Asashoryu Retires

The Daily Times opens with this statement: "TOKYO: Controversial sumo grand champion Asashoryu announced his retirement on Thursday following a drunken attack on a man outside a Tokyo nightclub." The Examiner reports:

Yokozuna Asashoryu, one of the greatest Sumo grand champions in the history of the sport, announced his retirement in the afternoon of February 4th (JST) to the shock of many, including his peers.

The Japan Times says, "It is regrettable that despite his glittering record, he did not learn that a yokozuna should not only be powerful in the ring but also behave in a respectable way." The Mainichi Daily News notes that

The grappler's move was triggered by an incident during the January Grand Sumo Tournament, in which he allegedly assaulted a waiter -- an unforgivable act for a yokozuna.

Asia One points out that "Asashoryu does not have Japanese citizenship, which is a prerequisite to stay in sumo postretirement." The Independent headline reads: "Star of Sumo quits in tears after brawl in Tokyo club, Drunken rampage forces champion wrestler from Mongolia to bow out" Business Week has an article.

hpeterswald has posted a video:


Wikipedia has an overview of his life and career.