Wakanoho - Weekly Shukan Gendai Magazine Interview

[Kintamayama 44,646]

Why in the world would Wakanohou name Kasuganishiki, one of the more boring and unknown faces in sumo?? If it's all a lie anyway as everyone seems to maintain, why not name someone "juicier"? A lawsuit is a lawsuit is a lawsuit. It does not make sense.

maybe because a "juicier" name would have enough money to sue his ass back to the stone age. while naming a guy who might have financial issues probably cant get a good enough team of laywers to make it stick. even OJ bought himself out of a murder rap with a super team of lawyers. if W-ho named Asa, i would fully expect the most violent legal retaliation possible by the best laywers money can buy. i dont know how the japanese legal system works, but in the US, the better your lawyer is, the more likely you are to win.

I'd think if there would be a lawsuit, it would be filed and funded by the Kyokai and not an individual rikishi, as we are seeing in the current litigation.

[Kintamayama 44,646]

The Taikai and U yaocho bouts are supposed to have happened on day 6 and day 7 of Nagoya 2008, according to Wakanohou. Tomozuna and Isenoumi Oyakata have indicated they will call both Ozeki to hear what they have to say.

Nice neutral pic of Wakanohou published today..:

Edited October 11, 2008 by Kintamayama

[Jonosuke 28]

Since the next issue won't be out till Monday and I won't get the artcile till at least a day later I really am not sure why the two bouts mentioned are yaocho.

But I did find a common point. When Wakanoho went to the Kokugikan to apologize, Kokonoe and Tomozuna oyakata were there. They basically told him to go away. Later on the article I translated that there is a reference to K and T oyakata doing yaocho bouts in their active days. We have heard about Chiyonofuji before, but not about Kaiki.

Am I reading too much in this that now Chiyotaikai and Kaio are targetted or is this just a coincidence?

[Naganoyama 5,881]

Since the next issue won't be out till Monday and I won't get the artcile till at least a day later I really am not sure why the two bouts mentioned are yaocho.

But I did find a common point. When Wakanoho went to the Kokugikan to apologize, Kokonoe and Tomozuna oyakata were there. They basically told him to go away. Later on the article I translated that there is a reference to K and T oyakata doing yaocho bouts in their active days. We have heard about Chiyonofuji before, but not about Kaiki.

Am I reading too much in this that now Chiyotaikai and Kaio are targetted or is this just a coincidence?

I've gone from quite liking this fellow to really hating him in a very short space of time. I so wish he would vanish back to his home country.

[Kintamayama 44,646]

"We may have to go after Wakanohou personally..", said Tomozuna Oyakata today, hinting that for the first time, the Kyokai may sue an ex-rikishi.

[ilovesumo 12]

"We may have to go after Wakanohou personally..", said Tomozuna Oyakata today, hinting that for the first time, the Kyokai may sue an ex-rikishi.

Why is Waka more dangerous then Itai was?

All the scandals created a war-atmosphere, hum?

[Orion 431]

"We may have to go after Wakanohou personally..", said Tomozuna Oyakata today, hinting that for the first time, the Kyokai may sue an ex-rikishi.

Why is Waka more dangerous then Itai was?

All the scandals created a war-atmosphere, hum?

Wakanoho is not more dangerous than Itai, but he is a lot more attackable. He is obviously doing what he is told, and throwing mud at any famous name in the hope that some of it will stick. OTOH, Itai, in his active days, was notorious for selling bouts -- as had been his master Onaruto oyakata, former Kotetsuyama. As Mark Schilling observed at the time, Itai knew where the bodies were buried, so to speak.

Orion

[Shomishuu 0]

"We may have to go after Wakanohou personally..", said Tomozuna Oyakata today, hinting that for the first time, the Kyokai may sue an ex-rikishi.

Why is Waka more dangerous then Itai was?

All the scandals created a war-atmosphere, hum?

Wakanoho is not more dangerous than Itai, but he is a lot more attackable.

That is certainly true, but also at play may be that since NSK has yaocho related legal action underway against Shukan Gendai about specifics related to current rikishi, they may feel that Wakanoho has now 'backed up' some of SG's accusations. They may feel their suit against SG may not look credible if they just let Wakanoho's accusations go.

Just a thought.

