Re: on this day: 1988

["Rowan Klein" <rowanchan@hotmail.com>]

There are a few dicussion threads on the topic on the ml archives.
Also a few articles on my newspaper archive at www.juryo.com in 1988, 
including, but not only the one listed below.

December 1987 31 - Futahaguro Walks Out On Stablemates.
January  1988  1 - Futahaguro Expelled From Sumo Ring.
January  1988  7 - Futahaguro Get Y12 M. Allowance.


The following by appeared on jan 15th 1988 in the Mainichi

A SPORTING LOOK By David Shapiro

Futahaguro^Òs Finish

    When Futahaguro, fighting under his family name Kitao, hit the top sumo 
division in September 1984 people were excited. He was big, strong, fast and 
developing the kind of technique that kept the experts impressed.
    The following year he spent five of the six tournaments at the rank of 
either Sekiwake or Komusubi, the third and fourth highest ranks. Outside of 
May, he finished every tourney winning in double figures, taking one of the 
three special prizes in each of these tournaments.
    An Ozeki by January 1986, Kitao looked even better. Although he never 
took top honors, his records in his four tourneys at that rank, 10-5, 10-5, 
12-3 and 14-1, were impressive. Having met the official criteria for 
Yokozuna promotion, Kitao was promoted as the 60th Yokozuna in sumo history 
for the September 1986 tournament.
    There were some who felt the promotion came too soon but the general 
consensus was that Kitao, now Futahaguro, would prove himself worthy of the 
honor bestowed upon him by the Japan Sumo Association.
    Promotion to sumo^Òs highest rank is not a guarantee of greatness. It is 
an opportunity to grow into greatness. Some achieve it; some come close. 
Some go down in history as ^Ólesser^Ô Yokozuna. No one though has failed in 
his attempt at greatness so abysmally as Futahaguro.
There are three ways for a high-ranking wrestler to leave sumo. The first, 
voluntary withdrawal, allows the wrestler to receive the retirement benefits 
allotted to him under association by-laws. The second, expulsion by the 
association's board of directors and the third, expulsion by the entire 
association executive along with the other active Ozeki and Yokozuna are 
viewed as retirement in disgrace and involve forfeiture of all benefits. No 
Yokozuna has ever been thrown out with that kind of black mark against him.
    Certain English language dailies gave the impression that Futa left by 
choice. That was not the case. Although there was serious talk about hitting 
him with the heaviest sanctions possible, it was decided to force his 
^Óvoluntary^Ô withdrawal in an effort to put the whole affair in the past 
tense as quickly as possible.
The incident involving his stable boss^Òs wife and the honorary chairman of 
his stable's support group should not be viewed as the only reason for 
Futahaguro^Òs departure from sumo. It should be viewed, after a series of 
problems over the last year, as that proverbial last straw that broke the 
camel's back.
Futahaguro never quite figured out what it meant to be a Yokozuna. He never 
developed the sense of responsibility to his stable, to the association and 
to sumo itself that is a prerequisite to maintaining the dignity of his 
rank.
    Not long after running away from his stable Futa said that he wanted to 
come back, to continue in sumo. Scandals and problems involving Yokozuna 
have been hushed up or brushed aside in the past but some things can't be 
forgiven. Futa had crossed that line.
Where to from here? He's talked about becoming an entrepreneur among other 
possible new careers, but for someone with little education and no business 
experience, a little less than 100,000 dollars in retirement benefits won't 
be much in the way of initial capital. For the former Futahaguro, the 
immediate future doesn't hold much in the way of promise.
    The one comment on everyone's lips following this sorry affair can best 
be translated as ^ÓWhat a waste!^Ô With the physical gifts Kitao brought to 
the game, those three words say it all.


From: "John Racine" <gaijira@tky2.3web.ne.jp>
>To: <sumo@sun01pt2-1523.statgen.ncsu.edu>
>Subject: Re: on this day: 1988
>Date: Sun, 16 Jun 2002 10:42:17 +0900
>
> > This is the second case that I've come across with Futahaguro being on 
>TV
> > post leaving sumo. There was a case on March 13th 1988 in whcih he made 
>a
> > guest appearance on a home video show called Kosakin. The same day had
> > photos of his hair cutting ceremony.
> > link http://www.juryo.com/newspaper/19880308.htm
>
>This article mentions that not even his oyakata came to Futahaguro's
>hair-cutting ceremony.
>
>For those of us who weren't following sumo way back then, just exactly what
>happened to this guy?  How did he come to "quit sumo in disgrace"?
>
>
>Sukebeejima
>


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