Ryuden Scandal

[Kamitsuumi]

I'm not sure if this is the best forum for it, but these scandal rags sure pull no punches. I'm sure Shibatayama is having the best day of his life.

Shincho reports that Ryuden broke covid protocol by being with his mistress, who had an abortion recently at his insistence.

[Seiyashi]

3 in one day, eh. Shall we commemorate today as the Sumo Scandalpocalypse?

At this point it's not known if Ryuden's indiscretions here are linked to his COVID violations that he went kyujo for. We'll have to wait for after the basho as promised by Takadagawa.

Edited May 19, 2021 by Seiyashi

[pricklypomegranate]

1 hour ago, Seiyashi said:

3 in one day, eh. Shall we commemorate today as the Sumo Scandalpocalypse?

I second this. 19 May henceforth will be named Sumo Scandalpocalypse. 

[Seiyashi]

12 minutes ago, pricklypomegranate said:

I second this. 19 May henceforth will be named Sumo Scandalpocalypse. 

Someone else on Twitter suggested Triple Tabloid Treat. I added Shibatayama's Scandalous Surprises and Shibatayama's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

You could also go with a few of these:

• Asanoyama's Asinine Assignations
• Ryuden's Regrettable Romps
• Asahiyama's Angry Associate

[Eikokurai]

It’s clearly all a Japanese conspiracy to keep the Mongolian next Yokozuna Terunofuji out of the news. 

[Seiyashi]

1 minute ago, Eikokurai said:

It’s clearly all a Japanese conspiracy to keep the Mongolian next Yokozuna Terunofuji out of the news. 

By dumpstering their own great hope for yokozuna? I'd like to meet the harebrain that cooked that scheme up...

[Eikokurai]

Just now, Seiyashi said:

By dumpstering their own great hope for yokozuna? I'd like to meet the harebrain that cooked that scheme up...

That’s the genius of it. Nobody will ever suspect.

[Churaumi]

Sucks to find out Ryuuden might be kind of a doucher, but I doubt the Kyokai does anything with this information.

[Rocks]

6 hours ago, Kamitsuumi said:

I'm not sure if this is the best forum for it, but these scandal rags sure pull no punches. I'm sure Shibatayama is having the best day of his life.

Shincho reports that Ryuden broke covid protocol by being with his mistress, who had an abortion recently at his insistence.

He insisted she do that and she's still seeing him? Doesn't add up. As far as cheating he's a pro athlete. It would be surprising if he wasn't. 

[Tigerboy1966]

Remember that report last month that said that the key to improving sumo was for foreign wrestlers to become more Japanese...

[Tsuchinoninjin]

Seems like the president's cup rubbed off more on Ryuden than Asanoyama...

[Kamitsuumi]

1 hour ago, Rocks said:

He insisted she do that and she's still seeing him? Doesn't add up. As far as cheating he's a pro athlete. It would be surprising if he wasn't. 

The online article leaves a lot for speculation, presumably to drive up sales for the weekly magazine with its more detailed article.

The timeline, as far as I can glean, is:

• Spring 2018, Ryuden and Y began their relationship
• Feb. 2019, Ryuden become engaged to his present wife
• June 2019, Ryuden gets married
• Nov. 2019, Y gets pregnant
• Y undergoes abortion procedure
• Y diagnosed with depression
• Apr. 2021, Ryuden breaks up with Y over Line and offers ¥15 million hush money, which she rejects.

[Benevolance]

Remember kids: always practice safe yotsu sumo. 

[Godango]

1 hour ago, Kamitsuumi said:

The online article leaves a lot for speculation, presumably to drive up sales for the weekly magazine with its more detailed article.

The timeline, as far as I can glean, is:

• Spring 2018, Ryuden and Y began their relationship
• Feb. 2019, Ryuden become engaged to his present wife
• June 2019, Ryuden gets married
• Nov. 2019, Y gets pregnant
• Y undergoes abortion procedure
• Y diagnosed with depression
• Apr. 2021, Ryuden breaks up with Y over Line and offers ¥15 million hush money, which she rejects.

Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez. This ain't a good look for a chap who seemed quite likeable. 

I don't know if #metoo made it to Japan, but damn.

