Azuma Will Intai

[madorosumaru]

Sanspo reported that Tochiazuma has decided to intai and will announce his retirement in a press conference on Monday. As we all know by now, Azuma suffered from severe headaches during Haru Basho and had to withdraw from the tournament. A check up revealed that he not only had high blood pressure but also signs of past cerebral infarction. Azuma went through a battery of tests after he returned to Tokyo but the doctors could not give him a positive prognosis.

As an ozeki, he can remain with the Kyokai for three years as an oyakata under his shikona "Tochiazuma" and help develop the deshi at Tamanoi Beya. He will take over the heya after his father's retirement in 2009.

Tamanoi Oyakata, Azuma's father and shisho: "The results of the tests are all back. We will make an announcement on the 7th. There is/are sign(s) of cerebral hemorrhage. That is more of a concern than the hypertension. If it were just a matter of injuries, he can take some time off to recover and then make a comeback, but [with this condition] he is afraid for his future."

[philafuji]

Thank you for the update.

I am sorry he will no longer compete.

I am pleased he has decided not to compete any longer.

[Kintamayama]

Mainichi, Jiji and Yomiuri are reporting this as well, although Jiji is quoting Tamonoi Oyakata as saying there is a possibility of intai, and a possibility of kyujo for Natsu and returning in Nagoya. Tochiazuma- "My feelings have become certain".

I agree it's intai.

Edited May 5, 2007 by Kintamayama

[ilovesumo]

It sounds very bad. Hope he is going to be ok after a long rest. Health is the most important thing as we all know.

[Bealzbob]

Very sad news indeed. I am glad he has chosen the sensible and safe option to retire but it's not nice to see someone forced to retire for health reasons. I hope he enjoys a long, healthy and successful retirement.

[Kintamayama]

Everyone and his sister is now announcing with great detail that Tochiazuma will announce his retirement tomorrow. Apparently, he had decided on this path since his first inspection right after he went kyujo last basho. All the doctors he had seen could not guarantee that he could safely continue with his career. "If he continues doing sumo, a relapse is possible. His blood vessel can suddenly become blocked and a paralyzing hemorrhage can ensue at any moment", said one of them. "You can retire at whenever you wish.." said his father.

Asked by reporters if the rumors are true, all Tochiazuma said was "Anyway, the seventh, the seventh", and slipped into the heya through the back door.

Tochiazuma slipping in the back:

Edited May 6, 2007 by Kintamayama

[madorosumaru]

Azuma is already in an oyakata mode. On Sunday, he was seen at the Tamanoi keiko-ba in shorts and T-shirt, instructing the young deshi.

He has made it known that his objective as an oyakata is to "Stop the Mongol Horde." "In order to defeat the Mongolians, you have to have a positive attitude and keep attacking," the ozeki with the pit bull style said. "Those guys really hate to be on the defensive." Azuma also claims that the Mongolians are tentative at the tachiai. "Don't let them get into yotsu. Keep attacking and you will find opportunities to win."

Azuma names Kisenosato, Homasho and Toyonoshima as the rikishi to lead the way in countering the Mongolian force. Of course, he intends to develop a few from his own heya in the not too distant future.

[ilovesumo]

"Stop the Mongol Horde." :-)

[Jonosuke]

And he just made it official during a press conference held an hour or so ago.

Despite having his blood pressure under control, an obvious evidence of stroke he suffered in the past still remained and discovered during detailed examinations and Tochiazuma indicated he was really fearful for his life if he continued his active career any longer.

It appears Sports Hochi does have an inside track to this story as they were the first one to report his conditions and his decision before anyone else.

Edited May 7, 2007 by Jonosuke

[Zuikakuyama]

I wish all the luck in his future role as an oyakata.

[Kintamayama]

Tochiazuma said that the doctors unanimously advised him that he should quit sumo as he would be putting his life in jeopardy if he continues. "I have a responsibility as an Ozeki, and if I can't mount the dohyo what's the point? A part of me wanted to go on, but in the end, I have decided otherwise and have no regrets..", he said. When asked what his most memorable bout was, he said: "My win over Wakanohana-zeki when I was first promoted to Sanyaku. It's the existence of those guys back then that have brought me to where I am.." Asked about his failure to become Yokozuna: "The tsuna-tori pressure is unbearable beyond words. I guess I lost mentally. OTOH, my recurring injuries didn't help either.." He is the only rikishi ever to lose his Ozeki rank twice and regain it the next basho.

