Winner, Takaketsugatsu: Former Rokusei no Sato fiercely criticized for having “lost many things”… “Fearful role” required to become yokozuna.

Takaketsugu Takaketsugu was effective in winning the tournament, but he lost a lot in his bid to become a yokozuna.

On September 24, the Grand Sumo Tournament reached its final day, and for the fourth time in history, Ozeki Takaketsugu (27) won the tournament with a record of 11 wins and 4 losses.

This result was summed up by Nisyonoseki Oyakata (former yokozuna Rarezuri) in Sports Nippon, for which he serves as a commentator. While he praised the good performance of Atamihafuji, the 21-year old hiramaku wrestler who lost to Kikagekatsu in the deciding match, he was quite harsh on Kikagekatsu. First of all, he was very harsh on the three ozeki,

The three top-ranked ozeki, Takakiekatsu won 11, Kirishima won nine, and Toyoshoryu barely managed to win eight in the final round of the tournament. This is not enough at all, and we should reflect on this.

He continued with the following words about Kikagatsu, who showed a change in his start in the championship deciding match against Atami-fuji,

Even though he has won the championship four times, there are no expectations for him to win the top rank.

He was also harsh on social media.

The same was true of the SNS,

I think it’s natural for people to criticize him for changing his stance in the ring, for doing unsightly stretches, and for being an ozeki, and I feel offended by that.

The final match was boring as hell. It was the worst match of the tournament. For 15 days, all the rikishi, from the top to the makuuchi ranks, fought with all their might to make the ring exciting, only for it to be spoiled at the very end. I thought it was a mockery of sumo and a mockery of the audience.

The criticisms were concentrated on the match. In his victory interview, Takaketsugatsu himself commented on his change in the deciding match,

I didn’t expect the match to be decided that way, but I concentrated properly and did what I had to do.

The hall was filled with applause. However, a member of the Japan Sumo Association had the following complaint.

When they didn’t match each other’s breathing in the first bout, not only the audience in the hall but also the viewers watching on TV must have felt, ‘Kikagatsu, maybe he’s going to change. I think it was that obvious to sumo lovers.

I think he meant to say that it was “force majeure,” but his comment revealed his lack of confidence. It would have been better if he had said something like, “I was aware of the change because I absolutely could not lose. If he could have that kind of grace, he could have been stronger.

Even so, among Japanese rikishi, Takaketsugu is the most popular and the most powerful, and he is certainly the closest to becoming yokozuna. Some are hoping that he will be the first Japanese yokozuna since Rarezato, but what is it that he lacks?

Another sumo association official said, “He certainly changed his stance in the standing match,

Another official of the Japan Sumo Association commented, “His change of direction in the standing match certainly made the scene more tense, but we could see that he was determined to win. However, the reason for this was not only a lack of power, but also a lack of confidence and determination as an ozeki.

Manga cartoonist Yaku Mitsuru, a former member of the Sumo Association’s external committee, offered the following suggestion: “If Asashoryu and Hakuho were to win, they would be the first to do so.

Overwhelmingly strong yokozuna such as Asashoryu and Hakuho had the determination to be a “heel. They were determined to win, even if it wasn’t a beautiful sumo match. To do so, they would not hesitate to use any means necessary. He made no excuses for any changes he made. In a sense, it was like he didn’t care if people hated him (laughs).

(Laughs.) Recently, Takaketsugu has a great atmosphere. He is not afraid to do things that would be called “cowardly” for an ozeki, such as changing his hand or changing his stance. He is almost a successor to Hakuho. He should be prepared to change his name to “Shirakagesho. He should be prepared to change his name to “Shirakagesho” and be a heel. That level of openness is necessary.

It seems that in order to become a yokozuna, he has no choice but to devote himself to being a heel.