[Arslan 0]

Since the next issue won't be out till Monday and I won't get the artcile till at least a day later I really am not sure why the two bouts mentioned are yaocho.

Did you get the Monday article? Was the continuation of that interview published on Monday issue? Waiting to see it. (Lifting weights...)

[Jonosuke 28]

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The Second installment - Wakanoho Yaocho Interview on the Weekly Shukan Gendai Magazine

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I saw Kotooshu on TV commenting on my last week's interview article. "It's a totally lie. There was no such (yaocho) thing,"　he said. All I want to tell Kotooshu is, "Please tell the real story as soon as you can". He can keep lying all about it but remember the Lord knows the whole truth. I know active rikishi don't want to get fired from the Sumo Kyokai so they will never say they "did it". But it appeared to me that there was a pain in Kotooshu's face when he admitted, "I speak a little Russian...". Whether the bout was a Chusha (yaocho sumo) or not, you can tell quickly by looking at the bouts. All oyakata should know it so well.

-------------

The last week's Wakanoho's "Yaocho Confession" article did cause a shock wave through the sumo world and it hit them extremely hard. Unless they go along with their seniors' demands, rikishi get "Kawaigari (taken care of)" hazing at de-geiko or jungyo tour training sessions. Wakanoho painstakingly recreated his fall into the yaocho world from the fear of getting reprisals.

His story of Ozeki Kotooshu telling him in Russian to let him win and receiving 1 Million Yen cash in a taping box in return is so real that it can only be told by someone who actually went through the ordeal. W can now conclude for certain that the argument whether yaocho sumo exists or not is clearly settled here when a rikshi still active only two months ago has told us in detail of its prevalent practice.

------------------

After 23 days in police custody after my marijuana arrest, I lost 30 kg from my active weight of 170 kg. I was reading the Bible every single day in the jail. I believe now I was better off getting arrested by the police. Up to then I was too young, I did not understand the rules of Japan so I would have gotten into much worse troubles if I followed my own bad habits.

After my release, I went straight to the Greek Orthodox church and I made a full confession to the Father. I told him about "Chusha" and marijuana, just about everything. The Father was really surprised to hear my confession and made me change my attitude and helped me straighten myself up. Now I am praying religiously every morning and evening.

I have been reflecting on what I have done. I really want from the bottom of my heart that the sumo world infested with corrupt people to be cleaned up once and for all.

The bad deeds of the sumo world is not necessarily limited to "Chusha Sumo" alone, one of them is what they call "Kawaigari", their hazing practice. From October 7, the court case of Tokitaizan's death, Jonokuchi rikishi with Tokitsukaze Beya started. I actually remember meeting Tokitaizan/Saito (Takashi) at Tokitsukaze Beya, I did not know his name at the time but I remember his face well. He had a good build and I thought he would get stronger. I just had a feeling that he looked always

scared to death for some reason..

Mr. Saito received severe "Kawaigari" from his seniors and he apparently had escaped several times from the heya. I think if I belonged to the same heya, I must have done the same thing. I've gone to Tokitsukaze Beya for de-geiko about five times. In my Magaki Beya, there was no sekitori other than myself, I often went to other heya with many sekitori (rikishi ranked Juryo and above) to find training session partners.

It was shortly after my Juryo promotion in May last year when I was subjected to a "Kawaigari" session at Tokitsukaze Beya. "Kawaigari" sessions at Tokitsukaze Beya were simply brutal. I had to keep tackling the other rikishi's chest until I could no longer stand up and I was totally out of breath. But even when I couldn't stand up any more, they just kept forcing me back, yelling at me, "Do it till the end!" and splashed me with water. I had my hair pulled. I was kicked as well as getting kneed on my back. Especially Tokitenku (Mongolian Makuuchi rikishi) was mean and rough.

"My ankle hurts. Please stop it," I pleaded to him. But it was no use as he just kept forcing me back to continue. Tokitsukaze oyakata (then oyakata, Junichi Yamamoto, one of the defendants in the court case) never tried to stop it. Other rikishi only watched the session too, doing nothing to intervene. I believe they wanted to show how hard they were training at the heya to the people who came to see their training sessions.

Even for a sekitori, we can easily go out of breath after only five minutes of Butsugari-geiko. If they continue it for 20 or 30 minutes, it's not unreasonable to think there would be an incident like the one happened to Mr. Saito.

