Asashoryu extends stay in Mongolia; likely to skip Kyushu meet

Friday 31st October, 07:23 AM JST

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10 Comments

namabiru4me at 08:15 AM JST - 31st October

I can already hear the Sumo Association calling for his retirement.
TeruSensei at 08:33 AM JST - 31st October

Get fit and strong again - and come back to dominate once more!
Lieutenant at 08:34 AM JST - 31st October

I can already hear the Sumo Association calling for his retirement.

Quite the oppposite. They need him in the libel cases, not to mention sumo turning into a total snoozefest once he leaves and there is no news.

...the New Year meet where he is expected to put his career on the line.

Ho hum they said this about the November tournament. Fact is, well not really a fact but my strongly worded opinion, is that he can skip the January tournament too and the Association would still kiss his butt and call it icecream.
haytkayokomiya at 08:43 AM JST - 31st October

Another soccer match?
biengo at 09:33 AM JST - 31st October

Lieutenant, he will put his career on the line in January only if he enters the tournament. Yokozuna can usually skip tournaments, but if they participate they need to perform well or face calls for retirement. I don't think that if Asashoryu has another poor performance in January the Association will restrain from asking for his retirement.
jerseyboy at 09:34 AM JST - 31st October

I love Asa, but, I think you can "stick a fork in him". He's done. I think he has mentally lost his edge and no longer intimidates his opponents, much like Mike Tyson did. I hope I'm wrong, as others have said, sumo needs him, but I think 2009 will be the official end of his era.
timorborder at 10:09 AM JST - 31st October

Asa is definitely pushing his luck. Even with the lack of alternatives, the question is how much more can the JSA take? Perhaps they might take their chances and show him the door. Let's face it, giving him the boot would be a populist kneejerk reaction that might get the media off the back of the JSA. Then again, they are all in cahort with each other.
Spidey at 01:52 PM JST - 31st October

This is just plain ridiculus. Professional athletes go on the diabled list all the time. Why is this such a big deal with sumo? Will the PGA be calling for Tiger's tour card if he doesn't return when he is SUPPOSED to? Do we not, as professional athletes, have the right to take care of ourselves without the fear of reprimand? If this is the case with sumo, then it is nothing more than glorified cock fighting.

Calling for his resignation. What a joke.

S
dennis0bauer at 03:14 PM JST - 31st October

There was a Yokozuna who skipped 7 basho's they did not say anything about that
3RENSHO at 03:52 PM JST - 31st October

"...who skipped 7 basho's"

The plural of 'Basho' is Basho.