[Kaninoyama]

I knew something was afoot when he started twerking. 

[yorikiried by fate]

I'd call it Quite A Little Better Than Charity Soccer Reveal Day.

At least they were forward moving and not feigning injury between basho.

[since_94]

7 minutes ago, yorikiried by fate said:

I'd call it Quite A Little Better Than Charity Soccer Reveal Day.

I did LOL

[Seiyashi]

Probably can merge the Ryuden natsu kyujo for COVID violations and this Ryuden scandal thread.

Asahi reports that the NSK's compliance committee found that since last year, Ryuden has been going out on non-essential visits to a lady a total of 25 times. For this violation of the COVID guidelines, he will be suspended for three basho (same as Abi). As Natsu is included in this three-basho suspension, he will also be out for Nagoya and Aki, and will return in Kyushu, deep in makushita, as he is all but guaranteed to be in mid-juryo for Nagoya and makushita for Aki.

So it's the visits to his mistress that landed him in trouble, although there seems to be no word about the NSK passing any judgment on the propriety of him having an affair and forcing an abortion.

Edited May 27, 2021 by Seiyashi

[Kintamayama]

Takadagawa Oyakata gets a six month, 20%  salary reduction as well.

[Atenzan]

There must be a more elegant solution in terms of a way to punish such sekitori without setting back the careers of nameless toriteki who did nothing to deserve it. We all know who's getting the makushita yusho in November and January now.

[Seiyashi]

20 minutes ago, Atenzan said:

There must be a more elegant solution in terms of a way to punish such sekitori without setting back the careers of nameless toriteki who did nothing to deserve it. We all know who's getting the makushita yusho in November and January now.

I wonder whether you can disqualify such results from counting towards the yusho, but not promotion (so the reverse of what happened to Ms15TD Shimoda). So they still get a chance to work back towards juryo on the 2x 7-0 express, but other rikishi get priority to at least win the yusho. They'll still beat people on the way, it is true, but as long as there's only one ex-sekitori there it's not too much of a problem, and the toriteki can absorb one loss and still turn in credible 5-2 or 6-1 results.

Of course the problem is when you have multiple ex-sekitori sent down the banzuke (like we're expecting Asanoyama to be). Then the alternative could be to assume they will go 7-0 in lower divisions, and suspend them for as many basho as it would take for them to get back into juryo including 7-0s, and not pay them for the duration they are nominally in makushita. So e.g. in Abi's case, since he spent 2 basho out of action in makushita and 2 basho climbing back up, his effective suspension would be extended by 2 more basho but his banzuke placement would assume 7-0s for the last two basho and he reenters when he's back in juryo.

That said, these solutions are rather involved and far from elegant, and it assumes that once a sekitori, always a sekitori.

The brute force one is just - don't pay them for that many basho so they are only sekitori in name. And they forfeit any prizes, kensho, sansho, or even yusho that they may win? But other than the complete cessation of pay, that doesn't really punish young, unmarried sekitori for stupidity - like Asanoyama.

Edited May 27, 2021 by Seiyashi

[dingo]

34 minutes ago, Atenzan said:

There must be a more elegant solution in terms of a way to punish such sekitori without setting back the careers of nameless toriteki who did nothing to deserve it. We all know who's getting the makushita yusho in November and January now.

Asanoyama? 

[Atenzan]

34 minutes ago, dingo said:

Asanoyama? 

Oh, right... sorry, I have a pillow to
scream into here somewhere.

A solution I'd prefer to see is have temporary ranks at the bottom of makuuchi for the suspended. Have a M17 or J14 kyakuseki spot and freeze them there for the length of the suspension. Everyone between the bottom of makuuchi/juryo and the suspended's original spot gets effectively moved up half a rank, we still have 70 sekitori and no demotion/promotion kerfuffle has to ensue.

[yohcun]

I assume he's back in the heya, too?

His wife may have thrown him out anyway.

[Asapedroryu]

6 hours ago, dingo said:

Asanoyama? 

If decision on Asanoyama is to suspend him for a few basho, without an 1 off auto demotion to the lower ranks, then he will only be demoted to makushita in March. Therefore, Ryuden won't have this opponent in the yusho race for Nov and Jan.