Among them, only Tokitsuumi (the current Tokitsukaze oyakata) gave me an encouragement telling me to "Do your best" and "Just try little bit more". I remember when I got totally out of breath, he let me paused enough to let me drink water. I think that the "Kawaigari" session must have lasted around 25 minutes. I ended up injuring my ankle and I later had to go to a hospital.

During a Jungyo tour, a bunch of rikishi who are involved with "Chusha" may grab one of Gachinko rikishi and give him a "Kawaigari" session. They are trying to make Gachinko rikishi fear for their life if they don't corporate and start participating in "Chusha" sumo.

As I disclosed previously, on the Day 1 of this year's May Basho, I was asked by Kotooshu to engage in a "Chusha Sumo" by selling him the bout for 1 Million Yen. I did it because I had the fear of getting "Kawaigari" treatment if I refused him.

Right after the yaocho bout, other rikishi started coming to me as the information that I'd do "Chusha" spread so quickly to all other rikishi. On the Day 2 of May Basho I had a bout with Kotomitsuki scheduled. When I was doing shiko to warm up for the bout in the dressing room, Kotooshu came over to me. "I want to talk to you a bit," he said to me in Russian.

"What about tomorrow? You doing Gachinko? I'd think you want to do a fall. You know he (Chiyotaikai) is an ozeki too".

Right way that made me so upset. On the day 1, after being nagged so many times to "help" him out, I resigned myself to "fall" for Kotooshu. After all I have done for him, now he was asking him to fall for Chiyotaikai, my opponent on the next day.

In the May Basho I was ranked at Maegashira 2 and I had a good chance to be promoted to Sanyaku. "I want to go up to Sanyaku myself. So I am sorry I can't do it. I just don't want to do it (Chusha) with everyone."

"Huh?" Kotooshu looked perplexed. Kotooshu was looking at me like as if he wanted to say,"Do you really understand what I am asking here?"

On the next day, the day I was scheduled to face Chiyotaikai, his tsukebito came to see me in the dressing room. I don't know his name but he was a senior rikishi over 30 years old. I remember he had a large mole on a side of his mouth.

-----------

Our reporter showed Wakanoho the pictures of Kokonoe Beya rikishi, Wakanoho pointed out one rikishi by a finger. The rikishi definitely had a large mole next to his mouth. He is in mid-30s and has been already in Ozumo for over 15 years since his dohyo-debut.(note: I believe he is referring to Jonidan Rachimi).

--------

"Come to the washroom," he asked me. I went into the washroom first and then the tsukebito followed me a bit later. "The ozeki is concerned. It could be really tough if you won't lose to him. Please lose for him."

But I again refused to do it categorically. "I want to go up to Sanyaku. This is not possible. I want to win so I won't be falling".

The tsukebito said, "OK," and he left. But then later I was really surprised to see him coming back to me again. "You fell for Kotooshu-zeki, right? You know Chiyotaikai-zeki is also an ozeki. And he is so much more senior to you," he said. The tsukebito did not want to budge even though I kept refusing him again and again. And then he came back again and said, "Now the ozeki is really upset with you. I'd suggest you listen to the ozeki's request".

"No, I want to win too. I go with Gachinko," I told him finally.

This tsukebito came to see me three times. He was always careful to talk to me outside the dressing room or in the washroom where there weren't anyone around so no one ever suspected of anything.

On the Day 3 of the May Basho I beat Chiyotaikai by hiki-otoshi. Of course it was Gachinko sumo. However I felt badly enough that when I saw Chiyotaikai in the dressing room later in the basho, I told him, "Ozeki, I am sorry". He gestured with his hand as if to say, "It's OK, no problem".

During this basho though I don't remember precisely when but I remember Kotooshu saying to me, "You beat him, right. I imagine he is really angry with you now. You will get 'Kawaigari' for sure".

The next July Basho, I climbed up to Maegashira Lead, I was at only a step away from Sanyaku ranking. But I lost four straight bouts from the Day 1 and I did "Chusha" sumo with Kotooshu on Day 5 again, making it five straight losses. I was feeling really down heading into the Day 6 when I was then scheduled to face Ozeki Kaio.

