Goeido to Retire

[RabidJohn 763]

No press conference? That's a departure from the norm, isn't it?

[Asojima 2,287]

15 minutes ago, RabidJohn said:

No press conference? That's a departure from the norm, isn't it?

Has his retirement actually been formally announced, or are we picking up news reports of the preparatory dealings going on in the background?

Edited January 28 by Asojima

[code_number3 326]

11 minutes ago, RabidJohn said:

No press conference? That's a departure from the norm, isn't it?

Probably on Wednesday, when NSK officially release the retirees list.

[Asashosakari 14,195]

27 minutes ago, Asojima said:

Has his retirement actually been formally announced, or are we picking up news reports of the preparatory dealings going on in the background?

It's been acknowledged by the Kyokai together with his taking on the Takekuma share: http://www.sumo.or.jp/IrohaKyokaiInformation/detail?id=335

[code_number3 326]

From Former Goeido-Now Takekuma

 

[bettega 316]

Goodbye, our almost-beloved vanilla Ozekiwake!

[robnplunder 767]

I started watching ozumo seriously about 4 years ago.  I don't know Goeido's past sumo history before then.  I can only compare Goiedo I know against other Ozeki during the last 5 years.   All have fallen from the rank before Goeido.   He was also one of the few Ozeki who took the yusho in the last four years I've been watching ozumo.   It was zensho yusho at that while beating two Yokozuna.   I'd like to also remind folks that he was an Ozeki in the era of Hak, Kak, Haruma, and Kise.  Just getting a KK with battling those four every basho is a tall order regardless.    Gaming the Kadoban?  Please.   Goeido belonged in the rank, outlasting the others and retiring with dignity.    

[Otokonoyama 2,731]

Ex-ozeki Goeido in "no doubt" about retirement

Quote

Retiring sumo wrestler Goeido said Wednesday there were no questions about his choice to hang up his mawashi, because he had failed in a do-or-die promise to himself...

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/01/ed6fd8ae77b9-sumo-ex-ozeki-goeido-in-no-doubt-about-retirement.html

 

[dada78641 544]

「元豪栄道の武隈です」

edit: not sure if it shows but there's a video in there.

Edited January 29 by dada78641

[Benevolance 1,624]

As the self-appointed online president of the Western Canadian chapter of the Goeidou fan club, I have prepared the following statement:

"This sucks." 

Thank you. The club is hereby formally disbanded. 

[Tochinofuji 87]

7 hours ago, Benevolance said:

As the self-appointed online president of the Western Canadian chapter of the Goeidou fan club, I have prepared the following statement:

"This sucks." 

Thank you. The club is hereby formally disbanded. 

Should the band ever get back together and you need a vice-president, let me know. 

[Shio-kago 180]

Goeido has been my favorite rikishi for a while now. The same faults that drew so much scorn from his critics are the very things that made me fond of him.

His obvious psychological weaknesses: his lack of confidence and of focus, his apparent despondency and fatalism when things went badly-- are not the fierce warrior attributes that a champion would seem to require, and clearly limited the success that his skills and athletic abilities might otherwise have achieved.

Yet consider-- for all those times he was kadoban, for which he was fairly criticized, those were the very times, back to the wall, in danger of demotion, that you would have expected his mental failings and vulnerabilities to have asserted themselves most strongly. But instead, he pulled through; over and over.

That's why he was a bit of a hero to me. As a person who has often failed to be all they could be, an underachiever, and someone who has struggled with anxiety, depression, and self-esteem issues since childhood-- Goeido's little triumphs in "holding on by his fingernails" made me feel that I might also find it in me to rise to the occasion when it mattered; to stand and deliver when it was most urgent.

Watching this supposedly weak man stubbornly defending his prestigious Ozeki rank for five years has meant so much to me. For the same man to display this sort of serene dignity in letting it go and moving on the way he has is just one more of those "little triumphs" in my eyes.  When a man like Goeido can walk away satisfied that, whatever his failings may have been, what he accomplished was enough-- he has won.

He competed against himself as much as his rivals and I am grateful that I got to watch it all and cheer for him. I wish him all success and happiness.

Edited January 30 by Shio-kago

[Houmanumi 131]

16 minutes ago, Shio-kago said:

He competed against himself as much as his rivals and I am grateful that I got to watch it all and cheer for him. I wish him all success and happiness.

You make a strong case for pro-Goeido-ism.

But I'll still (genuinely) miss him as the wrestler I loved to hate.

That said, I look forward to having a pointless grudge against the entirety of Takekuma-beya (or Sakaigawa if he ends up in that role) for years to come! May he produce many a top wrestler for me to cheer against.

