So Long Dejima
There’s a wild and woolly sumo tournament underway in Nagoya. Currently, yokozuna Hakuho and ozeki Kotooshu are tied for the lead at 11-1, with ozeki Kotomitsuki a step back at 10-2. Yokozuna Asashoryu’s injuries and lackluster training have him back at 9-3. Any of the three leaders could take it at this point.
The day before yesterday provided a remarkable bevy of upsets, with Kotomitsuki (who for the first time in years seems to have a fire burning under him) knocking off Hakuho in a ferocious match. Earlier in the card, rejuvenated veteran ozeki Kaio and Chiyotaikai surprised Asashoryu and Kotooshu, respectively. It’s always nice when the second tier of wrestlers come on strong and make the top guys work for it.
The biggest news of the day, however, was former ozeki Dejima’s ninth loss. Ranked near the bottom of the top division at maegashira 13, the loss guaranteed that he would be demoted to juryo next tournament. The 35-year-old chose to retire immediately. He ends up with a career 595-495 record in the top division, including one championship (Nagoya in 1999). He was promoted to ozeki (the second highest rank in the sport) back in 1999 holding the position until 2001. He was never able to regain it after that, but remained a powerful veteran presence. There’s a nice career summary over at Wikipedia.
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