On this day the same Chiyotaikai's tsukebito came to see me again and whispered in my ear, "You know the ozeki (Chiyotaikai) is in his Kadoban this basho. Do you know what it means to be in Kadoban? If he gets Makekoshi then he will be demoted from ozeki rank. So we want you to fall regardless this time. The ozeki only has one or two years left (in his active career). But you are still young so you can still compete for many more years. You have many more opportunities to get up to Sanyaku. So this time you will fall please".

When I looked over his shoulder, I saw Chiyotaikai sitting at the back of the dressing room staring at me sharply. While looking straight at Chiyotaikai, I whispered to the tsukebio, "OK then," and nodded my head.

Then I could see Chiyotaiki signaling me with his eyes as if to say "Good". He must have realized by looking at us that I accepted the request.

Then as soon as I settled with the Chiyotaikai deal, there came Kaio's request. What was amazing to me was the man who came to ask me for this was none other than our man with the mole next to his mouth.

"Tomorrow you will be falling for the ozeki (Chyotaikai). Well we appreciate if you help out Kaio-zeki too. Kaio-zeki is not doing well this basho because of lower back pain. It's possible that he may get Makekoshi. You know it's gonna be tough if he gets into a Kadoban. So can't you fall for him as well?"

Then the tsukebito of Chiyotaikai added, "If you lose, you will get this". He was rounding his thumb and forefinger to form a circle meaning "money". "If we can get it prepared, I will give to you during the basho but if not, then you get it during the next jungyo tour."

I thought to myself, "this is all connected, it's just like a mafia". All ozeki are good friends to each other and they are often seen talking to each other in the dressing room. Especially Chiyotaikai and Kaio are close friends because they are in the same age bracket. Both Chiyotaikai and Kaio have been in Kadoban for so many times before but yet they maintained their ozeki rank after all these years. I was convinced that this (yaocho) was their secret.

---------

As Wakanoho pointed outl,Chiyotaikai in the past 25 basho, had 7 Kadoban basho. He had 17 basho in which he had less than 9 win and 6 loss record. Meanwhile Kaio escaped his Kadoban six times and amazingly had recorded 18 basho where he finished with less than 9 win and 6 loss record. He has preserved his ozeki rank for 8 years now.

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The tsukebito told me how the bout with Kaio should unfold. "The ozeki will come to you with Hidari-yotsu. Actually Moro-zashi is OK too but you lose by yorikiri one way or the other. But make sure you display a good sumo."

When I see the bout on video now, you see me intentionally open up my arms so he can easily put both arms into me. As I did it rather obviously, I got myself turned half way to him and he was pushing me from side. It's pretty unnatural to see my feet shuffling so much.

Chusha Sumo isn't really easy to do actually. This bout kind of ended up a pretty weird. I wanted to show more competitive looking sumo. After the bout, when I saw Kaio in the dressing room next time, I greeted him, "Have a nice day". Then he sort of raised his hand and I noticed a sign of little smile around his mouth so I figured it was a way of him saying to me, "Thanks".

On the next day I　had my bout against Chiyotaikai. I also had received an instruction for this bout as well. "The ozeki would come out with his head first and start doing his Tsuppari. So don't raise both arms like doing a Banzai and simply move forward".

Tsuppari is Chiyotaikai's favorite move. It's not just Chiyotaikai but for all rikishi when they do "Chusha", they try to win by their favorite move. On the Day 7, just as I was instructed, after I jumped out of tachiai, I put my chest up so Chiyotaikai could easily do his Tsuppari. To do that from the tachiai, I jumped out with my head pretty high. I also put my chest up to receive his Tsuppari but perhaps because of "Chusha Sumo", I did't feel any power coming from him. I was shuffling my arms left and right to pretend as if his tsuppari push was being done effectively.

When I returned back to the dressing room after the bout, heading to the bath, I noticed several oyakata staring at me hard. I immediately sensed they were upset with me as if to say, "What kind of sumo was that?" Goeido's oyakata (Sakaigawa oyakata, former Komusubi Ryogoku) wasn't fooled at all and actually told me plain and simple, "You will show some good competitive sumo!".

A "Chusha Sumo" is obvious when someones knows what to look for. However after this bout, Chiyotaikai became infinitely more friendly to me. Up to that time he hardly spoked to me but he was asking me, "How are you doing?" and even during Jungyo trainining sessions he never even once ordered me to go up on the dohyo.

