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Chiyotairyu retires, will leave sumo entirely

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rikishi and ex-cutting (Shohozan, Tochinoshin ...)

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On 11/06/2023 at 00:59, RabidJohn said:

Here's that interview with Chiyotairyu as was: Chiyotairyu interview: Why I so suddenly retired (元小結千代大龍の引退真相深入り) - YouTube

Eminently watchable actually.

Chiyotairyuu seems to have done a tattoo on his forehand. Wonder how that was perceived, considering the stigma surrounding tattoos in the Japanese society and that his danpatsushiki took place just recently. I guess since he covered it up with long sleeves and is out of the kyokai everyone either didn't know or pretended that they don't know. But it's an interesting juxtaposition of sumo tradition and changing cultural values in Japan. 

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2 hours ago, dingo said:

Chiyotairyuu seems to have done a tattoo on his forehand. Wonder how that was perceived, considering the stigma surrounding tattoos in the Japanese society and that his danpatsushiki took place just recently. I guess since he covered it up with long sleeves and is out of the kyokai everyone either didn't know or pretended that they don't know. But it's an interesting juxtaposition of sumo tradition and changing cultural values in Japan. 

The beard, the multiple ear piercings... It's the full package. It'll be interesting to see how the ozumo world interacts with him from now onwards.

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5 minutes ago, Koorifuu said:

The beard, the multiple ear piercings... It's the full package. It'll be interesting to see how the ozumo world interacts with him from now onwards.

Does he care though? Of course he's aware of all the customs but still does it, so.....

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1 minute ago, Athenayama said:

Does he care though? Of course he's aware of all the customs but still does it, so.....

He fact he obviously doesn't care is what makes it so interesting. :-D He doesn't, but how much will others care?

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Just now, Koorifuu said:

He fact he obviously doesn't care is what makes it so interesting. :-D He doesn't, but how much will others care?

That was my point. He probably doesn't care how much will others care. ;-)

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1 hour ago, Athenayama said:

Does he care though? Of course he's aware of all the customs but still does it, so.....

If he wants to take advantage of his Sumo connections in promoting the new business (social media mentions, etc.)  he needs to consider the other person's feelings about these things.

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9 minutes ago, Yamanashi said:

If he wants to take advantage of his Sumo connections in promoting the new business (social media mentions, etc.)  he needs to consider the other person's feelings about these things.

That makes sense. I'm not in his head to know exactly what he did consider or not. He knows better. 

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he's becoming the bad boy I always heard his stable master was before joining ozumo xD

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54 minutes ago, Yamanashi said:

If he wants to take advantage of his Sumo connections in promoting the new business (social media mentions, etc.)  he needs to consider the other person's feelings about these things.

43 minutes ago, Athenayama said:

That makes sense. I'm not in his head to know exactly what he did consider or not. He knows better. 

Do we all agree that it really is intriguing, though?

In previous situations where ex-rikishi went antitraditional with their appearance and demeanour, their respective bridges to ozumo were already well beyond burnt, weren't they? Meigetsuin, on the other hand, seems keen on keeping a foot in the door for the odd ozumo related tie-in gig.

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IIRC , Akebono the ex-Yokozuna had a tattoo not long after he left the Kyokai and nobody seemed to give a toss.

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2 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

IIRC , Akebono the ex-Yokozuna had a tattoo not long after he left the Kyokai and nobody seemed to give a toss.

I'm too young to remember this, that's when I was an early teen watching very late & compressed daily digests on Eurosport. (I should try to find out who that Portuguese commentator is/was - very knowledgeable...)

But, didn't he char his bridge to the Kyokai by dragging the 曙 name through the kickboxing & puroresu swamps, where he was pretty much an extra-large punching bag for the likes of Bob Sapp? My impression is that he only really came back to its circles after a decade or so, as time heals all wounds...

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6 hours ago, Koorifuu said:

Do we all agree that it really is intriguing, though?

Can't say I do. People be people, and I fail to see what relevance Chiyotairyu's makeover decisions are supposed to have for sumo. Is there some cadre of Chiyotairyu-adoring lower-rankers who are now going, "aww, I wish I could do that, too"?
 

Quote

In previous situations where ex-rikishi went antitraditional with their appearance and demeanour, their respective bridges to ozumo were already well beyond burnt, weren't they? Meigetsuin, on the other hand, seems keen on keeping a foot in the door for the odd ozumo related tie-in gig.

To flip this around: If a hundred rikishi don't decide to get pink hair after they leave sumo, how much of that has to do with their former sumo affiliation and how much with the fact that they are trying to get jobs for their second life where that kind of thing doesn't fly in Japan either?

Methinks you're projecting some kind of statement about sumo into these personal decisions which just isn't there, beyond the trivial "they're not part of the sumo world anymore".

(To take a different example: If the first thing a retired rikishi does is to get his driving license, would you consider that a statement about Ozumo's driving ban, or does it just mean that he thinks he could use a driving license now?)

Edited by Asashosakari
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Alright, it feels like my question is being taken way more seriously than I meant it to be.

I'm just curious whether some doors will be kept open for him regardless, should he be open for that i.e. get invited to events/parties NSK has a stake in, take a snip on others' danpatsushiki, take on guest commentator duties for NHK, get invited for unofficial coaching duties and/or guest sessions in a heya, etc. Never meant to imply anything else.

If the answer ends up being "same as any other ex-sekitori" like you're implying, that's totally fine by me. Same applies if he ends up getting away from the ozumo world for good.

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Ex-Chiyotiryuu left sumo of his own volition, for the reasons he stated in his interviews. Which means he officially cut his ties and is no longer under any obligation to adhere to any of the many strict rules or conventions that governed that world now that he's no longer part of it. And he clearly seems to have no interest in being part of that world any longer and comfortable now being the person he wants to be in his post-sumo life.

Which is of course perfectly fine.

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9 hours ago, Koorifuu said:

I'm just curious whether some doors will be kept open for him regardless, should he be open for that i.e. get invited to events/parties NSK has a stake in, take a snip on others' danpatsushiki, take on guest commentator duties for NHK, get invited for unofficial coaching duties and/or guest sessions in a heya, etc. Never meant to imply anything else.

I've seen footage of KONISHIKI coaching at Musashigawa-beya, pink hair and all, so I guess it's down to the stable master.

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Posted (edited)

Chiyotairyu is completely breaking down now

He was at the audition for Breaking Down 11 - with a triple pierced left ear and tattooed right arm

"I'm Meigetsuin, I did a bit of sumo, but to my shame only made it to komusubi." Around 170kg now - he'll be paired against  ex-pancrase no.1 MMA fighter Kindaichi Kosuke pancrase.co.jp/data/prfl2/kindaichi.html - 96kg - to find out which is the strongest (for brawls), sumo or MMA, on Feb. 18th in the Tokyo Dome city prism hall  o

f_17198395.jpgo

 

I think I read something about closing down his restaurant Meatland, but nothing is mentioned in the recent articles, so maybe a false rumour

60c88589582377840854ff157484bb91.jpg

 

Sudario after his recent loss talked about going for Breaking Down as well

Edited by Akinomaki

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I always remember Chiyotairyu for backwards moving sumo and being an endless source of wins for Goeidou. I'm not sure how this will translate well into an MMA career. 

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On 06/01/2024 at 16:52, Kaninoyama said:

As for rikishi doing MMA, good luck to him, as it usually doesn't end well for ex-rikishi.  

Indeed. Did anyone other than Baruto (whose MMA career was quite short) do anything but terribly? I'm drawing a blank.

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