RE: American Sports compared to Sumo

["Da Kine Sumo E-zine & Web site from Kawika" <dakinesumo@hotmail.com>]

My source for inside info is very limited: Konishiki, Yamato, Akebono, and a 
handful of ex-sumotori from Hawaii no longer living in Japan.

We all know Konishiki's story.  One of the reason he left the kyokai is 
because they insist on a 90% take of any earnings outside sumo.  I think 
Suntory Whiskey paid US$60,000 for that first CM, and Konishiki only got 
US$6,000.

You might not know that when Akenbono's koenkai folded, supposedly the 
koenkai president, whose actions brought the whole thing to an end, walked 
away with, again supposedly, US$4,000,000.

I have heard stories of sumotori being injuried and the oyakata insisting 
that they stay in the hospital longer, cause the oyakata collects the 
insurance money.

We know that an oyakata gets 30,000 yen, now more I think, per sumotori, per 
month, for room & board.  Even though these guys eat a lot, now way I have 
to spend all that on the boys.

If you visit asageiko enough, you will eventually see yakuza attend 
practice, usually with loads of gifts, food and beer mostly.  I've been told 
that all oyakata have some dealing with the yakuza, though some are not so 
open about it.  Not strange though, the yakuza are one of the main pillars 
in Japanese society, one of the reasons it is so safe.

We all know that it is more flashy to be seen out with a sekitori than any 
movie actor/actress.  And it cost more too!  I've heard stories where taking 
out a ozeki/yokozuna, with their tsukebito, can easily cost you US$20,000 in 
food, drinks, and entertainment, ouch.

I think that the money in sumo is controlled by two factors, the oyakata's 
running the kyokai and the koenkai of all the stables and sekitori.  I think 
that there is a lot of money involved in sumo, period.  I think that 
sekitori, this is a total guess, see 5% of that money, maybe even less.  
Cause the system is structured for the few on the top, to reap the awards of 
the sumo stars, and those same sumo stars are then expected to step up to 
one of the 105 slots, and get their chance at the money.


From: Jon Leader <jleader@Brownewoods.com>
>To: 'Da Kine Sumo E-zine & Web site from Kawika' <dakinesumo@hotmail.com>
>Subject: RE: American Sports compared to Sumo
>Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 10:34:54 -0800
>
>If you have the time, this is a topic worth more discussion.  For those
>of us outside Japan, it's difficult to understand things that happen off
>the dohyo.  The money aspect of sumo has always been confusing to me.
>For example, your 'behind the curtain' postings and articles have been
>enlightening as we get little information about anyone other than the
>sanyaku.
>
>-----Original Message-----
From: Da Kine Sumo E-zine & Web site from Kawika
>[mailto:dakinesumo@hotmail.com]
>Sent: Sunday, December 05, 1999 5:31 PM
>To: sumo@brooks.statgen.ncsu.edu
>Subject: American Sports compared to Sumo
>
>
 From the viewpoint of the actually atheletes, I think there is one MAJOR
>
>difference, besides culture, when one compares American sports to Sumo.
>The
>players in American sports get a MUCH bigger slice of the money than in
>Sumo.  What does Akebono make in salary, US$350,000 at best.  Granted he
>can
>bring in the same amount under the table in nice white envelopes, that
>is
>nothing compared to some average American baseball player, making an
>average
>of what, US$1,250,000 or so.  If you talk to sumo wrestlers, it is the
>money, hands down.  The kyokai holds all the money.  Remember, if the
>kyokai
>closed its doors today, it can afford to pay all bills and salaries for
>10
>years  You can asked Musashimaru, Akebono, Takanohana, and Wakanohana,
>they
>know a lot about the kyokai money, cause as yokozuna, they seat in the
>kyokai meetings.
>
>All this other stuff about coaches and oyakata, blah, blah, blah.....is
>well, worthwhile posts, espcically from folks living outside Japan.
>Yeah,
>it is better than the Futagoyama Factor, now Musashigawa Factor thread,
>or
>the henka thread, etc.  Any post is a good post, IMHO
>
>
>
>Signed,
>Kawika
>
>"never be petty, always remember, others may hate you, but those who
>hate
>you don't win unless you hate them and then you destroy yourself."
>Richard
>Nixon - August 9th, 1974
>
>"Those that know, KNOW.  Those that don't NEVER going understand us
>guys" -
>Chad Rowan
>
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