I received the money from Chiyotaikai on the Day 13 or Day 14 of the July Basho, on July 25 or 26. I was finishing off putting my Oicho up when Chiyotaikai and his five Tsukebito walked into the dressing room. A tsukebio who was following him last came over to me and said, "Please look at this" and handed me the Hoshitori Table (the day's bouts with rikishi names on). It's a B4 size sheet of paper and we use it by folding it so we can see our own bout on that day. The sheet the Tsukebito gave me was folded as well but as soon as I had it in my hand I immediately knew it was money from the thickness of the sheet. When I checked it later, it had ten bundles of 10,000 Yen each, wrapped by an elastic. Each bundle had nine 10,000 Yen bills wrapped by one 10,000 Yen bill.

I got the money from Kaio after the basho, during the Hokkaido Jungyo tour (August 5-6). I was eating a meal next to my Akeni (sekitori's clothing box) when a Chiyotaikai's tsukebito came over to me, carrying a long thin envelope. "Can I put this into your Akeni?" I immediately sensed what he meant so I said to him, "Go ahead".

Later I found the envelope inside a bag of taping boxes in my Akeni. It also contained 100,000 Yen. Inside the envelope I found a pack of bills.

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A reporter from this magazine asked Ozeki Kaio to comment, "I have nothing to say to you," he said. Meanwhile Chiyotaikai said, "There is no such fact."

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I had such helpless feeling after I committed yaocho with the three ozeki. But knowing Chiyotaikai was 32 years old while Kaio was already 36 years old, I consoled myself thinking they were bound to retire soon. I told myself, "it's only one more year I need to withstand all this. Once they retire, I can compete again, exactly the way I wanted. Always. All I wanted then was for them to retire. I had such strong feeling after the whole sordid experience.

[Barang 0]

Thanks Jonosuke for translation

After 23 days in police custody after my marijuana arrest, I lost 30 kg from my active weight of 170 kg. I was reading the Bible every single day in the jail. I believe now I was better off getting arrested by the police. Up to then I was too young, I did not understand the rules of Japan so I would have gotten into much worse troubles if I followed my own bad habits.

Japanese jail seems to be very effective diet. If police has kept him in custody four and half months then he might lose all his weight and became just a ghost.

I have been reflecting on what I have done. I really want from the bottom of my heart that the sumo world infested with corrupt people to be cleaned up once and for all.

I think he should enter into Belarus politics and clened it in a moment.

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I had such helpless feeling after I committed yaocho with the three ozeki. But knowing Chiyotaikai was 32 years old while Kaio was already 36 years old, I consoled myself thinking they were bound to retire soon. I told myself, "it's only one more year I need to withstand all this. Once they retire, I can compete again, exactly the way I wanted. Always. All I wanted then was for them to retire. I had such strong feeling after the whole sordid experience.

I suppose that next week he will tell that Khans had asked him constantly favours since "great" Wakanoho entered ozumo

[Fay 1,677]

Thanks Jonosuke!

Now we are getting even a nice Saulus to Paulus story.

Perhaps he should have better read "The count of Monte Christo" than the bible ...

[Skotkotaikai 2]

Wakanoho was involved in a great heartbreaking drama, he is strong but all the world is against him and he reads the bible!!! I wish him luck in his honorable conquest to bring justice to all enemies of sumo!

But in the meantime he MUST try to act in soap operas. That's his future. He has the tallent, he has the spirit, he must!

[Hakuyobaku 33]

I think everything is much clearer now. Fairy tale, indeed. A highly artificial narrative.

[Shiyonofuji/Kaiopectate 2]

"Exclusive - Wakanoho Yaocho Confession"

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"I will give you 1 Million Yen. Or even 1.5 Million Yen...."

Having woven kawaigari and Kasuganishiki-the-merchant anecdotes (legal activities which we know to be true) into his reports of yaocho, Wakanoho leads me to make one simple request: SHOW ME THE MONEY.

It is one thing to be persuasive in terms of plausibility and emotion. Just as precious truth must often be attended by a bodyguard of lies, the best-dressed lies are wrapped in a mantle of truth.

It is another thing entirely to demonstrate tangible evidence which compels an explanation in response. That's what I'm looking for.

