Asashoryu INTAI - Feb 4 2010

[Chiyozakura 128]

If your answer is no, and if like Nishi you think that Asa turned people off, then we should be able to predict an INCREASE in ticket sales over the next few years with his departure. Is that right? It seems like the logical conclusion to the line of reasoning being presented. I'll take that bet, although I cancel it if a serious Japanese contender arises, as that obviously changes the circumstances completely.

As there are many factors connected to ticket sales you cannot tell to which extent one rikishi has an effect on it. Sumo in general is becoming less and less popular in Japan. It is not popular with the young generation, and if that trend continues attendance will probably go down further with the oldest generation slowly dying out.

I personally doubt that Asashoryu had a positive effect on sumo. I myself was turned off by his behaviour, and given the media hype his scandals recieved there should also have been others. In addition to that due to his success and domination during the last decade he kept others from winning Yusho and getting more attention in the not so sumo interested public. For this forum I think his retirement will serve a good purpose as hopefully some people that do not care about sumo but only about him will follow him to whereever he will appear next, be it K1, puroresu or Mongolian politics.

[ryafuji 806]

For this forum I think his retirement will serve a good purpose as hopefully some people that do not care about sumo but only about him will follow him to whereever he will appear next, be it K1, puroresu or Mongolian politics.

Are there really such people round here? I'm struggling to understand how you can be an Asashoryu fan and not a sumo fan.

[ilovesumo 12]

As there are many factors connected to ticket sales you cannot tell to which extent one rikishi has an effect on it. Sumo in general is becoming less and less popular in Japan. It is not popular with the young generation, and if that trend continues attendance will probably go down further with the oldest generation slowly dying out.

agree

I personally doubt that Asashoryu had a positive effect on sumo. I myself was turned off by his behaviour, and given the media hype his scandals recieved there should also have been others. In addition to that due to his success and domination during the last decade he kept others from winning Yusho and getting more attention in the not so sumo interested public. For this forum I think his retirement will serve a good purpose as hopefully some people that do not care about sumo but only about him will follow him to whereever he will appear next, be it K1, puroresu or Mongolian politics.

Let's say, there is a lot of garbage left, Asa had nothing to do with...

They got to clean up...

Funny thing is...the longer I liked Sumo, the more I got to like Asa, whom I hated when he became Sekiwake... -cause I thought he is a bad guy and all others respectful li'll angels...haha, what a nerd I was (am)

[sekihiryu 51]

making news everywhere I was just watching BBC and who should be interviewed about it live...none other than a nervous looking James Hardy...yes James I was watching. :-P

[Tokyo Tom 0]

My wife just brought up an interesting question: since Asashoryu never took Japanese citizenship and is currently unmarried- will he have to leave Japan?

[Randomitsuki 2,754]

:-P

Asashoryu was one of two rikishi whose names I learnt first (the other one, curiously enough, was Takanowaka so on this basis one could guess which basho brought me my first sumo experience back in the Eurosport days).

I loved to hate to love him, for he is a fascinating (i.e. difficult) personality. There is lots of talk that the intai results from unfair treatment, a set of rules that is too outlandish or old-fashioned, racism, and the like. But I have a feeling that if he had ended up in another sport, he would have just been involved in greater troubles and scandals. He's just that kind of guy, methinks.

In the international Sumo Forums, overall participation will probably decline as there are many fans who were interested in Asashoryu rather than sumo. Well, new fans will come when Baruto becomes Ozeki and more. The intai of Asashoryu will probably lead to less controversy on the Forums, but I don't know if this will be a good thing or not.

[badboy27 0]

If it was his time to go like older players such as Dejima (July Retirement), Chiyotaikai (Jan Retirement), he should have just left in a peaceful manner.

[Asashosakari 18,650]

In a way, it must be a relief to many that the bomb finally explodes, no matter how boring sumo life will be.

I think for the Kyokai it's primarily a relief that the bomb still ended up so comparatively small. I don't mean to pile on (at least in this post), but the way Asashoryu's been going, I'm sure they were worried about the non-negligible chance that he'd eventually be caught with the proverbial dead girl or live boy.

[Asashosakari 18,650]

My wife just brought up an interesting question: since Asashoryu never took Japanese citizenship and is currently unmarried- will he have to leave Japan?

He received permanent residence status last year.

[Saburo 17]

Sad to see him go. Can't wait to see how Asashoryu's dampatsu-shiki will be handled.

[James H 0]

making news everywhere I was just watching BBC and who should be interviewed about it live...none other than a nervous looking James Hardy...yes James I was watching. :-P

you'd be nervous if you hadn't said a word about sumo for the past 6 months and suddenly you had to pretend to be an expert... :)

[James H 0]

Didn't stop you before.

Yeah, but I had a bit more time to perfect my pretence of intelligence. This thing was live... I couldn't hide behind a byline.

Anyway...enough of this. Hakuho crying... that is a bit of a shock but backs up my belief that he is an utterly nice person.

[wanderer 159]

Good for you Asa! and good for the Sumo establishment.

Welcome back! But don't beat your fellow Mongols. There will always be one that can beat you son!

