 2022 triumph he had 2 straight losing records and then was suspended for January for outside-competition misconduct announced as coronavirus protocol violations, returning at Juryo in March and going 14-1 and winning the championship in what will now be his final tournament.
UPDATE: On their official Japanese Twitter, the Nihon Sumo Kyokai has confirmed and announced Ichinojo’s retirement.
