OK, Ok, Asanowaka intai..

[Kintamayama]

Asanowaka has formally announced his intai today. He will henceforth be known as Wakamatsu Oyakata. The current Wakamatsu Oyakata, ex-Asanoshoo, will be Sanoyama Oyakata. But esteemed members of this forum saw all of that coming..

"For the last year or so I haven't been able to do my regular Sumo. But since I was healthy, I managed to fight till the end", he said.

On a personal note- Bwaaaaa!! I'll miss him.

Special notes:

1.He entered in 1992 as Makushita tsukedashi.

2. He has no sansho or kinboshi.

3. He never missed a day. That's 1145 consecutive matches. (547-598 career,346-434 Makuuchi)

Anyone care to add?

Edited April 28, 2005 by Kintamayama

[Asashosakari]

Well, now I'm a bit surprised after all...I had started to expect a Daizen-like attempt to return to Juryo. Boom or bust, so to speak. Oh well...best of luck to the ol' clown in his new role as Oyakata. (Punk rocker...)

[Kintamayama]

Well, now I'm a bit surprised after all...I had started to expect a Daizen-like attempt to return to Juryo. Boom or bust, so to speak. Oh well...best of luck to the ol' clown in his new role as Oyakata.  (Punk rocker...)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think the delay in the announcement was due to the time it took to organize the Oyakata switcheroos..

[Asashosakari]

I think the delay in the announcement was due to the time it took to organize the Oyakata switcheroos..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I know...I just figured, the closer we were getting to the basho, the higher the probability that he'd give it one last try. Hence my surprise that we're getting the intai announcement after all just ten days before the basho. (Punk rocker...)

[Manekineko]

:'-(

Li'l Salt gone. Less and less of "the original cast" left. He was fun to watch, especially in his lemon-mawashi period. Pull-down master, which helped to perserve his uninterrupted presence on the dohyo. Man is a legend in his own special category, and good luck to new Wakamatsu!

[aderechelsea]

nevwr really liked him but still a loss for Sumo.He was one of the colourfull ones and his frog-shikiri should be passed on to eternity now that he is Oyakata (Punk rocker...)

we will train Asashoryu from now on ? (he he)

[Koldonowaka]

Anyone care to add?

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According to my records, Asanowaka competed with the Swimming team of his university (Kinki). Once in sumo, he used the Wakaarashi shikona up to January 1993.

[Naganoyama]

Anyone care to add?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

According to my records, Asanowaka competed with the Swimming team of his university (Kinki). Once in sumo, he used the Wakaarashi shikona up to January 1993.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I thought he was Wakaadachi.

[Yubiquitoyama]

Anyone care to add?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

According to my records, Asanowaka competed with the Swimming team of his university (Kinki). Once in sumo, he used the Wakaarashi shikona up to January 1993.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I thought he was Wakaadachi.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Indeed that was his shikona.

Anyway, I just wish to agree with everyone above. Especially the part of wishing him well regardless of what we thought of his sumo. I never had Asanowaka as a favorite, but I do admire his perseverance, and I definitely think he has brought an extra dimension to sumo with his style, whether as a "good guy" or as a "bad guy". I wish him a good future as Wakamatsu-oyakata (Punk rocker...)

Btw, not many of the old guard left as mentioned above... For the sake of the fans, Kotonwaka better prepare for hanging in there till he's 45... ;-)

Of course (as regarding the old guard), and I can't quit repeating this, because somehow it doesn't in any way fit with the general feeling of what happened last year (the constant nagging about Kaio's health and mental issues): Kaio won 69 matches out of 90 the year 2004... How the hell did that happen? :-P :-S ;-) :-P

Edited April 28, 2005 by Yubiquitoyama

[Mikiro]

I never had much use for Asanowaka, but I have to admit his perfect attendance is remarkable. Several reasons I see for his perfect attendance, one being that few opponents ever got a clean shot at him and he rarely took a clean shot at an opponent. I can recall no long matches in which he ever involved himself, indeed it seemed like most of his matches took 3 seconds or less, win or lose.

[hoshidango]

I watched some bouts of Asanowaka at banzuke.com. More I watched it, more incredulous I became; how can opponents fall into such obviously coming pulls? I guess he was extremely talented at getting the timing and staging of pulls against sekitori strongmen.

Unlike he is saying, I hope he will raise pull masters like him. Pull kimarite is fun to watch, especially the straight backward pull(supposed to be the worse type?) like his.