He will retain his Tochiazuma name as an Oyakata and will be taking over the heya with the retirement of his father in September 2009. "I'd like to bring up persistent rikishi", he summed up. As an aside, he called the Hanada brothers last night and told them of his decision. "I spent a lot of time looking at their backs.. I owe them a lot", he explained.

Edited May 7, 2007 by Kintamayama

[ilovesumo]

Oh...now that he really did it.......I don't know how to feel about loosing an other one who had been around for all the time I am sumofan now. O daiji ni. (Whistling...)

[Odoriou]

Hmmm... if he had announced his intai two months later, wouldn't he receive his ozeki salary for two more months (as kadoban ozeki until Nagoya basho)? Or am I totally wrong? What kind of salary does he get now? (Whistling...)

[Otokonoyama]

Hmmm... if he had announced his intai two months later, wouldn't he receive his ozeki salary for two more months (as kadoban ozeki until Nagoya basho)? Or am I totally wrong? What kind of salary does he get now? (Whistling...)

I imagine if he'd been inclined he could have kept his plans secret, gone kyujo, collected salary until the Nagoya basho, and announced retirement. It seems he'd like to finish his career with a winning record and do right by the Kyokai. If he has no intention of competing further, this would appear to be the honest thing to do. His father coached Tochiazuma further than he was able to go in sumo, and I hope the future Tamanoi oyakata can coach his ani-deshi even higher.

[Jonosuke]

One of the first things Tochiazuma said at the press conference was that he lost the will to continue competing. So simply there is no point in keeping "active" tag any longer as far as he was concerned.

If he announced he would continue, then he would have to keep training as if he was coming back while he no longer has any desire to do so. Tochiazuma has been always known as a pure sumo geek and more serious and straight than any other rikishi around. He wasn't there to just have fun. He knows more than anyone else he cannot go on with a charade for any stretch of time.

He did the right thing for himself and everyone else.

[s0101]

Hmmm... if he had announced his intai two months later, wouldn't he receive his ozeki salary for two more months (as kadoban ozeki until Nagoya basho)? Or am I totally wrong? What kind of salary does he get now? (Clapping wildly...)

good point, I'd have done it. ;-)

Tochiazuma has been always known as a pure sumo geek and more serious and straight than any other rikishi around. He wasn't there to just have fun. He knows more than anyone else he cannot go on with a charade for any stretch of time.

He did the right thing for himself and everyone else.

(Shaking head...) (In jonokuchi...)

[s0101]

"Too bad I lost today, but there's tomorrow and the day after.. I'll be giving Tochiazuma a knock-out!!", said a cheerful Asashouryuu. "I was really delighted by the fans' support and response to the bouts", he added. "The golden mawashi was because it's the 'Las Vegas color'. I wore gold because I'm planning to take the yusho..", he added. Papers say there is a possibility of his donning the gold mawashi for Kyushu, where he intends to break Kitanoumi's record 82 wins in a calendar year. BTW, Asa is now 0-2 against Tochiazuma whilst wearing a golden mawashi.

As for Tochiazuma, the papers say he hasn't hit the casinos at all - just did some training at the hotel gym and on a jogging course. "Well, I did go out to buy some tee-shirts, and intend to do some sightseeing once the tourney is over on the 10th", he said. Serious..

link

[Bishonohana]

This is very sad news, indeed.... Wahhhh!! He needs to be healthy to take over the heya, so he knows what the best thing to do for himself. If you don't have your health, you can have all the money in the world and what good is it??? We have lost great rikishi...

Thank you, Tochiazuma, for your many years on the dohyo!

[philafuji]

Bishonohana,

Thank you for the words you supplied. It's the same things I feel, but am not good enough to put them into words.

Philafuji

[Kintamayama]

With Okamisan/mother:

[madorosumaru]

When Azuma announced his retirement, the talk among the oyakata was: "We thought it would be in the order of Kaio, Chiyotaikai and then Azuma. I guess we were wrong."

Taikai was quoted yesterday as saying, "When I see an ozeki of my age standing in the hanamichi doing guard duty, I really get motivated."