Edited January 30 by Houmanumi

[yohcun 121]

Glad he gave us one last kubinage before bowing out.

[Churaumi 331]

I’m sad to see him go but glad he’s retiring. He hasn’t looked like sumo has been fun for him in a while, and I’m happy he’s pulling out while he’s still on top rather than hanging on until his soul is crushed. I hope this breaks the seal on some of the other superannuated sekitori retiring soon. 

[sekitori 493]

I've always admired rkishis who have succeeded after overcoming adversity. They include those who have returned from injury after being at the bottom of the banzuke (or close to it): Ryuden, Terunofuji, Tochinoshin, and Ura among others. I also admire rikishis who because of their small stature, have succeeded beyond expectations, most noticeably Mainoumi and Enho.

There is another category of rikishi that I also greatly respect--ozekis who continued to maintain their rank despite often being kadoban.They include Chiyotaikai and Kaio who were kadoban many times during their careers but still still managed to hold onto their ozeki rankings. I would like to include Goeido with them. He wasn't a great ozeki and was highly inconsistent, but anyone holding that rank continuously over five years despite often being kadoban has to be highly respected. 

It was nice to see him win his one and only yusho. I was never a big fan, but I will still miss seeing him compete. As I said, he succeeded after constantly overcoming much adversity. That fact alone is worthy of the highest praise. I wish him the best.

Edited January 31 by sekitori

[Thorbjarn 40]

@Shio-kago wrote a fantastic post.

My point will be more blunt. In the short time I have been back to watching Sumo, Goeido seemed not to be among the greatest technicians or the strongest rikishi, but he certainty seemed among the most tenacious and able to rally when things seemed to take a bad turn. 

I remember him underperforming, but I also remember the dramatic turn of his Aki 2017 and him looking really fine in 2018 and 2019 at times. Kudos to him for calling it a day now, in recent past this seems to go against the grain, which is never an easy thing to do. 

[Asashosakari 14,195]

On 28/01/2020 at 08:24, Tigerboy1966 said:

So has he bought the kabu or is he just borrowing it?

Now confirmed (probably) as ownership by the updated duties list - Goeido's been added to the iin-equivalent section reserved for recently retired yokozuna and ozeki, alongside ex-Kisenosato. IIRC Musashimaru wasn't given that status while he was on borrowed shares.

[code_number3 326]

Goeido in suit, and look at his fashion statement

 

[Otokonoyama 2,731]

Looking very Gucci heading into work today.

He got the belt as a gift from Sakaigawa oyakata.

[Otokonoyama 2,731]

Goeido: Path of Yamato Damashi (Bushido concept of honor and valor. "The brave, daring, and indomitable spirit of Japanese people")

 

[RabidJohn 763]

Wow, moto-ozeki Goeido's hinkaku is impeccable. He never even looked close to shedding a tear at his press conference! ^

I'll admit that it was probably a little romantic of me to be attracted to sumo because of its roots in samurai culture, but there you go. A long, slow decline was never a samurai ideal, which is essentially why yokozuna have to go when they can no longer perform sufficiently well, and why I approve so wholeheartedly of Goeido's voluntary decision to retire now. He's really living up to the traditions of the lifestyle he chose. 

After more than 30 years of former ozeki largely ignoring those ideals, however, I doubt that Kotoshogiku, Tochinoshin and Takayasu are feeling any twinges of conscience.

[yorikiried by fate 1,568]

9 hours ago, sekitori said:

There is another category of rikishi that I also greatly respect--ozekis who continued to maintain their rank despite often being kadoban.They include Chiyotaikai and Kaio who were kadoban many times during their careers but still still managed to hold onto their ozeki rankings. I would like to include Goeido with them. He wasn't a great ozeki and was highly inconsistent, but anyone holding that rank continuously over five years despite often being kadoban has to be highly respected.

I respect your thoughts and feelings, but this paragraph is a textbook example of revisionism IMHO.

[RabidJohn 763]

9 minutes ago, yorikiried by fate said:

I respect your thoughts and feelings, but this paragraph is a textbook example of revisionism IMHO.

A textbook example of irrational prejudice?

You don't have to like Goeido to respect the fact that only 8 other rikishi managed to remain ozeki longer than he did, that he managed a zensho yusho, and that he retired at the proper time.

It's not revisionism, it's just credit where it's due, and all that.

Edited January 31 by RabidJohn

[Yokozuna Hattorizakura 56]

He should have at least had one more tournament in his hometown to say goodbye imo. Although I was never a huge fan of him, it's still very sad. The second basho I ever watched was his zensho. Can't believe it's been so long now. Will be very strange without him as he was a constant presence for my entire sumo fan period.