Wakanoho describes (a) sending money home to relatives, and (b) getting large sums of money as payments for yaocho. So, it should be a very simple matter for him, in his candor, to provide an ACCOUNTING, of what he got, and when, and what he conveyed to others. Not something proof of which is based upon his credibility, but something which is objectively verifiable. Granting that a lot of these transactions involve cash, nevertheless transfers of large amounts of money from Japan to Russia probably do not. Or, even if they do, Wakanoho should be able to demonstrate that he was disposing of substantially more money than he legitimately earned. Show us inexplicable amounts of money, which compel someone else to explain where it came from.

That's the kind of corroboration that I'm waiting to see. Has this aspect been explored in the Japanese press?

[Kintamayama 44,646]

"Exclusive - Wakanoho Yaocho Confession"

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"I will give you 1 Million Yen. Or even 1.5 Million Yen...."

Having woven kawaigari and Kasuganishiki-the-merchant anecdotes (legal activities which we know to be true) into his reports of yaocho, Wakanoho leads me to make one simple request: SHOW ME THE MONEY etc...

Which brings me to the question-why isn't the equivalent of the IRS not immediately investigating Wakanohou for tax evasion on at least 5 million yen to which he himself attests to have received? If he did declare the money, then he would have receipts to back up his stories, right?

I have a feeling he doesn't.

That being said, I still believe what he is telling is not far from the truth.

Edited October 15, 2008 by Kintamayama

[Fay 1,677]

I can't understand the motivation of Wakanoho to refuse Yaocho with Chiyotaikai because he was Maegashira 2 and wanted to reach a sanyaku rank. On the other hand, when he was Maegashira 1, he accepted to fall for Chiyotaikai and Kotooshu and Kaio ??? Where is the logic behind it?

Because he wanted the money or just because he feared Kawaigari from Tokitenku again? Why not going to Sakaigawa beya, get up a bit earlier and you can train with gachinko Goeido.

Edited October 15, 2008 by Fay

[kotoeikoku 0]

I can't understand the motivation of Wakanoho to refuse Yaocho with Chiyotaikai because he was Maegashira 2 and wanted to reach a sanyaku rank. On the other hand, when he was Maegashira 1, he accepted to fall for Chiyotaikai and Kotooshu and Kaio ??? Where is the logic behind it?

Because he wanted the money or just because he feared Kawaigari from Tokitenku again? Why not going to Sakaigawa beya, get up a bit earlier and you can train with gachinko Goeido.

On the kawaigari note, aside from the jungyo/soken, would a sekitori be obliged to go for regular degeiko at a particular heya?

My impression is that if you fear kawaigari from certain rikishi you simply go for degeiko at other heya. And although we have seen kawaigari at jungyo etc. (Hakuho on Goeido comes to mind), since it's in full view of the public you wouldn't have to fear the most severe retribution.

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

My impression is that if you fear kawaigari from certain rikishi you simply go for degeiko at other heya. And although we have seen kawaigari at jungyo etc. (Hakuho on Goeido comes to mind), since it's in full view of the public you wouldn't have to fear the most severe retribution.

Didn't Tokitaizan get his fatal beating during morning training at their Nagoya temporary lodgings? These temporary lodgings seem to be far more accessible to the public than the regular heya back in Tokyo and area. There are usually large crowds of supporters and fans at the regional basho asageiko sessions, AFAIK.

[Kotoviki 16]

Because he wanted the money or just because he feared Kawaigari from Tokitenku again? Why not going to Sakaigawa beya, get up a bit earlier and you can train with gachinko Goeido.

Fay, this is the best quote yet! I love it!!

How true it is, he could go to any heya for degeiko.. but I guess he couldn't get up early enough to train with gachinko Goeido!

On another note, I've been watching a LOT of asageiko lately and I'm seeing guys in the same heya kicking ass to where the other can't breathe. I feel so sorry for them too. I've seen it with young guys and sekitori.

Last week I watched a poor Jonidan guy to the point he couldn't breathe his face was so red, he was wheezing and I thought he'd die soon. When he finally got released he got some water and started doing squats in front of the Sewanin. That guy was hounding him for another hour. But when it was all done the kid was still smiling... I didn't really think he'd die and I think it is just part of the process. I bet most rikishi will tell you they've been through it....

