Hattorizakura (Shounanzakura)-intai

[Kintamayama 38,038]

Yes, it's true. 104 consecutive losses, 3-238 career Jonokuchi Shounanzakura has retired. He will be missed. He asked to be dismissed after last basho. "The limit of my endurance", "I want to retire" is what he reportedly said to his shisho Shikihide. "I wanted him to continue and gambarize, but he was adamant," explained Shiks. "Lose or lose, he kept on keeping on and that is something good and I think that was fantastic. Although he has that losing streak, he was always the first to appear in the morning at the keiko-ba  and immersed himself in training. He did the sweeping and chanko duties well and was courteous and gambarized in his own way., " added the Oyakata. Shounanzakura is at his parents house at present and is looking forward to his second life. "He's still young-he should rest at his parents house and take things easy and gambarize," summed Shikihide oyakata. 

Edited August 25, 2021 by Kintamayama

[Rocks 1,657]

Noble effort. Good luck to him in his future. Really. 

[since_94 586]

Yes, he should definitely rest and take things easy at his parents’ house. Because that is what a young man in his prime should do. Fear not, fair youth; the Universe will provide.

[Kaminariyuki 471]

1 hour ago, since_94 said:

Yes, he should definitely rest and take things easy at his parents’ house. Because that is what a young man in his prime should do. Fear not, fair youth; the Universe will provide.

This sounds like the voice of a father...  I really want to look this lad up but sumodb is down at the moment.

And, I like the near-poetic messaging of "take it easy and gambarize." 

[Eikokurai 3,176]

I’m not surprised. It seemed inevitable after he was overlooked for a role in the Olympics opening ceremony.

[Yamanashi 2,387]

So, in the opinion of Forum members, who next bears the weight of this awesome mantle?  In other words, who' the new Worst in Sumo?

[Sorry ... too soon?]

[Kishinoyama 466]

Why did he not retire immediately after his last loss? He took up a slot someone else could have occupied on the banzuke.... never mind. 

All kidding aside, I hope that he can find success in his next occupation. 

[Sue 422]

And with that, he retires with three more wins in Ozumo than most of the folks on this forum have.

[Eikokurai 3,176]

38 minutes ago, Sue said:

And with that, he retires with three more wins in Ozumo than most of the folks on this forum have.

Everyone on this forum is undefeated!

[Asashosakari 16,226]

39 minutes ago, Sue said:

And with that, he retires with three more wins in Ozumo than most of the folks on this forum have.

What a strange comment to make. By the same reckoning, there are some 6 billion people on the planet who have done more in their respective field of work than Shonanzakura has, for the simple reason that he too hasn't worked in those fields.

[WAKATAKE 2,193]

44 minutes ago, Sue said:

And with that, he retires with three more wins in Ozumo than most of the folks on this forum have.

I had a 1-4 record in collegiate wrestling before I graduated. Do I get a standing ovation?

[Yamanashi 2,387]

What's sad to me is that sometime, maybe five or ten years in the future, he'll be working as an assistant at some plant nursery or as a checkout clerk, and suddenly he'll have this epiphany: "I should have just run forward real fast and kinda low at the tachiai!  What was I thinking all those years?"

[Seiyashi 2,261]

This feels more like the passing of an era than Hakuho's intai, for some odd reason.

All the best to him, and may he find more success than in ozumo.

[Tsuchinoninjin 881]

42 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

This feels more like the passing of an era than Hakuho's intai, for some odd reason.

All the best to him, and may he find more success than in ozumo.

Indeed, he was always there.

[yohcun 350]

Would've been nice to hear his new shikona called out in victory at least once, but oh well.

I swear he's actually regressed a bit recently, so it's not that surprising to hear him say he's reached his limit.

[Kintamayama 38,038]

6 hours ago, since_94 said:

Yes, he should definitely rest and take things easy at his parents’ house. Because that is what a young man in his prime should do. Fear not, fair youth; the Universe will provide.

I think he meant “for now”..

[since_94 586]

He's 22. I give him a week's grace for loafing while mommy washes his laundry, then it's down to the employment office with him.

