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.