After asserting his retirement in 2021, Hakuho Sho, believed by many to be the best rikishi in sumo historical past, mentioned his farewell to the game this weekend in an emotional ceremony on the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.
As a part of the normal ceremony the outgoing 37-year-old yokozuna carried out his last dohyo-iri, flanked by fellow wrestlers Takakeisho and Hoshoryu. Ozeki Takakeisho, a possible future yokozuna, is coming off a bruising championship victory earlier this month. Sekiwake Hoshoryu, who’s engaged on an ozeki promotion, is Hakuho’s countryman—each of them hailing from Mongolia.
The ceremony included plenty of exhibition matches, climaxing in Hakuho’s last ever look within the ring. For his final bout, he took on his younger son. Watch beneath to see a dad give his child a second he’ll always remember. It may also be a sign that the ‘White Chicken’ will not be the final of his line to put on the mawashi.
After the enjoyable and video games it was time for the intense enterprise of slicing Hakuho’s hair, thus symbolizing his exit from competitors. A whole bunch of individuals reduce strands from Hakuho’s hair earlier than his coach, Chikubayama Masakumi had the final word honour of eradicating the highest knot. Different hair-cutters of notice included former yokozuna Harumafuji (whose involvement brought about Hakuho to cry).
Later Hakuho was pictured along with his new haircut and a go well with (lively rikishi can’t be seen in public sporting trendy/western clothes).
Hakuho, born Monkhbatyn Davaajargal, debuted in sumo in 2001. Simply six years later he was promoted to yokozuna, at 22-years-old. He was the second ever Mongolian yokozuna (after arch-rival Asashoryu — sumo’s ‘dangerous boy’ who reportedly didn’t attend the retirement ceremony) and the fourth ever non-Japanese yokozuna.
In 2015 Hakuho received his thirty third championship, breaking a forty-year outdated document for many championships. He went on to win 45 high division championships earlier than asserting his retirement in 2021.
Different data held by Hakuho embody most wins in a calendar yr, most undefeated event championships, most wins within the high division and most profession wins. He’s additionally the longest serving yokozuna of all time.
On paper there is no such thing as a doubt that Hakuho is the best rikishi to ever compete in sumo. Nevertheless, his legacy is a sophisticated one. Hakuho’s profession has been marked with a stage of exuberance that might be completely at residence (and even modest) in most mainstream sports activities. Nevertheless, in sumo, the place wrestlers are anticipated to uphold inhuman ranges of decorum and stoicism, a gentle fist-pump by a rikishi might be seen as blasphemous.
Exterior of Japan (or the echo-chamber of sumo purism), it’s straightforward to acknowledge Hakuho as not simply the best rikishi ever, however as additionally the most effective athletes ever. His mixture of energy, dexterity and guile made his bouts (and now spotlight reels) must-see TV (and the odd fist pump didn’t damage, both).
Hakuho is a holder of elder inventory, which means he’s permitted to coach different rikishi and personal a steady. He has already been instrumental in nurturing expertise at his present steady, which incorporates the wildly common Enho and the teenage phenom Ochiai (who went undefeated this month in his professional event debut).
Regardless of him not showing within the ring himself anymore, the title Hakuho will certainly be synonymous for sumo for a lot of generations to return.