I watched it happen to a sandame rikishi at another heya just before the basho and again it was all within the heya. Yes, it seemed harsh but that guy's record improved in the following basho..

Most recently twice before the basho and last week Tochinoshin was treated the same by Tochinonada. He was laying on the dohyo couldn't even get up and wheezing and Oyakata encouraged Nada to go after him more.

Honestly I'm more inclined to think Wakanoho was just a baby and couldn't take it. I don't think he actually had enough degeiko to find out it happens NOT only as punishment for not doing yaocho.

I'm not saying you won't get it more if you are facing a guy you wouldn't do yaocho for or facing one of his friends BUT... I think he's complaining a bit much and exaggerating.

I do realize that the death happened within Tokitsukaze and to a lower ranked guy but that situation was different.

It was very wrong but the situation was different (from my understanding).

I think Wakanoho wants to attack Tokitsukaze rikishi for Kawaigari because it is much more believable after what happened there!

Just my 2yen... we can all only speculate!

[Kotoviki 16]

My impression is that if you fear kawaigari from certain rikishi you simply go for degeiko at other heya. And although we have seen kawaigari at jungyo etc. (Hakuho on Goeido comes to mind), since it's in full view of the public you wouldn't have to fear the most severe retribution.

Didn't Tokitaizan get his fatal beating during morning training at their Nagoya temporary lodgings? These temporary lodgings seem to be far more accessible to the public than the regular heya back in Tokyo and area. There are usually large crowds of supporters and fans at the regional basho asageiko sessions, AFAIK.

That is what I think I remember too. You are right, the temporary heya are usually much more crowded with guests than at home so you wonder how it happened.

My mind could be going, could be alzheimers or maybe someone has been Kawaigari on me while I'm sleeping but I thought he was actually killed during meal time or after asageiko, not during the training...

I should read back to the facts again.

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

IIRC, his final butsukari geiko ran into late morning, at a time when the number of visitors would be quite large. He collapsed, passed out, and was only later attended to and, even later still, an ambulance called...

[Jonosuke 28]

Wakanoho's lawyer (possibly former lawyer by now) indicated Wakanoho hardly had any money left in his bank account. This is rather surprising as if he received the yaocho money from three ozeki plus his salary plus basho pay then he would have had around $50,000 shortly after Nagoya. I wonder how this money disappeared so quickly.

By doing the Gendai interview, he must have been getting as much as what an ozeki supposedly paid him but then that money can go out as quickly. Since the judge has not yet made the decision whether he allows Wakanoho as a witness, he will still need to stay around in Japan. Since the Gendai must make sure he stays as well so they must support him somehow until that gets cleared up.

It all appears all likely that he has given up on returning to the Kyokai, so he will have to find something else to do if he wants to stay in Japan (and I think he will want to stay). For that he needs a new business sponsor. To me the only alternative for him to do is join a pro-resu as he won't be able to cut it in K-1 as he is pretty well known for his dislike of hard training.

Since his interview is already up to the Nagoya, I wonder what else for him to talk about except perhaps about two yokozuna as I recall he has not been able to beat them. So the next issue must be about Asashoryu and/or Hakuho.

The question for him is what to do after the interview is over as the news like this gets old pretty quickly. The Gendai can still go after Roho/Hakurozan but Wakanoho needs something else to do if he can't help the Gendai for their court case as the Gendai will pretty much let him go on his own if they know they don't need him any more. I am not sure if he is really thinking ahead but I suppose he can always join a monastery.

[Asashosakari 18,968]

My mind could be going, could be alzheimers or maybe someone has been Kawaigari on me while I'm sleeping but I thought he was actually killed during meal time or after asageiko, not during the training...

Yes, around noon apparently. Here's the original thread.

[Asashosakari 18,968]

Wakanoho's lawyer (possibly former lawyer by now) indicated Wakanoho hardly had any money left in his bank account. This is rather surprising as if he received the yaocho money from three ozeki plus his salary plus basho pay then he would have had around $50,000 shortly after Nagoya. I wonder how this money disappeared so quickly.

And of course, even if sekitori are paid modestly compared to other top-level athletes, Wakanoho certainly earned some $200,000 in base salary alone in his barely two years as juryo and makuuchi rikishi. I realize it's not that difficult to burn through that much money, but from what we've heard he isn't known for particularly expensive hobbies.