[Yokozuna Hattorizakura 102]

never thought this day would come, a real tragic day for sumo. he will always be yokozuna in my heart

6 hours ago, Yamanashi said:

So, in the opinion of Forum members, who next bears the weight of this awesome mantle?  In other words, who' the new Worst in Sumo?

[Sorry ... too soon?]

Nobody is even close to his level. There a few contenders for the title like Kirinohana (8 basho, 0 kk) and Sawanofuji (32 basho, 3kk). and good old former title holder Moriurara is still around.

[Kaninoyama 1,079]

2 hours ago, since_94 said:

He's 22. I give him a week's grace for loafing while mommy washes his laundry, then it's down to the employment office with him.

The loafing part is one thing, but in Japan it's not at all unusual for even grown men and woman to continue living in their parents' home, at least until they have a compelling reason to move on, such as marriage or employment far from the family home. 

[Seiyashi 2,261]

13 minutes ago, Kaninoyama said:

2 hours ago, since_94 said:

He's 22. I give him a week's grace for loafing while mommy washes his laundry, then it's down to the employment office with him.

The loafing part is one thing, but in Japan it's not at all unusual for even grown men and woman to continue living in their parents' home, at least until they have a compelling reason to move on, such as marriage or employment far from the family home. 

The two are not incompatible - one can be made to seek employment while still living with the parents.

[Mightyduck 67]

Farewell the WOAT!

Glad he has chosen to leave whilst he still has time to forge another career.

I'd love to see a full interview with him in time, after the dust has settled, to get his truthful motivations for joining, staying, thoughts on why he didn't progress and wasn't able to bulk up.

 I wonder if this will be the first in a chain of events that results in the wind-down or closure of shikihide. Sometimes the low rankers who have been around a while are the glue that's holding things together.

[Mightyduck 67]

6 hours ago, Yamanashi said:

What's sad to me is that sometime, maybe five or ten years in the future, he'll be working as an assistant at some plant nursery or as a checkout clerk, and suddenly he'll have this epiphany: "I should have just run forward real fast and kinda low at the tachiai!  What was I thinking all those years?"

Or, after some middle aged spread he'll hit 100kg and think 'I could win now!'.

[Kaninoyama 1,079]

1 hour ago, Seiyashi said:

The two are not incompatible - one can be made to seek employment while still living with the parents.

Yes, that's why I qualified my statement with "The loafing part is one thing, but..."

Wasn't sure if the original poster's dismay was due to the loafing around, the moving back home, or both. 

[Octofuji 45]

9 hours ago, Yamanashi said:

So, in the opinion of Forum members, who next bears the weight of this awesome mantle?  In other words, who' the new Worst in Sumo?

[Sorry ... too soon?]

I think we're moving into a new era where no single rikishi will be dominant. I for one welcome the increase in competition.

[Gurowake 2,928]

11 hours ago, Yamanashi said:

So, in the opinion of Forum members, who next bears the weight of this awesome mantle?  In other words, who' the new Worst in Sumo?

[Sorry ... too soon?]

Here's what the bottom of my rankings looked like as of Hatsu this year.  I don't update them every basho now since I don't actually use them.

Shishimaru	1186.751
Kyonosato	1186.44
Wakafujioka	1183.915
Daishiryu	1161.624
Moriurara	1156.312
Nishikio	1155.119
Azumayama	1154.081
Sawanofuji	1138.556
Sawaisamu	1113.338
Higohikari	1101.709
Hattorizakura	844.8249

 

Thus there's no one that's anywhere near as bad - the remaining terrible rikishi are all at least somewhat on par with each other.  His rating was continually going down as well, because the system finds it hard to assign a rating to someone when they aren't winning (or losing) a reasonable number of matches.  It was 893 in Hatsu 2020 and 944 in Hatsu 2019, and I don't think it's possible to really say he was getting worse.  The rest of those are fairly stable, since they win at least some of the time.

 

Here's the top 10 from the same basho for comparison:

Hakuho	2171.593
Kakuryu	2048.143
Terunofuji	2003.194
Takakeisho	1998.988
Asanoyama	1930.172
Shodai	1929.984
Takayasu	1923.333
Mitakeumi	1922.538
Hokutofuji	1892.537
Daieisho	1867.232

Edited August 26, 2021 by Gurowake