Massive breaking news from sumo-after his withdrawal today ahead of Day 5 of the January Grand Sumo Tournament (results later, I could not post Days 3-4 results due to a scheduled medical procedure), the scenario Hakkaku feared most has come true…no active Yokozuna. Terunofuji has RETIRED effective immediately. He was 2-2 this tournament after a loss to Tobizaru yesterday, the third kinboshi (Gold Star Victory, when a Maegashira beats a Yokozuna) for The Flying Monkey. According to reliable YouTube English language source Chris Sumo, he will cash on his Yokozuna elder stock and remain at Isegahama Beya, presumably in line to take over when the current stablemaster must retire this summer due to reaching the mandatory retirement age (65). I think the only way he doesn’t take over is if Miyagino-former Yokozuna Hakuho-gets the spot but that seems extremely unlikely given the current elders’ great dialiking of the greatest Yokozuna ever (akin to why everyone outside of New York baseball hates the Yankees-they always seem to win). Because of the withdrawal today, Gonoyama got the fusen as a result, but no Kinboshi.
More as it becomes available.
UPDATE: It’s now official. Nikkan Sports has also confirmed the report. Reasons cites for withdrawal and now retirement were the usual for him-chronic lower back & knee pain and diabetes. An official retirement press conference will be held in the near future. Terunofuji, real name Seizan Suginomori, retires as The 73rd Yokozuna with a career record of (including tomorrow) 523-275-232 (win-loss-absent), 366-207-198 in the top tier, 10 Emperor’s Cups, 13 total championships and 9 Special Prizes and is considered a Dai-Yokozuna (Great Yokozuna), a distinction given to those who win at least 10 top-tier championships. He first debuted as Wakamisho in the now-closed Magaki Beya run by Wakanohana, then when it closed in the early-mid 2010s he transferred to Isegahama Beya and chamged bus name to Terunofuji. He reached Ozeki before prolonged injury absences saw him demoted all the way to Jonidan before storming back up the ranks and, following a final day loss in Hakuho’s final career match (Hakuho finished 15-0 in his final tournament, Terunofuji was runner-up at 14-1), was promoted to Grand Champion. Ironically, they’ll be likely working with each other now for a while until when/if Hakuho might get his Miyagino Beya back in a year or so.