You have accomplished enough in your sumo career, and it will be remembered in many ways. You brought winds of change to Sumo, and extended its horizons to the world. At the same time, you have also learned a valuable lesson in life: you have to adhere to the rules no matter how strong you are.

Sumo will go on, and I will be watching it as mach as ever. I think Asa will go on as well, accomplishing many milestones of his own. Good or bad, this boy is destined for records.

[Blue_Wolf 24]

Sad to see greatest sumo wrestler to go out like this. I'm just too sad to say anything else. :-P

[Barang 0]

It was just one more scandal in Sumo. Anyway when Asa has gone now then Ozumo needs new big star who can increase public interest for this sport.

[Skotkotaikai 2]

Ahhhh :-P Asashoryu (I am going off-topic...)

[Shibata-gumi 1]

I for one am a HUGe Asashoryu fan and think this is a sad day indeed. BUT I do think its exciting as well as I feel that now guys like Baruto, Harumafuji and Kootoshu will have more motivation to gang up on Hakuoh. Plus it will also challenge Hakuoh to defend his throne of Yokozunaness(?) from the rest of the Ozeki contenders. I dont know how tix sales will be BUT I think all those people who predict boring sumo are jumping the gun.

[Pippooshu 1]

I already feel the empty around sumo. It's a vacant huge place.

Edited February 4, 2010 by Pippooshu

[Zenjimoto 40]

I'm gonna miss him tremendously. Together with Kitazakura's salt-throwing antics, Asashoryu was the FIRST to catch my attention the first time I watched sumo... Aki 2001, when he was Maegashira 1W, and I loved the way that "feisty little Mongolian" kept fighting against the bigger guys. As such I take credit for being a true Asashoryu fan long before everyone else jumped on the bandwagon.

When he became better and better, I was elated. He was THE major superstar of sumo for a long time. When they came to Las Vegas, all the other rikishi were moving about freely and approachable, but far from being crowded by fans, only Asashoryu had a real "air" around him, the sense there was a VIP in the house, followed by fans, photographers, and his entourage.

And I am not a purist... I felt that injecting a little spice into the mix was a good thing, and that the NSK has too many burrs up their ass, considering these guys are major superstars who really don't need to be treated like little kids sometimes... but that's another discussion altogether, and of course he did go too far in certain cases, but also got some major raw deals. :-P

He will forever be a legend. Farewell, old friend and fighter. (I am going off-topic...)

Edited February 4, 2010 by Zenjimoto

[kuroimori 1,634]

Hakuho's chance of winning his first yusho in the kokugikan since 2008 have gone up.

Despite that, he is not taking the news very well.

Hakuho Press Conference

Maybe he just realized that the JSA with its phony double standards will start a similar campaign against him once he surpasses Asa and starts becoming a threat for the records of Chiyonofuji and Taiho. I am sure he will reflect a lot on this and maybe his attitude will change a little bit from now on.

BTW, The Great Dai-Yokozuna Chiyonofuji was also quite famous for his off the dohyo antics during hon-basho tournaments (actually much worse than Asa's) but the JSA never complained about that or even suggested penalties, they covered up any of such news, he was and still is idolized. This is the bitter taste of this long planned and cold scheme to force Asa into retirement.

[Asashosakari 18,650]

BTW, The Great Dai-Yokozuna Chiyonofuji was also quite famous for his off the dohyo antics during hon-basho tournaments (actually much worse than Asa's) but the JSA never complained about that or even suggested penalties, they covered up any of such news, he was and still is idolized.

You must have missed the decade-long effort to blackball Chiyonofuji from advancing in the Kyokai power structure after he retired from active competition. Which is odd, considering all the apparent insider knowledge evident in your post. :-P (Make sure you warn Hakuho of the impending conspiracy against him!)

[shumitto 418]

As such I take credit for being a true Asashoryu fan long before everyone else jumped on the bandwagon.

Sorry, but is hard to relate how being an "older" fan has something to do with being a truer one in this case.

[Torabayama 51]

Hakuho's chance of winning his first yusho in the kokugikan since 2008 have gone up.

Despite that, he is not taking the news very well.

Hakuho Press Conference

Does anyone have the transcript of Hakuho's statement?

I was surprised but also happy to see his emotional response to the news. What are the others (rikishi) saying?

[Zenjimoto 40]

As such I take credit for being a true Asashoryu fan long before everyone else jumped on the bandwagon.

Sorry, but is hard to relate how being an "older" fan has something to do with being a truer one in this case.

What I meant by that is, back in those days, while some people may have already been fans during his up-and-coming, it's really once he started winning Yusho that suddenly all kinds of people came out of the woodwork, confessing to being Asashoryu fans, or him being their "favorite rikishi". Duh... it's always fun to love a winner. (Yusho winner...)

Almost the same thing happened to me with 2 other favorites, Takamisakari and Ama - I was a big fan before they started to become hugely popular. Call me a trendsetter (Neener, neener...)

STILL my favorite despite his relative lack of success... my beloved Kitazakura! (In love...)

[shumitto 418]

Call me a trendsetter (Neener, neener...)

It could have been something in the line of the privilege of originality, but it has more to do with the liking sumo fans have for the "I've found something" exclamation.

Edited February 4, 2010 by shumitto