Ex-Asashouryuu update

[Kintamayama]

He goes in and out of Japan, left today for Mongolia and had this to say about Gagamaru and the incident: "Where's his common sense? He can't mess around with his seniors (Kokkai)! I'd never do that," he said. Although he said he has no interest in sumo, he added: "I really want Kisenosato to become Ozeki. He's only 24 so he has time. I also want Kotoshougiku to gambarize!!"

Asashouryuu current look:

Edited February 5, 2011 by Kintamayama

[Haruibono]

I'd never do that,"

Asashoryu must remember he too got into a drunken fight 12 months ago.

[Jakusotsu]

Replace "Kokkai" with "Kyokai", and Haruibono's reply makes more sense.

[Kintamayama]

Ex-Asashouryuu arrived in Japan today. "It's the anniversary of my intai today!" he said, laughing. his seven years old daughter was there as well. When asked what has changed for him since his retirement, he answered: "My family, I guess.." He was all smiles till the reporters started asking about the yaocho affair. "It's my intai anniversary..," he repeated. "If you could say something to the sumo world?", pestered the reporters. "I'd tell them it's my intai anniversary..," he persisted, a bit less jovial.

Anniversary with glued- on hat- either he didn't change clothes since leaving for Mongolia last time or Nikkan Sports are lazy:

Edited February 5, 2011 by Kintamayama

[Peterao]

Congratulations on your 15000th post!

I want a Woody doll like that...

[Kintamayama]

Congratulations on your 15000th post!

I want a Woody doll like that...

It's not a woody doll-it's an actual picture of a shindeshi from November..

[Umigame]

Ex-Asashoryu announced he'll run in the Mongolian Parliament election next year.

Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx_KE7IA1l4

[Harry]

Ah well, so much for his Hollywood career (Applauding...)

[Kintamayama]

EXTRA EXTRA read all about it!! Dorj is (maybe..) planning to return to active duty in Mongolian Sumo! He is training and says he intends to enter the summer Naadam from July 5th-16th. He showed some spirit yesterday at an impromptu press conference at a gym. "I can still do this!!" he said, posing. He has lost 15 kilos since his heyday and now weighs 130 kilos. He was seen training hard at a local gym with his brother and with "Kotooushuu's former coach", sweating a lot and showing all kinds of skills , including some mean tackling. "I haven't lost it at all.." he observed. He was very busy lately with business ventures-travel agency, circus, restaurants and shops, and even voiced his intention to run for the Mongolian Diet (the reason he lost 15 kilos?). Since his reason for retiring from sumo was not because he became weak, he still feels he has the power within him to return to some power sports. His dream since he was a child was to become a Naadam Yokozuna.

It's a special year in Mongolia-100 years since the declaration of Independence and 90 years since the Independence, so there are many festivities scheduled. If Dorj participates in the tournament, the Mongolian sumo fans may shift their interest from "Will Hakuhou win his eighth straight tournament" to "How will Asashouryuu do in his Naadam performance". All this is nice, but there is a problem- Dorj dabbled in Mongolian sumo when he was very young and never actually did any serious wrestling for years. He will be unranked because of that. "Being a Yokozuna in Sumo is fine, but the skills needed here are different. It would be terrible for him if he lost to some young kid.. This sounds to me more like some PR stunt for next year's elections," said a local reporter.

Hair:

[Treblemaker]

EXTRA EXTRA read all about it!! Dorj is (maybe..) planning to return to active duty in Mongolian Sumo! He is training and says he intends to enter the summer Naadam from July 5th-16th. He showed some spirit yesterday at an impromptu press conference at a gym. "I can still do this!!" he said, posing. He has lost 15 kilos since his heyday and now weighs 130 kilos. He was seen training hard at a local gym with his brother and with "Kotooushuu's former coach", sweating a lot and showing all kinds of skills , including some mean tackling. "I haven't lost it at all.." he observed. He was very busy lately with business ventures-travel agency, circus, restaurants and shops, and even voiced his intention to run for the Mongolian Diet (the reason he lost 15 kilos?). Since his reason for retiring from sumo was not because he became weak, he still feels he has the power within him to return to some power sports. His dream since he was a child was to become a Naadam Yokozuna.

It's a special year in Mongolia-100 years since the declaration of Independence and 90 years since the Independence, so there are many festivities scheduled. If Dorj participates in the tournament, the Mongolian sumo fans may shift their interest from "Will Hakuhou win his eighth straight tournament" to "How will Asashouryuu do in his Naadam performance". All this is nice, but there is a problem- Dorj dabbled in Mongolian sumo when he was very young and never actually did any serious wrestling for years. He will be unranked because of that. "Being a Yokozuna in Sumo is fine, but the skills needed here are different. It would be terrible for him if he lost to some young kid.. This sounds to me more like some PR stunt for next year's elections," said a local reporter.

Even at his age, he looks to be in terrific condition.

[Mariomaru]

Even at his age, he looks to be in terrific condition.

What age? He's 30, not quite decrepit Metuzalem. In his prime, some would say.

[Treblemaker]

Even at his age, he looks to be in terrific condition.

What age? He's 30, not quite decrepit Metuzalem. In his prime, some would say.

Well, I dunno... When last we saw him, he still had speed, skills, opportunism, but beginning to lack sheer power. His last yusho featured an array of winning moves, most that involved skill, not necessarily power. Then again, in Mongolian Sumo, perhaps that plays right into his strength.

And I recall lots of 30-year-olds who lacked the talent they once had even a couple of years before.

But in that kind of environment where bouts are won and lost in the blink of an eye, a 30-year-old athlete is at a disadvantage to younger opponents, most of the time.

[Asashosakari]

EXTRA EXTRA read all about it!! Dorj is (maybe..) planning to return to active duty in Mongolian Sumo!

TBS went searching for Waldo at the Naadam and couldn't find him, so these plans may have been scrapped. (The newsclip is interesting for the Naadam images if anything.)

[Jejima]

I was there too - and didn't see him, nor on the TV that night which was showing highlights. This does not necessarily mean that he wasn't there, as yesterday they had the first two rounds. During which about 20 pairs at a time were wrestling on the field - so difficult to keep track of - and I didn't have any opera glasses to check close-ups.

Yesterday, there was a big opening ceremony (my favourite bit was the Mongolian army circa Chinggis (Ghenghis) Khaan took over the field), for which the stadium was packed out - uncomfortably so. As soon as the ceremony ended, and the wrestling began, the stadium emptied to about 40% full. Weird.

[Kintamayama]

This from Barbara via Facebook.

[yorikiried by fate]

He dominated sumo already when he was 15?

Excellent research work.

[sekihiryu]

http://www.cnn.co.jp/video/5049.html

Big man with Big plans in Mongolia.

[Kintamayama]

Pepsi Commercial:

[yorikiried by fate]

I wish he'd have opened the song duet with a harite.

[Jonosuke]

It will be a great injustice to let this day go without wishing a happy birthday to one of the fiercest competitors Ozumo has ever witnessed. Arguably Asashoryu was one of the most controversial yokozuna but no one can deny his dominance and influence during his peak years.

While he may have been a part of Ozumo's decline but one must not forget he did singlehandedly carry Ozumo for many basho as the lone yokozuna.