What happened to Takanoyama?

Retirement from sumo Takanoyama announced his retirement on Day 12 of the July 2014 tournament, where he had withdrawn after losing his first match, guaranteeing a large fall down the makushita division.

Are there any thin sumo wrestlers?

A famous exception to the general fatness is Takanoyama Shuntaro, known as the “Skinny Sumo”: a Czech wrestler distinctive for his diminutive size. Despite being comparatively minuscule, Takanoyama has had impressive success in the rankings, reaching the makuuchi division in 2011.

What are the ranks of sumo?

Professional sumo has a total of six divisions. The top Makunouchi division is subdivided into five ranks: Yokozuna at the pinnacle, followed by Ozeki, Sekiwake, Komusubi, and Maegashira. Becoming a Yokozuna or Ozeki is especially difficult.

Are sumo wrestlers healthy?

Japanese sumo wrestlers are often used as a popular example of metabolically healthy obese. They are morbidly obese and yet due to their high level of activity have very little visceral fat accumulation, tons of muscle mass, and a healthy metabolic profile—until they stop training, that is.

Can sumo wrestlers wipe their butt?

And in the wild world of sumo, with its hazing (younger sumo are supposed to help the older, more established and bigger fighters by wiping their asses if called upon to do so — tough gig), accusations of Yakuza connections, corruption and the scourge of performance-enhancing drugs (insulin usually, to gain weight).

Is sumo rigged?

Weekly tabloid Shūkan Gendai alleged in a series of articles in the 1980s and 1990s that bouts were fixed. In 2000, in both speeches and a tell-all book, former wrestler Keisuke Itai stated that up to 80% of sumo bouts were fixed.

Is hitting allowed in sumo?

Punching, gouging, and kicking are prohibited, but slapping and tripping are allowed. It is legal to grab the “mawashi” (sumo belt) anywhere around the waist, but not in the groin area. Hair-pulling is also banned.

Why do sumo wrestlers wear a thong?

The fundoshi is often twisted to create a thong effect at the back. It was also the standard male bathing suit. Male children learning to swim during the early 1960s were often told to wear this kind of fundoshi because a boy in trouble could be easily lifted out of the water by the back cloth of his fundoshi.