Kotoshogiku - Intaishinai

[dazunoyama 2]

Can anyone tell me if there is a valid reason for Giku not retiring, other than he is a stubborn bastard that loves to ganbaru?

[ryafuji 815]

He’s hardly the first ex-ozeki to keep going as a maegashira. Why is it surprising to you? 

[RaeucherLax 290]

His earnings as a Maegashira could still be good enough to save more money for retirement. 

[rhyen 1,846]

3 hours ago, RaeucherLax said:

His earnings as a Maegashira could still be good enough to save more money for retirement. 

Perhaps @Fay would know much more about his cashflow.

Basically, Kotoshogiku after intai will need to branch out to form his own heya (unless something happens to the present oyakata, Knock on Wood); much like his senior Kotooshu.
I am guessing that every single basho earnings will help stabilize his finances when that day actually comes about. (Don't forget that the current kensho vaccuum is Kisenosato, who is on par with Kaio's popularity in his heydays)

[Katooshu 3,335]

He's still performing at a high maegashira level, or thereabouts, and he performed well enough to return to sanyaku after falling in the ranks.He's earning better money than he would as an oyakata and may just still love being a rikishi. Is it supposed to be befuddling that a guy who can still compete pretty well is continuing to compete? Should he have gone out earlier as some gesture to fans who just can't endure the sight of him as a maegashira?

Edited May 6, 2018 by Katooshu
Typo

[Dapeng 236]

I think he'll retire when he will be demoted to juryo.

[Pandaazuma 1,310]

Sumo is just a job with an income...a fairly good one at Maegashira level. He's 34 and can probably stay in Makuuchi for a few years more if he stays fit. That's quite a bit of cash to pass up on. It's not all about (largely invented) notions of honour about not continuing to fight after being an ozeki. Only a truly great ozeki (like Kaio) might possibly feel a pressure to retire on demotion, and even then, he knew he was knackered anyway - at 39 years of age.

[WAKATAKE 2,677]

Kotoshogiku has earned two kinboshi since his fall from ozeki, that helps out a bit to add money to his annual salary and while maybe not completely making up for what he was earning when he was ranked at ozeki, it helps quite a bit. 

[dazunoyama 2]

Hi all, thanks for your replies. Yes, that makes sense. I didn’t think about the drop in earnings. Now I hope he stays in makuuchi for many more basho to come!

[Asashosakari 19,690]

7 hours ago, WAKATAKE said:

Kotoshogiku has earned two kinboshi since his fall from ozeki, that helps out a bit to add money to his annual salary and while maybe not completely making up for what he was earning when he was ranked at ozeki, it helps quite a bit. 

And it's not just the kinboshi, the yusho continues to pay him some extra money as well, and since he won it so late in his career he's only profiting from it now in his decline phase. If my numbers are correct he's earned around 36.4 million yen in bonus payments in his career, and almost 30% of that total has come in the 14 basho since his yusho, even though these 14 tournaments only constitute 17% of his sekitori career time. In any case, he's collecting about 5 million yen in bonus payments per year now, on top of the ~18 million yen he gets as annual salary as a maegashira.

As oyakata he'll be earning around 11-12 million yen per year at the start, so only around half as much. Actually, the difference might be even larger as an active rikishi likely receives a bunch of financial support from outside as well.