Endo has retired

[Akinomaki 41,840]

I fully expect Endo to show up as not talking hanamichi guard at the basho, without any intai press conference, refusing to appear as guest commentator on the sumo broadcast of NHK or Abema.

[RabidJohn 2,071]

I missed Endo's entry into sumo, so I also missed any hype surrounding him at that time. I was never a fan of his, as I've no respect for rikishi who hobble themselves with untreated injuries, and I could never understand why he remained so enduringly popular.

But popular he was (especially with the ladies, I've been told), so his refusal to divulge his reasons for intai and his plans for the future feel like a massive "Fuck you" to his adoring fans.

Timing his intai so he remained on the banzuke, thus denying a makushita promotion zone slot to a more deserving rikishi, is plain selfish.

I was indifferent before, but now I don't like him and I won't miss him.

 

[Jakusotsu 6,401]

1 hour ago, RabidJohn said:

denying a makushita promotion zone slot to a more deserving rikishi

He's simply a hole in the promotion queue to be filled.

[Tsuchinoninjin 1,291]

2 hours ago, RabidJohn said:

But popular he was (especially with the ladies, I've been told), so his refusal to divulge his reasons for intai and his plans for the future feel like a massive "Fuck you" to his adoring fans.

Yeah, its really hard to understand why Endo would be so private about their life after their koenkai leaders dissolved Endo's koenkai and lambasted Endo in the press endlessly because Endo refused to go through with the arranged marriage the koenkai setup, and then had a bunch of people trying to doxx Endo's actual girlfriend. I'm not sure, maybe we'll never know.

[Raishu 220]

17 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

I fully expect Endo to show up as not talking hanamichi guard at the basho, without any intai press conference, refusing to appear as guest commentator on the sumo broadcast of NHK or Abema.

I second that assumption.

Regarding Endo not being much of a talker, I have a personal anecdote to share:

I got tickets for Day 8 and 9 of the Natsu Basho 2016 and it was my first time at the Kokugikan. At some point, during the end of Makuuchi (Endo was ranked at M15 back then), I opted to stroll around and check out the premise a little bit. The average rikishi/sekitori would depart through the street on the right side (if you look at the hall from the front). The opposite side hosts the NHK channel wagons and trucks and some other vehicles.

Endo - avoiding the masses of fans after leaving the shitaku-beya - chose to leave the Kokugikan by passing by the NHK trucks instead of taking the common route. Since it was just me and him (flanked by his tsukebito Daishoryu) on the street, I took my courage in both hands and approached him with my basic Japanese. Daishoryu immediately stepped forward, crossing his index fingers and mumbling "The sekitori doesn't talk, sorry". I nodded and accepted his refusal.

And that was my encounter with Endo ...   No ill feelings or anything. The guy simply doesn't want to talk to people, if he can avoid it and that's totally fine.

 

[RabidJohn 2,071]

1 hour ago, Tsuchinoninjin said:

Yeah, its really hard to understand why Endo would be so private about their life after their koenkai leaders dissolved Endo's koenkai and lambasted Endo in the press endlessly because Endo refused to go through with the arranged marriage the koenkai setup, and then had a bunch of people trying to doxx Endo's actual girlfriend. I'm not sure, maybe we'll never know.

Endo/Kitajin has every right to keep his private life private. I respect that. This unsavoury business with the koenkai had passed me by, but those people are in a tiny minority compared to the thousands of fans. Being a sekitori in makunouchi for so long is a very high profile, public facing job, so it still feels to me like he's shirking it.

[Yamanashi 4,083]

7 hours ago, RabidJohn said:

I missed Endo's entry into sumo, so I also missed any hype surrounding him at that time. I was never a fan of his, as I've no respect for rikishi who hobble themselves with untreated injuries, and I could never understand why he remained so enduringly popular.

But popular he was (especially with the ladies, I've been told), so his refusal to divulge his reasons for intai and his plans for the future feel like a massive "Fuck you" to his adoring fans.

Timing his intai so he remained on the banzuke, thus denying a makushita promotion zone slot to a more deserving rikishi, is plain selfish.

I was indifferent before, but now I don't like him and I won't miss him.

 

What I remember most about him was the number of head-scratching "spirited rikishi"awards and the 遠藤聖大 banners in the crowd, both of which immediately disappeared when he announced his marriage.

[Naganoyama 6,042]

Some famous people love being mobbed in the street by adoring fans. Others just hate it (and their lives can be ruined by it). 

If Endo is in the latter category then you can imagine him withdrawing into himself and not wanting to engage. Perhaps his behaviour should not be considered too harshly.

[Akinomaki 41,840]

He can talk - Endo intai press conference today at the basho - no regrets

o o o o o o o o

oo o

 o oo

He wants to run around with his kid(s) - so far he restrained that to be able to win at the basho

[Jakusotsu 6,401]

Seen on guard duty in the hanamichi on Shonichi.

[Akinomaki 41,840]

The full intai press conference from Kyodo

 

[Akinomaki 41,840]

10 hours ago, Jakusotsu said:

Seen on guard duty in the hanamichi on Shonichi.

o o o

Edited yesterday at 19:47 by Akinomaki

[Yamanashi 4,083]

The second picture above looks like the clutch of nervous Freshman at a college fraternity mixer.

[Jakusotsu 6,401]

1 hour ago, Akinomaki said:

Superb picture on so many levels!